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topic: Mammals
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Discovery of critically endangered bat in Rwanda leads to conservation talks
- Bats are one of the most diverse orders of mammals and represent an important component of ecological balance. They may make up a large portion of the mammal diversity — including in countries like Rwanda where much of the natural forest and savannah habitats have been lost, changed or degraded.
- Researchers recently discovered two rare bat species in Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park, and the IUCN lists 54 species of bats as occurring in the country.
- Research shows that killing bats to control zoonotic diseases can make things worse.
- Several studies show that bats are important predators of insects and are, therefore, a natural asset for agrarian productivity, suppressing pest populations.
Fishing cats misunderstood, misidentified in Nepal’s Kapilvastu
- Fishing cats in Nepal are often misunderstood and mistaken for leopards or blamed for fish losses, leading to retaliation and conflict with fish farmers.
- Surveillance measures like CCTV and myths have fueled fear and misinformation, despite little evidence showing fishing cats as major threats to aquaculture.
- A conservation initiative called “fish banks” tried to reduce conflict by compensating farmers with fish instead of money but had mixed results and eventually lost funding.
- Experts emphasize the need for science-based conservation, better population data and public education to protect fishing cats and promote coexistence in human-altered landscapes.
An interview with orangutan conservationist and advocate Gary Shapiro
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. Orangutans, with their expressive eyes and human-like behaviors, have long fascinated us. Few people, however, have delved as deeply into their world as Gary L. Shapiro. His five-decade career began with a groundbreaking study in primate communication, where […]
The wisdom of the elders: Why the oldest animals matter
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. In the twilight of their lives, the world’s oldest creatures carry the weight of wisdom, experience, and resilience. Yet, these elders — fish that spawn in abundance, coral that shelters marine life, or elephants that guide their herds […]
Nepal announces its snow leopard population after first-of-its-kind assessment
- Nepal has released its first consolidated national estimate of snow leopards, placing the population at 397 individuals, after synthesizing multiple studies conducted between 2015 and 2024.
- Despite covering just 2% of global snow leopard habitat, Nepal hosts nearly 10% of the global population, making it the fourth largest population of the species.
- The estimate contributes to the Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopards (PAWS), a global initiative aiming for standardized and robust population assessments across all 12 snow leopard range countries.
- While the estimate is a milestone, it’s based on just 43% of Nepal’s potential snow leopard habitat, with key areas like Dhorpatan and Api-Nampa still under-surveyed.
Pangolins help biodiversity recover after fires
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. A forest may burn to the ground, but beneath the ashes, a pangolin is already rebuilding. Pangolins are best known for their misfortune. As the world’s most trafficked mammal, their numbers have been decimated by poaching for scales […]
Indonesia court hands down ‘heaviest sentence’ yet for tiger poacher in Sumatra
A court in Indonesia has sentenced a man to five years in prison for the killing of a critically endangered Sumatran tiger in September last year in North Sumatra province. “As far as I know, it’s the heaviest sentence ever imposed for crimes involving protected wildlife in Indonesia,” Iding Achmad Haidir, chair of the Sumatran […]
Critically endangered Sumatran elephant found dead near Leuser; cause uncertain
LANGKAT, Indonesia — A critically endangered Sumatran elephant was found dead April 4 on the border of the Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatra’s Langkat district, officials said. The elephant was male, around 10 years old, and weighed no more than 2 tons. Officials said they believe the individual had been dead for several days […]
15 years after the BP oil spill disaster, how is the Gulf of Mexico faring?
- The Deepwater Horizon disaster on April 20, 2010, was the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, releasing an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over nearly three months.
- Fifteen years later, the gulf ecosystem shows a complicated picture of both resilience and lingering damage, with some species, like brown pelicans, recovering, while others, like humans, dolphins and deep-sea corals, continue to struggle with long-term health impacts.
- The disaster prompted an unprecedented legal settlement directing billions toward restoration projects, though experts debate whether these funds have been used effectively for ecosystem-scale recovery.
- Climate change remains the “800-pound gorilla in the room,” threatening the gulf’s future resilience, one expert said, with others warning that continued pressure from fossil fuel development, agricultural runoff and other threats could push the system beyond its capacity to recover.
Why captive elephants formed a circle during the San Diego earthquake
When a 5.2-magnitude earthquake shook the U.S. city of San Diego on April 14, a video showing five African elephants huddling together in the middle of their enclosure at San Diego Zoo Safari Park made headlines. It showed three older female elephants, Ndlula, Umngani and Khosi, moving quickly to protect 7-year-old calves Zuli and Mkhaya. […]
Locals, researchers race to save unique biodiversity of PNG’s Torricellis
Torricelli Mountains, a tiny mountain range in northern Papua New Guinea, is estimated to host roughly 4% of the world’s known species, many found nowhere else on Earth, Mongabay’s John Cannon reported in March. “I mean, for 0.003% of the world’s land area — it’s a ‘wow’ factor for me,” Jim Thomas, CEO of the […]
Illegal trafficking of siamang gibbons is a concerning and underreported crisis (commentary)
- As authorities have continued to criminalize great ape trafficking, “small apes” like gibbons, which are also coveted by the illegal pet trade and whose trade is also lucrative, are likely to see an increasing threat to their long-term survival if nations don’t act to protect them too, a new op-ed states.
- Of all gibbon species, the siamang is the most trafficked, making it one of the most, if not the most trafficked ape species, as highlighted by a recent siamang trafficking bust at a major Indian airport.
- “Urgent action is needed to combat this ongoing crisis before the song of the siamang and other gibbons vanishes from the forests of Sumatra,” the author argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
New refuge helps protect Amazon’s most endangered monkey, but gaps remain
Brazil designated a refuge twice the size of Manhattan near the Amazonian city of Manaus in June 2024 to protect the pied tamarin, South America’s most endangered monkey. But almost one year later, the 15,000-hectare (37,000-acre) reserve is still being implemented institutionally, and conservationists say it falls short of what the species needs to survive. […]
Sri Lanka’s iconic tuskers ‘falling like dominoes,’ conservationists warn
“The Gathering” in Sri Lanka’s Minneriya National Park is said to be among the world’s most spectacular wildlife phenomena. Every year, hundreds of elephants gather on a dry lakebed in the park that becomes fertile grazing land during the months of June through August. Tuskers, or male elephants with prominent tusks, are one of the […]
2 Mongabay podcasts shortlisted for 2025 Publisher Podcast Awards
Podcasts from Mongabay and Mongabay India have been shortlisted in two categories of the 2025 Publisher Podcast Awards. Media Voices, the weekly publication behind the award, announced the shortlist for the Publisher Podcast Awards last week. Episodes from Mongabay Explores, hosted by Mike DiGirolamo, and Mongabay India’s Wild Frequencies were both shortlisted in the “Best […]
Meet Brazil’s often-seen but little-known hoary fox
The hoary fox can often be spotted sprinting through Brazil’s Cerrado, the world’s most biodiverse savanna. Despite this, not much is known about the small canid, says researcher Frederico Lemos in a recent video produced by contributors Augusto Gomes, Julia Lemos Lima and the Mongabay video team. Lemos and fellow researcher Fernanda Cavalcanti have made […]
Saving saiga antelope with cooperation and community in Kazakhstan
In 2006, a group of international NGOs and the government of Kazakhstan came together to save the dwindling population of saiga antelope of the enormous Golden Steppe, a grassland ecosystem three times the size of the United Kingdom. Since that moment, the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative has successfully rehabilitated the saiga (Saiga tatarica) from a […]
Action plan aims to save Asia’s leaf-eating monkeys amid ‘alarming’ declines
- A new conservation plan aims to halt the decline of langur monkeys in Southeast Asia, where habitat loss and poaching have severely reduced their numbers.
- The 10-year Asian Langurs Conservation Action Plan focuses on the six countries in the Sundaland biodiversity hotspot, a region known for its astonishing range of habitats and species.
- Based on insights from leading primatologists, the plan prioritizes measures needed to safeguard 28 species and subspecies of langurs.
- Key goals include strengthening and enforcing existing wildlife laws, reducing demand for langurs and their body parts, and raising awareness about their protected status and cultural and ecological importance.
New bat detection system in India promises more efficient data collection
Studying insect-eating bats isn’t easy: they’re tiny, fly at night, and navigate using ultrasonic frequencies far above human hearing range. But experts in India have come up with a potential solution to make long-duration bat research easier: they’ve devised an automated, solar-powered instrument called BatEchoMon that continuously listens for bat calls in the surrounding landscape, […]
Singapore biobank offers backup plan for pangolins
- Scientists in Singapore have decided to collect and freeze sperm from pangolins to use in future artificial insemination programs for the threatened mammals should the need arise.
- The eight known species of pangolins are collectively the world’s most trafficked mammal. The Sunda pangolin has seen its population decline by over 50% in the last 15 years.
