serial: Evolving Conservation

serial: Evolving Conservation

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Five more community-led African groups join global landscape restoration network
- The Global Landscapes Forum recently announced the addition of 12 new “chapter” members to its GLFx network.
- The GLFx network connects independent, community-oriented groups worldwide to strengthen their work protecting and restoring healthy forests and other landscapes.
- Five of the new members are in Africa, including the School Food Forest Initiative in Uganda, which works with children to plant trees and grow food on school grounds.

325 Long-neglected migratory freshwater fish species need protection now: Report
- As national representatives gather at the UN COP15 Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) meeting this week in Brazil, a new global report has been released profiling a dangerously neglected category of migratory animal: the world’s freshwater fish.
- Migratory freshwater fish populations have fallen by 81% since 1970, says the report, with 325 species worldwide urgently needing coordinated international conservation action. However, only 23 migratory freshwater fish species are currently listed under CMS.
- More than half of the 325 at-risk freshwater migratory fish species documented by the report are in Asia, with the Mekong River of major concern. While international conservation cooperation is urgently needed, China and other Mekong basin nations are non-parties to CMS, as are the U.S. and Russia.
- What is needed now, conservationists say, are transnational migratory freshwater fish species conservation action plans that cover entire river systems, with those plans managed cooperatively by multiple nations within each river basin.

Plenty of biodiversity data, but too few conservation answers
- New technologies—from environmental DNA to AI-powered sensors—are generating vast amounts of biodiversity data, creating unprecedented opportunities to monitor nature at scale.
- Yet more data does not necessarily improve understanding: conservation still struggles to distinguish real impacts from broader environmental trends, especially without credible counterfactuals.
- A growing shift toward impact evaluation and “precision” approaches aims to identify what works, where, and under what conditions, drawing on methods from economics and public health.
- The next challenge is not collecting more information, but turning diverse sources of evidence—including Indigenous knowledge—into decisions that improve conservation outcomes.

In Laos, ancestral spirits are helping save one of the world’s rarest crocodiles
- A decade-long conservation program built around local culture is restoring a globally significant population of a critically endangered crocodile species to the Xe Champhone wetlands of central Laos.
- Of the world’s 27 crocodilian species, the Siamese crocodile is among just four classified as critically endangered, with fewer than 1,000 thought to survive on Earth.
- This month, 56 crocodiles were released back to the Xe Champhone wetlands and the program has released 294 individuals since it began in 2013.
- The locals’ spiritual connection to crocodiles, upheld for generations in a landscape stripped of most large wildlife, may be the single most important reason this species still exists here.

New farming method replaces traditional jhum in crowding Bangladesh hills
- Jhum, or shifting agriculture, has long been a common practice among the farmers in in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of southeastern Bangladesh.
- However, due to growing demand for arable lands and reducing yields, farmers have started to give up the traditional jhum for profitable cash crops in recent years.
- Among the changes adopted, cultivating vegetables using the machan method — using bamboo trellises to grow vines — is growing in popularity as the method ensures enough profit as well as a reduction in soil erosion.

Asian wild dog spotted in Vietnam for the first time in 20 years
Recent research has confirmed the first sighting of a dhole in more than two decades, a reddish-brown wild dog native to Asia. Before the sighting, the predator was believed to be extinct in Vietnam. The dhole (Cuon alpinus), historically one of the most widespread large carnivores in Asia, was seen on camera-trap footage. The single […]
Seabird nests built with plastic waste off the coast of Germany: Photo of the week
The northern gannet, a seabird that lives across the northern Atlantic Ocean, typically builds its nests from seaweed and other aquatic plants. But more recently, its nests have started to include plastic material fished from the ocean. Martin Brogger, a researcher at Argentina’s Institute of Marine Organisms Biology (IBIOMAR), photographed several gannet nests containing plastic […]
Canada invests $1m into mining exploration on Indigenous land
A First Nation in Canada’s subarctic Northwest Territories has received C$1.5 million ($1.1 million) in federal funding to explore for elements on its traditional lands. The Tłı̨chǫ own a 39,000-square-kilometer (15,000-square-mile) stretch of boreal forest and tundra. On March 3, they announced a three-year prospecting project with the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. Exploration will […]
As Sri Lankans choke on bad air, authorities cite transboundary pollution
- With an increase in air pollution levels in several areas, Sri Lankan authorities trace transboundary air pollution as a key reason for the island’s poor air quality.
- A systematic rise in low air quality has occurred since the 1990s, experts say.
- A seasonal trend has been observed during agricultural burning in India with emissions from the coal power plant in Norochcholai, in the island’s northwest, adding to the poor air quality.
- Health authorities warn against cardiovascular diseases of people exposed to high levels of fine particulate matter for prolonged periods of time.

