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topic: Conservation
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World Lemur Day: How can we save these primates’ forest homes?
More than 100 known species of lemurs live in Madagascar. These primates with large eyes, a pointed snout, and long bushy tails are found only in the island country, where they usually live in large groups on trees. Lemurs are one of the world’s most threatened groups of primates, under pressure from the loss of […]
The women who won’t let go: Female-led resistance to development harms across Asia
- During a recent “people’s tribunal” in Bangkok, women from across Asia spoke about their experiences as leaders of movements seeking justice for communities affected by World Bank-funded development projects.
- The women are from communities affected by a variety of projects across the continent, including dams and land redistribution programs.
- Several themes emerged from the discussions, including the importance of maintaining resistance for decades, the obstacles and dangers faced by protest leaders, and the way that documenting struggles can serve as both a tool of resistance and a means of survival.
Given a chance, women-led microenterprises uplift Nepali communities & conservation
- In Naya Padampur, Nepali women are building livelihoods through microenterprises that earn them income and reduce their dependence on forest products.
- Previously, many women ventured into the forest outside of Naya Padampur to fetch firewood, a dangerous task due to the proximity of wild animals such as rhinos and tigers.
- Successful women-led microenterprises in Nepal and beyond have provided a symbiosis between land and community, allowing conservation efforts to flourish while acting as a catalyst for women’s empowerment.
- Still, many women in Nepal face societal and financial hurdles to building businesses and owning property.
US lawmakers urge Trump administration to oppose Colombia’s Amazon aerial spraying plans
A group of U.S. lawmakers is urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio not to support Colombia’s plans to restart aerial spraying of coca crops in the Amazon, warning of risks to human health and the environment. The Colombian government says spraying is needed to combat cocaine production and weaken armed groups, but critics argue the […]
Aztec methods and crocodiles: How biologists are restoring mangroves in Mexico
- A nonprofit is reintroducing crocodiles as part of a mangrove restoration project in Veracruz, Mexico.
- The project also involves using an Aztec technique for reforestation by planting mangrove seedlings on raised mounds called chinampas.
- Practitioners in Veracruz, as well as in Colombia, say crocodiles help mangroves function by moving sediment as they swim and keeping channels open so water flows.
- However, others point to a lack of research supporting claims that crocodiles perform a structural role in their habitat.
How citizen scientists are mapping Pune’s trees, with hopes of a greener future
- Citizen scientists in Pune are mapping trees along the Mula-Mutha riverbanks using smartphones, measuring tapes and the iNaturalist app to document urban biodiversity.
- The data are strengthening conservation efforts by providing evidence against tree felling and advocating for sustainable alternatives to engage citizens.
- From protecting the ecologically rich Ram-Mula Devrai to drawing on global citizen science initiatives, Pune’s volunteers are part of a larger trend in community-led documentation that can help safeguard urban green spaces and influence conservation decisions.
After Botswana, Nepal tries artificial scent marking to fend big cats off villages
- Researchers from Cornell University, WWF Nepal and local forest authorities in Nepal are testing lab-made versions of big-cat scent chemicals, which they call “BioBoundaries,” an attempt to create a chemical fence to keep big cats away from livestock.
- Some experiment sites report that tigers and leopards approach the scent stations, investigate them and often turn back without crossing. Of 10 compounds tested, three were linked to fewer leopard detections and two to fewer tiger detections. Some scents, however, attracted the cats; responses varied by species and location
- A tiger turning away is not evidence the method prevents livestock attacks, the researchers say. Trials in Botswana suggest that one compound cut down leopard attacks, but studies in Nepal haven’t replicated this.
- If the scents work, dispensers could be installed around corrals or on grazing livestock, alongside stronger sheds and safer herding practices, not instead of them. Cost, refilling, manufacturing and distribution are still unresolved
Angola designates Serra do Pingano as a protected area amid rapid forest loss
- The Angolan government has declared Serra do Pingano a protected area after the northern region lost 43% of its central forest over two decades.
- Ecosystem degradation threatens endemic plants, amphibians not yet described by science, and a potentially vulnerable population of African forest elephants.
- Forest destruction compromises carbon storage and water regulation in a region of southern Africa already affected by rising global temperatures.
A historic land restitution process offers new hope for Botswana’s Indigenous San
- Nearly 20 years after a landmark court ruling in their favor, Indigenous San communities in Botswana may finally secure broader rights to their ancestral lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, following decades of evictions and legal disputes.
- President Duma Boko’s government has approved a roadmap for land restitution that could allow San communities to return to the reserve, obtain legally recognized land rights and participate in its conservation and management.
- In an interview with Mongabay, Botswana’s Justice Minister Nelson Ramaotwana said the government intends to establish legal protections before the 2029 elections, but questions remain over land ownership, community participation and the sharing of tourism revenues.
Bat Week: Celebrating ecologically important, poorly understood mammals
Bat Week, from Oct. 24-31, 2026, is a worldwide celebration of bats — a group that makes up 20% of all mammals. Bats live on all continents except for Antarctica, and provide major ecosystem services such as mosquito control, pollination and seed dispersal. Despite their ecological importance and ubiquity, bats still remain poorly understood. Here […]
Philippine village uses nature to defend against floods with bamboo, shells and husks
- Residents of Pamarawan, a low-lying fishing village at North Manila Bay, no longer experience flooding after the construction of a nature-based coastal defense and flood control project.
- Instead of concrete, the project opted to use locally available materials, such as bamboo poles, oyster shells and coconut husks, to protect Pamarawan from tidal waves and storm surges.
- Bamboo cribs also help accumulate sediment, which is expected to gradually raise the seabed to a height sufficient to plant mangroves, while discarded oyster shells in cocomesh bags aid in restoring oyster reefs, further strengthening the shoreline against future flooding.
- The pilot initiative, the first nature-based coastal protection project in the Philippines, is touted as a potential model to address similar flooding problems elsewhere in the country.
In Suriname’s Amazon, the Wayana community struggling to keep gold miners at bay
- The government in Suriname has pledged to combat illegal mining and the industry’s use of mercury, maintain 90% national forest cover and preserve its status as one of the few countries in the world that absorbs more CO₂ than it emits.
- But on the border with French Guiana, where the government is largely absent, Indigenous Wayana communities have had to adapt to illegal gold miners, who for decades have cut down the forest and polluted rivers with mercury.
- One Wayana chief controls the only airstrip in the area, giving him some leverage with miners who have no other practical way into the forest. But in some instances, those relationships have led to violence.
- The Mulokot Foundation, an advocacy group, is working to help the Wayana improve education and map its ancestral territory. In the future, these initiatives may help residents move beyond mining to more sustainable activities.
Between revered and hunted: The journey of human-otter coexistence in the Amazon
- Indigenous Baniwa fishers share their fishing grounds in the Upper Rio Negro in the Amazon with otters and maintain a largely harmonious coexistence with these top aquatic predators by avoiding each other’s spaces at times, fishing different species and adjusting behavior.
- For many Baniwa, otters are the pajés das águas or spiritual guardians believed to protect fish and the aquatic world.
- The relationship between Baniwa people and otters has been one of evolution: Commercial fur trade involving the communities in the mid 1900s decimated both giant and neotropical otter populations, disrupting a human-wildlife relationship shaped by generations of Baniwa knowledge and culture.
- The Baniwa-otter relationship shows that human-wildlife coexistence depends on more than resource use, conflict avoidance or cultural beliefs alone, according to the researchers: It is also shaped by historical experience, behavioral adaptation, governance and relationships between humans and the natural world.
If we don’t start counting insect populations, we won’t know what we’re losing (commentary)
- Insects are in steep decline from habitat loss, pesticides, invasive species, and a destabilizing climate, but it’s also hard to quantify what happens after disturbances like the floods we’ve seen lately — unless we begin counting them, a new op-ed argues.
- The scant research done on this has shown steep declines of up to 93% after flooding events, and this has a huge effect on everything that depends on insects, from plants to grazing animals.
- “To measure what a flood takes from an insect community, you need to know what was there first,” the author writes. “This is a solvable problem.”
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
‘Already feeling it’: Northern Amazon waterfall season ends early, hurting livelihoods
- Driven by a “super El Niño,” reduced rainfall in Roraima has lowered water levels in the state’s main rivers, cutting off the flow of seasonal waterfalls that form in the mountains, including the cascade known as Véu de Noiva.
- By drying up the waterfall earlier than usual, climate change is directly hurting regional tourism, which local residents and surrounding communities rely on for their livelihoods.
- Guides and tourism specialists say the drop in tour bookings has forced the sector to reinvent itself, while the state government operates under a state of emergency to prepare for environmental fallout from El Niño.
Early tech warning hopes to give Sumatra’s peat community a head start on fires
- Indonesia is experiencing its worse wildfires in years as a strong El Niño delays the onset of the archipelago’s main rainy seasons after months of drought across much of Borneo and Sumatra.
- In the Sumatran district of Muaro Jambi, a fire in a community-managed forest spotlights an in-tervention backed by Canada’s overseas office and the University of Waterloo.
- The early-warning system detects increases in temperature and declining water levels, among other readings.
- Designed to be simple to both install and maintain, it can publish data collected in the public domain, and could give communities and civil servants working on fire prevention more infor-mation in real time.
‘Design conservation with those who will live with it’: 30 by 30 in Africa
- The Global Biodiversity Framework commits African governments to protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030.
- This target is in jeopardy in Africa and elsewhere: as of October 2026, about 20% of terrestrial and 17% of the continent’s marine environments enjoyed protection.
- As parties to the Convention on Biodiversity meet in Yerevan, Armenia, the challenges of translating 30 by 30 into reality Africa are to the fore.
- But marine protected areas around Pemba, Tanzania, illustrate some of the guidelines that can help Africa reach 30 by 30 in a meaningful way, experts say.
Fires and weak monitoring hinder reforestation efforts in Mozambique
- In central Mozambique’s Tónduè Forest, uncontrolled fires destroyed 70% of replanted trees, leaving surviving saplings stunted and fire-damaged.
- Post-planting monitoring remains one of the greatest obstacles to forest maintenance in Zambézia province, where sites receive an average of just one visit a year — a frequency officials consider negligible and ineffective for plant growth.
- Local communities are calling for tangible benefits to encourage forest conservation, at a time when a portion of the carbon credit funds allocated to them remains unpaid because beneficiaries lack official documentation.
Pemba’s new marine protected areas show the power of collaboration to meet 30×30 goal
- The east coast of Pemba Island was facing severe overfishing and illegal activity leading to declining fish populations and degrading ecosystems.
- In an extensive collaboration between more than 20 local communities, the Tanzanian government, and environmental NGOs, two new marine protected areas have been introduced in order to protect the ecosystem and those who rely on it.
- Pemba’s MPAs are providing a lesson on how we can use co-management, true collaboration and locally led solutions to achieve the 30×30 goal in a meaningful way.
India’s forgotten vegetables offer a glimpse into what global diets are missing
The world is eating a smaller variety of vegetables as diets become increasingly uniform, reports contributor Sharmila Vaidyanathan for Mongabay India. In India, Indigenous crops such as the clove bean and the Yerengere white long eggplant have largely vanished from commercial markets as hybrid varieties dominate supply chains. Prabhakar Rao, a natural farmer and founder […]
Fishing cat rescue-and-release offers potential model for conservation in Bangladesh
A fishing cat found badly injured and malnourished in northern Bangladesh has been returned to the wild following months of intensive rehabilitation. The feline was recently released into a tea estate bordering a large freshwater wetland, after being fitted with a satellite-tracking collar. Fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus), one of the larger species of small wildcats, […]
Fishers in eastern Indonesia struggle as rough seas keep them ashore
- Fishers in Indonesia’s Maluku Islands say increasingly rough seas are keeping them ashore and reducing their catches as the current El Niño intensifies, threatening livelihoods in communities dependent on fishing.
- Early monitoring shows declining catches at some sites around the Maluku islands of Ambon and Seram.
- Meanwhile, a recently published global study found that extreme ocean heat and low marine productivity are associated with a greater risk of exceptionally poor catches, particularly in tropical regions.
- With Indonesia bracing for prolonged dry conditions under the El Niño, researchers are investigating whether changing ocean temperatures and coastal habitats are adding to the challenges facing local fishing communities.
‘Action on the ground’ in Laos is needed to recover large mammals, protect more species
- A new study that examines the status and recovery prospects of large mammals in Laos concludes many losses could have been mitigated with earlier recognition of population declines, better protection of habitats and tighter control of hunting and the illegal wildlife trade.
- Sumatran rhinos and Javan rhinos disappeared from Laos by the 1990s, and the last verified record of tigers was in 2013. Wild water buffalo and the kouprey, both species of wild cattle, have also disappeared.
- The study notes Laos still supports 24 separate populations of Asian elephant and recommends conservation authorities and researchers focus recovery efforts on reconnecting movement corridors, transboundary landscapes and implementing coexistence measures to minimize conflicts and killings.
- Experts say the future of large mammals in Laos depends on the political will to implement existing conservation plans and enforce protections. It also hinges on long-term financial support in a region often overlooked by conservation funders.
‘Historic win’: Australian state approves national koala park despite controversial funding
- The parliament of Australia’s New South Wales state has passed legislation to create the Great Koala National Park.
- The park, slated to open before the end of 2026, will incorporate 178,000 hectares (440,000 acres) of state forests and other government land into the existing national park estate, creating a protected area spanning 475,000 hectares (1.2 million acres).
- A carbon credit scheme will be used to fund the park in the long term, an approach that has been widely criticized.
- Multiple attempts to amend the carbon credit scheme were voted down in parliament.
Netherlands pledges $500 million to help conserve tropical forests
The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), which was created to fund long-term conservation of tropical forests, recently received a $500-million pledge, over 10 years, from the Netherlands, a significant boost for forest conservation. The Netherlands announced the pledge in an Oct 26 press release and estimated that the TFFF has the potential to protect 800 […]
Eradicating invasive bass gives endangered South African fish room to recover
An ambitious effort to eradicate invasive spotted bass from South Africa’s Breekkrans River has unfolded about two hours north of Cape Town. Removing the bass has helped give the critically endangered doring fiery redfin (Pseudobarbus doring) a fighting chance against extinction. “Spotted bass were introduced into the river system in the late 1930s,” Martine Jordaan, […]
Suriname’s rich archaeological history may hold keys to conservation
- For more than two decades, field research by archaeological anthropologist Renzo Duin has documented densely saturated archaeological landscapes beneath forest canopies, usually classified as “untouched.”
- While illegal gold mining pollutes rivers with mercury and cyanide, mapping historical ecological sites in Suriname could leverage Indigenous guardianship to protect the forest’s rich biodiversity.
- Despite the nation’s high-profile pledge to permanently protect 90% of its forests, experts warn that neglecting the historical role of Indigenous stewardship leaves the ecosystem vulnerable to ongoing illegal deforestation.
A town-wide ‘living laboratory’ shows how green spaces can combat climate extremes
- Two recent studies out of the U.K. town of Guildford, which has been equipped with a suite of sensors to become a “living lab,” show that green spaces provide significant benefits to urban centers — and do so with more detail than many previous studies.
- The first study, focused on a large park, showed that the park made the surrounding area cooler and less noisy, and reduced air pollution, with the park’s effects decreasing with every 100 meters from its border; it also showed that different types of green spaces offer different cooling effects for people within them.
- The second study showed that the type of green space within Guildford mattered when it came to temperature reductions during extreme heat, with large green spaces like woodlands showing the lowest increase in temperature.
- Experts say that these fine-scale details could be helpful for researchers, planners and engineers who want to design urban green spaces to provide cities and towns with greater protections from the impacts of climate change.
Why I sent my archive of nature’s sounds to France (commentary)
- Drawing on more than half a century of recording natural soundscapes, soundscape ecologist Bernie Krause reflects on how disappearing wildlife voices reveal ecological decline.
- Concerned about political threats to science, Krause transferred a copy of his extensive recording archive to a foundation in Paris to safeguard it for future generations.
