Mount Mabu is approximately 1,700 metres (5,600 feet) high and the forest covers about 7,000 hectares (27 square miles), or roughly 17,000 acres.

While well-known locally, the Mount Mabu forest and its extremely diverse flora and fauna were virtually unknown to science until 2005,[1] when the location was finally visited by a team of researchers from the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT), along with several ornithologists,[2] and, in 2008, by scientists from Kew Royal Botanic Gardens.

The scientific expeditions were only made possible by finding the mountain's location on Google Earth's satellite-view, looking for potentially unknown wildlife hotspots in Africa.

The communities resort to the mountain for protection, animal protein, smallholding, foraging, and traditional ceremonies – mucutu[what language is this?]

Currently, there are two Mozambican NGOs working with the communities to turn Mount Mabu into a conservation area, namely, Justica Ambiental and RADEZA.

RADEZA in association with ITC (Iniciativa de Terras Privadas) persuaded the government to provide community land titles – DUAT.