- All pangolin species are listed as threatened, and scientists say they hope to create a reservoir of genetic material before arriving at a “too little, too late” scenario.
- While it has successfully extracted and stored sperm from 38 pangolins, the Singapore lab hasn’t collected egg cells from female pangolins because the procedure is much more invasive.
Dugong numbers plummet amid seagrass decline in Thailand’s Andaman Sea
- Thailand’s dugongs are disappearing fast, reflecting an unfolding crisis in the region’s seagrass ecosystems.
- Seagrass beds on Thailand’s Andaman Sea coast that support one of the world’s most significant populations of dugongs have died off in recent years, creating an increasingly challenging environment for the charismatic marine mammals.
- Scientists point to a combination unsustainable coastal practices and climate change as the main factors driving the decline.
- Government agencies, marine scientists and volunteers are taking emergency steps to save the remaining dugongs, but experts warn their long-term survival in Thailand depends on fixing the root causes of the seagrass loss.
Snared, skinned, sold: Brutal March for Indonesia’s Sumatran tigers
- Police in Indonesia charged at least 11 people in the month of March with wildlife crimes after a tiger was butchered in Riau province and alleged traffickers were found with body parts in the semiautonomous province of Aceh.
- In West Sumatra province, conservation officials successfully trapped a young female tiger whose leg had previously been amputated, likely in a snare trap.
- Sumatran tigers are a critically endangered subspecies of tiger and fewer than 400 are believed to remain in the wild.
Scientists team up for Snapshot USA nationwide mammal survey
- Snapshot USA is an annual project that aims to collate camera-trap data on mammals from across the country.
- Since it was launched in 2019, the project has received data from universities, Native American reservations, non-profit organizations and others from across the U.S.
- Over the past six years, the project has gathered data that include more than 1 million image captures of mammals from about 16 million raw images.
- By establishing a standardized survey protocol to camera-trap mammals, the team at Snapshot USA says it hopes to create a data set that can be used to formulate effective conservation strategies.
Jaguar tourism in Brazil’s Pantanal needs new rules to avoid collapse: Study
Jaguar tourism in Porto Jofre, a remote outpost in the Pantanal wetlands of western Brazil, has become so successful that researchers now say it needs new rules to survive. Brazil’s Pantanal is home to the second-largest population of jaguars (Panthera onca) in the world (after the Brazilian Amazon). An estimated 4,000-6,000 of the big cats […]
Bonobos combine calls in ways that resemble human language, study finds
Bonobos, one of humanity’s closest relatives, appear to string together vocal calls in ways that mirror a key feature of the human language, a new study carried out in the forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has found. While bonobos (Pan paniscus) produce grunts, peeps, whistles and hoots, they also combine these calls […]
How cultural and religious beliefs combine for snow leopard conservation (commentary)
- “Deep-rooted cultural beliefs and legal protections continue to play a crucial role in safeguarding snow leopards, supported by awareness campaigns that reinforce traditional practices and conservation,” a new commentary explains.
- In many areas across their range where livestock are killed by the rare predators, farmers’ religious customs often dictate that they must not harmed in retaliation.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
Study delves into increase in humpback whale sightings in UK and Ireland
Earlier this year, U.K. media reported an increase in humpback whale sightings in British and Irish waters. Between December 2024 and January, The Guardian reported some 17 sightings of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from the Isles of Scilly in southwest England. Meanwhile, the nonprofit Sussex Dolphin Project reported more than 50 sightings from Sussex in […]
Kanzi the bonobo redefined what it means to be human
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives, and story summaries. Few apes have done more to unsettle human certainties than Kanzi the bonobo. He wasn’t the first nonhuman primate to use symbols to communicate, but he was the first to do so with such fluency, subtlety and apparent […]
Nepali farmers switch crops to reduce human-elephant conflict
A village on Nepal’s border with India has found a way to reduce conflicts with wild Asian elephants in recent years: By switching their crops from rice and maize, which elephants love to eat, to tea and lemon, the farmers of Bahundangi are now seeing fewer elephants devouring their harvest, Mongabay contributor Deepak Adhikari reported […]
Brazilian rescue center returns trafficked animals to the wild
A wildlife rescue center in Rio de Janeiro is giving animals a second chance after they’ve been torn from the Atlantic Forest by poachers, a Mongabay short documentary showed. At the Vida Livre (Free Life) Institute, the team of volunteer veterinarians and biologists rehabilitate thousands of wild animals — from parrots with broken beaks to […]
Mongabay investigation finds gorilla trade more widespread than previously thought
A Mongabay investigation has uncovered exclusive details about the clandestine market for gorilla and chimpanzee body parts in northeastern Nigeria, revealing that the trade works in a larger area than previously believed and kills more critically endangered gorillas than previously acknowledged. Speaking to hunters, traffickers and customers of a trade steeped in both taboo and […]
Madagascar highway pushes on through controversy
- More than a hundred Malagasy civil society organizations have called on the government to halt construction of a major highway after thousands of farmers were affected by unusual flooding linked to the project.
- They are calling for compensation for affected communities and inclusive consultations before the project continues.
- The highway, intended to link the capital Antananrivo to the port of Toamasina, has also been criticized for threatening ecologically important forests and a significant heritage site.
For wandering elephants, path of least resistance could help map out safe corridors
A new study reveals how African elephants plan their elaborate journeys: they strategically choose the least energy-consuming routes to reach food sources. These findings, researchers say, can help conservationists design elephant corridors to connect fragmented habitats. African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana), considered endangered, can travel vast distances for water, food or mates. Some landscapes they […]
Mysterious sloth bear deaths raise alarm at Sri Lanka’s largest national park
- Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka’s largest and a prime location for year-round sloth bear sightings, has sparked concern after the sudden deaths of three sloth bears (Melursus ursinus inornatus) occurred within a span of a few weeks.
- As sloth bears like to feed on carrion, there are often concerns about these animals contracting swine flu, which is generally present in wild boar populations due to consumption of carcasses, posing a risk of zoonotic transmission.
- Veterinary surgeons are awaiting laboratory analysis of the recently dead bear’s organ samples to finalize the autopsy report, but they indicate that tick fever is a likely cause of death due to heavy tick infestation.
- The sloth bear is an elusive and iconic species, recognized as a key wildlife attraction and a member of Sri Lanka’s “Big Five” wildlife species, alongside the elephant and leopard, making its conservation essential to the country’s nature-based tourism industry.
Famous bonobo Kanzi, known for smarts & gaming, dies at age 44
Kanzi, the world’s most celebrated bonobo who learned to communicate and play Minecraft with humans, died last week in Iowa, U.S., at the age of 44. Ape Initiative, a research organization in the city of Des Moines dedicated to the study and conservation of endangered bonobos (Pan paniscus) and where Kanzi lived since 2004, said […]
Locals debunk myths linking endangered pink river dolphins to ‘love perfumes’
A colonial-era myth about endangered pink river dolphins in the Amazon has led to a false belief that perfumes or pusangas made from their body parts are potent love potions. According to a recent Mongabay documentary, the myth has created a market for the perfumes, further endangering the dolphins. The film, released in February, follows […]
Vincent van der Merwe (1983-2025), champion of the cheetah
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay’s founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives, and story summaries. Vincent van der Merwe, champion of the cheetah, died March 16, aged 42. For a species built for speed, cheetahs have run out of room. In their native Africa, they are marooned on islands of fragmented habitat, hemmed […]
Manatees in peril as human pressures push gentle giants toward the brink
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay’s founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. Few creatures better embody the notion of peaceful coexistence than the manatee. Slow-moving and largely indifferent to human affairs, these aquatic herbivores graze on seagrasses and algae in the shallow coastal waters of the Americas and West Africa. […]
How bobcats protect us from diseases, Mongabay podcast explores
“Bobcats are disease defenders,” Zara McDonald, founder of the U.S.-based conservation nonprofit Felidae Conservation Fund, tells host Mike DiGirolamo on Mongabay’s weekly podcast Newscast in February. Today, bobcats (Lynx rufus) are North America’s most common small wildcat. But this wasn’t always the case: At the start of the 20th century, the bobcat population was close to […]
As apes adapt to human disturbance, their new behaviors also put them at risk: Study
- Worldwide, the most frequent causes of disturbances to ape habitats are land conversion for agriculture or logging, a recent study concludes.
- The study found that the most common ways apes adapted to habitat change included foraging for human crops, changing nesting patterns, and traveling along human-made paths.
- These changes can help apes survive in the short term, but can increase long-term risk, especially when behaviors like crop foraging bring them into conflict with humans.
- While some patterns were observed worldwide, human responses to behaviors like crop foraging varied widely, highlighting the need for local voices and priorities to be a central part of conservation planning.