- In this commentary, he argues that nature’s interdependence offers lessons for human societies about diversity, equity and inclusion, and calls for protecting both living ecosystems and the scientific records documenting their loss.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
US public lands tracker highlights the collective impact of Trump policies
In his second term as the U.S. president, Donald Trump has taken actions to remove protections from at least 34.8 million hectares (86 million acres) of public lands, according to the advocacy group Center for American Progress. The nonprofit Conservation Lands Foundation (CLF) recently catalogued 12 such policy actions in its newly released Public Lands […]
As wildfires rage, Canadian researchers study the life that comes after
- As climate change intensifies, bringing record drought and historic wildfires, scientific studies of fire-adapted organisms in British Columbia, Canada’s Interior, are shedding new light on how important fires are for renewing forest biodiversity.
- Fungi are pioneers in recovery from fire. Pyrophilous (Fire-loving) fungi, for example, can digest charcoal, help bind soil, and support nutrient cycling in the months after a blaze.
- Insects and birds also play a critical role. Heat-sensing beetles reproduce more successfully in freshly burned environments, while three-quarters of native B.C. land bird species respond positively, neutrally, or a combination of both ways to wildfire.
- Research shows mammals, including at-risk Canada lynx, can return to burned landscapes sooner than expected if sufficient forest structure remains. Today’s rapid increase in wildfire frequency and intensity can be devastating, but forests are resilient and can recover, especially when aided by fire-informed research.
‘A proper seat at the table’: Lucy Mulenkei on Indigenous decision-making at the COP17 biodiversity summit
- At the 2026 U.N. biodiversity conference (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, discussions are underway to finalize the operations, governance, and modus operandi of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) — a group which would significantly boost the decision-making of Indigenous peoples and local communities at future biodiversity COPs.
- Mongabay spoke with Lucy Mulenkei, co-chair of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity who was among those who had worked to get the new body over the line.
- She discussed the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j), barriers that still exist to stop it from becoming operational and hopes for the biodiversity conference.
- While barriers still exist for this historic body, such as finalizing the modus operandi and opposition by some parties, she is optimistic the COP will end positively.
As the sea swallows a Nigerian community, migratory bird habitat disappears
- Every year, migratory birds arrive at the wetlands at Ayetoro, in southwestern Nigeria; some will remain here through the Northern Hemisphere winter, while others rest and refuel and continue on to other places.
- Increasingly powerful tides linked to rising sea levels are rapidly eroding the coastline here, damaging local community infrastructure as well as the wetlands that shorebirds rely on.
- A project run by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation has trained and equipped members of the local community to help gather data about bird populations.
- More funding is needed both to monitor this wetland and to address the severe coastal erosion, advocates say.
Pangolin scale lawsuit in Indonesia could shake up how wildlife traffickers pay
- A civil lawsuit filed by an Indonesian NGO against individuals and companies accused of trafficking more than 3 metric tons of pangolin scales in Indonesia could mark a turning point in how wildlife criminals are held accountable for the harms they inflict on biodiversity and ecosystems, according to experts.
- The lawsuit, seeks to make the alleged traffickers pay to remedy the ecological harms caused by removing thousands of pangolins from their wild habitats, including funding forest restoration and pangolin monitoring.
- Experts say the legal approach, which uses civil and environmental liability laws that also exist in many other countries, can be used in conjunction with conventional criminal prosecutions to implement meaningful conservation remedies.
- To date, the East Jakarta District Court has successfully summoned all but one individual defendant, who remains wanted by police. The first mediation hearing is set for Nov. 5, after which, if no settlement is reached, the case will proceed to trial.
Artificial nests help Hong Kong’s rare cockatoos cope with a ‘housing crisis’
In the urban landscape of Hong Kong, artificial nest boxes are providing shelter and research opportunities for one of the world’s most threatened parrot species. The yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) is critically endangered, with fewer than 2,000 individuals remaining across its native range in eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste. However, Hong Kong hosts roughly 200 wild […]
A Thai rescue center gives injured leopard cat cubs a second chance
At a government wildlife rescue center in Thailand, dozens of lost and injured baby leopard cats are receiving a second chance at life in the wild. Annual admission of leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation rescue center in Khon Kaen, in northeastern Thailand, have surged from an […]
New report maps widespread criminal presence across six Amazonian countries
New mapping by Amazon Underworld finds that criminal networks or armed groups operate in nearly three-fifths of Amazon municipalities across the six countries surveyed, which include Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Of the 1,310 municipalities examined, researchers found illicit actors in 768 of them, or 59%. Colombia had the highest proportion of affected […]
Kashmir’s springs are drying up. Scientists say saving them starts uphill
- Research in the Sindh Basin in Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, in the northwestern Himalayas, has identified the elevations where many springs receive their water.
- The challenge now is whether conservation efforts will protect those landscapes, or continue focusing on the springs themselves.
- Experts say restoring Kashmir’s springs require protecting the landscapes that replenish groundwater, not just improving spring outlets.
Persian leopards hang on in the Caucasus despite landmines
There have been few sightings of the endangered Persian leopard in the Caucasus region over the past 20 years: just three in Georgia and 10 in Armenia. But scientists and conservationists are alert to one Persian leopard in particular, whom they’ve named Aren and who is presumed to have journeyed 240 kilometers (150 miles) through […]
In Pakistan’s Punjab, toxic air threatens wildlife amid a monitoring blind spot
- In Pakistan’s Punjab province, November typically brings a blanket of air pollution that exceeds global health guidelines and endangers both humans and wildlife.
- Experts call for more data and specialized monitoring equipment that would provide clearer information on the specific effects that air pollution has on the area’s wildlife.
- A veterinary surgeon notes that his animal patients — birds, cats, dogs and wildlife — suffer severe respiratory irritation, with sneezing, nasal discharge, lethargy and labored breathing.
- Such pollution can interfere with bird migration as well as the ability for predatory animals to hunt and herbivores to find adequate food.
Baby orangutans in India expose illegal wildlife trade as experts question a billionaire’s zoo
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The discovery of five baby orangutans abandoned on a plantation in eastern India is highlighting the country’s growing role as a destination for trafficked apes. Experts say wealthy collectors, expanding air links with Southeast Asia and loopholes in wildlife laws are to blame. India also legally imported 41 orangutans between 2021 […]
The Philippine lawyer who beat an oil giant: Rose Liza Eisma-Osorio on defending Tañon Strait
- Environmental lawyer Rose Liza Eisma-Osorio joined a legal fight in 2007, representing the resident marine mammals in Philippines’ Tañon Strait as petitioners in a case to stop energy company JAPEX’s oil exploration.
- JAPEX withdrew from the strait before the court ruled on the petition.
- In 2015, a landmark decision by the Supreme Court set a precedent that people can represent nature as stewards and give it legal standing without proving personal injury, making it easier for citizens to file environmental cases.
- After the October 2025 ethanol spill in Bais Bay, Philippines, Oceana is working with communities and scientists to push for legal accountability — a long battle, Eisma-Osorio says, that must be fought together with the community.
Five new mussel species reveal how much biodiversity US rivers still conceal
- Researchers have described five new-to-science freshwater mussel species from rivers in the Southeastern U.S.
- The mussels looked like known species, so the team used DNA to tell them apart.
- Freshwater mussels filter and clean river water, but are the most imperiled group of animals in North America.
- Several of the new species are rare, but only one has been proposed for federal protection.
Botswana honors 97-year-old who fought eviction of Indigenous people in Kalahari
Roy Sesana, a 97-year-old Indigenous rights campaigner who opposed the Botswana government over the removal of San communities from their traditional lands in Central Kalahari, has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Botswana. The university awarded Sesana an honorary Doctor of Letters on Oct. 23, recognizing his decades of advocacy for Indigenous rights, […]
Organized crime is growing along highway in a pristine section of the Amazon: Study
Criminal organizations linked to illegal logging, illegal gold mining, land grabbing and cattle ranching now dominate large sections of land around the BR-319 highway in one of the Brazilian Amazon’s largest stretches of forest, according to a new study. The finding comes as Brazil is moving forward with further improvements to the controversial highway. The […]
Canadian-backed potash mine in Brazil has dried up sacred Amazon springs, say residents
- Construction of an access road for the controversial Potássio Autazes potash project in Brazil’s northwestern Amazonas state has caused springs used by the Mura Indigenous people to dry up, threatening a fish spawning ground and access to food and water, residents say.
- The company says it carried out an inspection on Oct. 8 but found no signs of the springs drying up or of road construction affecting its water flow.
- Residents say the springs’ disappearance threatens the Mura’s spiritual connection to their territory, as the waterway is home to ancestral spirits that flee when disrupted.
- Expert assessments commissioned by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office found the project’s environmental studies to be “incomplete and flawed”, while federal prosecutors told Mongabay that lawsuits challenging the project’s environmental licenses are still pending.
At Yerevan’s COP17 biodiversity summit, a steep climb ahead for ‘30 by 30’ target
- At October’s COP17 summit in Yerevan, Armenia, delegates will assess progress towards the Global Biodiversity Framework’s Target 3 — better known as “30 by 30.”
- According to the Protected Planet database, 18.7% of the world’s land and inland waters, along with 10% of its oceans, are currently being protected.
- While more than a million square kilometers of land was added to the database since 2022, the figures fall well short of the framework’s goals.
- Some advocates want Indigenous and traditional territories to be the priority for reaching the goal.
Rare bird finding strengthens case to protect Congo rainforest across borders
- Scientists have made the first record of a rare bird in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo — inside a biosphere reserve that is severely threatened by deforestation.
- The grey-necked picathartes — a bird of the Lower Guinean rainforest — was not previously thought to live as far south as the DRC.
- But records of it there, as well as recent new records of the same species in the southwestern corner of the Republic of Congo and in Angola’s northern Cabinda province, lend impetus for the proposed Mayombe Forest Transfrontier Protected Area (TFPA) — home to other charismatic species like gorillas, chimpanzees and forest elephants.
Bangladesh’s hornbills face hunting risk during breeding season
- Hornbills in Bangladesh are being targeted during breeding season, when females remain in the nest and chicks are still unable to fly.
- Rescue records from 2023 to 2026 show 26 hornbills, mostly chicks, were taken directly from the nest.
- The rescued birds feed an illegal trade in live hornbills and their body parts, with chicks reportedly sold for up to 100,000 taka ($800) after passing through multiple hands.
- Conservationists warn that the documented rescues may represent only a fraction of the hunting and trafficking taking place and call for stronger enforcement and greater awareness around habitats of hornbills.
Taiwan’s tea growers let nature take back control as climate pressures mount
- Alishan, a mountain region in central Taiwan, is famous for producing the prized high-mountain tea, but its tea production has declined in recent years.
- Tea growers are facing threats not only from soil degradation but also from climate change; a handful have adopted more environmentally friendly farming methods and nature-based solutions.
- Tea farmer Lin Kuang-lin credits his nature-based approach for enabling his plants to weather the ecological challenges.
- Tea growers Yeh Hsin-wen and Chang Chih-tsung have chosen an even more radical approach with their tea farm, with their yefang, or wild-grown, method.
A millennium of evidence reveals colonial roots of Australia’s wildfire vulnerability
A 1,000-year ecological reconstruction reveals that Australia’s ongoing wildfire crisis stems from the colonial disruption of Indigenous fire management rather than climate change alone, according to a study published in Nature. For more than 800 years prior to British colonization in 1788, the Indigenous Gunaikurnai people maintained stable, open eucalypt woodlands across southeastern Australia using […]
Sri Lanka mourns iconic tusker amid renewed calls to address human-elephant conflict
- The death of Kavantissa, one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic wild tuskers, sparked widespread public grief, political attention and criticism of wildlife authorities over elephant protection and veterinary care.
- Questions over the treatment provided before his death have prompted calls for an independent, evidence-based investigation, with experts cautioning against drawing conclusions before clinical findings are assessed.
- Sri Lanka recorded 455 wild elephant deaths in 2025, including 79 from gunshot injuries as the primary cause, highlighting the continuing threat posed by human-elephant conflict.
- Kavantissa’s head was separated and buried securely to protect his tusks, but conservationists argued that cremating the entire body would send a stronger message that a living tusker is worth more than its ivory.
World Kangaroo Day: How climate change impacts Australia’s macropods
- World Kangaroo Day celebrates the iconic Australian animal and the special place it has in the country’s environment and First Nations cultures.
- Kangaroos, and the broader macropod family, are losing habitat from worsening drought and bushfires in Australia. Critically endangered species, including Gilbert’s potoroo and the mala, face extinction amid added pressures from climate change.
- There are growing concerns over super El Niño, expected to bring increased droughts, extreme heatwaves and severe bushfires in 2026-2027.
- Balancing urban development and prioritizing conservation will be critical to protecting species from worsening climate events.
Mozambique safari operator wins conservation award at COP17
YEREVAN, Armenia — A Mozambican safari operator credited with helping restore wildlife populations in Mozambique’s Zambezi Delta, has won the 2026 Markhor Award, which recognizes contributions to conservation through sustainable wildlife management. Zambeze Delta Safaris, led by professional hunter Mark Haldane, received the award on Oct. 22, 2026, at the ongoing U.N. Biodiversity Conference, COP17, […]
Critics call for halt to road construction in Mexico’s Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve
- A road through Mexico’s Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, on the Caribbean coast, threatens mangroves and forest ecosystems, environmental groups say.
- Local communities have filed an injunction to permanently cancel the project and restore areas that have been damaged by construction.
- In early October, the country’s environment ministry published a statement about minimizing infrastructure inside the reserve — but environmental groups say they want more information about the future of the road project specifically.
- They argue the courts should address an ongoing injunction request against the road, saying it would guarantee protections for the reserve.
Amazon communities lose water as mining and deforestation reshape rivers
- An investigation analyzed 722 micro watersheds that feed the Beni River in Bolivia, the Caquetá River in Colombia, the Madre de Dios River in Peru, and the Caroní River in Venezuela. These areas are home to 74 Indigenous groups spread across 202 territories.
- In all four river basins, natural water resources are under pressure. Mining activity has left behind large pools of artificial or anthropogenic (human-made) water, and where livestock ranching has taken hold, the water has disappeared.
- Over the 25 years analyzed, the four catchment areas lost nearly 33,000 hectares (81,500 acres) of natural water, an area more than double the size of Colombia’s Tayrona National Park. The greatest loss occurred in the Colombian Caquetá catchment area, which crosses a department where extensive livestock ranching has long been the main economic activity.
- In the three basins with mining activity — the Madre de Dios, Beni, and Caroní — artificial water sources appeared: four in every five hectares of these water sources are on Indigenous territory.
Nearly all the world’s coral reefs are at risk of collapse within 50 years, IUCN warns
Nearly every shallow-water coral reef ecosystem on Earth is at high risk of ecological collapse by 2075, according to the first coral reef assessment of the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems (RLE). The RLE is a scientific framework for assessing the risk of ecosystem collapse. More than 250 experts assessed shallow water coral reef ecosystems […]
COP17: Open letter urges governments to keep extractives out of protected areas
YEREVAN, Armenia — More than 80 conservation, Indigenous and civil society organizations have called on governments meeting at the COP17 U.N. biodiversity summit in Armenia to keep mining, oil and gas operations out of protected areas. “Meeting a numerical target will mean little”, if areas designated for conservation remain exposed to industrial activities, the organizations […]
Death of iconic elephant in Sri Lanka pushes authorities to fast-track protection efforts
- Kavantissa was a much-loved elephant among residents in Galgamuwa in north western Sri Lanka and, despite a worsening human-elephant conflict in the area, had no record of attacking humans.
- Considered the tallest elephant in the island, Kavantissa died on Oct. 16 owing to gunshot injuries.
- As public outrage escalates over the elephant’s death and the alleged mismanagement of the keystone species, authorities say that daily raids to confiscate illegal firearms and curb wildlife crimes will be launched to ensure protected areas and elephant habitats remain safe for all the species.
- Following tusker Kavantissa’s death, Thailand-based animal rights groups are pressuring their government to repatriate two elephants donated by Thailand to Sri Lanka.
