The Itombwe massif in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been identified as one of the most important sites for conservation within the Albertine Rift and contains at least nine species of threatened amphibians with an additional seven considered data deficient to allocate a threat status.
The Itombwe and Misotshi-Kabogo sites are highly threatened at the moment. People are settling in both areas as security in the region has improved or to flee insecurity elsewhere. This is leading to forest loss to agriculture, pastoral grazing of livestock, timber harvesting, and artisanal mining activities, as well as increased bushmeat hunting.
At Misotshi-Kabogo, the most damaging threat to amphibians is the artisanal mining for gold in the park which destroys the streams and rivers. Most of this mining is undertaken by people from outside the region because the local communities do not perceive any great rewards from mining in the massif. In Itombwe, the main threats to amphibians are the loss of habitat to agriculture and cattle grazing. Conservation of their critical habitats is urgently needed to ensure these amphibians can survive and thrive.