‘We will not know what we lost’: Conservation fallout a year after USAID shutdown
When then-U.S. president John F . Kennedy created the United States Agency for International Development in 1961, it was meant primarily to administer health and food aid around the world. In the decades since, USAID expanded to become one of the world’s largest financial contributors to conservation, providing nearly $400 million annually before the end […]
Another legal challenge for TotalEnergies in South Africa
In August 2025, a South African court canceled an environmental authorization granted to French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies and its joint venture partner Shell to drill offshore exploration wells. Now TotalEnergies is facing fresh legal challenges in South Africa for another proposed project. March 23 and 24, the Western Cape High Court is hearing […]
Kenya marks World Meteorological Day amid dozens of flood fatalities
March 23 was world Meteorological Day, which celebrates the science of helping humanity understand and predict the weather. However, in eastern Kenya, the day came as families were mourning the deaths of lives lost to ongoing heavy rains. Two people died after a rain-soaked wall collapsed on them, a little girl was swept away while […]
Defying drought and invasives, a feisty Australian marsupial makes a comeback
- Not long ago, Australia’s ampurta, also known as the crest-tailed mulgara, hung on the precipice of extinction. Now, a new study has mapped its dramatic resurgence.
- This small marsupial increased its range by an area the size of Denmark between 2015 and 2021, building on an ongoing re-expansion.
- The ampurta resurged thanks to an introduced disease that drastically reduced the population of nonnative rabbits. That led to a drop in the number of foxes and feral cats that prey on small animals, including ampurtas.
- Despite the good news, Australian scientists have serious concerns about a lack of investment in the ongoing biological control of both rabbits and feral cats.

Eastern monarch butterfly populations increase in 2025, but challenges remain
Monarch butterfly populations in North America have been in dramatic decline for several decades. But in a glimmer of hope for the iconic orange-and-black species, the 2025 population estimate was roughly 64% higher compared to the previous year. Scientists split migratory monarchs (Danaus plexippus) into two populations — western and eastern — depending on which […]
Vietnam and Russia advance nuclear power deal as energy security concerns grow in Southeast Asia
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam and Russia signed a deal to build a nuclear power plant in Vietnam as the Southeast Asian country revives its nuclear plans with hopes of boosting energy security while curbing greenhouse gas emissions. The deal for the Ninh Thuan 1 plant, reported by Vietnamese state media, comes after two similar projects were […]
Upemba National Park staff recount assault that left seven dead
- On March 3, a group of militants attacked the headquarters of Upemba National Park in the southern Democratic Republic of Congo.
- The attack left seven people dead and caused severe damage to facilities at the headquarters.
- A group claiming responsibility for the assault said it was part of an effort to achieve independence for the mineral-rich region of Katanga, of which Upemba is a part.
- Upemba National Parks staff members spoke to Mongabay from the DRC about the attack and its aftermath.

On Manatee Appreciation Day, remember these gentle giants who protect aquatic ecosystems (commentary)
- Slow-moving, peaceful and curious, manatees quietly maintain the health and balance of aquatic ecosystems, from rivers to bays and coasts worldwide.
- Manatee Appreciation Day is observed annually on the last Wednesday of March, and it’s a good time to remember why these animals matter, and the people who have dedicated their lives to protecting them.
- “The gentle giants of our oceans have survived for millions of years. Whether they survive the next century depends on all of us,” a new op-ed argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.

China’s deep-sea mining fleet may also track US submarines
A Mongabay and CNN investigation found the eight Chinese state-owned ships that conduct deep-sea mining research in China’s mining areas allocated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) actually spent little time in these exploration areas, while spending much of their remaining time operating in militarily strategic waters. Many of these vessels are linked to the […]
Argentina updates national IUCN mammal list with new focus on non-native species
- The Argentine Society for the Study of Mammals reviews the national IUCN Red List of mammal species the goal of better understanding population trends and threats across the country’s many ecosystems.
- This time around, scientists evaluated 417 mammal species, 22 more than the 395 species evaluated in 2019.
- The increase reflects newly discovered mammals but also taxonomic revisions to mammals that were once grouped together and are now recognized as distinct species.
- For the first time, SAREM also used the environmental impact classification for alien taxa, known as EICAT, to determine how much damage non-native species were doing to biodiversity in the country.