Two Indigenous Brazilians denied their language interpreter at election voting booth
Two Indigenous women who do not speak Portuguese were denied assistance from their interpreter while voting in Brazil’s Oct. 4 election. The translator who accompanied them to the polls, community leader Mitore Tiriyó Kaxuyana, is a relative of the women and spoke to Mongabay about what happened. Racela Tiriyó, 23, and Mirami Tiriyó, 33, are […]
Two decades after crash, Nepal still searching for new generation of conservation visionaries
Twenty years after a helicopter crash killed some of Nepal’s most prominent environmental figures, the nation is celebrating ecological gains while grappling with a void in visionary leadership, reports Mongabay’s Abhaya Raj Joshi. On Sept. 23, 2006, a Russian-built Mi-8 helicopter crashed near the high-altitude mountain village of Ghunsa, killing all 20 passengers and four […]
World Snow Leopard Day: Community action and new science foster coexistence with humans
Snow leopards range across Asia’s rugged mountains, where they face mounting threats from climate change, declining wild prey, and retaliatory killings from local herders. Today, on Oct. 23, International Snow Leopard Day, we look back at recent Mongabay reporting highlighting how innovative science, climate-ready habitat, and community-centered conservation are helping these big cats share mountain […]
Googly-eyed buoys and kites help keep seabirds out of fishing nets, study finds
- A study off Cornwall, England, found that nets fitted with bird-of-prey kites had 71% lower odds of catching guillemots and razorbills, and nets with spinning “looming-eye” buoys had 59% lower odds.
- Ten fishers set more than 1,000 camera-monitored nets over about 17 months, and the nets caught 191 non-fish animals, most of them seabirds that drowned.
- Bycatch peaked in January and February in sea bass and mackerel nets, which suggests short, targeted winter deployments could protect birds without year-round rules.
- The devices have limits: kites struggled in light and strong winds, the buoys may have attracted seals, and a separate Danish study found the buoys stopped deterring birds after about a month.
Mass sloth deaths prompt US bill calling for import ban
On Oct. 20, International Sloth Day, a bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. Congress to ban the import of wild sloths into the United States. The proposed legislation comes months after the deaths of 58 of the approximately 69 sloths imported to Sloth World, a Florida-based tourist attraction. “We owe it to these animals, […]
Scorched sanctuaries: The race to save Borneo’s orangutans from fires
- As forest and peatland fires engulf Indonesian Borneo, orangutans and other endangered wildlife are losing habitat and food, as well as being caught directly in the fires.
- In 2026, more than 48,500 hectares (120,000 acres) have burned in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province, an area larger than Vienna.
- More than 50 orangutans have been rescued this fire season, through joint operations involving the NGO YIARI and local environment authorities.
Water, carbon & the ‘tree of life’: Interview with Venezuela’s guardian of morichales
- Morichales, ecosystems which consist of the moriche palm (Mauritia flexuosa), regulate freshwater bodies and rank among the ecosystems with the greatest carbon sequestration capacity (up to 590.8 metric tons per hectare).
- The ecosystem and culture of the Warao people, who consider the palm their “tree of life,” are facing serious pressures due to urbanization, industry and weak protection laws.
- Miguel Ángel Sánchez-Mercado, a Venezuelan biologist and professor, spoke to Mongabay about his research on this species.
- He advocates for an integrated approach to science that combines biological research with ethnographic work in communities, fostering a collective awareness in which human beings play an active role in the solution.
‘A decision to decide’: Greenland moves to suspend seabed mining until 2029
Greenland’s parliament has asked the government to pause licensing on seabed mining amid concerns about foreign interests in mining and potential environmental consequences for marine life. The Oct. 15 measure directed the government, called Naalakkersuisut, to present a law to the parliament, called Inatsisartut, in early 2027 to suspend seabed mining until at least 2029. […]
Rare Indonesian maleo birds face new threat from international exotic pet trade
Wildlife traffickers are increasingly targeting critically endangered maleo birds from coastal Indonesia for the international exotic pet trade, according to a recent study. In 2024, enforcement agencies recorded three separate seizures totaling 25 live juvenile maleo birds (Macrocephalon maleo) en route to or within India. The ground-dwelling, black-and-white birds are endemic to the Indonesian island […]
Extractive industries threaten global goal to protect 30% of nature by 2030, report finds
- A new report finds that more than 61.5 million hectares of protected areas analyzed across tropical countries overlap with oil and gas blocks, while another 42.7 million hectares overlap with mining concessions.
- It identifies major gaps in protection for key biodiversity areas, with more than 40% in the Amazon, 29% in the Congo Basin and more than half in Southeast Asia and Central America still unprotected.
- Ahead of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP17) in Armenia, the report authors call on governments to restrict extractive activities in high-biodiversity areas and strengthen Indigenous peoples and other local communities’ land rights and role in conservation.
- The report says that meeting the 30×30 target requires more than expanding protected areas, arguing that governments should ensure that conservation protects the right ecosystems, is effectively enforced and prevents large-scale extractive and industrial activities from undermining biodiversity.
Nature has a new Noah’s Ark moment at the biodiversity summit (commentary)
- As delegates assemble this week in Yerevan, Armenia, for a summit on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17), an environmental leader argues in a new op-ed that it’s a moment of seemingly Biblical importance and resonance.
- Set in view of Mount Ararat, where Noah’s Ark is said to have found dry land and wildlife species rescued from the Biblical flood disembarked, it’s an opportunity for world leaders to chart a new course for biodiversity conservation, which lately appears to be faltering.
- “Thousands of years later, our fellow creatures need another rescue in the shadow of Mount Ararat, via this summit,” he writes.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Seabird guano and native trees keep islands above rising seas: Study
- Seabirds and native forests build climate resilience in atoll islands, a new study finds.
- Using data collected on 28 atoll islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans, the study finds that nutrients from seabird guano, along with native vegetation, boost island building and maintenance processes.
- Researchers find that on rat-free islands with abundant seabird populations, reef accretion (growth) will be able to keep pace with levels of sea-level rise projected under 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming, until 2100.
- The study shows that rewilding atoll islands by removing invasive predators and planting native vegetation would build resilience to sea-level rise.
Just transition remains elusive for Kenyan women despite robust policies
- Kenya has made significant progress in climate legislation and policy, but a gap remains between its commitments to a just transition and women’s lived realities, particularly the unequal burden of unpaid care work.
- Experts say women’s experiences of climate stress, from collecting firewood and water to navigating floods and losing income, constitute critical expertise that must inform climate financing, policy decisions and adaptation strategies.
- The researchers say a just transition needs three things: The costs and benefits of environmental action must be fairly distributed, people affected by environmental decisions must have a say in those decisions, and historical inequalities leaving some communities exposed to environmental harm cannot be carried forward into a changing climate.
IUCN’s Madhu Rao on the world’s protected areas: Progress, pressures and the race to 2030
- Madhu Rao, chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) told Mongabay governments must confront the conflict between industrial development and biodiversity protection and that expanding protected areas alone will not be enough.
- Rao said that countries must invest in effective management, protect critical ecosystems, support rangers and ensure Indigenous peoples and local communities have a meaningful role in conservation.
- As governments prepare to review progress toward protecting 30% of the world’s land and waters by 2030, Rao identifies a serious gap between international commitments and what happens on the ground.
- Yet she remains cautiously optimistic, arguing that stronger national institutions, better funding and clearer restrictions on damaging industrial activities could still make a difference.
Six beluga deaths cast a shadow over rescue from Canada’s Marineland
- Six belugas from the 30 transferred from Marineland, a shuttered marine park in Canada, have died after an unprecedented two-month-long rescue operation.
- Four of the beluga deaths occurred at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, one at SeaWorld San Diego, and one at Oceanogràfic València in Spain, which also reported the death of a bottlenose dolphin.
- The deaths aren’t surprising considering the cetaceans suffered from ill health for years as Marineland was unable to provide them adequate care for months after it closed, according to a marine mammal biologist.
- Conservationists have called for an end to keeping cetaceans in captivity around the world to prevent a repeat of situations like this that put animals in harm’s way.
Delegates at biodiversity COP17 should follow the lead of Global South women (commentary)
- Delegates gathering for the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) conference of the parties (COP17) will debate how to protect biodiversity and finance its conservation, and they should start by listening to Global South women already doing this work, a new op-ed argues.
- Women-led solutions to crises like biodiversity loss and climate change provide ready examples for the delegates, if they are open to learning about them.
- “Working with the women behind these initiatives [has] shown me that documenting their solutions is only part of the task,” the author writes.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Search for the ‘Asian unicorn’ faces an uncertain future amid funding losses
- The saola, a tropical bovid that superficially resembles an antelope, was only discovered by scientists in 1992, and has not been recorded since 2013.
- A search for the saola in the Annamite Mountains in Laos risks coming to a halt due to a loss of funding.
- In addition to searching for the saola, the research team is documenting the wildlife of a particularly remote corner of the Annamites, a global biodiversity hotspot.
Mozambique’s Maputo National Park showcases biodiversity and shelters migratory birds
A recent State of the World’s Birds report found nearly half of the migratory birds assessed are declining. The stark finding comes as world governments are gathered in Armenia for the ongoing U.N. Biodiversity Conference to review progress toward global conservation goals. In southern Mozambique, Maputo National Park illustrates the biodiversity importance of conserving key […]
For Australia’s Indigenous Desert Alliance, caring for Country starts with a story
This week on the Mongabay Newscast, Samantha Murray, CEO of the Indigenous Desert Alliance, joins the program to discuss the IDA’s recent nomination for an Earthshot Prize. The alliance is a network of 70 ranger teams across the Australian desert, covering 270 million hectares (667 million acres), an area almost as large as Argentina. This […]
US deep-sea mining claims in Pacific’s high seas now rival the area set aside by international regulator
The International Seabed Authority (ISA), a U.N.-associated body, has long managed activities related to deep-sea mining in international waters. But after the Trump administration issued an executive order in 2025 calling for the U.S. to develop its deep-sea mining sector, companies have been applying to the U.S. for rights to explore and exploit the international […]
The women keeping Uttarakhand’s native bees alive
- In the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India, traditional homes include wall hives for native bees.
- It’s the women of the household who typically care for the bees and hives.
- These indigenous bees, Apis cerana indica, face numerous threats — climate change, habitat fragmentation, pesticide exposure and even the loss of the traditional wall hives, as modern homes often do not include them.
- Women play a vital role in the survival of this native bee species.
As silky sharks decline, Costa Rica’s dominant trade faces a reckoning
- The silky shark, a large, slender species that swims the tropical seas and is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, is heavily hunted for its fins and, to a lesser degree, for meat —and is caught in nets as bycatch.
- Between 2020 and 2024, Costa Rica accounted for 82% of global exports of silky shark products, according to a recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme.
- Its exports are under review under CITES, the global wildlife trade treaty: If Costa Rica can’t prove its fishery is sustainable, the CITES Animals Committee will recommend new management measures; without implementation, the country’s export of silky sharks could be suspended.
- Meanwhile, a Costa Rican NGO has questioned the exports’ sustainability and alleged that the silky shark trade is being unduly influenced by the Costa Rican fishing industry.
‘Stay alive’: Brazil’s Indigenous people mobilize to vote for Lula to protect their rights
“It’s such a simple phrase: stay alive! The other side is necropolitics.” This appeal was made by philosopher and prominent Indigenous leader Ailton Krenak to Brazilians to reelect President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over far-right candidate, senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Flávio’s statement that he will not demarcate any Indigenous lands “reveals his malicious intent to […]
Brazil election puts unprecedented Indigenous ministry at risk if Flávio Bolsonaro wins
- Indigenous People Minister Eloy Terena warned that all achievements and historical reparation agreements for native peoples since 2023 could be undone if far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro is elected Brazil’s president.
- In almost four years, the ministry has celebrated the full demarcation of 20 Indigenous lands, the eviction of intruders from 12 territories and a 98.77% drop in illegal gold mining in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory, in addition to “historical agreements” for the reparation of Indigenous peoples and the creation of the country’s first Indigenous Federal University.
- Philosopher and Indigenous leader Ailton Krenak told Mongabay that Bolsonaro’s policy could corrupt the management of federal bodies that defend Indigenous interests, even if they are not abolished.
Six new calves offer hope amid ongoing threats to Cambodia’s Irrawaddy dolphins
Cambodia’s population of critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphins has increased to an estimated 118 individuals since the confirmed birth of six calves this year. They were born along a 120-kilometer (75-mile) stretch of the river in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces, in the country’s northeast. Conservation officials say the births are a strong sign that the […]
Nigeria’s parks chief stresses conservation gains amid struggle to protect wildlife
- Nigeria’s National Park Service, with support from the military and conservation organizations, closed the Kila gold mine in Gashaka-Gumti National Park in July, the country’s largest. The operation drove out an estimated 4,000 miners.
- Parks chief Ibrahim Musa Goni calls the intervention a conservation success in an exclusive interview with Mongabay but warns that the miners could return.
- Goni acknowledges broader conservation challenges facing Nigeria’s protected areas, including the deaths of park rangers, inadequate funding and growing insecurity. However, he insists that all 13 operational national parks remain under government control.
- Goni discusses the fate of displaced miners, the role of private conservation partners, wildlife trafficking and his ambition to develop Nigeria’s parks along the ecotourism models of East Africa.
Wildfire in Indonesia’s Mount Bromo National Park kills 4 firefighters
- A national park staff member, two men from a hotel security and services company, and a state firefighter gave their lives on Oct. 15 as they fought to contain a wildfire in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, an active volcanic landscape in Indonesia’s East Java province.
- A further two men — a third worker at the security company and a community firefighting volunteer — were evacuated with burn injuries to a hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city.
- “Their dedication serves as a reminder that behind every effort to protect nature and society lies struggle, courage, and sacrifice that deserve respect,” a spokesperson for Indonesia’s disaster management agency said in a statement.
- Indonesia’s main dry season is being fueled by the El Niño and positive Indian Ocean Dipole climate patterns, leading to some of the worst wildfires seen in years across the country.
In Nepal, AI builds on local knowledge to help prevent tiger attacks
- Researchers used the traditional practice of “listening to the forest” to train an AI model to signal the presence of tigers in community forests in Nepal, part of efforts to prevent human-tiger conflict in the country.
- The model, which relied on calls made by animals such as deer and monkeys in response to predator presence, helped generate maps of areas people should avoid to prevent encounters with tigers or leopards.
- The pilot could have saved lives, local residents say, but a lack of both funding and institutional support meant the program couldn’t make it beyond its pilot phase.
Large animals are living carbon stores. Does that make saving them a climate solution?
- A new Current Biology review says rewilding large animals like elephants and whales is critical for stemming species decline and extinction, but the authors caution that pitching it as a climate strategy is “high-risk.”
- These animals store, release, and move carbon in ways that vary by species and ecosystem, and right now, it’s unclear how much, where, or when.
- The climate benefits could be decades away, as the effects of animal restoration unfold over 50 to 100 years, and overpromising risks “false confidence,” according to the authors.
- But experts say they’re more aligned than not with rewilding advocates on the need for greater certainty in this growing field of science.
Navigating crisis and opportunity in conservation funding (commentary)
- Cuts to international aid have left conservation organizations facing major funding shortfalls, while growing private philanthropy cannot replace the money lost.
- New funding models offer a chance to improve how conservation is financed and give local organizations greater control, argues Fred Nelson, founder and CEO of Maliasili, in this commentary.
- Indigenous-led and grassroots funds are expanding, alongside philanthropic collaborations that pool resources and support conservation over longer periods.
- Organizations connecting donors with local conservation groups can help more funding reach communities, but stronger accountability and equitable partnerships are needed to ensure those benefits.
Finance and Indigenous rights top Africans’ agenda as biodiversity summit opens in Yerevan
- As the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity’s 17th summit kicks off in Yerevan, Armenia, on Oct. 19, conservationists say more needs to be done in Africa.
- To meet the global goal of 30 by 30, around 15% more of Africa’s terrestrial and marine territory needs to be protected.
- Funding remains a substantial hurdle as highlighted at the recent oceans conference in Kenya where a review of funding pledged to protect Africa’s oceans since 2014 found $14.3 billion was promised, but only $5.8 billion delivered.
