WildAid Africa 119d ago

Meet Rachel Ashegbofe Ikemeh, founder of the South-West Niger Delta Forest Project in Nigeria, and a champion for some of the country’s most endangered wildlife. Rachel focuses her research on the Niger Delta Red Colobus Monkey and the Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee. These two species became flagships for her work, helping drive the protection of entire forest ecosystems and the many other endangered species that depend on them. In 2020, the Ekiti State Government approved the creation of a 3,330-hectare conservation area in Ise Forest. At the heart of this protection are the rangers — or as Rachel says the “frontline conservationists” — who gather vital wildlife data, uphold the law, and defend the forest. At least nine endangered species are safeguarded within this landscape. Protecting chimpanzees means protecting their home, and everything within it. Despite pressure from illegal logging and bushmeat demand, Rachel and her team work with communities to build awareness and protect the forest. Because, as she says, extinction is a real threat and protecting Nigeria’s forests is a shared responsibility.