Conservation win as first palm cockatoo chick fledges from artificial hollow in Australia
Conservationists in Australia are celebrating the fledging of a palm cockatoo chick, a species considered endangered in the country. It fledged from an artificial log hollow installed on a tree for breeding cockatoos. The structure is one of 29 such spaces created as part of People For Wildlife’s (PFW) Breeding Habitat Restoration Project, in partnership […]
The ocean’s enforcement gap
- Governments have designated vast marine protected areas and pledged to conserve 30% of the ocean by 2030, enforcement often lags behind these commitments.
- Research shows that the ecological benefits of marine protected areas depend less on their size than on whether rules are visible, monitored, and enforced.
- New tools—such as satellite imagery, vessel-tracking systems, and data analytics—are making it easier and cheaper to detect illegal fishing and focus enforcement efforts.
- As monitoring improves, the future of ocean conservation may depend less on creating new protected areas than on ensuring existing rules are consistently applied.

Indigenous groups demand halt to Belo Sun Amazon gold mine
More than 120 Indigenous protesters have occupied a federal building in Altamira in the Brazilian Amazon since Feb. 23. They are demanding that authorities block a Canadian mining company’s license to open one of the country’s largest open-air gold mines on the Xingu River. Led by a movement of Indigenous women, the protest follows a […]
Huge amounts of nanoplastics discovered in tap and bottled water
The amount of nanoplastics in drinking water in the U.S. has been wildly underestimated. That’s according to a new study that found the amount of plastic in both tap and bottled water was 10-100 times higher than previous estimates. For the new study, researchers used more advanced methodology and found more plastic. “It is like […]
Can this giant freezer de-extinct animals?
We’re losing species at an alarming rate. Could freezing the genetic material of the world’s most endangered animals help save them? Biotech start-up Colossal Biosciences is developing a “biovault” — a massive facility designed to store the frozen DNA of threatened species. Their founder calls it “a backup plan for life on Earth.” But can […]
French company stops US offshore wind projects in $1B deal with Trump administration
The Department of Interior says a French energy company has agreed to give up two U.S. offshore wind leases and invest in fossil fuel projects instead. The department said Monday that TotalEnergies committed to invest approximately $1 billion in oil and natural gas production in the United States. That is the amount the company paid […]
How Namibia’s bird conservation projects build community resilience (commentary)
- Droughts and land degradation often erode communities’ social bonds, but in the Karas region of Namibia, bird conservation initiatives have become a rallying point.
- Women and youth are at the forefront of these initiatives, which has inspired confidence among peers and shown that conservation is not the domain of scientists alone, but also a practice of everyday community resilience.
- “It is time for policymakers, NGOs, and donors to support these initiatives not just as biodiversity projects, but as investments in community well-being,” a new op-ed argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.

Songbird trade threatens lesser-known ‘master birds’ with secondary extinctions: Study
- Master birds are used in songbird competitions in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world to “teach” competitors elements of their songs. This trade, largely unknown and under-researched, is pushing some species to the brink of extinction.
- A recent market study investigated the trade in crested jayshrikes, a popular master bird in Indonesia, and discovered rampant trade: This bird was sold openly across the country, despite its protected species status.
- The trade in master birds has driven serious declines of numerous species in the wild, including the Javan green magpie.
- To save these rapidly disappearing birds, the researchers say that stricter law enforcement is urgently needed to shut down illegal markets and stem the trade.

World Water Day: Earth’s freshwater reveals new species & faces mounting threats
Water covers most of our planet, yet less than 3% of it is freshwater and most of it is contained in glaciers, making it not readily usable. Contamination and overuse threaten the valuable supplies of freshwater that humans and other animals, especially aquatic organisms, depend on to live. On World Water Day, a United Nations […]
PNG’s New Ireland coastal waters causing fish deaths, human sickness
- Communities on the east coast of Papua New Guinea’s New Ireland province report that contact with the seawater there has made people sick since December 2025; residents have also reported spikes in the number of dead fish and other marine life along the shoreline.
- A group of local and international NGOs has responded, providing help with sampling to determine the cause and raising money for the affected villages.
- New Ireland’s coastal communities depend on the sea for food, but government officials have warned against eating fish until the cause of the problems has been identified.
- Government ministries have been aware of the situation for at least two months, and while leaders say that tissue, water and soil samples have been collected, no results have been released yet.

