Forest ranger with a chameleon

Local forest ranger Monja Randriamonja inspects a new species of chameleon, as yet undescribed and only the fourth member of her kind ever sighted. A potent reminder of the mystery and the richness of Madagascar’s landscape. Tsitongambaraika forest is one of Madagascar’s few remaining stands of humid lowland forest. This globally unique ecosystem - with 80-90 per cent of its life made up of endemic species - is under threat, ringed by villages comprising over 60,000 people and under pressure from illegal timber exploitation and encroachment by slash-and-burn agriculture. Monja is one of many rangers supported by Asity and the Alliance for Zero Extinction project to help manage the forest, guarding against illegal timber exploitation and slash-and-burn agriculture. Since the Global Environment Facility and UN Environment-supported Alliance for Zero Extinction project started its work, local communities have been educated on the value of their natural resources and alternative livelihood options, reducing pressure on the forest and opening the way to a sustainable future for both Tsitongambaraika and the region’s residents.