Descendants of families forcibly displaced during the creation of Maiko National Park in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo back in the 1970s are now leading a new wave of community-led conservation. Gangala Yafali Mangusa Jr., from one such displaced family, is the head of the Bamasobha Local Community Forest Concession (CFCL), covering roughly 29,000 hectares (71,700 acres), where he oversees patrols that monitor illegal hunting, logging and mining. His team also works to strengthen coexistence between communities and the forest, and to promote sustainable management of natural resources. Mongabay-Africa contributor Jérémie Kyaswekera reports that Mangusa Jr.’s commitment stems from a history of conflict between his community and the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) following the creation of Maiko National Park, home to the eastern lowland gorilla, forest elephants and chimpanzees. “At one point, park rangers from the ICCN came and set up camp, and they began patrolling, forbidding people from entering the forest and eating meat, even though these Indigenous communities had been living off meat [and fruit] for generations,” Mangusa Jr. said. That led to long-standing disagreements, forcing communities to move elsewhere, he added. The Bamasobha CFCL represents a shift toward inclusive forest management. Supported by the Peasants’ Association for the Rehabilitation and Protection of Pygmies (PREPPYG), the communities of Bamasobha developed a management plan in 2023 that balances biodiversity protection with human needs through distinct production and conservation zones. The impact has been significant: Satellite data from Global Forest Watch shows forest loss…This article was originally published on Mongabay

For more than 160 years, the Himalayan pit viper was believed to be a single species, found across the Himalayas in Pakistan, India and Nepal. Now, a new study revealed this snake is actually not one, but five distinct species, including three entirely new to science. For their analysis, the researchers conducted fieldwork to different parts of the Himalayas and collected samples of what was considered to be the Himalayan pit viper from different populations. They also examined historical specimens assigned to the Himalayan pit viper and extracted DNA from them. Their analysis of the snakes’ bodies, skeleton and DNA revealed five separate species: The Himalayan pit viper (Gloydius himalayanus) was first described in 1864. This species is now restricted to northwestern India and typically inhabits elevations between 1,000 and 3,500 meters (3,281-11,483 feet). The Chamba pit viper (G. chambensis) was originally described in 2022 from India’s Chamba District. This study extended its known range westward into the Kashmir Valley. It lives at elevations from 400-2,500 meters (1,312-8,202 feet). The Hazara pit viper (G. hazarensis) is a new-to-science species. It’s found in the Hazara region of northeastern Pakistan at elevations ranging from 1,630-2,900 meters (5,348-9,514 feet). The Hindu Kush pit viper (G. hindukushensis) is also a newly described species. It inhabits the eastern foothills of the Hindu Kush Mountains in northwestern Pakistan between 1,660 and 2,888 meters (5,446-9,475 feet). The Nepali pit viper (G. nepalensis) is new-to-science as well. This viper is distributed across western and west-central Nepal and is…This article was originally published on Mongabay