Wildlife Distribution and Habitat Use in Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, Akwa Ibom State

Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve in Akwa Ibom State, within Nigeria's South South geopolitical zone, is a coastal lowland forest reserve of moderate size that harbors important populations of forest wildlife, including primates and several threatened species. The reserve's proximity to the Imo River estuary creates unique habitat diversity encompassing freshwater swamp forest, dryland forest, and riverine zones. This study investigates wildlife distribution and habitat use patterns within the reserve using camera traps, line transects, and sign surveys conducted across three habitat types over six months. Camera trap stations were deployed at 25 locations, yielding 1,840 trap-nights of monitoring data. A total of 28 mammal species were recorded, including the red-capped mangabey, Niger Delta red colobus monkey, and forest elephant. Species accumulation curves suggest that the surveyed mammal community is well-characterized by the current effort. Habitat use analysis reveals that mammals preferentially use the interior dryland forest areas and avoid reserve edges adjacent to farmland. Camera trap events decline significantly on nights following logging activities in adjacent community forests, suggesting a spillover disturbance effect. The study recommends strengthening the reserve's eastern boundary, developing formal agreements with adjacent communities to reduce logging disturbance, and establishing a permanent camera trap monitoring grid. Keywords: wildlife distribution, camera trapping, Stubbs Creek, South South Nigeria, forest mammals