What 500,000 hours of Yellowstone sound can tell us about wolves
Fifty automated recording units scattered across the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. gather roughly 500,000 hours of ambient sound each year. Computer models then sift through those recordings for wolf vocalizations, reports Justin Catanoso for Mongabay. Jeffrey Reed, a linguist and former software engineer, helped launch the Cry Wolf Project in 2023 […]
Anatomy of a land grab: the law, likes, and legislator behind an Indigenous land invasion in Brazil
- A new Mongabay investigation lifts the lid on how a fast‑tracked state law in Pará, Brazil, paired with a coordinated social media blitz, legitimized and encouraged around 500 people to invade the Ituna/Itatá Indigenous Territory, home to an uncontacted Indigenous group.
- Data analysis reveals that 97% of land registries inside the reserve are medium or large properties; dozens of registrants already own other farms outside the territory, undermining politicians’ claims that small farmers need the land.
- At the center of this case is state legislator Francisco “Torrinho” Torres, a rancher bankrolled by big agribusiness and hit with millions in environmental fines for deforestation and Indigenous land grab.
- Experts warn about the risk of an ongoing genocide of the isolated Igarapé Ipiaçava people, unless authorities act immediately to evict the occupiers.
Conservation is bringing species back. Governments must help those gains last
- Governments gathering for COP17 in Yerevan will review progress toward biodiversity targets due in 2030, after failing to fully achieve any of the previous agreement’s 20 targets.
- Protecting wildlife requires sustained funding and support for people whose conservation work can expose them to violence or political retaliation.
- The recovery of Tanzania’s electric-blue gecko shows how trade restrictions and years of habitat restoration can help a threatened species rebound.
- Jane Goodall encouraged people to act locally. Governments can help those efforts last by providing funding and protection.
A Belgium-sized area of Amazon wetland has been converted, and losses are climbing
Every year, Amazonian rivers spill over their banks and flood the forests around them for months. These wetlands cover around 30% of the Brazilian Amazon and are often home to riverine families, who live in adapted homes built on stilts. They fish and plant crops with the natural ebb and flow of the rivers. But […]
Funding uncertainty threatens Tasmania’s gains against kelp-grazing sea urchins
- The long-spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii), also known as Centro, is an invasive species in the waters around Tasmania, Australia, and it’s been munching away the state’s kelp forests.
- A state program offers financial incentives to support a commercial fishery for the urchins and their highly valuable roe, with the aim of reducing urchin numbers in targeted areas so that kelp can rebound.
- Researchers say the program has been effective in helping to recover some of the state’s kelp forests.
- Now, however, they warn that progress is threatened by a shift to short-term funding cycles that undermine stability for harvesters and put kelp recovery on wobbly ground.
Nearly 90% of countries adopt biodiversity targets, but most remain off track
- Nearly 90% of countries have established national biodiversity targets under the agreement reached at COP15 in Montreal in 2022, but fewer than half of the targets assessed by governments are on track for 2030.
- Protected and conserved areas continue to expand, but existing commitments fall short of the goal to conserve 30% of the world’s land and seas by 2030.
- Ecosystem restoration is advancing, with 193 million hectares reported under restoration, while progress on harmful subsidies, biodiversity finance, and other economic reforms remains slow.
- The findings come ahead of the COP17 biodiversity summit in Yerevan, Armenia, where governments will conduct their first global review of progress toward the agreement’s 2030 goals.
Nigeria drove thousands of gold miners from a national park. But can it keep them out?
- A military-backed operation has shut down a major illegal gold mining operation in Nigeria’s Gashaka-Gumti National Park. More than 4,000 miners left the site, according to the Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation, which supports the park’s management
- Former miners interviewed by Mongabay described losing their livelihoods, with some turning to other work and others moving to mining sites elsewhere in Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon.
- Nigeria’s top parks official has called the closure a success but warned that miners could return. The operation followed years of tensions around illegal mining.
Indonesian women cash in on mangrove restoration: Interview with community leader Wisye Sahambangung
- Wisye Sahambangung, a fisher and mangrove conservationist from Sarawet, a village in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province, has gone from receiving government assistance for low-income families to leading a women’s group restoring mangroves and creating livelihood opportunities.
- In 2022, she helped establish Rhizopora, which now collects mangrove propagules, supplies seedlings, monitors coastal areas, and supports restoration projects.
- Through mangroves-related businesses and a savings-and-loans scheme, Rhizopora members have found new sources of income.
Amazon deforestation falls 42% to a record low
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen to the lowest level on record. Data released today by Brazil’s national space research institute, INPE, shows that forest clearing in Earth’s largest rainforest over the 12 months ended July 31, 2026, amounted to 3,335 square kilometers (1,288 square miles), an area smaller than the Spanish island of […]
The uplifting story of one of Zimbabwe’s pioneering women rangers
- Growing up in a ‘poor’ family in Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Valley, Nyaradzo Auxilia Hoto struggled to pursue her education. After leaving a marriage she describes as violent, she returned to her parents’ home with her daughter, uncertain about what would come next.
- In 2017, she became one of the first 16 women recruited by Akashinga, an all-female anti-poaching initiative. She went on to command rangers, earn a university degree and become a biodiversity officer responsible for analyzing wildlife data.
- As governments prepare to assess progress toward global biodiversity goals at COP17 in Armenia, Hoto’s journey offers a glimpse into the opportunities conservation can create for rural African women — and the challenges they still face in a profession long dominated by men.
Plastic industry bookkeeping plans hide chemical recycling harms, critics say
- As scientists and dozens of nations call for major reductions in plastic production, the plastics industry continues to push pyrolysis — dubbed chemical or advanced recycling — as a primary solution to the global plastic waste crisis.
- Critics say pyrolysis is not a viable solution, but rather an attempt by the industry to rebrand incineration as an environmentally sound recycling process. Pyrolysis uses high temperatures and pressure to convert waste into molecular building blocks which can then be used to make small amounts of recycled plastic.
- Pyrolysis facilities, analysts say, emit a toxic cocktail of harmful pollutants, while also using large amounts of energy and storing considerable amounts of hazardous chemicals onsite, putting local communities at risk. The facilities also create very little, if any, recycled plastic.
- But the industry hopes to use what little new plastic pyrolysis facilities do make to count toward recycling credits that can then be applied to new plastic products containing minimal recycled content. NGOs want transparency and strong industry regulation to protect health and the environment.
‘Enclosed river:’ Women shellfish gatherers fight for access to mangroves in Brazil
- Women shellfish gatherers along the coast of Brazil’s Sergipe state are losing access to mangroves and watching mollusk and crustacean populations dwindle as urban projects and real estate development advance over the areas where they live and work.
- The Movement of Women Shellfish Gatherers of Sergipe grew out of an environmental education program funded by state-run oil company Petrobras to fulfill an environmental licensing requirement. Today, its leaders are demanding their rights, professional recognition and greater autonomy from the program.
- The decline of shellfish gathering also hits these women’s bodies and their culture. They say they spend long hours in the mud only to harvest less, while traditional practices such as singing to capture mangrove crabs known as aratu are no longer being passed down in some families.
Celebrity shark trapped in South Korean canal stirs concerns over warming seas
- A female dusky shark trapped in a waterfront park in the South Korean city of Busan has become an instant celebrity, attracting nearly 1.4 million spectators since she was first sighted in mid-September.
- Some say that the shark’s appearance may be a troubling sign of climate change effects on marine life and ecosystems in South Korea.
- In its latest report, South Korea’s meteorological service said that over the past decade, sea surface temperatures around the Korean Peninsula have risen 0.7°C (33.2°F), more than twice the global average.
- The country’s authorities have recorded a spike in shark sightings and shark bycatch in recent years.
Vulture conservation project to target illegal killing and poisoning in Chad
Conservationists are launching a project to protect dwindling vulture populations in Chad amid a Central Africa-wide decline. Run by the nonprofit Sahara Conservation, the project is part of a larger EU-funded LIFE EV Safe Return program that focuses on protecting the endangered Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus). Egyptian vultures migrate from their breeding sites in the […]
‘Perpetuating stupidity’: Indonesia comes under fire for response to burning and haze
- Indonesia faces criticism for its handling of forest and land fires that have sent hazardous haze into Malaysia and Singapore, with officials refusing to apologize and dismissing the crisis as largely a natural phenomenon.
- President Prabowo Subianto cited 639 hectares (1,579 acres) under active firefighting as evidence of progress, but experts warned the figure was misleading because it represented areas being tackled by firefighters, not the total area still burning.
- Environmentalists blame inadequate preparedness and decades of forest-clearing permits and peatland drainage, while Malaysia and Singapore have offered firefighting assistance that Indonesia has yet to formally accept.
- The haze is causing widespread health and environmental damage, with more than 283,000 acute respiratory illness cases recorded across seven affected Indonesian provinces, and dozens of orangutans rescued from fires in Borneo.
How Indian communities earn a living from more than forest timber
- Erratic rainfall and changing weather patterns are disrupting the availability of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) affecting communities that depend on these products in India.
- Women account for 60-80% of India’s NTFP collection and primary processing workforce but receive a disproportionately small share of the market revenues.
- A recent review examines the challenges facing communities that depend on NTFPs even as an e-commerce initiative intends to solve the value chain problem by connecting producers directly with buyers, helping reduce middlemen and improving market access.
New tool reveals siege on Indigenous lands in Bolivia’s Amazon
- Nine out of every 10 hectares (22 of every 25 acres) of forest lost in Amazonian Indigenous territories in Bolivia were cleared illegally, new data analysis suggests.
- Between 2003 and 2023, more than 186,500 hectares (460,900 acres) of forest disappeared — an area nearly three times the size of Madrid — with illegal clearing accounting for more than 90% of that total.
- Land invasions to expand the agricultural frontier pose a constant threat to Amazonian Indigenous peoples in Bolivia: of 30 territories surveyed, 28 reported occupations by outsiders, as most of these conflicts remain unresolved.
- The yearlong investigation led to the launch of VISTA, a platform presented by the Pulitzer Center, Mongabay and Bolivian organizations RAI Bolivia and Asuntos Centrales, that tracks and analyzes key data on deforestation, fires, land clearing, soy expansion and settlements across the 48 Indigenous territories of the Bolivian Amazon.
Nations at southern bluefin tuna meeting stop short of adopting new seabird protections
- The Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), a multilateral body that manages the stock of southern bluefin tuna, held its annual meeting Oct. 5-8 in Brussels.
- Seabird protections drew debate, and a modicum of conservation progress was made: The parties agreed on 13 priority seabird species and designated high-risk areas for them.
- However, the designations don’t carry any new mandatory protections: Due to the reluctance of some members, the commission stopped short of adopting proposed conservation measures for the high-risk areas, most notably tighter seabird bycatch mitigation requirements.
Belize looks to the deep sea to complete its 30% ocean protection pledge
- In 2021, Belize made a series of time-bound marine conservation commitments as part of a landmark debt-for-nature deal known as the Belize Blue Bond.
- To complete milestone 6 of the deal, out of eight milestones in total, Belize is finalizing a national marine spatial plan that proposes three new marine protected areas in its deep offshore waters.
- Officials say the zones were chosen after a gap analysis showed Belize’s nearshore coral reef and seagrass habitats are already well represented in its protected-area network, while deepwater features are not.
- Many local fishers welcome the new protected areas, which sit well beyond the waters where they work. However, experts say they are unlikely to yield the conservation benefits Belize urgently needs to revive its declining commercial fish stocks.
Cambodia was told to clean up its monkey trade. Regulators say it still hasn’t
- Cambodian monkey farms have once again come under scrutiny as the global wildlife trade regulator warns the risk of fraud and corruption persists within the industry.
- A loosely regulated trade of long-tailed macaques, which spiked to fuel the development of COVID-19 vaccines, has seen wild populations plummet in Cambodia.
- The CITES Secretariat, the international wildlife trade authority, set Cambodia a series of targets last year to prevent monkey laundering, but the latest assessment shows progress is minimal a year on.
- Animal rights experts say Cambodia’s involvement in the trade continues to pose a threat to human health and wild monkey populations globally.
From paper parks to lasting protection, here’s what works in marine conservation
- Marine conservation has attracted ambitious commitments, including vast new protected areas and international agreements. But declaring an area protected does not necessarily mean marine life is recovering.
- Fully protected marine reserves can produce substantial biodiversity gains when fishing restrictions are enforced. Adequate staffing, funding, and political support are often what separate effective reserves from “paper parks.”
- Conservation can also succeed outside protected areas. Secure fishing rights, community-led management, and practical changes to fishing gear can reduce pressure on marine species while supporting local livelihoods.
- Restoration projects face similar challenges. Replanting mangroves or corals achieves little if the conditions that damaged the ecosystems remain. Across marine conservation, lasting gains depend on sustained management and addressing the underlying causes of biodiversity loss.
Supreme Court declines to hear the case of a lobster fisherman who opposes boat tracking
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Supreme Court has declined to hear the case of a lobster fisherman who alleged the government requiring commercial fishing boats to use electronic tracking devices amounts to unreasonable search and seizure. Maine lobster fisherman Frank Thompson sued after his state began requiring all federally permitted lobstermen to install GPS trackers […]
Researchers uncover hidden routes and patterns of Amazon wildlife trade
- Researchers conducted a comprehensive review of scientific studies to provide an overview of wildlife trafficking in the Brazilian Amazon and help close the information gap about animal abuse in the region.
- Amazon birds are the main targets of wildlife traffickers, followed by mammals, reptiles and fish, the researchers found.
- Feeding and using animals in religious rituals or for medicinal purposes are main drivers of violations.
- Brazil’s neighboring countries act as export hubs for Brazilian wildlife, such as zebra pleco fish sent to Asia through Colombia.
Mangroves gain ground globally, marking turnaround after decades of loss
- Globally, mangrove cover has grown by 477 square kilometers (184 square miles) between 1985 and 2025, marking a turnaround from the losses that have predominated for years, but gains are uneven.
- India recorded significant net increases, followed by Pakistan, Australia, the Philippines and Senegal.
- Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nigeria and Cuba led in net losses as land-use changes — agriculture, aquaculture and development — together with pollution drove mangrove destruction.
- Experts say community-led mangrove restoration works, along with greater corporate accountability and better enforcement of existing laws protecting the coastal forests.
Invasive lionfish reach Brazil’s largest coral reefs. Local fishers fight back
Fishers have caught at least 440 invasive lionfish off the coast of Porto Seguro in northeastern Brazil in recent weeks. The local government paid fishers to harvest the fish in an attempt to curb the rapid spread of a species that can decimate native fish stocks, Mariana Martins writes for Mongabay Brasil. Lionfish (Pterois volitans), […]
The jaguarundi is relatively easy to see. That may have hidden its decline
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. The jaguarundi was recently recategorized from least concern to near threatened on the IUCN Red List, reports contributor Sean Mowbray for Mongabay. The small cat, which ranges from Mexico to southern Brazil and Argentina and lives in a […]
Eavesdropping on Malaysia’s dolphins: Interview with marine bioacoustician Saliza Bono
- Saliza Bono, a Malaysian bioacoustician at nonprofit research group MareCet, studies the sounds of marine mammals to protect their population.
- Her research focuses on the impacts of underwater noise, particularly on Indo-Pacific humpback and Irrawaddy dolphins in Malaysia.
- In an interview with Mongabay, the marine biologist discusses her journey into bioacoustics, how underwater noise pollution impacts dolphin behavior, and the challenges of her research.
Chinese squid tied to labor abuses finds an easy route into Western markets
- In recent years, a series of high-profile investigations implicated the Chinese fleets targeting squid in international waters in illegal fishing practices, environmental violations, and poor working conditions, including forced labor and deaths at sea.
- The revelations received widespread public attention, including from elected officials in the U.S. and Europe.
- A Mongabay analysis shows that the largest Western markets have continued to import Chinese squid products in large quantities, raising concerns about regulatory gaps and lack of transparency and consumer awareness.
- The most recent evidence of problems in the Chinese squid industry came in a June 2026 report by U.K.-based NGO Environmental Justice Foundation that covers a five-year investigation, including interviews with more than 400 fishers who worked on Chinese squid-fishing vessels in three oceans.
