Mozambique safeguards Mount Mabu butterfly forest
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Mozambique’s Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries formally protected Mount Mabu, a 9,341-hectare area in the Lugela district of northern Mozambique, by establishing the Mount Mabu Community Conservation Area.
The government granted stewardship of the land to local communities who have long preserved the forest. Ecologist Julian Bayliss led surveys over two decades that demonstrated the ecological importance of Mount Mabu, which contains high levels of species found nowhere else.
Scientists have identified over 200 butterfly species on Mount Mabu, and estimate the actual number could reach 250. Since 2005, researchers discovered more than 30 previously unknown species in the forests, including a cobalt-blue butterfly, Iolaus mabuensis, first found in 2008, and the Mount Mabu forest viper, identified in 2009. The decree establishing the conservation area prioritises the protection and sustainable use of natural resources by the local communities.
While the government has not yet finalised a community management plan, the area faces threats from small-scale agriculture and logging, though it remains largely well-preserved due to local reverence for the forest. José Monteiro of ReGeCom emphasized that this formal protection acknowledges the community’s longstanding efforts to maintain the forest.