Baby sightings spark hope for critically endangered gibbons in Vietnam
A community conservation team saw not one but two baby Cao-vit gibbons, one of the world’s rarest apes, in the remote forests of northern Vietnam in 2024, the NGO Fauna & Flora announced this month. The first infant sighting was in February 2024 and the second in November, in two separate troops. “It is very […]
The vanishing trail of Sri Lanka’s iconic tuskers calls for urgent action
- Among Asian elephants, only a fraction of males bear tusks, and Sri Lanka holds the lowest percentage, with just 7% of its total elephant population being tuskers.
- Tuskers are culturally significant and attract tourists to Sri Lanka, with each wild tusker named after an ancient king.
- However, one by one, these iconic giants are falling victim not only to unmitigated human-elephant conflict, but also to opportunistic, targeted poaching.
- A study has estimated the value of a single elephant in Minneriya to be around 10 million Sri Lankan rupees ($40,000), based on the revenue generated through nature-based tourism, while rare tuskers are valued at a much higher rate.
Scientists cherish win against online ornamental trade in bats
Bat researchers recently declared a “major victory” in helping stop the online ornamental trade of bats, especially the painted woolly bat that’s sought as a décor or trinket for its brightly colored body and cute, furry face. By August 2024, major e-commerce platforms eBay and Etsy had banned the sale of bat products on their […]
World Rewilding Day: Four species bouncing back from the brink of extinction
March 20 marks World Rewilding Day. Established just four years ago by the Global Rewilding Alliance, the day celebrates the herculean effort behind rebuilding ecosystems and reminds us that nature can bounce back. Mongabay has reported on rewilding efforts from Southeast Asia to South America and beyond, with teams restoring habitats and releasing captive-bred species […]
Seal ‘oceanographers’ reveal fish abundance in Pacific Ocean’s twilight zone
- The open ocean’s twilight zone, a vast deep ecosystem rich in fish biomass, is poorly understood because it is expensive and challenging for humans to reach its depths 200–1000 meters (660–3,280 feet) below the surface.
- A new study used northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) — marine predators that forage in the twilight zone — to help understand fish abundance deep down, both five decades into the past and two years into the future.
- The findings illustrate how apex marine predators, such as elephant seals, can serve as sentinels in understanding how fish abundance cascades through marine food webs.
- Given increased interest in fishing in the twilight zone and the unfolding effects of climate change, seals and other deep-diving marine predators could help keep an eye on changes in the oceans’ depths.
Counting whales by eavesdropping on their chatter, with help from machine learning
- Scientists have combined passive acoustic monitoring, machine-learning tools and aerial surveys to estimate the population of North Atlantic right whales in Cape Cod Bay.
- Using the method, researchers from Cornell University in the U.S. were able to estimate the daily population of the whales over a period of four months.
- While passive acoustic monitoring has helped scientists around the world detect the presence of whales, it’s often challenging to estimate population numbers from the data, especially for species like North Atlantic right whales that have highly variable call rates.
Future for Nature Award 2025 winners conserve frogs, pangolins, dwarf deer
Three young conservationists were recently named winners of the 2025 Future For Nature (FFN) Awards for their initiatives to conserve amphibians, pangolins and Andean wildlife. The winners will each receive 50,000 euros ($54,000), FFN said in a statement. “Working in conservation can be tough,” Anthony Waddle, the winner from Australia, told Mongabay by email. “We […]
California ground squirrels shock scientists by hunting and eating voles
After more than a decade studying California ground squirrels, Jennifer Smith felt she had a solid understanding of their behavior. Then, in the summer of 2024, her students spotted something she never expected: one of the squirrels chased, killed and ate a vole, a small rodent common across the western coast of North America. Until […]
Searching for peace, finding hope: A new film explores rural conflict in Kenya
- Searching for Amani is a documentary film about two Kenyan teenagers brought together in friendship by a murder.
- Simon Ali, whose father — a safari guide in central Kenya’s Laikipia County — was shot and killed while guiding tourists through a wilderness area there in 2019.
- In the film, producer Peter Goetz hands Ali the camera as he searches for information about the murder of his father, working through grief and adolescence to find some resolution for himself and his family.
- The film will be screened at the 2025 DC Environmental Film Festival, for which Mongabay is a media partner.
A closer look at the unknown Brazilian fox
CORUMBAÍBA, Brazil — The hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus) is a small canid found only in Brazil. Although commonly seen running across the open grasslands of the Brazilian Cerrado, surprisingly little is known about the species. Researchers Fernanda Cavalcanti and Frederico Lemos have spent the past two decades working to change that. Their shared passion for […]
Lives worth living: Elephants, Iain Douglas-Hamilton and the fight for coexistence
- Iain Douglas-Hamilton spent a lifetime communing with African elephants, going on to champion their conservation during a brutal wave of poaching in the 1970s and 1980s.
- Along with Jane Goodall, he was a pioneer both of studying animals in the field and viewing them as more than objects of study — he recognised elephants as having individual personalities.
- A new film co-produced by the organization he founded, Save the Elephants, also explores how his work challenged the fortress model of conservation.
- The film will have its US premiere at the 2025 DC Environmental Film Festival, for which Mongabay is a media partner.
Fishing cat home range far bigger than previously thought, Nepal study suggests
- A GPS-collaring study in southeastern Nepal found that fishing cats could have much larger home ranges than previously recorded.
- Contrary to popular belief among local communities, some fishing cats were found to inhabit human-dominated landscapes, rather than only visiting them at night.
- Researchers suggest that low prey density in Nepal’s Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and more accurate GPS tracking may explain the larger home ranges observed.
- The study highlights the need for community engagement in conservation, as fishing cats help control rodent populations and face threats from habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.
When a chimp community lost its males, it also lost part of its love language
- A new study from Côte d’Ivoire highlights the urgent need to integrate chimpanzee cultural preservation with conservation.
- The study documents the loss of a socially learned behavior — a mating signal — among a group of chimpanzees following the poaching of all of the group’s male members.
- Once lost, behaviors that could be crucial to chimpanzee survival take years to reemerge.
- Researchers say it’s essential to preserve entire chimpanzee communities and their cultural knowledge, as well as simply protecting individuals.
How one woman’s wolf ‘moon shot’ changed Yellowstone forever: Interview with director Tom Winston
- A new documentary film, “Mollie’s Pack,” tells the story of the then-head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mollie Beattie, and the controversial, but ultimately triumphant, restoration of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in 1995.
- The filmmakers were able to find and access lost footage to make a compelling and emotional film about success and loss.
- The restoration of wolves into Yellowstone was a “moon shot” moment, according to director Tom Winston.
- Winston says the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone will be “a motivating factor” for future rewilding initiatives around the world.
Chitwan city using Indo-Nepal wildlife corridor for waste dump
- Bharatpur Metropolitan City has been dumping waste in the Barandabhar corridor, an international wildlife passage, based on an initial environmental examination (IEE) that falsely claimed the site was barren and ignored the presence of more than 2,000 trees, including ecologically significant species like sal (Shorea robusta), a Mongabay investigation reveals.
- The landfill site disrupts a key corridor for species such as tigers (Panthera tigris) and rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis), jeopardizing their movement and habitat. The federal government’s investment in an elevated road for safe wildlife passage may be undermined by ongoing waste disposal.
- Despite legal requirements for a full environmental impact assessment (EIA) for landfills in forest areas, the city relied on an outdated and misleading initial environmental assessment (IEE). The Department of Forests has not approved tree felling, yet local officials persist in waste dumping, citing lack of alternatives.
Initiative sets sights on rewilding three New Zealand islands
Three New Zealand islands will join an international initiative to remove invasive species and restore native wildlife. With the addition of Maukahuka (Auckland) Island, Rakiura (Stewart) Island and Chatham Island, the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC) will have 20 ongoing projects aimed at restoring and rewilding 40 globally significant island-ocean ecosystems by 2030. “New Zealand’s three […]
Farmers in Nepal and India see red as blue bulls raid their crops
- The uncontrolled proliferation of nilgai antelopes (also known as blue bulls) in Nepal’s southern plains has forced many farmers to abandon agriculture due to severe crop damage.
- Nilgai numbers have risen rapidly due to reduced hunting and lack of predators, yet no scientific consensus exists on the exact cause for the population boom.
- Farmers are demanding classification of nilgais as an agricultural pest to allow control measures, but authorities are slow to act, citing the need for further studies.
- Potential solutions being touted include relocating nilgais to tiger habitats, clearing away invasive weeds so the animals don’t venture into farms to feed, and allowing controlled hunting — though experts say killing nilgais isn’t a sustainable solution.
The environmental toll of the M23 conflict in eastern DRC (Analysis)
- The escalating armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has had significant — and overlooked — environmental impacts. The rate of tree cover loss in Kahuzi-Biega and Virunga National Parks has sharply increased since the conflict reignited in late 2021.
- Armed groups, both state and non-state, have profited by taxing the illegal charcoal and timber trade coming from inside these protected areas.
- Yet the impacts are complex: the broader geopolitical context also provides incentives for the M23 group to support conservation efforts in order to project themselves as providers of good governance in the region.