Two rare pregnancies spark hope for Sumatran rhinos — but also concerns about inbreeding
- Two near-extinct Sumatran rhinos are pregnant at a sanctuary in Indonesia, offering a rare boost for a species that numbers only a few dozen in the wild.
- The pregnancies are the latest result of a decades-long captive-breeding effort aimed at helping the solitary animals reproduce as their wild populations become increasingly isolated.
- But the expected births also underscore the challenges of managing a small captive population with limited genetic diversity: the pregnant females are related, as are the two sires.
‘Patrick’ sea star went viral, but Argentine deep-sea canyon held 57 new species
- Scientists identified 57 new marine species and five new genera from Argentina’s Mar del Plata Canyon in just two weeks.
- Most specimens came from a 2025 expedition whose livestream drew more than 4 million viewers, many of whom tuned in for a sea star that looked like the cartoon character Patrick Star.
- The finds include a horned sea cucumber nicknamed Loki and 20 new copepods, with 90% of the copepod samples still unexamined.
- Researchers also found plastic and fishing litter in the canyon, a sign that even this remote deep-sea habitat faces human pressures.
New Zealand builds an arsenal of tools to battle a ‘wily’ invasive seaweed
- Two invasive forms of a seaweed called caulerpa were discovered in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2021, forming meadows that blanketed the seabed. This raised fears that the caulerpa would smother marine life, compete with native species for space and displace habitats.
- A suite of innovative caulerpa-removal methods has been developed in New Zealand, some with government funding.
- Nationwide eradication is no longer seen as achievable, but a major natural dieback has tempered some of the worst fears about ecological devastation.
Indonesia returns 20 green sea turtles to the ocean after Bali smuggling raid
SERANGAN ISLAND, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities on the tourist island of Bali released 20 protected green sea turtles back into the ocean Tuesday after they were found and seized on an empty boat seemingly abandoned by wildlife smugglers fleeing a police raid. Officers conducted final checks on the turtles at a conservation center on […]
Shedding light on the sea: Interview with Thai photographer Sirachai Arunrugstichai
- Trained as a marine biologist, Thai photojournalist Sirachai “Shin” Arunrugstichai has taken photos that capture issues pertinent to marine conservation, from beached coral reefs to beaches polluted by oil spills.
- He co-authored a study on necrophilia in squids after photographing a squid engaging in the behavior while retrieving ghost fishing nets in Myanmar.
- While saying he is not a campaigner, Shin believes photography can help draw public attention to environmental issues and help initiate change.
- Shin spoke to Mongabay about his career journey, scientific study and photography work.
Protected areas are not for mining: Interview with WWF’s Nadège Nzoyem
- “Protected areas are protected areas,” says Nadège Nzoyem, the regional director of WWF for the Congo Basin, in reference to new studies showing the pressure from mining on protected and conserved areas in Central Africa and globally.
- A new analysis published on Oct. 8 finds that oil and gas blocks overlap with nearly 62 million hectares (153 million acres) of protected and conserved areas across the tropical countries examined, while WWF’s own report finds an average 80% decline in the size of monitored wildlife populations in Africa between 1970 and 2022.
- In an exclusive interview with Mongabay following the release of WWF’s “Living Planet Report 2026,” Nzoyem points to conservation gains in some landscapes but acknowledges continued wildlife declines, insufficient funding, and gaps in monitoring.
- Ahead of a global biodiversity summit in Armenia this month, the interview examines whether conservation commitments translate into effective protection, and seeks Nzoyem’s perspective on WWF’s influence over conservation funding and whether Indigenous peoples and local communities have meaningful decision-making power.
In a first for the DRC, a homegrown NGO will co-manage a wildlife reserve
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. For the first time in the modern history of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a local nongovernmental organization will co-manage a protected area in the country with its wildlife authority, reports Mongabay’s Elodie Toto. Strong Roots Congo will […]
Photos: Taiwan’s tea revival blends ancient terraces with new climate adaptations
- Taiwan’s Shenkeng region was once a major tea-producing center, but industrialization and urbanization hollowed out the industry by the 1970s, allowing abandoned tea terraces to return to forest.
- A government-backed effort is now restoring tea production and its cultural heritage, using the region’s historic stone terraces alongside drip irrigation, soil sensors, and more resilient tea varieties.
- Climate change is making the revival harder, with earlier-dissipating mist, erratic rainfall, and increasingly intense typhoons threatening tea plants and increasing landslide risks.
- Researchers and local growers are combining traditional farming techniques with new technology to make Shenkeng’s tea industry more resilient and preserve its cultural heritage for future generations.
Chinook salmon return to historical habitat following removal of four US dams
The Klamath River in the U.S. was heavily dammed over the 20th century, blocking spawning Chinook salmon. As a result, the population of salmon that spawned in the river, which runs through Southern Oregon and Northern California, declined by roughly 90%. However, a recent study found that removing the dams resulted in a quick return […]
Researcher who listens to forests wins 2026 Pritzker Environmental Genius Award
Zuzana Burivalova, a tropical forest ecologist who uses sound to understand the health of forests globally, was recently named the winner of the 2026 Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award. The award is an initiative of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). “Receiving this award feels really […]
Oil pollution is drifting into marine protected areas, report finds
Oil slicks from vessels and offshore oil operations repeatedly drifted into marine protected areas around the world between 2022 and 2025, a new analysis has found. The report raises concerns for important habitats for a variety of marine life, including whales, dolphins, and sea turtles. Researchers from SkyTruth, a U.S.-based nonprofit that tracks oil pollution […]
Indonesia says it no longer needs forests for rice. What happens to projects underway?
- A government official announced that Indonesia had achieved rice self-sufficiency three years ahead of schedule and no longer needed the previously announced 2 million hectares for food production.
- Instead, future food and biofuel production would be directed toward degraded land.
- But the government has yet to clarify how the announcement will affect food and energy projects already underway, raising questions about whether policy and implementation will follow its stated shift.
Community action to protect Cambodia’s seas: Interview with commune leader Sorn Srenh
- Sorn Srenh is a local commune leader in Cambodia’s Koh Sdach archipelago, where he also serves as a marine advocate, working with fishing communities to protect ocean ecosystems and livelihoods.
- He describes how community patrols, stronger fisheries enforcement, plastic-waste initiatives and women’s participation are helping address illegal fishing and other threats to Koh Sdach’s waters.
- Srenh also discusses the challenges of balancing conservation with community livelihoods, gaps in law enforcement, and the need for stronger collaboration and long-term support from government and conservation groups.
- In a recent interview with Mongabay, Srenh discussed his path into marine conservation, the challenges facing Koh Sdach’s waters, and his vision for community-led protection of Cambodia’s seas.
This is a South African cheetah, and it’s in trouble
When researchers mapped almost 100,000 square kilometers of South Africa, or nearly 40,000 square miles, they only found 83 mature adults. They called their project the Free-Roaming Cheetah Census, and it’s the most comprehensive survey of cheetahs ever conducted in the region. The cheetahs that inhabit the unprotected areas here move naturally across borders, going […]
Rheas are back to Chilean Patagonia
PATAGONIA NATIONAL PARK — Chile. Mongabay traveled to Chile’s Patagonia National Park to follow a women-led team on a mission to bring 13 Darwin’s rheas back to the wild in April 2026. Working with Rewilding Chile Foundation, these dedicated rangers care for the birds around the clock, facing harsh weather, predators like pumas, illegal livestock grazing, […]
Paraguay meets UN deadline for improving governance in Chaco Biosphere Reserve
Paraguay has provided updated information to the United Nations about the Chaco Biosphere Reserve, a protected area where deforestation from farming and cattle ranching threatens the survival of Indigenous communities. The country had until the end of September to respond to a UNESCO request to provide updated management plans and zoning, which critics say are […]
Brazilian ranchers block government officials from demarcating Indigenous land
Since Sept. 23, a group of rural producers has maintained a blockade on the road to the Paquiçamba Indigenous Land in the Volta Grande do Xingu region of Brazil’s Pará state. The blockade is supported by local politicians and aims to prevent government officials from physically demarcating the land traditionally occupied by the Juruna (Yudjá) […]
Sri Lanka elephant found with a gunshot wound. How can tuskers be protected?
- Sri Lanka’s tallest living tusker Kavantissa was recently found with a gunshot wound on the right foreleg, prompting urgent veterinary treatment.
- The recent incident has renewed calls for armed protection of iconic tuskers such as Kavantissa, Agbo and Mahasen, echoing Kenya’s measures to protect famous elephants such as Ahmed and Craig.
- Conservationists caution that Africa’s individual-elephant protection models may not be easily translated to Sri Lanka’s densely settled, human-dominated landscapes.
- A recent assessment valued an individual wild elephant in Sri Lanka to be around 3.8 billion rupees ($11.5 million), highlighting the ecological, cultural and economic significance of elephants.
In Ecuador, Indigenous youth turn to rap music to defend the Amazon
- In the Ecuadorian Amazon, young people from several Indigenous nationalities are turning to rap to speak out against the toll extractive industries take on their home territories.
- Each track is performed in the artist’s native language (some of which are on the verge of disappearing), with some incorporating Spanish verses to connect with listeners from other cultures.
- Indigenous rappers include Willan Gualinga (Taki Supay) of the Kichwa nationality of Sarayaku; Misael Elías Criollo Grefa (Misa17), from the A’i Cofán community; Raúl Vargas (Robenban), Kichwa from Pastaza; and Tzitzanu, from Sapara.
- Their music is reaching national and international audiences, with Misa17’s track “Ingi Tsampi” drawing more than 400,000 views on TikTok just a month after its release.
Lawmakers in Suriname call for investigation, stricter oversight amid new mining activity
- Mining activity in Pelin Bergi, near Kwakoegron, in northern Suriname, has allegedly undergone substantial excavation, and could be using polluting chemicals like cyanide.
- Two members of the National Assembly, Rabindre Parmessar and Michael Marengo, sent a letter to President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons calling for an immediate investigation and temporary halt to all mining activity in the area.
- The lawmakers questioned the government’s ability to regulate mining impacts on the environment and public health, and said they wanted to see all permits, concessions and other documents granting the right to operate in the area.
An Instafamous giant water lily is confirmed as a new species — and critically endangered
A chance sighting of photos on Instagram, then a five-day expedition, including a last-minute, late-night detour in a Colombian rainforest — that’s what it took for researchers to confirm a new-to-science species of giant water lily. The plant has such large leaves the researchers could also spot it from space, according to a new study. […]
How much nature is left? Interview with Nature Data Lab’s Karl Burkart
- A new data platform is helping scientists understand the extent of protected land worldwide; it also aims to serve as a watchdog for conservation initiatives.
- Global Safety Net v3 (GSN3) uses satellite data, artificial intelligence technology, and mapping techniques to see how landscapes are faring, and if conservation is working.
- Data on how ecosystems around the world are faring are crucial, especially in the face of a global agreement that aims to protect 30% of the world’s lands and oceans by 2030.
Deadly wildfires leave Borneo wildlife scrambling for fresh water
- Wildfires in West Kalimantan are leaving wildlife struggling to find fresh water as forest pools dry up and ponds turn brackish, pushing animals toward villages and coastal areas.
- Residents and conservation groups have begun providing water and rescuing animals affected by the fires, as prolonged dry conditions put further pressure on wildlife and freshwater supplies.
- Conservationists warn the crisis is also affecting coastal communities, with rising salinity threatening access to fresh water and potentially putting food production at risk.
- Warning: This story contains disturbing images of animals.
World Octopus Day: new discoveries about the world’s smartest invertebrates
Happy World Octopus Day! Every Oct 8, the world celebrates one of the more unusual creatures of the sea. Octopuses are well-known for their eight legs and ability to squirt ink when frightened. They’ve also been known to use tools, a sign of intelligence, and can shape-shift to mimic the colors and texture of their […]
Endangered angelshark is still traded in Brazil despite import ban
- In April 2026, the Brazilian government prohibited the import of meat from endangered shark species, making it illegal to sell any species of the genus Squatina, the angelsharks.
- Despite the new regulation, angelsharks continue to be sold freely in the South of Brazil and local governments have placed new orders for the product.
- Three public agencies said they would suspend the purchase plans after being contacted by Mongabay.
- In addition to a lack of enforcement, experts point out that compliance with the new rules is hampered by the sale of meat from various shark species under the generic name “cação.”
Activists cite ecological, social connections in blocking US border wall construction (commentary)
- The San Rafael Valley in the U.S. state of Arizona is an important wildlife corridor, but these migrations will soon be blocked by a wall being constructed by the U.S. government to prevent passage of human migrants.
- Activists had been staging tree sits in a group of old cottonwoods adjacent to the construction until they were cut down this week, including a very large one dubbed “Grandmother Tree,” whose felling has caused furor on social media.
- “The movement that formed around it demonstrates why protecting biodiversity in the borderlands requires recognizing both ecological and social connectivity across the region,” the author of a new commentary argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Crackdown reveals ‘industrial-scale’ wildlife and timber trafficking across Latin America
Authorities across nine Latin American and Caribbean countries have arrested hundreds of people and recovered more than 1,000 animals as part of a two-month coordinated operation against environmental crimes. Operation Madre Tierra was the eighth edition of a recurring Interpol-led initiative, and was conducted in June and July in Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, […]
Invasive species have more severe environmental impacts in Global South, study finds
- There has been a long-standing assumption that invasive alien species have greater biodiversity impacts in wealthier Global North countries than in the Global South.
- But a new study finds that the average severity of impacts of invasive alien species is greater in the Global South.
- In Myanmar, for example, where 70% of the population practices agriculture, farmers struggle to adopt self-devised methods of dealing with invasive alien species such as the golden apple snail.
Did two of the lemurs stolen in Bangladesh end up in India? Officials are investigating
- The case of missing lemurs from a Bangladeshi safari park exposes major gaps in wildlife conservation enforcement, locally and regionally.
- In the absence of protocols, tracing and repatriating trafficked wildlife becomes a big challenge for law enforcers.
- SAWEN, a high-level South Asian platform for wildlife enforcement, suggests continued dialogue among regional parties to close these gaps.
Logging threatens Bornean forest earmarked for Indigenous Peace Park
Part of a forest in Malaysian Borneo that Indigenous communities had envisioned co-managing and self-governing has been turned into an active commercial logging concession, according to a recent civil society report. The 283,500-hectare (700,500-acre) Upper Baram Forest Area, in the northeastern part of the state of Sarawak, was proposed as a community-led conservation area more […]
Africa’s monitored wildlife populations declined 80% since 1970, new report says
Africa’s monitored wildlife populations have declined an average of 80% since 1970, according to a new global assessment. The report also points to pockets of recovery where conservation efforts have been maintained over decades. The report on the decline in the average size of monitored populations was released Oct. 8 in the Living Planet Report […]
Can WarWilding defend Poland’s borders and save Europe’s last ancient forest?
- Poland’s border with Belarus runs through the Białowieża Forest, Europe’s last ancient woodland, home to lynx, wolves and European bison.
- To strengthen national security and deter Russian and Belarusian attacks, Poland launched the East Shield in 2024 — a 700-km (435-mi) border fortification project running along its northeastern and eastern flanks.
- But Polish scientists and conservationists say the East Shield would result in widespread damage to Białowieża Forest; they convinced the military to instead implement “WarWilding” techniques that forgo concrete in favor of using nature to create a defensive barrier called the Green East Shield.
- However, WarWilding proponents say road construction projects threaten to undermine progress on the Green East Shield and are harming the forest and its wildlife.
‘A few are afraid of the chicks’: Preparing Thailand’s rescued leopard cats for life in the wild
- A government-run wildlife rescue center in northeastern Thailand rehabilitates and releases dozens of leopard cat cubs every year.
- Rescue numbers have risen sharply since 2023, a trend staff at the center attribute to a combination of worsening habitat fragmentation, fire activity and increased use of a government hotline.
- Although the center can monitor camera traps for footage of released cats, they currently have no way to be certain how many of the cats survive after release.
International pledge to fund forest rights exceeds target, but direct funding remains low
- A report from funders of a pledge to support Indigenous peoples and local communities’ land rights found that donors delivered $2.35 billion between 2021 and 2025, exceeding the $1.7 billion target made at the 2021 U.N. Climate Change Conference by 38%.