Captive-bred Panamanian golden frogs released to the wild
Since 2009, no one has seen a Panamanian golden frog in the wild. These bright yellow frogs disappeared completely when an amphibian fungal disease, chytridiomycosis, swept through Panama reaching El Valle de Anton, the last stronghold of golden frogs. Researchers at the Smithsonian Institution predicted these declines based on the pattern of disease spread, but […]
Vatican launches campaign to encourage divestment from mining industries
ROME (AP) — The Vatican on Friday launched a campaign to encourage divestment from mining industries, saying the Catholic Church should invest its money in ways that are consistent with its ecological teachings. The effort, which also involves other Christian organizations, takes as its inspiration Pope Francis’ 2015 environmental encyclical “Praised Be.” The document, and the ecological movement it […]
Proboscis monkey found in Thailand adds to evidence of cross-border illegal trade
- In January, an injured proboscis monkey was found near a railway track in Thailand’s Samut Sakhon province and brought to a nearby clinic.
- Proboscis monkeys are an endangered species endemic to Borneo, and international trade is banned except for research or conservation purposes — no permits that would allow such trade exist for the species in Thailand.
- Historically, trafficking for pets or zoos has not been a major threat to proboscis monkeys because it is very difficult to keep them alive in captivity, but recent research has found an uptick in live trade of the species.
- The monkey is currently recovering from its injuries at a government-run rehabilitation center, and while he will never be able to live in the wild again, officers there say he may be transferred back to his native range once his health is stable.

Deep-sea mining rules face delays despite urgent push
Commercial deep-sea mining hasn’t yet begun, but it soon could — with the potential to reshape vast stretches of the ocean as companies move to extract minerals from the seafloor. However, this nascent industry lacks a set of international rules to govern it, and a recent meeting of the regulatory body charged with drafting one […]
Many Indigenous peoples in Asia feel excluded from nat’l biodiversity planning: Report
- Many Indigenous peoples in Asia say they have little sway on their nation’s biodiversity goals, despite calls in the global U.N. biodiversity agreement for their full and effective participation in decision-making, according to recent reports.
- The research found 13% of survey respondents participated in state-led consultations with Indigenous peoples while almost 60% reported that participation was not meaningful.
- However, the research also found that Indigenous peoples increasingly participated in the NBSAP revision processes compared with a previous global biodiversity agreement for the 2011-20 period.
- Some Indigenous sources said they felt like their participation was tokenistic and recommend the creation of an Indigenous-led version of the national biodiversity targets to help influence policy.

World Rewilding Day: Hope for species and ecosystems
World Rewilding Day on March 20 celebrates human efforts to rewild and restore degraded areas. Rewilding can focus on a single species, a city park, or even an entire island, and Mongabay has reported on such efforts from around the word. Rewilding in France’s Dauphiné Alps France’s largest rewilding project is underway in the Dauphiné […]
Deadly Indonesia landfill collapse a ‘serious warning’ of systemic failure
A mountain of waste at Indonesia’s largest landfill recently collapsed following days of extreme rainfall that destabilized the massive pile. The tragedy resulted in seven confirmed deaths.
Shipping’s biofuel gamble could deepen Africa’s land squeeze and food insecurity (commentary)
- Using crops as fuel to cut emissions from the shipping sector could cause more harm than good, the authors of a new op-ed argue.
- Next month, leaders will gather at the UN’s International Maritime Organization meeting to lay down the rules for decarbonizing shipping, and African governments must ensure that crop-based biofuels are not a part of the solution, they say.
- “African states should demand that food-based biofuels are excluded from shipping’s decarbonization targets, and insist on robust sustainability criteria to prevent the conversion of forests, peatlands, and other high-biodiversity or community-managed areas into fuel plantations,” the authors say.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.