- This article is an analysis. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Rich nations fuel global biodiversity loss at ‘disproportionate’ scale, study finds
High-income nations are wiping out wildlife far beyond their own borders by outsourcing their production of food and timber, according to a new study that shows their demand for these commodities fuels 15 times more habitat destruction overseas than at home. Researchers found that wealthy nations account for 13% of global forest habitat loss outside […]
In a seasonally flooded Amazon forest, jaguars take to the trees
- A recent study has confirmed that Amazon jaguars have developed a fascinating strategy to face seasonal river flooding: when the waters rise and flood the forests, these felines begin to live up in the trees.
- The finding, made in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve in Brazil’s western Amazon, surprised researchers who initially thought the animals would migrate to dry lands in search of prey.
- The research monitored 14 jaguars fitted with GPS collars between 2011 and 2020; the data showed the home range of these animals during floods remained virtually unchanged from during the dry season.
- While this adaptation is unique to Amazon jaguars, experts warn that variation in rain and flood cycles, aggravated by climate change, may pose yet another threat to this already near-threatened species.
Sweden to kill 87 Eurasian lynx despite complaints to EU Commission
Sweden has issued licenses to hunters to kill 87 Eurasian lynx between March 1 and Apr. 15. Conservation organizations say the annual hunts of the medium-sized wildcat violate environmental legislation of the European Union, of which Sweden is a part. The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is categorized as vulnerable on Sweden’s red list, but the […]
In Australia’s little-known rainforests, tradition and science collaborate for good
- Australia’s Kimberley region houses some of the country’s most botanically diverse ecosystems: monsoon rainforest patches.
- Although they’ve been harvested and cared for by First Nations groups for millennia, the patches remain largely unsurveyed by modern science as the tropical climate and rugged terrain make access difficult.
- Indigenous ranger teams have been working for more than 20 years to implement land management programs, including traditional burning regimes, in order to conserve the rainforest.
- A recently published general interest book has called for the preservation of Kimberley Monsoon Rainforest patches and for ongoing, close collaboration between First Nations communities and academic teams.
‘Some people will die’: Conversations with Nigeria’s gorilla hunters
- Mongabay traveled to rural villages and urban wildlife markets, gathering testimonies from hunters who have violated cultural taboos to kill apes, as well as the traffickers and traditional medicine practitioners who trade in ape parts.
- Hunting remains a key threat to the survival of gorillas and chimpanzees in Nigeria.
- In the traditions of many Nigerian clans, apes — especially gorillas — are imbued with a deep spiritual significance and recognized for their close relation to humans.
- In some cases, these beliefs contribute to the protection of apes and strong taboos against hunting or harming them; in other cases, they fuel a demand for ape parts for ritual and medicinal uses.
Guinea greenlights gold mine in habitat of critically endangered chimpanzees
The government of Guinea has issued an environmental compliance certificate to an Australian company to go ahead with its plan to mine gold within an area that’s home to critically endangered western chimpanzees. In January, Guinea’s Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development accepted the environmental and social impact assessment that Predictive Discovery had commissioned […]
Protected areas alone can’t shield mammals from human impact, study finds
Protected areas in tropical forests may not be enough on their own to safeguard local mammal species, especially when there are human settlements nearby, a new study finds. “Wherever human pressure is high, mammal populations suffer, even in areas meant to protect them,” Michela Pacifici, a research fellow at Sapienza University of Rome, not affiliated with the […]
The rarely seen Madras hedgehog in India is also poorly studied
The Madras hedgehog, found only in southern India, is considered a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. However, this elusive spiny species is poorly understood, and its population is largely unknown, reports Mongabay India’s Arathi Menon. India’s arid grasslands, scrublands and deserts are home to three species of hedgehogs. […]
First Niger Delta red colobus monkey videos reflect community conservation success
Camera traps installed in December 2024 in a community conservation area in the Niger Delta have captured the first videos of elusive and critically endangered red colobus monkeys. The news comes after years of community efforts to protect their habitat following degradation from oil extraction. So far, camera traps have recorded 15 videos that show […]
Study links African lion survival to prey availability
- A recent study finds that African lion populations are declining as their herbivore prey are as well, prompting a need to protect these prey species to reverse the trend.
- Preventing prey depletion can help improve lion reproduction and population growth in areas prone to poaching for bushmeat, a leading cause of the species’ decline, the study notes.
- “In areas with high protection, the annual probability of [lion] population growth was 89.3%, but in areas with low protection the probability of growth was only 30.2%,” the study reads.
- The study underscores the importance of conservation programs that consider surrounding communities as crucial allies in species protection, says an expert.
Thermal drones detect rare tree kangaroos in Australia
Tree kangaroos, which live high up in the tall rainforest trees of New Guinea and Australia, are usually very hard to spot from the ground. But thermal drones, which detect animals from their body heat, can help find these animals quickly, a new study has found. In November 2024, Emmeline Norris, a Ph.D. student at […]
Pangolin burrows are biodiversity magnets in burnt forests, study shows
- As insectivorous, burrowing mammals, pangolins play a key role in our ecosystem by controlling insect populations, recycling soil nutrients and sheltering other animals in their abandoned burrows.
- A recent study provides the first evidence of Chinese pangolins’ role as ecosystem engineers, whose burrows help restore biodiversity in forest patches gutted by fires.
- Over a two-year period, the study found that areas with pangolin burrows had more plant and animal species richness and diversity compared to sites without burrows, proving that pangolins accelerate ecosystem recovery.
- Experts say the study’s findings serve as another reason to conserve the scaly mammals and reintroduce them back into the wild.
Getting rewilding right with the reintroduction of small wildcats
- Four lynx were illegally released in Scotland earlier this year by an unknown party, sparking condemnation. One of the cats died shortly after capture. That release comes amid long-running discussions of a possible reintroduction of this wildcat to the United Kingdom.
- Conservationists are working to reintroduce small cats across the globe. There are about 40 recognized species of wildcats, including a handful of charismatic big cats and at least 33 small wildcat species — with some of the most threatened felid species numbering among them.
- Mongabay spoke to experts working on small cat recovery projects in various stages of progress to understand what can make small cat reintroductions successful.
- Small wildcat reintroductions are presently underway or under consideration on the Iberian Peninsula, in Scotland, Argentina, Taiwan, Brazil, South Africa, Thailand and elsewhere.
Australian bushfires leave wildlife facing increased predator risk, decades of recovery
Simultaneous wildfires since December 2024 have left Grampians, Little Desert and the Great Otway National Parks in Australia devastated. Scientists say it will take decades for plants and wildlife to recover. Michael Clarke, emeritus professor of zoology at La Trobe University in Melbourne, told Mongabay by email the area burnt in Little Desert alone is […]
Bonobos can recognize ignorance and help, a new ‘milestone’ in ape intelligence
Bonobos, one of humanity’s closest relatives, can tell when a human doesn’t know something and steps in to help — a cognitive ability never before identified in nonhuman apes, a study found. Researchers tested this in a game with three bonobos (Pan paniscus) living at Ape Initiative in Iowa, U.S. One bonobo, Kanzi, 44, is […]
As elephant conflict shifts, Nepal’s border village offers clues for coexistence
- Human-elephant conflicts were once concentrated in the border village of Bahundangi in eastern Nepal, but the problem has since spread to other villages further west as a result of rapid urbanization, deforestation and infrastructure expansion that have forced elephants into human settlements.
- Several villagers have been killed in elephant attacks in these villages in Koshi province, leaving local families living in constant fear as they struggle to protect their homes, crops and lives from wild elephants.
- Local authorities have attempted solutions like digging trenches, installing sirens and conducting awareness campaigns, but many measures have proved ineffective or created new problems; limited funding and lack of long-term planning hinder sustainable solutions.
- Conservationists say the template from Bahundangi, the border village that learnt to live with the elephants, could help new conflict areas avoid losses much more swiftly and without wasting resources.
Conservation groups look for new strategies, tech to halt vaquita decline
- Experts believe fewer than 10 vaquita, the world’s smallest porpoise, survive in Mexico’s Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, the only place the species lives.
- Illegal fishing has decimated their population, forcing environmental groups to come up with innovative conservation solutions.
- Vaquitas get caught in illegal gillnets that fishermen use to target totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder can go for tens of thousands of dollars per kilo on the international black market.
- Some environmental groups have focused on patrolling vaquita habitats with ships, sonar, radar and drones, while others maintain that dismantling the organized crime groups behind the totoaba trade is a better use of resources.
Wave of arrests as Madagascar shuts down tortoise trafficking network
- A crackdown on the illegal trade in Malagasy tortoises has led to a series of recent arrests.
- Following the arrest of a Tanzanian national with 800 tortoises in December 2024, officials said a major investigation had uncovered a major international trafficking network that led to the arrests of more than 20 people in Madagascar and Tanzania.