- The findings also show that 7.2% of funding in 2025 went directly to Indigenous peoples and local communities, up from 2.9% in 2021.
- Authors of the report warn that underfunded regions remain particularly vulnerable to aid cuts, deforestation and extractive pressures.
- A new $1.8 billion five-year pledge announced at COP30 aims to expand its reach to support Afro-descendant communities and other ecosystems, promising more direct, flexible and long-term financing.
Invading the globe: Bird flu now threatens Australia and Oceania
- A deadly strain of avian flu, H5N1, has spread across the globe since it emerged in Europe in 2020, infecting hundreds of species and decimating domestic poultry, seabird and marine mammal populations.
- In June, bird flu breached the last uninfected continent, Australia, and has since infected numerous bird species — and spilled over into mammals, including critically endangered Australian sea lions.
- Wildlife disease tracking and data collection are guiding current mitigations, such as carcass removal. The New South Wales government launched an immunization trial for vulnerable captive birds in August and began vaccinating little penguins in the wild on Sept. 18. But little can be done to stop the spread.
- A comprehensive One Health perspective that incorporates human, wildlife and livestock health could aid efforts to prevent outbreaks of zoonotic disease that pass between them all.
Wild tulips in Central Asia have become rare, expert says
More than half of the world’s wild tulip species assessed so far are threatened with extinction, reports Mongabay’s Shreya Dasgupta. “For a flower this famous, it may surprise people how rare its wild relatives have become,” Brett Wilson, co-founder of the Wild Tulip Specialist Group at the IUCN, the global nature conservation authority, told Mongabay […]
Death of anti-plague lab worker in Russia prompts quarantines and international concern
The reported death of a 28-year-old laboratory technician in eastern Siberia has triggered regional quarantines and international attention over fears of the cause of death and a lack of transparency. According to local media reports, Darya Shipilova, a technician employed at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, died on Oct. […]
New crocodile species found fossilized in stone used to build Egypt’s Great Sphinx
- Researchers have identified a new species of extinct long-snouted crocodile from 45-million-year-old fossils found in the same limestone formation used to build Egypt’s Great Sphinx.
- The fossils were dug up in the 1920s and lumped in with the living false gharial, but CT scans revealed features that set the ancient crocodile apart as its own species.
- Its closest living relatives, the gharial and false gharial, are critically endangered and endangered respectively.
- Today, many species of crocodilians face conservation threats, though some have seen tremendous recovery due to conservation efforts
Indigenous activist Kynan Tegar on Indonesia’s fires, and defending the Earth
Indigenous activist and filmmaker Kynan Tegar joins the Mongabay Newscast this week to discuss the impacts of the fires devastating Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. Some 48,000 hectares (about 119,000 acres) of land have burned so far this year; Kynan says these fires are intentional on the part of agricultural corporations. […]
100 conservation projects are looking for funding after USAID’s closure
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. Twenty months after the dismantling of USAID, a new analysis documents what the international development agency’s disappearance has meant for conservation projects around the world. Projects have stalled or collapsed in countries from Kenya to Bangladesh, reports Mongabay’s […]
In Australia’s Wet Tropics, restoration misses the forest for the tree cover
- A survey of 25 organizations working on rainforest restoration in Australia’s Wet Tropics found that nearly all monitor their sites, but about half keep no records and simply check sites visually.
- The groups ranked habitat connectivity, biodiversity, and threatened species habitat as their top goals, yet measured success mainly by canopy closure, tree survival, and the end of weeding.
- About 42% stop monitoring once the canopy closes, usually within three to five years, long before the slower recovery of rainforest plants and animals can be tracked.
- Most groups said monitoring would be a high priority if they had more funding, and the survey authors warn that short-term checks won’t provide the proof of recovery that carbon and biodiversity markets require.
Science, Indigenous knowledge team up to restore Canada’s kelp. (Sea otters help, too.)
- In Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia, a partnership between the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, Redd Fish Restoration Society and West Coast Kelp grows kelp at scale to support an ecosystem in decline.
- The fur trade eradicated sea otters; their return enables kelp to thrive.
- Underwater cameras are monitoring the newly formed kelp forest.
- The success of the project will be measured by science and the return of ecological abundance.
The Indonesians facing El Nino’s fires have lessons to teach us (commentary)
- The world is facing an El Niño event of unprecedented proportions.
- Millions of Indonesians have already been breathing toxic wildfire smoke and bravely fighting the blazes for months, although this event’s likely record-breaking fire season has barely kicked into gear.
- “These communities are inspiring, and they can teach us some lessons about resilience and fortitude in the face of a Super El Niño that’s coming for many of us,” a new op-ed argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Artificial nests give Hong Kong’s cockatoos a home – and a chance to study their behavior
- Hong Kong-based biologist Astrid Andersson and arborist Harry Wong run a conservation project that seeks to protect the city’s feral yellow-crested cockatoos (Cacatua sulphurea).
- The critically endangered species enjoys a stable population in Hong Kong, numbering around 200 or about 10% of the global population.
- With few natural nesting spaces available, Andersson and Wong make artificial nest boxes and install them in public parks and on school campuses.
- Each box is equipped with an internal camera connected to a mobile signal, allowing researchers to remotely monitor breeding behavior.
Far-right election results in Brazil ‘bleak’ for Indigenous peoples, says Indigenous leader
Right-wing candidates made big gains in both houses of Congress in Brazil’s Oct. 4 general election. Brazil’s main Indigenous organization, the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil APIB, told Mongabay that the result will drive new attempts to strip constitutional protections from Indigenous peoples. “Unfortunately, what we saw today is, let’s say, a bleak moment,” […]
Helping 100,000 amphibians safely cross the road
Every year, thousands of salamanders and frogs try to cross from their wooded winter homes in the U.S. state of New Hampshire to the swamps they breed in. But the road is a dangerous place — unless you have the help of New Hampshire’s Salamander Brigades.
Sabine Schoppe who built a refuge for Palawan’s forest turtles has died
On June 17, 2015, Philippine officials confiscated thousands of turtles in cement tanks from a warehouse in Palawan, an island province in the Philippines. More than 3,800 of them were endangered Palawan forest turtles (Siebenrockiella leytensis), piled as many as a dozen deep, awaiting export. Some had ulcers on the undersides of their shells or […]
Brazil far-right presidential candidate wins most votes in deforestation hotspots
In Brazil’s general election on Oct. 4, incumbent leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva finished second to far-right Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was barred from public office after being convicted of planning a coup d’état. The two candidates will face each other in a second-round vote […]
Uncertainty mounts as Suriname struggles to evict illegal settlers in the Amazon
- Suriname President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons announced a task force in August to investigate illegal settlements destroying the rainforest, many of them Mennonites moving from other countries.
- Attempts at eviction have proven much more complicated than it first appeared, observers say. Settlers are allegedly ignoring court orders, and officials are confused about which people are breaking what laws.
- Rabindre Parmessar, leader of the National Democratic Party in the National Assembly, said he plans to meet with the president’s task force to better understand the legal procedures of eviction and why the Mennonites haven’t been removed yet.
- He will also take steps to create a parliamentary group to investigate the situation independently of the president’s task force, he said.
‘There could be local extinction’: The fight to protect Indonesia’s orangutans as El Niño fuels fires
- In Indonesia, fires are burning in rainforests that contain 13 of the 20 largest remaining populations of Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus).
- Without urgent action, thousands more orangutans could be killed, injured or displaced, warns the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, a network of primatologists, field researchers and conservation experts.
- Actions must include long-term measures, including community-led efforts, beyond emergency firefighting to tackle the fires, say experts.
Rare Southern African succulent listed as critically endangered amid mining threat
The brown clockfig, an extremely rare succulent growing in the hot, arid border region of Namibia and South Africa, was recently assessed as critically endangered by the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority. The western Gariep Valley is a vast landscape spanning the southern part of Tsau ǁKhaeb National Park in Namibia and the Richtersveld […]
Weak prosecution leaves Southeast Asia’s tigers vulnerable to trafficking: Report
Fewer than half of tiger poaching and trafficking arrests in Southeast Asia result in convictions or legal penalties, providing little deterrent to an illegal black market that is driving wild tigers towards extinction, reports contributor Sean Mowbray for Mongabay. Researchers analyzed 259 tiger seizure cases recorded between 2019 and 2024 across seven range countries: Indonesia, […]
Hunters reportedly kill hundreds of migratory birds stranded by thunderstorm in Malta
A multi-day thunderstorm over the Mediterranean Sea struck Malta, stranding hundreds of passing migratory birds on Sept. 14, 2026. Hunters in the country then shot hundreds of those birds, including protected species, shows evidence gathered by the conservation NGO Birdlife Malta. Malta sits on the Central European-Mediterranean flyway that millions of migratory birds use annually […]
Satellite data reveal massive scale of routine oil pollution in oceans. See the map
Oil slicks from ships and offshore oil platforms cover nearly 1.6 million square kilometers (618,000 square miles) of the ocean surface each year, an area slightly larger than the nation of Mongolia. The estimate comes from a recent report by Skytruth, a U.S.-based nonprofit that used satellite imagery, machine learning and vessel tracking data to […]
Future of Amazon rainforest policies at stake in Brazilian presidential election
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s upcoming presidential election could reshape the Amazon’s future. Control of the country, which contains about 60% of the rainforest, could pass to Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Experts warn a Bolsonaro victory could reverse deforestation-control policies restored by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. During Jair […]
Probiotics prevented coral bleaching during a Red Sea heat wave: Study
- A new field study found that two treatments of beneficial bacteria each protected reef corals from bleaching during a heat wave in the Red Sea.
- A heat-killed version of one of the bacterial treatments also protected the corals and may provide a cheaper, more shelf-stable alternative to live probiotics.
- Future studies are needed to determine whether the treatments also help corals stay alive over longer periods of time.
- Though wider implementation of probiotics faces barriers, researchers say many approaches are needed to protect corals in the long term.
How to grow $25K into community-led conservation: Interview with Tanzania’s Mwambao
- Ali Thani and Lorna Slade shared frustration with top-down conservation and a belief that coastal communities could manage their own resources led them to come together to create the Mwambao Coastal Community Network.
- Their partnership grew from different experiences. Thani, a Tanzanian from the coast who had worked in government and with international conservation groups, brought intimate knowledge of coastal communities; Slade brought decades of experience and understanding of the international institutions financing conservation.
- Mwambao has since grown into a multimillion-dollar organization and helped communities experiment with fisheries closures, co-management and livelihood programs. But its experience has not been uniformly successful, with different degrees of acceptance from communities.
- Its growth also raises a harder question for its founders: can a community-led model remain truly community-led as the organization itself becomes larger?
Uganda and NGO to co-manage sector of national park home to tree-climbing lions
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have signed a 10-year agreement to co-manage a portion of Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for its tree-climbing lions. WCS will take over some day-to-day roles for the Ishasha Sector in the south of the park, including those covering biodiversity management, community engagement and […]
Wildlife traffickers are now targeting Indonesia’s critically endangered maleo birds
- Sulawesi’s critically endangered maleo birds are increasingly targeted by wildlife traffickers, according to a new study that documented seizures of smuggled birds Some were carried by families with children, young couples or single mothers to try to avoid detection.
- Researchers found that 25 live juvenile maleos were seized by enforcement agents in 2024 in India or en route there. Conservationists say they may have been smuggled from hatcheries built to conserve the critically endangered species. None were repatriated alive to Indonesia.
- Maleos are a protected species in Indonesia, and all international commercial trade is banned under CITES, the global wildlife trade treaty.
- Researchers urge authorities in India, Indonesia and Thailand to increase surveillance and enforcement in airports and build a mechanism to return seized birds to Indonesia, where they could potentially be released back into the wild.
Women shoulder the burden of expanding wildfires in rural India
In the Indian Western Himalayas, women are the primary first responders to escalating forest fires. They risk their physical safety to protect homes and livelihoods despite receiving little formal support or equipment and no pay, reports contributor Swati Thapa for Mongabay. Uttarakhand is the most fire-prone state in India’s Western Himalayas. High-elevation warming exceeds global […]
Mangroves keep waves at bay. A new study helps scientists predict how
- Mangrove forests can help protect tropical coastal areas from rising sea levels and storm surges.
- New research presents a model by which to predict how much mangroves can reduce — or attenuate — large waves associated with severe storms such as typhoons.
- The researchers also created an online tool that can be used by practitioners to estimate the attenuation impact of mangroves anywhere around the world.
- The authors say their work can be used for ecological restoration and coastal engineering, and to help “vulnerable coastal communities deploy adaptive defenses before disaster strikes.”
India’s isolated island tribes need autonomy to survive rising threats, says scholar
Isolated and contacted Indigenous tribes in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands face threats from illegal fishing, mega-development projects and misinformed government welfare policies that undermine their self-sufficiency, says Manish Chandi, a former research scholar who has spent decades working with tribal communities in the region. Chandi worked with the communities while he was with the […]
A first in Brazil: Black-faced lion tamarins vaccinated
- In restinga shrub areas of the Atlantic Forest on the coast of Paraná state, researchers have carried out the first yellow fever vaccinations of black-faced lion tamarins.
- The initiative took place in July 2026 and aims to protect the species, known locally as the “caissara lion tamarin,” from disease outbreaks that could further reduce its small wild population.
- The primate is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, with a population estimated at fewer than 400 individuals in the wild and none in captivity, increasing the risk of sudden extinction.
Gabon, home to the medicinal plant behind ibogaine, wants a fairer share of its global boom
- Gabon passed a decree this year requiring benefit sharing for commercial uses of the medicinal plant iboga, its derivatives, and associated traditional knowledge, but the mechanisms for distributing those benefits are still being built.
- A community association in Ogooué-Ivindo province earned the equivalent of about $50,000 from three legal iboga shipments since 2023, yet its promised share of value created further downstream has still not arrived.
- The decree is unusually broad, attempting to cover ibogaine, analogs, and compounds made through synthetic or alternative sources, although how Gabon could enforce those claims abroad remains unresolved.
- In September, Gabon moved to halt exports of iboga and all derivatives while it develops a new national framework, freezing even the legal community-based trade the country had previously encouraged.
Dolphins keep their social and hunting lives in separate waters, study finds
- Scientists have found that dolphins have separate areas in the ocean where they hunt and socialize.
- Dolphins along Florida’s Atlantic coast were found to communicate using whistling sounds in the nearshore locations where they socialize, and rapid clicking sounds in areas with an abundance of prey fish.
- The data also hinted at the possibility that fish quieten down when they sense a dolphin approaching, indicating that prey might also be listening in to predators.
- The findings could help better inform policies geared toward protecting dolphin habitats, the scientists say.
From ‘community-based’ to ‘community-led conservation’ in Kenya: Interview with Dickson Kaelo
- Dickson Kaelo grew up herding livestock, while living alongside wildlife. He remembers what it meant when lions killed cattle, elephants destroyed crops or a hyena got into a boma and killed animals a family depended on.
- Nearly three decades ago, fresh from college, he began working with elders in his community to find a way for livestock, wildlife and people to share the same landscape. His first attempt of building community conservancies worked for a while — and then collapsed.
- Today, Kenya has roughly 240 conservancies (land set aside by communities, individual landowners, groups or companies primarily for wildlife conservation) covering close to 15% of the country. Kaelo says their growth has brought benefits, but also problems: Elite capture, poor deals with private investors, land disputes and conservancies that have simply failed.
- Kaelo, who is also the CEO of the Kenyan Wildlife Conservancy Association, was recently in New York, U.S., for Climate Week, held alongside the United Nations General Assembly. Mongabay’s David Akana caught up with him to discuss the promise, challenges and future of community-led conservation.
Vantara in talks with Brazil on ‘strategic cooperation’ on threatened species, FOIA documents reveal
- Documents obtained by Mongabay show Vantara, the controversial private zoo in India run by billionaire Anant Ambani, was in talks with Brazilian authorities to form a “strategic conservation partnership” focused on the country’s threatened species.
