Help the São Tomé Grosbeak Stay Alive!

The São Tomé Grosbeak, a critically endangered species of bird, is found nowhere else in the world except São Tomé and Principe. There are only around 50 individuals left on the entire planet -- yet if human development continues to expand in the region, those few remaining handfuls could soon be gone for good.

The main threats to the grosbeak population are hunting and habitat loss. Because of the bird's plump body, it is common for the locals to kill them for food. And thanks to the development projects rapidly spreading into the bird's native forests, it's become even easier for São Tomé residents to find the birds and slaughter them.

In recent years, the government set up a national park to try and preserve the grosbeak's habitat while it still can. But human industry, including palm oil plantations and small private farms, are threatening to take over that space, dooming the grosbeak for good.

The officials of São Tomé and Principe must ensure that the forests the grosbeak calls home are conserved from human danger from all sides. Tell the government to pass laws to protect the grosbeak and the island's other rare birds before it's too late!