- Wildlife trade monitoring watchdog TRAFFIC says more than 30,000 trafficked radiated tortoises were seized between 2000 and 2021; the critically endangered Malagasy tortoises are in demand internationally.
Wild Targets
The illicit wildlife trade is one of the most lucrative black-market industries in the world, behind only drug trafficking, counterfeit goods, and human trafficking. Wild Targets is a Mongabay video series that explores the cultural beliefs behind the pervasiveness of poaching, as well as the innovative and inspiring solutions that aim to combat the trade. […]
Forest of rare trees in Zanzibar now earmarked for ‘eco-resort’
- Botanists surveying a remote forest reserve on Pemba Island in Tanzania’s Zanzibar archipelago have discovered a forest of rare trees — the only place in Africa where they’re known to occur in the wild.
- The botanical survey, the first of its kind in 35 years, has shed light on Ngezi Forest Reserve’s rich plant biodiversity.
- But the section of intact coastal forest where the Intsia bijuga trees grow is earmarked for a new “eco-resort.”
- The forest’s status as a reserve has not been withdrawn, meaning any developments within its boundaries could be illegal.
Researchers find two individuals of UK’s ‘loneliest bat’ species
For more than two decades, researchers knew of just a single, male individual of the greater mouse-eared bat that would repeatedly hibernate in an unused railway tunnel in Sussex, U.K. This male bat became known as the “loneliest soul in Britain” since he was without a companion. But researchers have now found that he isn’t […]
Mammals, birds in Vietnam’s rare coastal forests revealed by camera traps
- A new camera-trapping study has found several rare and threatened species in Vietnam’s Nui Chua National Park, home to one of mainland Southeast Asia’s last remnants of dry coastal forest.
- However, the findings also indicate intense pressure on wildlife populations within the reserve from habitat fragmentation and snaring.
- The study found a relatively high diversity of species in transitional habitats between different types of forest, indicating a need for more nuanced conservation planning to target localized measures, the authors say.
- The findings reaffirm the importance of Vietnam’s dry coastal forests for biodiversity and the need for strengthened protection to reduce pressure on wildlife from snaring and habitat degradation.
Sun, sand and skulls: Bali tourism trade peddles threatened primate skulls
- Indonesia’s Bali, with its beautiful beaches and ancient temples, is a tourist hotspot where many businesses cater to foreign travelers, including those that sell art and curios.
- A new study finds that primate skulls, including those from threatened species such as orangutans, gibbons and proboscis monkeys, are openly sold in these shops, despite the trade being illegal.
- Between 2013 and 2024, researchers recorded more than 750 carved and uncarved primate skulls sold to mainly foreign tourists, with sales increasing over time.
- Conservationists say this illegal, barely monitored international trade poses an additional threat to already threatened primates in Indonesia, and call for stricter law enforcement and monitoring to shut down the trade.
Wild baboons don’t recognize their own mirror reflections
Humans like to study themselves in a mirror. But wild baboons, when presented with a mirror, don’t seem to recognize they’re staring at their own selves, a new study has found. For decades, researchers have tried to understand if other animals are self-aware. They’ve used what’s called the mirror test as a way to measure […]
Singing lemurs found to be dropping beats just like King Julien
The indri, a critically endangered lemur only found in Madagascar’s rainforest, might hold clues about the human knack for musicality, a Mongabay video explains. Indris (Indri indri) are one of the largest living lemurs, and among the few primates that sing. Researchers studied 15 years’ worth of recorded indri songs, and found that these songs […]
‘Helicopter tourism’ in the Himalayas affecting Sherpas, wildlife
A surge in “helicopter tourism” at Sagarmatha, the Nepali name for Mount Everest, is adversely affecting the local community and wildlife, reports Mongabay contributor Shashwat Pant. Helicopters have previously only been used for medical emergencies or high-profile visitors at Sagarmatha. But with choppers now regularly transporting tourists to Sagarmatha’s base camp, their noise plagues the […]
Nearly 20,000 animals seized in global wildlife trafficking crackdown
- Nearly 20,000 threatened and protected animals were rescued in a global policing operation coordinated by Interpol at the end of 2024.
- The campaign, Operation Thunder , involved law enforcement agencies in 138 countries and targeted six transnational criminal groups.
- Officials made hundreds of arrests and seized thousands of birds, turtles and other reptiles, primates, big cats and pangolins.
Surge in rat numbers linked to climate warming, urbanization: Study
What’s new: Cities experiencing warmer temperatures, fewer green spaces and denser human populations are seeing a rise in rat numbers, a recent study shows. What the study says: Jonathan Richardson, a biology professor at the University of Richmond, U.S., and his colleagues wanted to check if anecdotal media claims about increasing urban rat (Rattus spp.) […]
Striking image of badger and graffiti twin wins top photography prize
A badger glancing at a gun-wielding graffiti version of itself has won the 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year, developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. British photographer Ian Wood took the image, titled “No Access,” at the seaside town of St. Leonards-on-Sea in England after chancing upon the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) […]
In Nepal’s Chitwan, elephant’s shooting, death raises eyebrows
- A wild elephant in Chitwan National Park succumbed to a bullet wound on Feb. 5, 2025, after allegedly charging at a patrol team and throwing a ranger off his mount.
- The radio-collared elephant had been lingering around human settlements, damaging properties and alarming locals and hotel operators, leading to increased patrols and discussions on managing the issue.
- Local officials had pressured the national park to take action, but authorities say the shooting was an act of self-defense.
- Critics argue that since the elephant was radio-collared, its movements could have been tracked, and better nonlethal measures could have been taken.
EU legislators urge IMF to protect Madagascar forests against road projects
Thirty-five members of the European Parliament are calling on the International Monetary Fund to renegotiate its funding to Madagascar that could support two highway projects expected to cut across the nation’s vital forests. The IMF in June 2024 announced $321 million to Madagascar through its Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). It aims to aid the […]
Why is this endangered dolphin being killed to make “love perfumes”? | Wild Targets
IQUITOS, Peru – The Plight of the Pink River Dolphin is a short documentary investigating the illegal exploitation of endangered pink river dolphins in the Amazon, driven by a myth about their magical properties. The film reveals how pusangas—perfumes made from dolphin oil and body parts—are sold in markets and online, despite the species being protected […]
World’s smallest otter makes comeback in Nepal after 185 years
- Scientists have confirmed the presence of the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) in Nepal for the first time in more than 185 years.
- The last confirmed sighting was in 1839, followed by occasional unconfirmed reports from Makalu Barun National Park and the western districts of Kailali and Kapilvastu.
- The rediscovery follows a 2022 sighting in Darjeeling, India, with conservationists saying they hope it will spark further reports, similar to the recent increase in Eurasian otter sightings in Nepal after its rediscovery in 2021.
Chimps remember, for years, the location of ant nests that provide food
- Multiple studies have indicated that wild chimpanzees rely on memory to find ripe fruit, but less has been known about what role memory plays in sourcing foods of animal origin.
- A recent study monitored ant-feeding behaviors in savanna chimpanzees in Senegal, concluding that the apes also rely on memory to locate underground ant nests, rather than simply stumbling across nests opportunistically.
- The chimpanzees were also observed using tools and multiple senses to determine whether ant nesting sites were inhabited.
Has the Moo Deng craze helped wild pygmy hippos at all? (analysis)
- Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo, became an overnight sensation online. Videos of her were watched by millions.
- But conservationists say that popularity hasn’t resulted in any change on the ground for wild pygmy hippos, which are down to fewer than 2,500 animals in the wild.
- The Khao Kheow Open Zoo, where Moo Deng is housed, says it is working on a partnership with a conservation group to support research in the wild.
CITES secretariat urges suspension of Cambodian long-tailed macaque trade
- The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is considering a total ban on the sale of endangered Cambodian long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), and the CITES secretariat recommends suspending trade until Cambodian authorities outline measures to prevent wild monkey laundering through breeding facilities.
- This comes after Cambodian authorities responded to questions posed by the CITES animals committee in July 2024 regarding discrepancies between reported trade data and suspiciously high reproductive rates among captive-bred monkeys.
- The high birth rate among Cambodia’s breeding facilities suggests “that some regular supply of wild specimens was necessary (at least in the past) to maintain a high reproductive output at least in some facilities,” the animal committee wrote.
- Animal rights activists say this could be a game changer for the biomedical research industry.
As global genetic diversity declines, conservation efforts offer some hope
Genetic diversity within many species is declining globally, according to a recently published study. “Any threat that reduces the size of a population, or which causes a larger population to become fragmented into two or more smaller populations, can cause a loss of genetic diversity,” lead researcher Catherine Grueber, from the Conservation Genetics Specialist Group […]
Camera traps capture first glimpse of genetically distinct chimps in southwestern Nigeria
In a win for Nigeria’s only Indigenous grassroots conservation organization, camera traps installed in Ise Conservation Area have captured the first known video of a resident Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee. The individual, seen swinging between tree branches and feeding on figs, is a mature male in his prime, said Rachel Ashegbofe Ikemeh, founder director of the South-West/Niger […]
Lures that attract seed-dispersing bats could aid tropical reforestation
- Fruit-eating bats play an important role in maintaining forest health by being seed dispersers. For decades, researchers have explored ways to harness this capacity as a reforestation tool.