- The zoo also proposed a conservation partnership on Spix’s macaw, a parrot species endemic to Brazil but extinct in the wild; 26 of the birds were sent from Germany to Vantara in 2023 without Brazil’s consent.
- Representatives from Vantara met with Brazilian officials in 2025 to discuss this partnership. A Brazilian delegation was scheduled to visit the Indian zoo in 2026; that trip was canceled at the last minute.
- Conservationists say that given the ongoing investigations into Vantara’s links to alleged wildlife trafficking, the country must be transparent about any agreement signed with the zoo.
Giraldo Alayón García, Cuba’s ‘spider man,’ died on Sept. 24
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. For much of the 20th century, Cuba’s spiders and scorpions received limited attention beyond specialist circles. Identifying them required careful research in museum collections and comparing them with descriptions published abroad. Giraldo Alayón García spent much of his […]
Endangered dolphins survive in a Bangladesh river so polluted it’s ‘not livable’ for fish
At least 20 endangered Ganges river dolphins still survive in Bangladesh’s extremely polluted Buriganga River, a 12-month study found, reports contributor Md Jahidul Islam for Mongabay. Skirting the southern edge of the country’s capital, Dhaka, the 29-kilometer (18-mile) river is recognized as one of the most contaminated urban waterways globally. Researchers surveyed a 27-km (16.7-mi) […]
In Panama’s Darién forest, Indigenous communities test a new way to fund conservation
With illegal logging and agricultural expansion closing in on their lands, four Indigenous Wounaan and Emberá-Wounaan villages in Panama’s Darién forest started a biodiversity monitoring project to document their forests’ conservation status, reports Mongabay contributor María Paula Rubiano A. Their biodiversity monitoring project recorded more than 200 species across 18,000 hectares (44,500 acres) of threatened […]
Isle Royale wolves inbred but likely to survive, study says
Researchers have found that wolves brought to Isle Royale in 2018 are likely to survive but face challenges from inbreeding and isolation. The island had only two inbred wolves in 2016, so officials introduced 19 new wolves between 2018 and 2019. A study published in Conservation Science and Practice shows the wolf population has over […]
New releases a leap forward for endangered frog in southern California
- In August, conservation organizations released another 650 southern mountain yellow-legged frogs into the San Gabriel Mountains, another step forward in reintroduction efforts for this highly endangered species in Southern California in the U.S.
- Once abundant across its range, the species has seen dramatic declines from invasive fish species, climate change impacts, and the deadly chytrid fungus that is wiping out amphibians worldwide.
- The August releases involved the Aquarium of the Pacific, Los Angeles Zoo and the U.S. Geological Society. Other institutions and agencies also released captive-bred frogs and tadpoles in 2026, at other sites.
- With researchers actively exploring ways to manage or mitigate the impact of chytrid fungus, a major obstacle to recovery for this species, reintroductions remain a key tool to keep frogs on the landscape, experts say.
Philippine eagle habitat study maps mining risks and conservation priorities
- A new study systematically mapped likely Philippine eagle nesting habitat on Mindanao, the Philippines’ second-largest island and the species’ main stronghold.
- Approved mining concessions overlap with 41% of highly suitable nesting habitat and 65% of its core areas, the researchers found, while only 35% of highly suitable habitat identified across the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor lies within protected areas.
- Indigenous ancestral domains separately overlap with 65% of core high-quality nesting habitat, highlighting their importance to the species’ conservation.
- The study authors say their findings can help identify priority spots for conservation interventions.
Global experts gather in Sri Lanka for historic first World Congress on Snakes
- Sri Lanka will host the first ever dedicated global conference on snakes from Oct. 1-4 in Kandy, central Sri Lanka.
- There will be several scientific sessions including plenaries, symposia, workshops and special events attended by more than 500 researchers and conservationists from 25 countries.
- Sri Lanka is home to some 112 snake species and is a biodiversity hotspot, with more than 56% of the country’s snake species found nowhere else on Earth.
In Brazil’s Acre, calls for new roads clash with deforestation commitments
- The 2024 inauguration of the Chinese-built Chancay Port in Peru has reinforced calls to build road infrastructure through the Amazon, connecting Brazil to the Pacific coast, with authorities in Acre, on Brazil’s border with Peru, wanting their state to be part of a strategic corridor to the Pacific.
- Acre already has a road connection to Peru through the BR-317 highway, but local politicians running for election this year defend the extension of the BR-364 from Cruzeiro do Sul in Acre to Pucallpa in Peru’s Ucayali department, saying it will ease connectivity for local communities and encourage economic development.
- A new report from NGO Amazon Conservation argues that this will increase areas at risk of forest loss and could drive additional deforestation of up to 68,500 hectares (169,270 acres) per year, while threatening Acre’s multimillion-dollar revenue from the sale of carbon credits, according to the report.
- Uncertainty around whether the extension of the BR-364 will go ahead is already driving land speculation between the town of Mâncio Lima and the Serra do Divisor National Park and encouraging criminal groups that are already established along the border, local environmentalists say.
Big Oil vs. national parks: Who wins?
12 critically endangered Nubian Giraffes were recently relocated from their home at Murchison Falls National Park to a reserve over 100km away. One of the reasons? Murchison Falls is now being opened up for oil extraction, as almost half of Uganda’s oil reserves are thought to lie there. National parks are home to some of […]
Pratap Singh Chundawat rescued a leopard from a well. He died in the line of duty, aged 40
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. On April 9, a farmer named Rupalal heard noises in a well at his field in Dhawadi village in the state of Rajasthan in India. He looked down and saw a leopard 21 meters (70 feet) below. A […]
Iwi and community-led effort return kiwi to Wellington for first time in over a century
For the first time in 150 years, kiwi once again live in the hills surrounding Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. More than 250 manu (“birds” in the Māori language) were successfully translocated back to the region, thanks to the efforts of the iwi (nations of Aotearoa), community members, and landowners behind the Capital Kiwi Project. Paul […]
In war-torn South Sudan, giraffes retain a surprisingly healthy gene pool
Giraffes living in the South Sudan’s war-torn savannas are genetically healthy and connected to nearby giraffe populations by gene flow, despite decades of conflict, recent research suggests. These findings show that “regions of the world that have been affected by conflict can maintain a lot of biodiversity and should therefore not be overlooked by genetic […]
Jaco Muller turned his 15-year-old son’s idea into 197 rhino births
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. In 2022, poachers had taken 14 white rhinos from private farms in Namibia in six weeks, so owners started removing their horns. One cow had a horn 86 centimeters (34 inches) long. Jaco Muller said he was nearly […]
Despite a drop in deforestation in 2025, forest losses pile up in the Mekong
- Over the course of 2025, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam lost a combined 746,168 hectares of tree cover (1.8 million acres), including more than 154,000 hectares (380,000 acres) of primary forest, according to Mongabay’s analysis of data published by the University of Maryland and Global Nature Watch.
- However, the rate of deforestation in each country dropped when compared to 2024, continuing a decline that data show started in 2023.
- Experts say fewer wildfires, stricter enforcement and lower market rates for commodities could explain the drop.
- Mongabay’s analysis also found almost 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) of forest loss occurred within protected areas, where deforestation risks should be lower.
Reintroduced Grauer’s gorilla gives birth in DRC national park, ‘makes us happy’
Lulingu, a Grauer’s gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri), was reintroduced to Virunga National Park, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2024. In May 2026, Lulingu gave birth to a new baby, bringing hope for the species and excitement for the conservationists working there. “The baby and the mother are doing perfectly well. It really makes us […]
Sri Lanka’s disappearing snake charmers carry a legacy of fear and fascination
- In Sri Lanka, the traditional snake charming culture is fast fading as changing livelihoods, modern entertainment and attitudes toward wildlife reshape the island’s nomadic community, the Ahikuntika tribe.
- During the act of snake charming, cobras do not respond to the music itself, but to the movement of the charmer and instrument, which they perceive as a potential threat, herpetologists say.
- Breaking a cobra’s venom fangs, which the snake charmers do, does not necessarily prevent it from developing replacement fangs, while deliberate fang removal can cause injury and raise animal-welfare concerns, conservationists say.
- Researchers recommend using the existing traditional knowledge of snakes to be redirected toward conservation action, as harmful practices associated with wildlife performances are disappearing.
As yellow-eyed penguins disappear, conservationists focus on deaths in fishing nets
- Yellow-eyed penguins, found only in Aotearoa New Zealand, are at risk of extinction.
- The “mainland” population is down to 117 breeding pairs, having declined more than 80% since the 2008-2009 breeding season; the only other population, which lives on New Zealand’s subantarctic islands, is believed to be larger but isn’t well surveyed.
- Set-net fishing, a type of gillnet fishing, has been one of several factors in the population decline.
- Following pressure from conservationists but over the objections of fishers, New Zealand’s government recently banned set-net fishing around the Otago Peninsula and established an annual fishing-related mortality limit of four yellow-eyed penguins.
Preserving wildlife DNA for the future: Interview with the Frozen Zoo’s Katie Heineman
- Biodiversity banking is the collection and preservation of genetic samples of plants and animals.
- At the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the biodiversity bank includes a plant gene bank, a tissue and DNA bank, along with their popular Frozen Zoo where genetic samples are cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen.
- Preserving genetic samples is crucial for species recovery in the future as well to preserve genetic diversity and for research purposes, Katie Heineman, conservation program leader for biodiversity banking, tells Mongabay.
- The alliance is now helping build capacity for sample collection by collaborating with governments and partner organizations in Kenya, Vietnam, Peru, and Hawai‘i.
As Australia’s kangaroo numbers rise, record cull renews calls for other control methods
- Kangaroo populations are surging across Australia, driven partly by large-scale deforestation and few natural predators.
- This year, a controversial government cull program in the Australian Capital Territory logged one of its highest numbers of kills.
- Scientists and conservationists say there’s no easy way to control the species’ growing numbers.
- Other possible solutions include reforestation efforts and reintroducing native predators like dingoes.
Singapore’s plan to merge several islands could wipe out coral reefs
- Singapore’s prime minister recently announced plans to merge several islands into a new “western island” to support “a new generation of industries.”
- The mega-project could bury up to 60% of Singapore’s remaining reefs, many of which are “mother” reefs and of regional ecological significance, conservationists say.
- The reefs are traditional fishing grounds for the Indigenous Orang Laut, who say the project would restrict their access to an area of cultural significance.
- The project raises awkward questions about the volume and source of sand needed to construct the island.
Undiscovered Amazon drugs could be valued at $215 billion, analysis finds
- Tropical forests hold up to $714 billion in potential drug value, with the Amazon accounting for $215 billion of the total, according to a new analysis.
- Ongoing deforestation threatens to permanently erase undiscovered plant species and lifesaving medicinal compounds before scientists can study them.
- While pricing nature highlights its economic value to counter clearing, experts warn it risks repeating past extraction and resource grabs unless paired with strict benefit-sharing and local scientific leadership.
Bringing back Bali’s lost fireflies
Fireflies are disappearing from the Indonesian island of Bali… but local Wayan Wardika is trying to bring them back. Fireflies in Southeast Asia are vanishing due to habitat loss, light pollution, pesticide use, and climate change—and the same is happening on this rapidly developing island. In 2020, he launched Bring Back the Light, Indonesia’s only […]
A plan to save Bali’s lost fireflies
BALI — Indonesia. Wayan Wardika used to see “clouds of fireflies” as a child growing up among the rice fields of Bali, Indonesia. But 40 years later, he realized that the fireflies in his village had all but disappeared. Fireflies in Southeast Asia are vanishing due to habitat loss, light pollution, pesticide use, and climate […]
NGOs call on Vantara to end all wild animal imports permanently
- In a letter, 27 leading global wildlife conservation and animal welfare organizations have urged Vantara, a private zoo in India funded by Reliance Industries’ nonprofit, to permanently end all wild animal imports into its facilities.
- The letter comes after Vantara announced a self-imposed one-year moratorium, which runs through June 2027, on all animal imports to its facilities as it improves its “due diligence” by appointing a governing council and stricter oversight.
- The announcement came amid allegations of illegal wildlife trade linked to Vantara — and a CITES Secretariat investigation into its 60,000 live animal imports over the past two years.
- The coalition of NGOs call for Vantara to address compliance concerns of animals already under its care, be transparent about future acquisitions and prioritize conservation of wildlife in their native habitats.
Cheetah cubs at Prague Zoo are doing well after a period of strong storms and their mother’s illness
PRAGUE (AP) — Five cheetah cubs had to survive a weather scare and the illness of their mother after their birth at the Prague Zoo. But they are doing well now, the zoo said on Friday. The zoo said the quintuplets — four males and one female — that were born on June 18 had […]
Scientists clone Southern Africa’s wild fruit trees as forests disappear
- Researchers at gene banks scattered across Southern Africa have spent decades collecting and duplicating specimens of valuable wild fruit trees.
- Among the species cloned by researchers from the Landscape Alliance is the wild loquat — an evergreen tree that produces large quantities of highly sought-after berries that provide income and nourishment for millions of people.
- Alice Muchugi and her colleagues are skilled practitioners of “air layering,” which ingeniously spurs a branch to produce roots, hugely reducing the time needed to establish a new, mature, fruit-bearing tree.
- Planting and preserving prolific indigenous fruit trees protects both the biodiversity of miombo woodlands and an important alternative food source for communities who live in them.
Global coral reefs get less time to recover as oceans heat up, report finds
- The largest global coral reef assessment finds that average hard coral cover has declined 9.5% relative to a three-decade reference period spanning 1980-2009.
- A fourth global bleaching event in 2023-2025 drove a record 8.9% one-year loss, though its full effects are not captured in this analysis, which ends in 2024.
- Reefs can recover after bleaching events, but increasingly frequent marine heat waves are shortening their recovery window.
- Scientists say local management can strengthen reef resilience, but rapid greenhouse gas emission cuts remain essential to prevent further widespread losses.
Plastic and rubber litter found in remote submarine canyon off Argentina’s coast
Plastic waste has been found in the most remote places — including, now, a deep-sea canyon off the coast of Argentina, according to a recent study. “The very first item spotted was a plastic bag entangled on the seafloor,” said Diego Urteaga, study co-author and a marine biologist at Argentina’s Bernardino Rivadavia Museum of Natural […]
Chocolate giant lobbied U.S. and EU officials over deforestation laws, says report
Food conglomerate Mondelēz International, the owner of chocolate brands Cadbury, Milka, Toblerone and Oreo, has allegedly engaged in an extensive lobbying campaign to weaken and delay enforcement of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), according to new analysis by environmental watchdog Global Witness. Under the EUDR, companies selling to the EU must show their forest […]
Pakistan expands protected habitat for Indus River dolphin as recovery offers hope
- Pakistan has established the Punjnad Indus River Dolphin Sanctuary in Punjab, which connects with an existing reserve in Sindh to form a continuous 400-kilometer protected river corridor.
- A 2025 abundance study reveals the endangered Indus River dolphin metapopulation has rebounded to an estimated 1,987 individuals, marking a 19.4% increase between 2011 and 2017.
- Despite this encouraging recovery, nearly 99% of the population is confined to a 690-kilometer stretch of the river and remains highly vulnerable to fatal gillnet entanglements and habitat fragmentation from irrigation barrages.
- Wildlife officials and conservationists stress that long-term survival for the endemic bhulan, as it is locally known, will require cross-provincial coordination, ecological modifications to barrage operations and community-led sustainable fishing practices.
A new cat species was just discovered. Several more may follow
- The recent description of the tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo) from Bolivia comes amid a broader reassessment of wild cat taxonomy, with genetic research suggesting that several additional species may be waiting to be recognized
- Brazilian biologist Tadeu Gomes de Oliveira says the number of recognized tiger-cat species could increase from three to six or even seven, while new research is also raising questions about the taxonomy of margays and other small cats.
- These distinctions can have direct conservation consequences: Oliveira estimates that no more than about 200 munoai pampas cats remain and argues that recognizing the population as a distinct species could help unlock targeted protection and funding.
- In September 2026, Panthera board chair Jon Ayers interviewed Oliveira about the changing taxonomy of small cats, emerging genetic research, threatened populations, and plans for a global monitoring program for small wild cats.