California condors nesting in Pacific Northwest for first time in a century, on Yurok territory
- A pair of California condors reintroduced by the Yurok Tribe to Northern California appear to be incubating the first egg in the Pacific Northwest in more than a century, nesting in a remote old-growth redwood.
- The birds, both nearly 7 years old and among the first cohort released in 2022, are being monitored via satellite transmitters; direct confirmation of the egg is not yet possible.
- The discovery is a milestone for a species whose global population dropped to 22 individuals in 1982 and has since recovered to 607 — though threats still including lead poisoning and avian influenza persist.
- The Northern California Condor Restoration Program, a partnership between the Yurok Tribe and Redwood National and State Parks, plans to continue annual releases for at least 20 years, with the goal of establishing a self-sustaining Pacific Northwest flock.

Jakarta port authorities seize 3 tons of pangolin scales in Cambodia-bound container
- A spot inspection of a 20-foot container by customs authorities at Indonesia’s largest port in late February uncovered more than $10 million in pangolin scales.
- There are eight species of the herbivorous pangolin, all categorized as threatened due to habitat loss and poaching, which is largely to supply raw material for Chinese traditional medicine, despite the total absence of any scientific proof of medicinal benefit.
- Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry and the Bogor Institute of Agriculture, Indonesia’s premier forestry faculty, estimate that every kilogram of pangolin scales requires the death of up to five pangolins.
- Separately, a police officer convicted last year over a scheme to trade 1.2 metric tons of pangolin scales stolen from a police evidence room had his nine-year sentence reduced to seven on appeal.

Should potentially harmful chemicals be appraised by class, not one at a time?
- Everyday household items very likely contain synthetic chemicals that were never tested for long-term safety. And even when one chemical is proven harmful, manufacturers often quickly replace it with a similar substitute that in time is often found to be equally dangerous, a cycle scientists call “regrettable substitution” or the “toxic treadmill.”
- In response, some scientists and health advocates are pushing for a “Six Classes” framework that evaluates entire groups of chemicals, or chemically related subgroups, together, flagging them for scrutiny before harm is documented rather than after.
- The framework targets six broad categories of chemicals that share many common traits: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), flame retardants, phthalates and bisphenols, antimicrobials, certain solvents, and certain metals.
- The chemical industry argues that grouping diverse chemicals oversimplifies the science and isn’t a workable system, but proponents say the framework is not meant to result in blanket bans but to create a more effective screening tool that better protects consumers.

Juliette Chapalain on building networks and nurturing talent to tell Africa’s environmental stories
- Juliette Chapalain is Mongabay Africa’s multimedia and fellowship editor, leading the bureau’s video, podcast and fellowship initiatives.
- She has more than a decade of experience across French and international media, including TV5 Monde, Arte and BBC News.
- Through Mongabay’s fellowship program, she mentors and trains African environmental journalists, helping build a diverse network of storytellers driving impact across the continent.
- This interview is part of Inside Mongabay, a series that spotlights the people who bring environmental and conservation stories to life across our global newsroom.

New mapping data show where oil blocks threaten Venezuela’s protected areas
- New mapping analysis by Mongabay reveals the potential threat from oil extraction to numerous ecosystems in Venezuela, including mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, coral reefs and Amazon rainforest, among others.
- Venezuela has 538,883 km2 (208,064 mi2) of protected areas and 177,843 km2 (68,666 mi2) of oil blocks, some of them already in production and others in the pre-exploration or exploration phases.
- An estimated 70,785 km2 (27,330 mi2)— or around 13% — of those oil blocks overlap with protected areas.
- If oil production ramps up to the 60-year historical average by 2036 — around 2.5 million barrels — the country would extract around 70 billion barrels and release an estimated 33.1 gigatons of CO2 by 2100, according to Climate Interactive’s calculator for fossil fuel extraction from biomass-rich areas.

Contested Amazon dam called to review water flow as river ecosystem fails
- A federal court and Brazil’s environmental agency ordered the Belo Monte hydropower plant to revise the Xingu River’s water-sharing plan, a decade after its debut, but a legal stay blocks enforcement of the ruling.
- The plant’s water flow has been subject to several complaints, as low water levels in the Volta Grande do Xingu have dried flooded forests and rock habitats, disrupting fish and turtle reproduction and threatening endemic species.
- “Increasing the amount of water is the only solution to restore this ecosystem,” says Josiel Juruna, coordinator of an Indigenous-led monitoring program documenting the impacts.

