The Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission on Tuesday said this year's “Close Season” begins on Wednesday, August 1.

A statement issued in Accra by Nana Kofi Adu-Nsiah, Executive Director of the Commission copied to Ghana News Agency, said this was the period August 1 to December 1, which every year marked the annual ban on the hunting, capturing and destruction of wild animals.

It said wildlife contributes significantly to the cultural and socio-economic development of all nations, and wildlife conservation is therefore a national obligation.

Ghana, in pursuant of this objective, established the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission with the mandate of ensuring that wildlife resources are managed sustainably for the benefit of all segments of society.

The statement said rapid increases in population coupled with socio-economic development continue to exert enormous pressure on the environment, particularly the wildlife resources.

It said the Close Season is one of the approaches to ensure the judicious use of the wildlife resources.

During this period, wild animals such as duikers, royal antelope, bush bucks are in their breeding season and the females are either pregnant or being followed by their young ones.

The ban therefore, ensures that the young are nurtured to maturity to replace those already harvested.

The statement said in the close season, grass-cutters can however be hunted provided the hunters have obtained the requisite hunting permit from the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission.

The Commission called on the general public to exercise circumspection in the consumption of bush meat other than the grass-cutter during the Close Season, to discourage the wanton destruction of young and pregnant animals.

It further called on other law enforcement agencies and the general public to join hands with the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, to ensure compliance with the implementation of the Close Season.**