- One method has been to use fruit-derived essential oils to attract bats to deforested sites, where their seed-loaded feces may help stimulate regrowth.
- A recently published study goes one step further by using chemical compounds derived from those oils to attract bats. This new way of making lures could prove less expensive, so cheaper to scale up. But before such reforestation tools are widely implemented, more research and evidence are required.
- Long-term testing is needed to show that bat lures, and the seed dispersal they bring, markedly aid regrowth — a complex process that can fail due to seed competition with grasses and seed predation. Some experts say planted tree patches are better attractants; others say combined methods may work best.
How a Nepali border village learned to live with migratory wild elephants
- Once the epicenter for deadly human-elephant conflict, an eastern Nepal village along the Indian border has transformed into a model of coexistence.
- Villagers, once fearful, have adopted elephant-resistant crops and beekeeping, and through a rapid response team, they safely guide elephants away.
- Government policies, conservation efforts and shifting community attitudes have significantly reduced fatalities, with no deaths reported in the area since 2015.
- While Bahundangi offers a model for coexistence, villages along the migratory routes for elephants have become hotspots for human-elephant encounters, requiring the need for conservation corridors and education to mitigate conflicts.
Nigeria’s new coastal highway runs over communities & biodiversity hotspots
- Fifty years after it was first proposed, construction of a $12 billion highway from Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos east across the Niger Delta to the city of Calabar has begun.
- Nigeria’s government says the project will improve transport links and stimulate economic development across a densely populated region.
- The highway passes through or near several biodiversity hotspots, including two that are known to be home to endangered Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees and critically endangered Niger Delta red colobus.
- Worrying questions have been raised over environmental and social impact assessments for the highway as well as compensation for people who will lose land and property.
To conserve chimps, understand their genetic traits and local adaptations, says study
- Chimpanzees are adapted to live across diverse habitats in Africa, but little is known about the potential adaptation of chimps in different environments.
- A new study has found that these apes possess genetic traits that help them adapt to different habitat conditions, some of which may be protecting them against malaria.
- The scientists say that, as human activities and climate change continue to threaten chimpanzees’ existence, understanding their genetics and natural history enhances knowledge of how to ensure their long-term survival and conservation.
- Given their vital ecological roles, evolutionary significance, and precarious status, chimpanzee conservation is an urgent global priority.
Increase in gibbon trafficking into India has conservationists worried
- In recent months, seizure incidents of gibbons trafficked from Southeast Asia into India have increased.
- The growing demand for gibbons as pets is behind the increased trafficking, fueled by social media and aided by porous borders and weak enforcement of wildlife laws.
- Since the trafficked gibbons are caught from the wild, the process of capture causes deaths, disturbs gibbon social structures, and causes life-long trauma for those captured alive.
- In light of increased trafficking incidents, conservationists call for stricter law enforcement, improved training to detect wildlife crimes, increased awareness, and repatriation of seized gibbons to their countries of origin.
Rhino horn trafficker jailed in legal first on financial charges in S. Africa
A South African court has sentenced a Democratic Republic of Congo national named Francis Kipampa to 18 years’ imprisonment for his involvement in money laundering linked to illegal rhino trade. “It is the first time an individual has been successfully prosecuted for their role in the illegal wildlife trade linked to serious financial offenses,” the […]
‘An oval with legs’: In search of Tanzania’s tiny island antelope
- On Zanzibar’s second-largest island, Pemba, lives a diminutive antelope that hasn’t been officially recorded in at least 20 years.
- Its long absence has fueled fears the animal may have been exterminated from Ngezi Forest Reserve by hunters.
- In early December, a group of scientists and conservationists set up camera traps to try to find signs that this subspecies of the tiny blue duiker is still alive.
Growing conservation and community: Interview with Ngezi reserve chief
- Khamis Ali Khamis has a long career in community-led conservation in Tanzania’s Zanzibar archipelago, the last six years of them in charge of Ngezi Forest Reserve on the island of Pemba.
- He says the main challenge facing the 2,900-hectare (7,200-acre) reserve is maintaining a balance between nature conservation and resource extraction by the growing human population living around it.
- “The use of natural resources is always increasing, so we need to find an alternative way” to provide local livelihoods, Khamis tells Mongabay in an interview.
- He emphasizes the importance of planting the message of conservation in youths to help build a community that ultimately supports conservation.
1 lynx dead, 3 quarantined after suspected illegal release in Scotland
What started out as a reported sighting of a pair of Eurasian lynx in the Scottish Highlands has turned out to be an alleged case of “guerrilla rewilding” or, at the very least, illegal release of four individuals of a species long extinct in the area, media reports say. A pair of Eurasian lynx (Lynx […]
Smart tags reveal migratory bats are storm-front surfers
What’s new: Some bats, like birds, migrate long distances. But these long-distance bat migrations have been somewhat of a mystery to researchers, especially since only a few species embark on them. Now, in a new study, researchers have mapped the odyssey of common noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) using innovative tiny trackers. And the results have […]
‘Nightmare’ fire threatens iconic Madagascar national park
A mighty blaze in Madagascar’s Ranomafana National Park is menacing the home of the world’s rarest lemur species. Disastrous dry conditions have turned the biodiversity haven into a tinderbox. The park, one of the country’s leading tourist destinations, is a 10-hour drive from Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, and is also home to the prestigious Centre ValBio […]
Bonobo numbers in DRC park stable, but signs of decline appear
Bonobo populations in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Salonga National Park remained steady between 2002 and 2018, but there are worrying signals of decline, a recent study has found. For decades, Salonga has been known to host the largest known population of bonobos (Pan paniscus), an endangered great ape found only in the DRC. However, […]
Sweden’s wolf hunt starts, aims to halve population
Sweden has started its 2025 wolf hunt, with an aim to kill 30 wolves between Jan. 2 and Feb. 15. By the end of Jan. 2, hunters had shot 10 wolves (Canis lupus), according to Sweden Herald. Most recent estimates put wolf numbers in Sweden at roughly 375 by late 2023, a decline of nearly […]
Conservation corridors provide hope for Latin America’s felines
- Latin America’s feline species are losing their habitat and becoming trapped in small patches.
- Scientists are concerned about isolated populations and trapped individuals that are unable to migrate. This isn’t the only threat: reprisal hunting, vehicle collisions and the incursion of feral and undomesticated dogs into wild areas means that many cats could be on the path to extinction.
- Researchers say biological corridors are vital for their conservation.
Camera traps reveal first jaguar in northwestern Ecuador forests in years
Two separate camera-trap surveys have captured videos and images of jaguars in two different forests in Ecuador’s northwest, where the animal hadn’t been spotted for several years. Subsequent analysis confirmed that it was the same individual moving between the two forests, according to a new study. The first camera-trap survey by researchers from the Central […]
Road to recovery: Wild animals staging a comeback in 2024
Conservation news is often heartbreaking, with reports of dramatic biodiversity loss globally year after year. But in 2024, there were several reasons for cheer as well, with conservationists finding that certain species, once at the brink of extinction, are making a comeback. Here are five species that researchers confirmed were showing hopeful signs of recovery […]
‘Wild Frequencies’: Podcast miniseries from India explores wild animal sounds
Watching wild animals can be exhilarating, educational and a richly rewarding experience. But spotting wildlife and keeping them in sight is often challenging. So wildlife researchers are increasingly turning to learning about animals through the sounds they produce. A new podcast series by Mongabay India titled “Wild Frequencies” explores this emerging science of bioacoustics in […]
Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys were found in only two places on Earth. Now it’s one
- A survey to find the critically endangered Tonkin-snub nosed monkey in Vietnam found no trace of it in one of two remaining forest patches it was known to inhabit.
- The species was last seen in Quan Ba Forest in 2020; now, the Khau Ca protected area, home to about 200 of the monkeys, may be the last remaining habitat for the species.
- Conservationists are calling for urgent and greater efforts to protect the remaining population.
Great Himalayan leaf-nosed bat finally confirmed in Bangladesh
- Scientists have for the first time recorded the presence of the great Himalayan leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros armiger) in the country, adding to the known range of this widespread Asian insectivore.
- The bat, distinguished by its nose-leaf that’s important for echolocation, was found in a cave in the southeastern Chittagong Hill Tracts, a biodiversity hotspot in the country.
- This discovery adds a new species to Bangladesh’s bat fauna and offers insights into the distribution of bat species in South Asia, highlighting the need for more wildlife surveys in the country.
- While the cave is protected, experts warn that increased human activity in the area could pose a threat to the bat colony, emphasizing the need for ongoing conservation efforts to preserve these vital habitats.
