Protecting the species-rich forests of south-west Ethiopia
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"There it is, I told you," the small-holder whispered triumphantly to the project ranger as a Yellow-fronted Parrot poked its head out of its nest cavity in a large tree. This was doubly good news: firstly because the parrots were breeding, and secondly because this modest farmer was responding to the project's conservation message within the local communities.
This was happening in the Kafa Biosphere Reserve (KBR) in south-west Ethiopia, home to one of the country's last natural highland forest areas, a habitat rich in wildlife. Its species diversity includes 300 mammals, 260 birds and almost 5,000 varieties of plants including wild Arabica coffee. As well as being a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the area has been recognised as part of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot, a Key Biodiversity Area and an Important Bird Area (IBA). In addition to its forests, the area also has wetlands and grasslands, within which 11 bird species observed are either endemic to Ethiopia, such as Yellow-fronted Parrot, or very nearly so, such as the dainty Black-winged Lovebird or the spectacular White-cheeked Turaco.