Mountain protection plan safeguards rare forests and wildlife

Angola has created a new conservation area around its highest mountain to protect rare Afromontane forests and threatened wildlife found nowhere else in the world.

“The news that the government of Angola has now moved to give the mountain formal protected area status is a moment for real celebration and congratulations,” said Nigel Collar, conservation biologist at BirdLife International.

The new Serra do Moco Conservation Area protects approximately 22,000 hectares in Huambo province, including forests that shelter unique bird species such as Swierstra’s francolin. Conservationists and local residents have worked for years to restore habitat damaged by logging and fires, with more than 8,000 native trees planted across three valleys. The initiative also supports sustainable livelihoods through cleaner-cooking projects and forest-management training, while helping endangered wildlife recover in one of Africa’s most distinctive mountain ecosystems.