Golden jackals thrive in mangroves of Indian megacity Mumbai: Study
The wolf-like golden jackal still thrives in some parts of India’s financial capital, Mumbai, according to a new study, reports contributor Sneha Mahale for Mongabay India. Historically, the golden jackal (Canis aureus) could be spotted in several areas of southern Mumbai, study co-author Nikit Surve, research manager at Wildlife Conservation Society-India told Mongabay India. “Today, […]
Photos: Top new species from 2024
- Scientists described numerous new species this past year, from the world’s smallest otter in India to a fanged hedgehog from Southeast Asia, tree-dwelling frogs in Madagascar, and a new family of African plants.
- Experts estimate that fewer than 20% of Earth’s species have been documented by Western science, with potentially millions more awaiting discovery.
- Although such species may be new to science, many are already known to — and used by — local and Indigenous peoples, who often have given them traditional names.
- Upon discovery, many new species are assessed as threatened with extinction, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts.
Nigerian authorities seize 2 metric tons of pangolin scales, arrest 1 suspect
On Dec. 5, Nigerian authorities seized more than 2 metric tons of pangolin scales in yet another effort to clamp down on the country’s booming transnational wildlife trade. Acting on intelligence provided by the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), an international NGO fighting organized wildlife crime, the Kano-Jigawa command of the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) also […]
Jaguar tracks still stained with blood in Bolivia
- In Ixiamas, an Amazonian town in Bolivia, community members are fighting to prevent jaguars from continuing to be victims of wildlife trafficking. Several jaguar deaths have been recorded between 2023 and 2024 but very little has been done to clarify the facts.
- Despite the increase in trafficking in jaguars and jaguar parts in Bolivia, there has been just one conviction, which was for the death of a jaguar in Santa Cruzand involved a Chinese citizen who was exporting fangs back to China.
- The Bolivian government has developed a jaguar conservation plan, which it plans to update next year. However, the project has not achieved the expected results.
As polar ice caps melt, how are ‘Christmas animals’ faring?
Between snowy winters and holiday songs, many animals come to mind during Christmas. There are polar bears wearing Santa hats and red-nosed reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh. Turtle doves and the partridge in a pear tree are also immortalized in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” But climate change and habitat loss are taking a […]
‘Killed while poaching’: When wildlife enforcement blurs into violence
- In October 2023, Mongabay traveled to Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park as part of a reporting series on protected areas in East Africa.
- While there, we heard allegations that Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers have carried out extrajudicial killings of suspected bushmeat poachers inside the park.
- Two weeks before our visit, a man was shot to death inside the park; his relatives and local officials alleged he was killed by wildlife rangers while attempting to surrender.
- The allegations follow other recent human rights scandals related to aggressive conservation enforcement practices in the nearby Congo Basin.
Officials pledge zoo review after Sumatran elephant is killed in Bali flood
DENPASAR, Indonesia — Conservation authorities in Indonesia have launched a review of the main zoo on the resort island of Bali, after an elephant there was swept away and killed in a flash flood on Dec. 16. ”We‘ll evaluate the management of wildlife, especially the remaining 14 elephants” at Bali Zoo, said Ratna Hendramoko, head of the […]
European Commission to review Greek oil activity permits in whale habitat
The European Commission will reportedly “seek clarification” from Greece about its recent approvals for offshore oil and gas activities in areas critical for threatened whales and sea turtles. That’s according to the NGO ClientEarth, which, alongside WWF Greece and Greenpeace Greece, filed a formal complaint with the European executive body in 2023 alleging that the […]
In 2024, Nepal faced old & new challenges after tripling its tiger population
- Nepal successfully increased its wild tiger population, tripling numbers since 2010, but this achievement brings challenges like human-wildlife conflict, habitat loss and balancing conservation with development.
- Growing tiger populations in areas with dense human settlements have intensified conflicts, creating hardships for communities living near protected areas and raising concerns about fair compensation for losses.
- Expanding infrastructure, such as highways through tiger habitats, poses risks like habitat fragmentation and increased wildlife-vehicle collisions, with budget constraints limiting necessary safeguards.
- Local communities relying on forest resources, especially wild edibles, face dangers from tiger encounters, highlighting the need for safer practices and improved community management.
‘Like you, I fear the demise of the elephants’
- There are nearly 9,000 inland protected areas across the African continent, covering 4.37 million square kilometers (1.69 million square miles).
- These protected areas are at the center of conservation policymaking by African countries hoping to safeguard nature and threatened wildlife.
- Under the UN Global Biodiversity Framework’s “30×30” target, the amount of conserved land in Africa would significantly expand.
- As part of a reporting series on this goal, Mongabay visited protected areas in three countries: Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.
Asiatic wild asses return to Saudi Arabia after 100 years
It’s been a century since an onager or Asiatic wild ass was last seen in Saudi Arabia. But in April this year, seven onagers were relocated from neighboring Jordan into one of Saudi Arabia’s nature reserves. One of the onagers has even birthed a female foal since then. “These are the first free running onager […]
Armed conflict, not Batwa people, at heart of Grauer’s gorillas’ past decline in DRC park
- The decline in critically endangered Grauer’s gorillas between 1994 and 2003 in the highland sector of Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo was due to the impacts of armed conflict, rather than the presence or absence of Indigenous communities, according to a new study.
- The finding, including recent analysis of forest loss in parts of the park where Indigenous Batwa people returned, challenges simple but competing narratives that the region’s Batwa people are either forest destroyers or forest guardians, say various primatologists.
- After the onset of the Rwandan genocide and Congo Wars, which drove an influx of refugees, poaching, hunting and mining in the region, estimates of Grauer’s gorillas dropped from about 258 to 130 individuals, only to rise again once the Second Congo War ended.
- Researchers and conservation authorities say conservation in Kahuzi-Biega National Park remains challenging, but that Indigenous people should be included in environmental stewardship.
Greater Mekong serves up 234 new species in a year, from fanged hedgehog to diva viper
- Researchers and local nature enthusiasts described 234 new-to-science species across the Greater Mekong region in 2023.
- Among the new assortment of critters are sweet-smelling plants, glamorous snakes, a dragon lizard, a psychedelic-orange crocodile newt, and several new mammals, including a mole shrew and a fanged hedgehog.
- The Greater Mekong is a fast-developing region of Southeast Asia, characterized by intensive agriculture, internationally significant inland fisheries and rapid urban expansion.
- As such, the newly described species and their habitats are under pressure from multiple threats, not least from the illegal wildlife trade that also flourishes in the region. Experts say consistent and concerted action is required to secure their future.
Vietnam’s mammals need conservation within and outside their range: Study
- Vietnam is a treasure trove of mammalian diversity: it’s home to the highest number of primate species in mainland Southeast Asia and a host of unique species found nowhere else on the planet.
- However, a new study reveals more than one-third of Vietnam’s mammal species are threatened with extinction at a national level.
- The researchers advocate combining field-based and ex-situ conservation measures to recover the country’s mammal populations.
- They recommend conservation managers focus on establishing captive-breeding populations of key conservation species, as well as strengthening protection of habitats and creating wildlife corridors.
In 2024, Nepal’s elusive snow leopards pounce into spotlight
- The year 2024 marks significant milestones for snow leopard conservation in Nepal, one of the animal’s 12 range countries.
- A snow leopard was found roaming the country’s plains and provided a home in the country’s central zoo.
- With the launch of a new conservation action plan, the government has initiated a shift in its approach to save the animal.
- Snow leopards also found their way into the popular imagination of filmmakers and even cricket enthusiasts.
Andes glacier melt threatens Amazon’s rivers & intensifies droughts
- A new study found that Andean tropical glaciers have reached their lowest levels in 11,700 years, with drastic consequences for the Amazon due to the overlap of the two ecosystems.
- The findings come to light as record droughts in the Amazon in 2023 and 2024, exacerbated by climate change, have severely impacted local communities, including food insecurity and lack of access to drinking water.
- The ice loss in the Andes could reduce the water flow to the Amazon rivers by up to 20%.
- Venezuela is on the verge of becoming the first country in modern history to lose all its glaciers.
Gum-eating Tanzanian monkey is AWOL, fueling extinction fears
- There have been no confirmed sightings of Tanzania’s critically endangered southern patas monkeys for more than a year, raising fears the species is edging ever closer to extinction.
- In 2021, there were estimated to be fewer than 200 southern patas monkeys left in the wild, restricted to the western portion of Serengeti National Park.
- Researchers have appealed to members of the public to record sightings of the shy but distinctive animals, but only two separate sightings were made in 2022, one in 2023, and none so far in 2024.
- The species is due to be featured in the IUCN’s Primates in Peril, a list of the world’s 25 most endangered primates, for the second year running.
