ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on sacred groves, specifically those located around the Bight of Benin, which is on the western coast of Africa that extends from Cape St. Paul eastward to the Nun outlet of the Niger River Delta, a distance of approximately 650 km. A grove usually means a small group of trees that grow close together, generally without many bushes or other plants underneath. In equatorial environments, the sacred wooded lands can cover larger spaces and have a higher density than groves in sub-equatorial or Sudanic areas, and in such cases they are named sacred forests. The sacred forest also provides the community with domestic needs: fuel wood, edible leaves, fruits and vegetables. The woodland being a repository or a refuge for wildlife, the harvesting of plants and hunting of animals such as mammals, birds and bats or snails can generate income and contribute to sustaining the family.
