Editing African manatee (section)

==Threats==
The African manatee is a vulnerable species because of its meat, oil, bones, and skin, which can bring great wealth to poachers. Specifically they are used to make walking sticks and toy spinning tops. In some countries, such as Nigeria and Cameroon, African manatees are sold to zoos, aquariums, online as pets, and they are sometimes shipped internationally. Anyone visiting such countries will notice manatee meat being sold on the streets and in marketplaces, but the lack of law enforcement protects the poachers from punishment. Residents of countries such as Mali and Chad use the oil of the African manatee in belief that it can cure ailments such as ear infections, [[rheumatism]], and skin conditions.<ref name="IUCN"/>

There are even more threats to the African manatees' habitat and life: urban and agricultural development, increased damming, and increased use of hydroelectric power in the rivers of countries like Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. The building of dams has led to genetic isolation of some populations.<ref name="IUCN" /> There is little data to show if this has any negative long-term effects on the population as a whole. At several hydroelectric dams including the Kanji dam on the Niger River and the Akosombo dam on the Volta River manatees have been caught and killed in the turbines and intake valves.<ref name="IUCN" /> Thick congestion of boats in waterways may cause the manatees to have deadly run-ins with the vessels. However, even natural occurrences, such as droughts and tidal changes, can often strand manatees in unsuitable habitats. Some are killed accidentally by fishing trawls and in nets which are intended for catching sharks.<ref name="IUCN"/>

Some behaviors of African manatees provoke humans to hunt them. When manatees become tangled in fishing nets, they can damage them. People in countries such as Sierra Leone believe that killing the manatees to reduce the species size lowers the chances of the fishing nets requiring expensive repairs. In addition, African manatees can destroy rice crops by drifting into fields during the rainy season.<ref>{{cite web | title = African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) | publisher = Wildscreen | year = 2011 | url = http://www.arkive.org/african-manatee/trichechus-senegalensis/#text=Threats | access-date = December 30, 2011 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111130010140/http://www.arkive.org/african-manatee/trichechus-senegalensis/#text=Threats#text=Threats | archive-date = 2011-11-30 }}</ref>

Many of the African manatees that venture up the Niger River starve to death. At certain times each year, the Niger River dries up due to the hot temperatures and lack of rain. Many manatees migrate there during the rainy season. When the water dries up the manatees are unable to get to other bodies of water.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.manatee-world.com/african-manatee/|title=African Manatee - Manatee Facts and Information|website=www.manatee-world.com|date=27 February 2014 |access-date=2016-11-23|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123201229/http://www.manatee-world.com/african-manatee/|archive-date=2016-11-23}}</ref>

Manatees do not have many true predators. Apart from humans, they are threatened by sharks, crocodiles, and alligators but this is rare because of a difference in habitat. In West Africa Crocodiles make up the majority of manatee predators besides humans.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Luiselli |first1=L |title=Macro-habitat preferences by the African manatee and crocodiles – ecological and conservation implications |url=https://we.copernicus.org/articles/12/39/2012/ |journal=Web Ecology |date=2012 |volume=12 |pages=39–48 |doi=10.5194/we-12-39-2012 |doi-access=free |access-date=26 April 2023}}</ref>