location: Asia

location: Asia

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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 […]
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. […]
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.

16 new fungal species found hiding in Thailand’s flowers
Researchers surveying garden and wild flowers across northern Thailand have uncovered 16 previously unknown species of black, yeast-like fungi living inside the flowers, according to a recent study. The newly described fungi belong to the Aureobasidium genus, a commonly occurring group of yeast that can be found almost everywhere, from air and human skin, to […]
Indonesia threatens prison time for unauthorized downloads of forest data
- Indonesia’s forestry ministry has posted a notice saying it will use a controversial internet law to prosecute anyone who downloads geospatial data without its written permission, threatening prison terms of up to nine years.
- A ministry official clarified it was restricting access only to data in the widely used shapefile format.
- Legal scholars say the data are protected under Indonesian law and should be freely accessible.

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 […]
Thailand braces for more rain as death toll from recent flooding hits 31
BANGKOK (AP) — Thai authorities on Monday warned of more rain and flash flooding as the death toll from floods across the country since mid-September rose to 31. Thunderstorms, strong winds and heavy rain are expected across much of upper Thailand from Monday through Wednesday, increasing the risk of flash flooding, particularly in low-lying areas, […]
‘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.

More Latin American species are surfacing at a Bangkok wildlife market
More Amazonian species, in larger numbers, are appearing for sale on the other side of the planet in Southeast Asia’s exotic pet trade, reports contributor Gloria Dickie for Mongabay. Over the past two years, Scott Roberton, who leads the countertrafficking program for U.S.-based nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society, has observed a rise in Latin American species, […]
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, […]
Myanmar’s mines pollute Thai rivers
Vast tracts of Thai farmland have been poisoned by chemicals linked to mining in Myanmar, With toxins carried into Thailand by at least six transboundary rivers. A Mongabay investigation has found more than 50 companies in Thailand importing minerals from Myanmar’s polluting mines. Antimony, copper, lead, manganese, tin, tungsten and other critical minerals worth millions […]
Vietnam’s fishers face rising costs, declining catches and a contested sea
- As Hanoi leans on fishers to hold the line in contested waters, a distant war and a demanding European compliance regime are squeezing the same boats from opposite directions.
- The fuel crisis caused by the Iran War adds to the pressure.
- Data shows a nearly-19% year-on-year drop in fishing activity during March and April 2026, the height of the fuel crisis.

As Hong Kong heats up, calls grow for tougher rules to protect outdoor workers
- Hong Kong’s heat stress warning system has been widely criticized as ineffective, failing to raise alerts even when temperatures hit a record high.
- Although the system has since been revamped, critics say the government’s heat stress guidelines to protect workers are flawed.
- Unlike mainland China and other countries, Hong Kong doesn’t require employers to stop high-risk work or let workers rest when heat warnings are issued.
- Workers’ rights advocates also urge authorities to codify heatstroke as an occupational disease.

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.

As fires spread, Indonesia’s rubber growers draw on traditional ways to fight back
- Data from remote sensing platforms indicates Indonesia is likely experiencing its worst wildfires crisis in years as a strong El Niño deepens the country’s main dry season over Sumatra and Borneo islands.
- In South Sumatra province, rubber tree growers in the Tempirai customary zone say they use fire only after the end of the dry season, after they have planted food crops, and that fires began to afflict this area of South Sumatra province after the oil palm industry began operating in the peatland.
- That may reflect the relative resilience of oil palm trees to wildfires compared with rubber trees, which are much more vulnerable to incineration.
- “If a fire breaks out here, we’re finished — so right now, fire is our enemy,” one latex tree grower told Mongabay Indonesia.

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 […]
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 […]
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.

