Islands are often hot spots of unique life; São Tomé and Principe are just such islands, never connected to Africa or each other, their wildlife has developed in isolation.
That very isolation can make island wildlife very vulnerable to change – and that is the current story on the islands as a rush to plant oil palm leads to forest clearance and risks to the birds like the dwarf olive ibis – which is on the list of critically endangered birds.
Through BirdLife International (of which the RSPB is the UK Partner) we’re working with local people to find ways of tackling the threats – and you can find out more over on the Saving Species blog.
Here’s the latest and here’s an earlier post that sets the scene.
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