Investigation links DRC air pollution concerns to major copper-cobalt plant
In 2024, the mother of a 6-month-old baby described to the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) what happened to her son after one of Africa’s largest copper and cobalt processing complexes was built just a few hundred meters from their home. “One evening, he started vomiting blood. He vomited more than three times, and then he […]
Eight arrested as Europe cracks down on lucrative eel smuggling syndicates
- Authorities in France and Spain have arrested eight suspects tied to a cross-border syndicate, accused of trafficking critically endangered European eels.
- Investigators say more than 7 million juvenile glass eels, worth nearly 600,000 euros (690,000 dollars), were smuggled over two years’ time.
- The arrests follow a year-long joint probe by investigators from the two countries into illegal fishing and laundering of eel catches.
- The case highlights the scale of an illicit trade that persists despite bans and trade protections for the species.

Indonesia court orders release of withheld impact studies on new capital
- Indonesia mining industry watchdog Jatam has won a case at the country’s Supreme Court requiring the government to disclose environmental impact assessments pertaining to two utility water projects at the country’s new capital city site.
- In 2019, then-president Joko Widodo announced he would move the capital of the world’s fourth-most-populous country from Jakarta to Nusantara, a new site surrounded by forests and Indigenous communities on the east coast of Borneo.
- At issue are the Sepaku Semoi Dam and Sepaku River intake, two infrastructure projects at Nusantara that have impacted local Indigenous populations, Jatam said.
- The NGO called the ruling a victory for transparency, but criticized efforts to withhold documents and pointed to a 2008 law as well as Indonesia’s Constitution requiring public access to information.

An ‘ethereal’ new-to-science poison dart frog from the Amazon: Photo of the week
Scientists in Brazil described a new-to-science species of poison dart frog last year. It was first found among the leaves of wild banana plants on a research expedition to the Juruá River Basin in the western Amazon in 2023. The frog, around the length of a paperclip (14–17 millimeters, or 0.5-0.7 inches), is reddish-brown and blue […]
How foreign investor lawsuits stymie environmental protection
- New data reveal that lawsuits filed by corporations against Latin American and Caribbean countries are increasing, undermining government efforts to implement policies that could benefit the energy transition, human rights and the environment.
- Between 2014 and 2024, 212 lawsuits were registered, a 133% increase from previous decades.
- Across 419 known cases filed by mid-October 2025, countries in the region are facing a total of $36.6 billion in lawsuits from corporations, with 23% of claims coming from the mining, oil and gas sector, making it the second-most sued region globally by foreign investors.

World Frog Day: New species described amid threats to amphibian survival
March 20 is World Frog Day. Frogs and toads have inhabited Earth for hundreds of millions of years, but 40% of amphibians species are now at risk of extinction, according to the latest conservation assessments. Every year, roughly 150 new amphibian species are described. But many are immediately listed as threatened or endangered due to […]
Facebook shuts Indonesia groups after Mongabay and Bellingcat report illegal wildlife trade
- Facebook parent company Meta has closed nine groups on the social network after reporters from Mongabay and Bellingcat found evidence of illegal wildlife trade being conducted openly on the platform in Indonesia.
- In one Facebook group, reporters last year found an advertisement for a rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), a protected species.
- “Bad actors constantly evolve their tactics to avoid enforcement, which is why we partner with groups like the World Wildlife Fund and invest in tools and technology to detect and remove violating content,” Meta said in a statement.

Indonesia plan to rezone elephant reserve for carbon trading and tourism sparks backlash
- Indonesia plans to rezone large parts of Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra for carbon trading and luxury tourism to raise conservation funds.
- Critics warn the move could fragment core habitat and harm critically endangered species like Sumatran elephants, tigers and rhinos.
- Experts say carbon projects and reforestation could reduce elephant food sources and worsen human-wildlife conflict.
- Concerns are mounting over transparency, governance and whether revenues will truly support conservation and local communities.

Hat Yai’s floods are a warning for cities built against nature (analysis)
- Hat Yai’s economy is still struggling to recover from the devastating November 2025 floods, raising fears that repeated disasters could drive businesses and investment away from the southern Thai tourism hub.
- Flood risk is rising due to urban expansion, altered drainage, upstream land-use change and increasingly intense rainfall linked to climate change.
- Decades of costly engineering fixes have failed to keep pace, and without major land-use reforms and nature-based solutions, the city risks locking itself into a cycle of worsening floods.
- This post is an analysis. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.