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) […]
Indonesia’s new peatland agency faces questions over what it will do differently
- Indonesia plans to create a new agency to restore and manage peatlands prone to burning, in a repeat of a measure it took in response to the severe fire season of 2015.
- The new agency will replace an older one that shuttered at the end of 2024, raising questions about why its predecessor was allowed to die off and what the new body will do differently.
- The previous agency’s restoration efforts helped reduce fire hotspots, but damaged infrastructure and continued land conversion have limited lasting ecological recovery.
- Experts and environmental groups say the new agency must prioritize fire prevention and landscape-scale restoration, with clear authority, funding, and accountability.

Myanmar’s polluting mines selling to China through Thai companies
- Large volumes of critical minerals are being imported from Myanmar into Thailand and then mostly resold to China.
- At least six Thai rivers have been found to be contaminated with heavy metals linked to mining operations in Myanmar.
- Data suggests companies in Myanmar, Thailand and China are profiting from an industry that has created a public health crisis, impacting food and water security for hundreds of thousands across eastern Myanmar and northern Thailand.
- Civil society and Thai political groups are calling for an end to imports of minerals mined in Myanmar in response to the ongoing river pollution crisis.

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.

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 […]
Tokyo records historic 35-day rain streak driven by El Niño and stalled fronts
Central Tokyo has experienced 35 consecutive days of rainfall, setting the longest continuous rainy streak since records began in 1886, reported local media citing Japan’s weather agency. Rains began on Aug. 27 and have continued daily as of Sept. 30. This spell breaks the previous record of 33 consecutive days of rainfall set in 2019, […]
Plastic fused to coral rubble raises new concerns for ocean pollution
From the seafloor to turtle stomachs, scientists are finding plastic everywhere they look for it. Now, researchers in Japan have found plastic thermally adhered to coral rubble, an amalgamation they’ve termed “plasticoral,” according to a new study. The finding is raising concerns about potential ocean chemical leaching, habitat degradation and a new way for microplastics […]
Bhutan recognized for eliminating dog-transmitted rabies ahead of World Rabies Day
The World Health Organization has officially recognized Bhutan for eliminating dog-transmitted human rabies as a public health problem — in time for World Rabies Day on Sept. 28. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Bhutan is the first country in the Southeast Asia region, and the second to be named globally after Mexico, to […]
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.

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.

Rain eases in Bangkok but persistent flooding forces thousands to leave home
BANGKOK (AP) — Rain eased in Thailand ’s capital on Sunday, but flooding persisted in several low-lying areas, with thousands forced to move into temporary shelters. At least eight people were reported killed in the past 10 days nationwide. Days of continuous downpours have caused widespread flooding and severe disruptions in Bangkok, impacting traffic and […]
Indonesia passes agrarian reform law amid concerns over land protections
- Indonesia’s long-debated Agrarian Reform Regulation Law was approved on Sept. 22.
- The legislation establishes a framework for resolving agrarian land disputes, restoring land rights and redistributing land, but details of how the law will operate remain unclear.
- A coalition of civil society groups have raised concerns about the final draft of the bill, saying it could limit land redistribution and make it difficult to resolve conflicts involving state-controlled land.
- The test of the new legislation will be whether it changes conditions for farmers, Indigenous communities, fisherfolk and other groups affected by land conflicts, says the coalition.

Philippines is the deadliest country in Asia for environmental defenders, report finds
The Philippines remains the deadliest country in Asia for land and environmental defenders, according to a new report by the non-profit Global Witness. In its report, Global Witness says it could verify the killings of 124 land and environmental defenders worldwide in 2025. While the majority, 85% of cases, occurred in Latin America, Asia accounted […]
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.

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.

Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee camps become increasingly vulnerable to landslides
- Amid recurring landslides, a growing number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are being forced to adapt to increasingly limited camp space.
- The refugee management authorities warn that expansions of Rohingya camps will accelerate further destruction of forests and biodiversity.
- A study recommends protection of the vulnerable hill slopes, but authorities cite fund shortages as a major obstacle.

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.

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.

