The Djibouti Francolin, which is found only in the horn of Africa, is critically endangered -- in fact, there are only about 500 adult individuals left in the whole world.
The main threat to the Djibouti Francolin population is habitat destruction. Nearly all the juniper trees in the Forêt du Day, where most of the Francolins once lived, are dead or dying, withered away by acid rain, burned up by climate change or hacked to pieces by humans for firewood. Additionally, camels, goats and cattle are allowed to graze freely on the landscape, further reducing the once-lush area to near-ruin.
The Forêt du Day was once a national park, but by 2001, it had lost such protections. As a result, its wide variety of plants -- and the animals who live in them, like the Djibouti Francolin -- have been left vulnerable to devastation.
We have to give the Djibouti Francolin a chance to survive. Please ask the government to extend protections back over the Forêt du Day and establish captive breeding programs for the Francolin before this rare species disappears forever.
