MONROVIA, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The trade of bush meat has become a very big commercial business in Liberia as it is posing serious threat to the country's biodiversity, said Theo Freeman, manager of Wildlife and Parks of Liberia, here on Friday.

    Addressing a forest workshop organized by Conservation International-Liberia, Freeman said the trade of bush meat has ledto massive poaching across the country.

    The government was incapable of containing the crisis, therefore it requires assistance from the international community in the area of capacity building, said Freeman.

    Retaining as much as 42 percent of its original forest cover, Liberia is a conservation priority within the Upper Guinea forest block of west Africa.

    Many endangered species of the region including pygmy hippopotamus, Jentink's zebra duiker, Diana monkey, forest elephants and chimpanzees are found within its forest.

    The ongoing workshop is intended to develop national communication strategies for forest conservation. Enditem