From endangered to invasive: Rare ocelot spotted on Mexico’s Cozumel Island
In 2016, when biologists in Mexico reviewed their photo traps from Cozumel, a Mexican island in the Caribbean, they were surprised to see an ocelot, a wildcat considered endangered in the country. But curiosity soon turned to alarm: ocelots are effective predators of endemic species on the island, which have no experience or natural defense […]
Brazil protects huge coastal area with endangered dolphins and megafauna fossils
Brazil’s federal government created a huge conservation area on March 6 to protect a critical biodiversity hotspot in the Atlantic Ocean. The newly created Albardão marine park and coastal environmental protected area are home to at least 25 endangered species and Pleistocene epoch megafauna fossils. The new national park is off the coast of Brazil’s […]
Rwanda advances nuclear ambitions after positive IAEA assessment
In early March, while attending the Nuclear Energy Summit, Rwandan President Paul Kagame reaffirmed his ambition to develop civilian nuclear reactors in Rwanda. “Nuclear energy is not too complex or risky for developing countries,” he said during the meeting. “It will diversify our energy mix while providing the stability required for industrial growth and long-term […]
Paul Ehrlich, ‘Population Bomb’ ecologist, dies at 93
- Paul Ehrlich, a Stanford ecologist whose research on butterflies and population dynamics helped shape modern ecology, became one of the most prominent scientific voices in the early environmental movement. He died March 13 at age 93.
- His 1968 book, The Population Bomb, argued that rapid human population growth threatened to outstrip the planet’s capacity to provide food and resources, influencing public debate while also drawing sustained criticism.
- Ehrlich’s forecasts of widespread famine proved too stark as agricultural productivity rose, and a widely publicized wager with economist Julian Simon over commodity prices ended in Ehrlich’s loss.
- Despite the controversies, his scientific work on extinction risk, habitat fragmentation and biodiversity decline helped frame how ecologists think about the pressures human societies place on the living world.

A bonobo named Kanzi could play pretend, challenging ideas about animal imaginations
- Kanzi, a language-trained bonobo, identified and tracked pretend objects across tea party-like experiments, marking the first controlled demonstration of imagination in a nonhuman animal
- In three experiments, Kanzi repeatedly pointed to the correct location of imaginary juice and grapes, and chose real juice over pretend juice, showing that he understood the difference between real and imaginary objects.
- This study suggests that the cognitive capacity for imagination may date back 6 to 9 million years to the common ancestor of humans and great apes, though some researchers question whether simpler explanations could account for Kanzi’s responses.
- Kanzi died in March 2025 at age 44, but researchers hope to explore whether other apes, including those without extensive human language training, share this capacity.

Nepal’s rural women at increasing risk of human-wildlife conflict
- Women in forest-edge communities around Bardiya National Park are increasingly exposed to human-wildlife conflict, as daily subsistence work brings them into forests where encounters with tigers and other wildlife occur.
- Labor migration has shifted agricultural and household responsibilities onto women, pushing many to collect fodder, firewood and other forest resources in high-risk areas.
- Most fatal wildlife encounters occur during routine livelihood activities, such as cutting grass or grazing livestock in forests and buffer zones where people and wildlife share space.
- Nepal’s widely celebrated tiger conservation success is unfolding alongside growing risks for rural communities, particularly women who depend on forests for daily survival; meanwhile, women remain largely absent from the institutions that shape conservation policy.

Dams, drains and other artificial habitats could buy time for threatened mussels: Study
Described as the “liver of rivers” for their water filtering capabilities, freshwater mussels are facing an extinction crisis. These slow-growing, long-lived bivalves are one of the most threatened groups of animals on the planet. Now researchers in Australia have found that artificial water bodies could provide a lifeline for some species. Freshwater mussels live in […]
By protecting tigers ‘we save so much more,’ says Debbie Banks
Tiger populations have risen in some countries, such as Bhutan, Nepal and India, but the global population of the big cat species remains critically endangered, says Debbie Banks, campaign lead for tigers and wildlife crime at the Environmental Investigation Agency. The global tiger population was recorded at roughly 5,574 in 2022, with the species having […]

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