Anthrax suspected in 46 hippo deaths in Zambia amid potential spillover to humans
Zambia is investigating wildlife deaths and human exposure linked to an anthrax outbreak in the northern province of Muchinga, where several hippos have died since the outbreak was reported on Aug. 31. While other wildlife deaths have also been reported, hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) are the species with the clearest laboratory evidence of anthrax, according to […]
Peru faces hearing over threats to uncontacted Indigenous groups in the Amazon
A public hearing this week by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights will assess claims that the Peruvian state violated the rights of the Indigenous Mashco Piro, Yora, and Amahuaca peoples, who live on ancestral territory in the Amazon Rainforest. The court will hold a hearing on Sept. 24 and 25 in Montevideo, Uruguay, about […]
Ugandans plant trees near national park to keep people out of gorillas’ habitat
BWINDI, Uganda (AP) — In the tangled greenery of a Ugandan national park, mountain gorillas sit among the leaves, calmly carrying on as tourists trek into their forest home. Many gorilla families are used to people, but while their population grows, the forest available to them does not. Communities have planted trees for medicine, firewood […]
Brazil’s tropical forest fund races to raise $2.7 billion before deadline
- The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) aims to reach $10 billion in sponsor capital by the end of 2026, a step toward a larger $25 billion fundraising goal.
- If the target is not reached, the initiative could lose a $3 billion pledge made by Norway.
- Reports state that some countries are waiting for the results of the Brazilian presidential elections in October before pledging funds.
Ebola, twins and women-led conservation: Reporting on gorillas for World Gorilla Day
Gorillas are among humans’ closest relatives, with a common ancestor dating back around 8 to 10 million years. Both species of gorilla alive today are on the edge of extinction: The eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei) is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, while the western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) is critically endangered. In its […]
New report reveals the environmental cost of USAID’s destruction
- The consultancy firm One Earth Partners has published an analysis of the environmental consequences of USAID’s closure.
- One Earth Partners was founded by Monica Bansal and Hadas Kushnir, two former senior employees at the U.S. international development agency.
- The report is based on interviews with 150 people in five countries who were familiar with USAID’s conservation and environmental work.
- It finds that a large number of projects in fragile ecosystems have stalled or collapsed, and is accompanied by a list of 100 that are looking for new funders.
‘Lost’ bird reappears in West Africa’s forests after more than a decade
- In June, a team of researchers working in Côte d’Ivoire’s Taï National Park spotted a Ghana cuckooshrike, a bird that hadn’t been seen in 13 years.
- The bird’s home range in West Africa’s Upper Guinean rainforest has been whittled away by logging and agriculture, leaving a patchwork of disconnected forests.
- The ‘rediscovery’ shows the value of conserving places like Taï, where mining and illegal hunting also pose threats.
- The finding relied on close collaboration with West African researchers, the experience and knowledge of the team, and the Ghana cuckooshrike’s listing by the Search for Lost Birds partnership.
Biodiversity credits shouldn’t copy the carbon market playbook (commentary)
- The biodiversity credit market should stop trying to copy the carbon market’s method of reducing everything to one tradable unit, a new op-ed argues.
- Instead, these credits should be measured by how continuously and independently a claim can be verified, since their benefit cannot be expressed as simply as carbon credits can.
- “A hectare of mangrove forest is not interchangeable with a hectare of grassland: pretending otherwise is closer to a category error than a measurement gap, and I suspect it is the real reason estimates of this market vary by a factor of 80,” the author writes.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Indonesia’s geothermal push runs into local fears at Mount Ungaran
- Indonesia’s push to expand geothermal power is facing resistance from communities around Mount Ungaran in Central Java province, where a long-running dispute over the proposed project has resurfaced.
- The government says further exploration is needed to determine whether the area can support a commercially viable power plant, with electricity generation targeted for 2031.
- Residents and civil society groups have raised concerns about potential impacts on water resources, farming livelihoods, the environment, and cultural heritage.
- Questions over public consultation and differing estimates of the area’s potential electricity output have added to the debate over the project’s future.
Planned US tech hub in Philippines hit over environmental and Indigenous land concerns
- The Philippines is a key location for the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative, a global pact to establish a semiconductor and AI supply chain not reliant on China.
- Pax Silica, and a related national initiative called the Luzon Economic Corridor, have been met with opposition from civil society and Indigenous groups.
- Land for the planned Pax Silica hub overlaps with land thousands of Indigenous Aeta claim as their ancestral domain.
- Protesters also cite concerns about water, energy use, and waste management plans for the planned hub.
US contractors reportedly purchase tin from company accused of illegal Amazon mining
Brazilian tin-producing company, White Solder, has been accused of acquiring a mineral illegally mined in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory in the Brazilian Amazon. White Solder has supplied hundreds of metric tons of tin to companies with U.S. Department of Defense contracts, according to an investigation by Repórter Brasil. White Solder, which describes itself as one […]
First Angolan giraffes return to Bicuar National Park after 25 years
- With decades of civil war, habitat loss and targeted poaching, the Angolan giraffe disappeared from much of its historic range in Angola.
- July marked their return to the country’s Bicuar National Park after a 25-year absence, as part of a broader national development plan.
- The Angolan government and a conservation nonprofit transported 12 giraffes from Namibia to rewild them.
- So far, the giraffes are doing well and, if they thrive in their new habitat, more relocations are planned for Bicuar and other Angolan parks over the next decade.
Agency says sea turtle eggs laid on California beaches are a first for the US West Coast
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A reptile believed to be struggling in sand at a Southern California beach was simply making history: a sea turtle laying eggs on the U.S. West Coast. And three days later, there were more. An olive ridley turtle — maybe the same one — laid eggs on Sept. 19, a […]
Logging still threatens Bornean forest once envisioned as an Indigenous-led peace park
- Indigenous communities in Malaysia’s Upper Baram Forest Area say a planned conservation area is being eroded by the existence of an active timber concession within the forest area.
- A new report by civil society groups questions the legality of how the concession was granted, and presents evidence of ongoing logging of primary forest.
- The Sarawak forest department says the Upper Baram Forest Area was intended from its outset to allow areas for both conservation and timber harvesting, and that the concession was granted legally.
In Peru’s high Andes, restoring ancient ecosystems could help protect water security
- In Peru’s high Andes, water security is under threat as glaciers retreat and changing weather patterns threaten natural reservoirs.
- At 3,200 meters (10,500 feet) altitude, in the community of Villa de Arma, Huancavelica, a conservation initiative that started in 2025 aims to secure water resources in the Chincha watershed, helping to supply water to the arid coast below.
- The project uses nature-based solutions such as wetland conservation and native forest regeneration to combat water security issues in the region.
- Some scientists caution that the benefits of nature-based solutions are hard to predict and that they are “not a panacea”.
A ‘devil-like’ flower from Thailand is new to science — and critically endangered
Botanists in Thailand have identified a new-to-science species of “fairy lantern” — plants that live almost entirely buried under leaf litter, emerging aboveground only occasionally to flower. Researchers were surveying evergreen forests in the mountains of Thong Pha Phum National Park when they chanced upon a plant none of them had ever seen before, at […]
As fires spread in Indonesia, Bornean orangutans run out of forest to flee
- Fires are spreading across Bornean orangutan habitat in West Kalimantan, including Gunung Palung National Park and the Mendawak Biodiversity Corridor.
- Conservationists said losing forest in the national park would be devastating for its large orangutan population and long-running research program.
- More than 40 people, including field assistants, staff and local villagers, have been working around the clock to protect a research station from the fires.
- Geopix detected 17,865 fire hotspots in mapped orangutan habitat across Kalimantan between June 1 and Aug. 28, while conservationists warn that fires are shrinking the forest available for orangutans to escape.
The Home Planet Fund succeeds by giving directly to local communities
This week on the Newscast, we’re joined by Dilafruz Khonikboyeva, the founder of the Home Planet Fund, an independent, Indigenous-led nonprofit that provides funding for local and Indigenous communities and conservation projects around the world. Khonikboyeva, who is also the organization’s executive director, speaks about the ethos of the Home Planet Fund and how it […]
A rare slow loris may have a much larger population in China than scientists thought
- A recent study documented 98 northern pygmy slow lorises living in the wild in Guangxi, China, roughly doubling the country’s known population of the endangered species.
- The species was previously thought to live almost exclusively in Vietnam and Laos.
- The northern pygmy slow loris was only identified as a separate species in 2023; physically, it’s plumper, fuzzier, and has a flatter nose than the southern species.
- Like all lorises, northern pygmy lorises are threatened by habitat loss and hunting for the wildlife trade and for use in traditional medicine.
Brazil creates four Amazon reserves as plans to pave rainforest highway advance
The Brazilian government has created four new sustainable development reserves in the Amazon as part of an effort to mitigate environmental damage from the controversial plan to fully pave the BR-319 highway. The road will pass through one of the most intact parts of the rainforest, which conservationists warn will lead to increased deforestation. President […]
World Rhino Day: What does it take to save a species?
In honor of World Rhino Day, on Sept. 22, here’s a snapshot of Mongabay’s reporting from the past year on the actions being taken to save rhinos from extinction: Reintroduction in Uganda In 1983, the last wild northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) living in Uganda was killed for its horn. But now rhinos are back […]
Photographing Sri Lanka’s human-elephant conflict — Interview with Federico Borella
- For internationally acclaimed photographer Federico Borella, documenting Sri Lanka’s human-elephant conflict goes beyond the gory story often depicted globally and instead offers an opportunity to learn about a complex web of experiences and responses, and a window for coexistence.
- Borella has been documenting human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka for four years and has found intense conflict intertwined with genuine affection for the animals, despite the scale of human suffering.
- As a professional documentary photographer, Borella insists his role is to document the reality as he encounters it and not to sit in judgement as to whose suffering matters more.
- He intends to convert his body of work into a book, then hold exhibitions and work with schools to bring the complex story directly to the affected communities and the next generation.
Drought and state neglect deepen health crisis for Peru’s recently contacted Matsés
A worsening convergence of drought driven by climate change, epidemic disease, and state neglect is creating a severe health emergency for the Indigenous Matsés people in the Peruvian Amazon. Mongabay staff writer Aimee Gabay traveled to Matsés territory to investigate the environmental threats to the region. Instead, she found Matsés communities suffering from severe outbreaks […]
Tourism has the potential to reverse coral decline at Bali travel hotspot: Study
- A new study in Bali found that coral reefs continue to decline at one of the island’s major tourism hubs, despite multiple efforts to rehabilitate them.
- Reef restoration initiatives often take place without first addressing the underlying drivers of coral decline such as sediment runoff and wastewater discharge, the study found.
- The study points to uncoordinated governance systems that result in overlapping responsibilities, slow and bureaucratic decision-making and wasted resources as driving the problems.
- The researchers recommend a more coherent and collaborative approach to reef protection, and underscore the paradoxical role of tourism: While it exacerbates threats to reefs, it also offers a viable way of promoting, implementing and funding potential solutions.
How freediving helps Indonesia’s Bajau preserve traditions and conserve marine life
- The Bajau people of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have traditionally harvested the sea through freediving.
- A recent ban on compressor-assisted diving in Indonesia’s West Nusa Tenggara province has made traditional freediving skills more valuable than ever.
- On Sumbawa, one of the province’s largest islands, traditional fishers and a local NGO are working together to preserve Bajau diving techniques and to manage local marine and fisheries resources in harmony with traditional management practices.
Illegal mines threaten biodiversity and drinking water in Ghana’s Atewa Forest
- Forestry officials charged with protecting the Atewa Forest Reserve in eastern Ghana have been overrun by illegal miners whose operations are putting the water supply of millions of Ghanaians in jeopardy, according to conservation groups.
- Atewa is a biodiversity hotspot, with more than 80 threatened and endangered species found in its 26,300 hectares (65,000 acres).
- Environment group A Rocha Ghana and others have called on the government to provide greater resources to counter illegal mining in Atewa and elsewhere.
New study reveals the genetic history – and possible future – of four Asian hornbills
Researchers from India have generated reference genomes for four threatened species of Asian hornbills, reports contributor Nikhil Sreekandan for Mongabay India. The scientists from the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) in Mysore and the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad assembled high-quality genomes for threatened Asian hornbill species including the great hornbill (Buceros […]
Tight Brazil election challenges fragile gains for Amazon conservation
- Under President Lula, Amazon deforestation dropped to a 10-year low, but experts say a victory by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro could reinstate policies favoring agribusiness and mining.
- Enforcement rollbacks could have tangible effects on deforestation spikes, Indigenous land invasions, new illegal roads in reclaimed forests, and expanded river dredging that spreads mercury contamination.
- As neighboring right-wing governments reshape regional dynamics, the election will also determine Brazil’s stance in international climate diplomacy and its adherence to global environmental targets.
‘How did you come to be here?’ Study digs into origins of Zambian wildlife crime
- Wildlife crimes are committed by a wide range of offenders, from local people who may stumble upon a salable animal to professional poachers and middlemen traffickers and all the way up to kingpins behind the trade that rule over international trafficking syndicates.
- The NGO Wildlife Crime Prevention Zambia investigated how and why people incarcerated for wildlife crimes in the country got involved in this black-market industry. They found that opportunity was the major driver.
- About one-third of the jailed respondents said or implied they would not be involved in poaching or wildlife trade when they were freed.
- Experts note that helping offenders find work after they’re released could be one way to lower the risk of wildlife crime recidivism. Wildlife Crime Prevention Zambia recently completed a pilot program aimed at connecting inmates with family before their release and helping them plan for ways to generate legal income after prison.
Britain’s Prince William reveals finalists for Earthshot environmental prize
LONDON (AP) — How does a grizzly bear cross the road? With the help of Indigenous people, ranchers and governments. That’s the idea behind the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, which is working to keep the Rocky Mountains an unfettered migration route for wildlife from Wyoming to northwestern Canada. To do so, the group works […]
Five orangutans found in India face long road back home to Indonesia
- On Sept. 8, five infant orangutans were found in an Indian forest, thousands of kilometers from their native range, raising questions about where they came from, how they got there, and who moved them.
- The Sumatran (Pongo abelii) and Tapanuli orangutans (Pongo tapanuliensis) are both found only in Indonesia, on the island of Sumatra.
- The Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is found only in Indonesian and Malaysian Borneo; the island is shared between the two countries and Brunei.
- The government of Indonesia has engaged its counterparts in India in a bid to identify the animals and return them to Indonesia.
At 86, Sri Lanka’s ‘father of herpetology’ inspires a new conservation generation
Anslem de Silva is widely regarded as the father of modern herpetology in Sri Lanka. He has spent more than six decades documenting the island’s rich reptile and amphibian diversity while mentoring generations of researchers. De Silva spoke with Mongabay contributor Malaka Rodrigo as he, at 86 years old, prepares to host the first World […]
US move to loosen restrictions on fishing could harm vital ecosystems, experts warn
- The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries published a list of 34 priorities in early September that outline its intention to loosen restrictions on domestic fishing.
- The list includes walking back restrictions on fishing near protected species, removing fishing restrictions at marine national monuments and weakening NOAA Fisheries’ national standards, the regulatory guidelines that have shaped the agency since its inception.
- What NOAA Fisheries is proposing to strip back are “the absolute basics of conserving a healthy ocean ecosystem,” Andrea Treece, deputy managing attorney for the Oceans Program at the San Francisco-based NGO Earthjustice, told Mongabay.
- The agency’s priorities list also emphasizes updating fisheries monitoring technology and data-sharing methods, and including fishers in planning and decision-making.
Tapanuli orangutans face mining, landslides, and fire threats — with no recovery plan
- In late 2025, extreme rainfall associated with Cyclone Senyar wiped out swaths of North Sumatra’s Batang Toru ecosystem, home to the largest known population of Tapanuli orangutans.
- Nearly a year later, there are is still no coordinated recovery strategy for the critically endangered ape, and its habitat faces multiple threats.
- Satellite footage from June this year shows new ground disturbances in the area; plans to expand a gold mine are proceeding even as an environmental audit of the mine is underway; and meteorologists warn that Indonesia faces an unusually severe fire season.
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