A study of tree hyraxes -- small, herbivorous mammals related to elephants and manatees whose calls reverberate through the night in the forests of West and Central Africa -- has identified a new species and led to calls for better protection of the unique natural wildlife in the area between the Volta and Niger rivers. The barking hyraxes are a separate species from their shrieking neighbors, an example of the new species that developed in forests isolated by the Niger and Volta Rivers. The latter are threatened, as growing human populations destroy forests and hunt mammals for meat. The researchers call for increased efforts to create effective new nature reserves.

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