zebra and Rufous Fishing-owl
Scotopella ussheri (both Vulnerable) are found in Gola Forest. Furthermore, the forest is home to the world’s second largest population of the Western chimpanzees, as well as acting as an overall carbon sink and helping to reduce the impacts of climate change.
Years of deforestation and degradation, driven by logging, agriculture, armed conflict and mining, have led to the loss of globally important biodiversity and decreased resilience to climate change. This has significantly impacted local communities, who depend on the forest for their livelihoods. In 2011, the governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the management, research, protection and conservation of the Gola Forest. In February 2020, an amended MoU was signed by both countries, reaffirming commitment to jointly manage the forest and protect its biodiversity.