The western African nation of Cameroon, recently granted a logging permit for the intact Ebo forest. Fortunately for the endangered animals that live there including the
P. ellioti chimpanzees, the government reversed its decision. However, the future of the forest still remains uncertain. The government touted that the logging concession covering 169,000 acres of the 500,000 acre forest would bring jobs and prosperity to the region, but did not consult forty human communities bordering the forest in its decision-making process. Local Banen communities that depend on Ebo Forest to gather food and
traditional medicines view the forest as their ancestral land.
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| credit: San Diego Zoo |
Conservationists welcome the policy reversal for providing the opportunity to plan more sustainable use of the forests' resources, as well as protecting the habitat of the tool using Nigeria-Cameroon (
Pan troglodytes ellioti) chimpanzees. The forest is also home to critically endangered red colubus monkeys (
Piliocolobus preussi), western lowland gorillas (
Gorilla gorilla), and endangered forest elephants (
Loxodonta cyclotis), and drills (
Mandrillus leucophaeus).
Green Kudos to Cameroon for protecting Nature and giving forest creatures a chance. Every acre of undeveloped forest land helps Earth combat climate change.
