Colombia's peace opened wildlife to discovery, but new violence frustrates progress

Andrea Galeano, head of amphibian and reptile collections at the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute, holds a Atelopus marinkellei frog captured during the Humboldt Institute's expeditions, in Villa de Leyva, Colombia, October 11, 2024. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez

(Reuters) - For more than five decades as violent conflict raged through Colombia's highlands and rainforests, wildlife thrived.

From brilliantly colored orchids to tiger-striped frogs, scientists have uncovered a wealth of new animal and plant species in the years since a 2016 peace deal saw most rebels with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) lay down their weapons. The accord made it safe to enter many parts of the country, often pristinely preserved amid the conflict.