The article titled "Cocoa and gunshots: The struggle to save a threatened forest in Nigeria" published on Mongabay, discusses the struggle to save Nigeria's Omo Forest Reserve from deforestation caused primarily by cocoa farming. The reserve, which provides habitat for animals such as forest elephants and drinking water for Lagos, has lost more than 7% of its tree cover over the past two decades. Thousands of small farmers, seeking fertile soil and a respite from poverty, have illegally settled in the reserve. The government is hesitant to evict them as it would disrupt their livelihoods and require significant funding. Instead, the focus is on preventing more farmers from invading Omo. This is the goal of rangers who patrol Omo's remaining forests looking for footprints and listening for chainsaws and gunshots. Despite their efforts, the reserve is too big for the relatively small team to effectively monitor in its entirety.