Grey-faced elephant-shrew  (Rhynchocyon udzungwensis)

The restricted range of the grey-faced elephant-shrew makes it very vulnerable to any threats that may arise. Currently, the most significant threat to this species is the loss of habitat as a result of forest fires, both those induced by drought and those caused intentionally by humans (1). The proximity of this species’ habitat to rapidly expanding human populations means there is a great possibility of habitat disturbance, including fires, logging and hunting, increasing in the future (1) (2). In the longer term, global climate change may pose a significant threat to the survival of the grey-faced elephant-shrew, as it could significantly alter the moist montane forest it inhabits (1).

The two forests from which the grey-faced elephant-shrew is currently known are both protected areas: the Udzungwa Mountains National Park and the West Kilombero Scarp Forest Reserve (2). The utilisation of animals for food or trade within either area is prohibited, and the biodiversity of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park also benefits from a management plan and a community education and outreach plan (1). The grey-faced elephant-shrew is just one of at least 25 new vertebrate species which have been discovered in the Eastern Arc Mountains and Tanzanian southern highlands in the last decade (2), adding to the thousands of endemic species already known from this region (5). This highlights the global importance of conserving these ancient forests (2), to ensure the survival of the numerous animals and plants that are found nowhere else on earth (5).