BINCO Malawi

rainforests, endangered chameleons and community engagement

Project description

August 2019 - matandwe forest reserve

The Chapman’s pygmy chameleon (Rhampholeon chapmanorum) faces imminent extinction. We completed a rapid biodiversity survey to gain insight into the distribution and population size of this endemic and Critically Endangered pygmy chameleon.

: Slowly but surely agriculture is taking hold of the last lowland rainforest patches which are located on the steepest hill slopes, the remaining habitat for the pygmy chameleon.

: The wooden construction is a saw pit where hardwoods are made into planks. The disappearance of emergent trees alters the environment drastically.

: The Malawi Hills region harbors a few fragmented forest patches.

: The local communities will be at the heart of a conservation project if the species is to be protected. Exposure to their hidden friend in the forest is the first step.

: Community meetings with elders and influential community members are key to collect the views and ideas of the local stakeholders.

: Steven Mphamba, a Malawian botanist, leads the forest inventory to shed a light on the habitat requirements of the species.

: The rocks and crevices on the hill slopes are home to spectacular tiny wildlife.

: The Eastern tiger snake (Telescopus semiannulatus) hunts for lizards, small rodents and nesting birds at night.

: The least you can say is that the Mozambique rain frog (Breviceps mossambicus) is at the brink of a depression…