Columbia has granted gold mining concessions on an isolated mountain massif that has not been studied by biologists except for a brief survey in 1999-2001. Serrania de San Lucas was once completely covered by rain forest to 7500 feet. Only 10% of the rain forest now survives. The survey by ProAves, a conservation group, listed over 370 bird species, including 11 endangered ones, and a high concentration of endangered mammals like the Spectacled Bear and five species of primates. The massif may contain entire communities of flora and fauna unknown to science, but they will be destroyed by resource extraction. None of the mining companies support protecting biodiversity and not a single acre of the massif is protected for conservation. Until now most mining and logging has been artisanal because of political instability, but the rising price of gold has created a rush. The human health consequences of losing 2.5 million acres of forest beside the Rio Magdalena, together with the inevitable toxic pollution from mercury and cyanide will be significant. [images: l, shows remaining forest in dark green; r, location of mining claims. www.wildlife extra.com]