In Nepal, women seek ownership rights to the lands they tend
- In Nepal, the law has eliminated gender discrimination when it comes to property rights, but cultural norms still interfere with land ownership.
- Many of the country’s agricultural workers are women, yet they do not own the land they work.
- Research shows that globally, women’s access to secure land tenure is linked to higher agricultural productivity, lower food insecurity, reduced poverty and slower environmental degradation.
- While some women in Nepal say the lack of land ownership is not a problem for them, others do not recognize the legal rights they have; experts say education is key.

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.

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.

Two decades on, Nepal’s conservationists search for new ‘dream’ generation
- In September 2006, a helicopter crash killed 24 people, including then forest minister and senior officials from Nepal’s government and WWF — a day after they handed over a conservation area to resident communities.
- Since the crash, some conservationists say individual roles were replaced, but what was lost was never truly recovered, with visionary leadership growing scarcer since the accident.
- Nepal’s tiger population has more than tripled and forest cover has grown beyond 46%, built on the community forestry model the “lost generation”, but human-wildlife conflict and the emptying of hill villages remain as unresolved conservation issues.
- Devolving control of buffer zones to local communities remains incomplete two decades on, and even the crash’s own commemoration has largely lapsed, leaving current leaders to decide whether to keep running the old conservation model or build a new one.

A mega-dam made this community move
The green transition is crucial to tackling climate change. But around the world, the same question keeps cropping up: who pays the price? In Malaysian Borneo, hydroelectric dams are playing an increasingly important role in Sarawak’s renewable energy ambitions, with the state now looking to supply power beyond its borders. One of the biggest projects […]
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.

Reptiles, gold and money: How Australia is cracking down on wildlife trafficking
- Australian authorities disrupted an alleged wildlife trafficking ring in Sydney, seizing 36 reptiles and about AU$300,000 (more than $215,000) in cash and gold bullion.
- The animals included 28 native Australian reptiles, including shingleback lizards, spiny-tailed skinks and lace monitors.
- This bust was the first major wildlife crime operation conducted by the National Environmental Protection Agency (National EPA), Australia’s new federal environmental regulator.
- The National EPA alleges native reptiles were supplied to foreign nationals for illegal export.

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.

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.

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.

For wild rivers like the Karnali, Nepal’s disaster is a warning and an answer (commentary)
- The recent disaster that sent a wall of water and debris roaring down rivers of the Tibetan Plateau serves as a warning for future hydropower development on Nepal’s rivers, especially the Karnali, the nation’s last undammed watershed.
- Two proposals have targeted the Karnali — which is home to Indigenous communities and provides habitat for endangered fish and reptiles — seeking to bore tunnels through its mountains, drain miles of riverbed, and turn whitewater into megawatts.
- “A free-flowing Karnali River is an insurance policy — ecological, cultural, and now, unmistakably, physical — against the very disaster that just killed hundreds of people and buried hundreds more alive in hydropower tunnels. Nepal does not need to dam its last wild river; it needs to save it,” a new op-ed argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.

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.

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 […]
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 […]
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.

Mekong’s Irrawaddy dolphins find cautious hope amid a river in crisis
- Irrawaddy dolphins, the Mekong River’s sole cetaceans, are viewed as sacred animals by Mekong communities, and are also an important source of tourism revenue.
- The species’ population has dropped steeply since the 1990s, due to hunting, entanglement in fishing gear and habitat degradation.
- The Anlong Chheu Teal pool, along the Laos-Cambodia border stands as a cautionary tale: The pool’s last dolphin died in 2022, and tourism subsequently cratered.
- Six calves were confirmed to be born this year in Cambodia, increasing the population to 118 and bringing hope that the species can rebound if dolphins and their habitats are protected

Heavy rain and floods in northern Vietnam submerge homes and disrupt economy
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Heavy rain caused flooding across parts of northern Vietnam on Thursday, disrupting travel, inundating homes and pushing several rivers above dangerous levels, authorities and state media said. Rain has fallen across northern and north-central Vietnam this week, with some areas receiving more than 50 centimeters (19.7 inches), according to the disaster […]

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