First estimate of Pygmy population in Central Africa reveals their plight

Increased deforestation and road building in Central African rainforests will intensify threats to the lives and lifestyles of indigenous Pygmy communities, a new study. The study, which provides the first measured estimate of the population and distribution of these increasingly marginalized indigenous groups, found that the forests of Central Africa could be home to up to 920,000 Pygmies. Until now, it has not been possible to determine the numbers and actual geographic ranges of Pygmy communities, because of their location in remote forest areas, mobility, lack of census data, and imprecise and partial sources of information.