The wildlife of Burundi

Burundi

Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...

 is composed of its flora

Flora

Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...

 and fauna

Fauna

Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...

. Burundi was home to 2,500 species of plants, 597 birds, 26 amphibians, 80 mammals, and 116 reptiles.

Environment

Uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel-wood, coupled with agricultural clearing and grazing lands has resulted in nearly complete deforestation

Deforestation

Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....

 of the country. This serious loss of land has effected wildlife severely. Widespread ethnic civil war and the subsequent collapse of government conservation efforts further reduced forest areas and resulted in increased poaching

Poaching

Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...

 of wildlife. Before the savage civil war, high population density (450 people per square kilometer) on mountain slopes resulted in heavy soil loss and damage to agriculture.

Due to habitat destruction, gorilla

Gorilla

Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...

s and elephant

Elephant

Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...

s are extinct in Burundi and virtually all wildlife is threatened.

Officially just 5.4 percent of Burundi's land mass is under any form of protection. In 2005, the government of Burundi

Burundi

Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...

 announced a ban on the harvesting of natural Christmas tree

Christmas tree

The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...

s in an effort to slow deforestation. Since the Christmas trees are an introduced plantation species, the ban had little effect on the country's biodiversity.

Birds

• African Lemon-dove
  African Lemon-dove
  The Lemon Dove or Cinnamon Dove is a bird species in the pigeon family . It differs from the other African pigeons of the genus Columba by its terrestrial habits and the white face and forehead of adult males; it is therefore sometimes separated in the genus Aplopelia...
  
  
• Handsome Francolin
  Handsome Francolin
  The Handsome Francolin, Pternistis nobilis is a large, up to 35 cm long, terrestrial forest francolin with a dark reddish brown plumage, grey head, red bill and legs, brown iris, bare red orbital skin and rufous grey below. Both sexes are similar. The female is slightly smaller than male...
  
  
• Shoebill
  Shoebill
  The Shoebill also known as Whalehead or Shoe-billed Stork, is a very large stork-like bird. It derives its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill. The adult bird is tall, long, across the wingspan and weighs . Their beaks have an average length of length of . The adult is mainly grey while the...
  
  
• Trumpeter Hornbill
  Trumpeter Hornbill
  The Trumpeter Hornbill, Bycanistes bucinator, is a medium-sized hornbill, with length between , characterized by a large grey casque on the bill, smaller in females. The eyes are brown or red, with pink surrounding skin. Body mass is reported between . They are similar to Silvery-cheeked Hornbill...