The discovery of Zenkerella insignis brings growth in tourism to Bioko Island

(TRAVPR.COM) NEW YORK - January 11th, 2017 - Early this week, Minister of State, Charged with Tourism, Tomás Mecheba Fernández Galilea, received in his office the United States Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, Julie Furuta Toy, in order to look at matters regarding bilateral cooperation. The ambassador placed emphasis on matters regarding ecotourism on the Island of Bioko, in view of its huge biological reserves and protected areas.

Furuta Toy, who was accompanied at the meeting by two experts in biodiversity, believes that Equatorial Guinea could contribute in the fight to preserve species.

Ecotourism was bolstered with the discovery of Zenkerella insignis, the critter caught on Bioko, which is one of the world's most ancient and mysterious mammals. Until now, it was known only by its fossils and 11 scattered specimens, many of which had been languishing in natural history collections for over 100 years. Researchers who were interested in the species had little to go on aside from a hind limb here, a few teeth there. No scientist in history has ever seen it alive. The discovery means that, for the first time, scientists were able to examine the genome of one of the bizarre mammals, and finally figure out where Zenkerella fits in our evolutionary family tree.

Equatorial Guinea tourism sector development is a part of the Horizonte 2020 Development Plan, a vision of H.E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, to transformed this tiny country into an emerging economy.

The discovery of Zenkerella insignis brings growth in tourism to Bioko Island, said Victor Mooney, Spirit of Malabo Group.

Online: spiritofmalabo.net

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