‘Bear’s-eye camera’ reveals elusive Andean bear cannibalism and treetop mating
- Scientists captured the first-ever camera collar footage of wild Andean bears, revealing unprecedented behaviors, including canopy mating and cannibalism.
- The research team, led by Indigenous researcher Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya, successfully tracked a male bear for four months in Peru’s challenging cloud forest terrain.
- The footage challenges previous assumptions about Andean bears being solitary vegetarians and shows them behaving more like other bear species.
- While the bears face mounting threats from climate change and human conflict, researchers are combining scientific study with community education to protect them.
That Cuban rodent species you never knew about? Turns out it’s two species
- New genetic research of museum specimens has found that the large rodents known as hutias on Cuba are two distinct species, not one as previously thought.
- ‘Capromys pilorides’ inhabits the eastern part of the island, and ‘Capromys geayi’ is found in the west, split by nearly 2 million years of evolution, likely due to a once-deep water channel that also divided Cuba.
- Scientists say the conservation status of both these is least concern, but threats such as deforestation, poaching and invasive predators remain.
- The eastern species may be a candidate for rewilding in the Cayman Islands, whose native hutia was closely related to Desmarest’s hutia and went extinct after the arrival of Europeans.
The uncertain future of Amazon river dolphins amid historic drought
- This year, the drought in Amazon rivers is already worse than in 2023, when 209 pink and grey river dolphins were found dead in Lake Tefé, in Amazonas state, largely due to overheating of the waters.
- To avoid a new tragedy, local organizations have taken action in advance, establishing emergency operations with stronger monitoring, staff training and equipment acquisition.
- However, no dolphin deaths due to heat stress have been recorded this year; instead, dozens of carcasses of aquatic mammals have appeared in Amazon lakes as a result of another sinister effect of drought: increased interactions with humans.
Clouded leopard sighting raises questions about conservation and research in Bangladesh
- Clouded leopards occur in some South and Southeast Asian countries, but have fast been losing their habitat and, in 2021, IUCN declared the carnivore a vulnerable species.
- In Bangladesh, where there is no official record of the species, wildlife researchers studying other wildlife recently spotted clouded leopards in their camera trap footage, raising hope for their habitat conservation.
- Researchers have expressed concern about the lack of intensive research and conservation strategies for endangered species in Bangladesh.
Why are Canadian moose declining? Interviews with Indigenous communities offer new clues
- Ecologists are unclear why moose populations in Ontario, Canada, have declined by 20 percent in the last two decades.
- University researchers and Indigenous community biologists combined peer-reviewed field studies and extensive interviews with First Nations tribal members to explore the possible reasons.
- Both sets of data pointed to climate change as the key factor, but stories and observations from tribal members offered many other potential causes overlooked by Western science.
Killer whales have found new homes in the Arctic Ocean, potentially reshaping marine ecology
- The vast ice sheets that historically kept killer whales out of the Arctic Ocean are melting as the region rapidly warms.
- Two small, genetically distinct groups of killer whales now live in the Arctic, after migrating from more southern regions of the Atlantic Ocean.
- Killer whales put pressure on the local ecosystem, including Arctic whales important to Indigenous groups.
‘Missing’ tigers in India: Tracking gaps or oversight?
A curious case of missing tigers in India’s Ranthambore National Park has raised concerns about how authorities monitor and update fluctuating tiger numbers, and how they define “missing,” contributor Deshdeep Saxena reports for Mongabay India. In early November, Pavan Kumar Upadhyay, the principal chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden of the state of […]
Nepal’s rhino translocations to continue amid concerns over effectiveness
- Nepal’s government will continue the translocation of greater one-horned rhinos within Chitwan National Park to address overpopulation in the western sector, despite opposition from local tourism entrepreneurs citing potential economic impacts.
- The translocation aims to ensure a sustainable and evenly distributed rhino population, mitigate non-poaching-related deaths, and reduce risks from flooding and poaching in the western region, officials say.
- Tourism entrepreneurs in the western sector, however, argue that the relocation lacks adequate research, will harm local tourism-dependent economies, and say the western region remains the most suitable habitat for rhinos.
Study finds rare wolf feeding on nectar and spreading pollen
What’s new: One of the world’s rarest carnivores, the Ethiopian wolf, enjoys snacking on flower nectar, a new study has found. This wolf is, in fact, the first large carnivore documented feeding on nectar and leaving with a pollen-laden nose and mouth, possibly making it the only large meat-eating predator that also serves as a […]
Researcher discovers new role played by manatees, ‘the gardeners of the Amazon’
- According to a new study, the Amazonian manatee is a seed disperser; a researcher found germinating grasses in its feces.
- The discovery was made in Lake Amanã, in the Amazon, where 96 samples of manatee feces were collected; surprisingly, they contained 556 intact seeds.
- Manatees eat 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of aquatic plants a day and migrate long distances. This finding shows that the manatee is a crucial vector for dispersing seeds between fertile areas such as floodplains and nutrient-poor areas such as the swamp forests known as igapós; this activity enhances biodiversity in Amazonian environments, especially in times of climate change and environmental degradation.
- Despite its vital ecological function, the manatee is listed as vulnerable to extinction; Illegal hunting, facilitated by periods of extreme drought, is one of the main threats, along with climate change, which affects both their diet and their migratory routes.
‘Old’ animals offer wisdom and stability, need protection: Study
In many animal societies, elderly individuals are critical contributors to their species’ survival, a new study has found. That’s why wildlife conservation must account for older animals, researchers say. Keller Kopf, lead author and ecologist at Charles Darwin University, Australia, told Mongabay he wanted to counter the idea that “getting old is always a bad […]
Elephant seal colonies in Argentina face long recovery after ‘catastrophic’ avian flu
- Avian flu, also known as H5N1, spread through marine mammal colonies in Argentinian Patagonia in August 2023, nearly doubling the death rate among southern elephant seals in some areas.
- In a recent land survey, researchers found no new cases of the disease among the seals, signaling an end to the outbreak, at least for now.
- But they also found that the total number of elephant seals had decreased by as much as 66% in some areas, the direct result of the high mortality rates during last year’s outbreak.
- Colonies will only recover with undisturbed seasons of breeding and molting, as well as access to abundant food, experts said.
Microplastics are sickening and killing wildlife, disrupting Earth systems
- Animals across the spectrum of life are eating, breathing and ingesting plastics that leach toxic chemicals and have been shown to alter the function of organs and even cells in humans. Petroleum products — mostly oil and natural gas — are plastic’s base ingredient.
- As plastic breaks down to micro and nano size, it easily enters the bodies of all living things. It takes 500-1,000 years for plastic to break down, and scientists now question whether it ever fully degrades.
- Health studies on wildlife are extremely difficult and costly, but plastics are thought to threaten living thing, from zooplankton, insects, rodents, rhinos and frogs to clams, whales, snakes, wildcats and a host of migratory animals.
- Next week, the world’s nations meet to hopefully finalize a U.N. plastics treaty. After a brief unexplained policy flip-flop, the Biden administration continues siding with Russia, Iran and other fossil fuel-producing nations, and with the petrochemical industry, in opposing binding regulations limiting global plastics production.
Indigenous guardians embark on a sacred pact to protect the lowland tapir in Colombia
- An Indigenous-led citizen conservation project in the community of Musuiuiai in Putumayo, Colombia, aims to obtain data on the lowland tapir’s presence and understand the environmental factors affecting the species.
- According to spiritual beliefs, a divination from an elder in the 1990s pushed the community to move to a high-priority region for tapir conservation. Beliefs in the mammal’s sacred status supports conservation efforts.
- The lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is listed as vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN Red List; in Colombia, it’s threatened by habitat loss and hunting.
- Using a biocultural approach to conservation, Musuiuiai was named an Indigenous and Community Conserved Area (ICCA), whose members now hope to reduce tapir hunting in neighboring tribes through outreach and collaboration.
Camera traps reveal little-known Sumatran tiger forests need better protection
- A new camera-trapping study in Indonesia’s Aceh province has identified an ample but struggling population of Sumatran tigers, lending fresh urgency to calls from conservationists for greater protection efforts in the critically endangered subspecies’ northernmost stronghold forests.
- The study focused on the Ulu Masen Ecosystem, an expanse of unprotected and little-studied forest connected to the better-known Leuser Ecosystem, the only place on Earth that houses rhinos, tigers, elephants and orangutans.
- The big cat population and its prey likely contend with intense poaching pressure, the study concludes; their forest home is also under threat from development pressure, illegal logging, rampant mining and agricultural encroachment.
- As a key part of the Leuser–Ulu Masen Tiger Conservation Landscape, experts say Ulu Masen merits more conservation focus to protect the tigers, their prey populations and their habitats.
‘Historic’ decision for the Batwa & DRC gorilla park faces hurdles — and hope
- The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights determined that the eviction of thousands of Batwa from Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the 1970s was a human rights violation. However, months later, questions remain about whether and how the government will implement the commission’s 19 recommendations to address the situation.
- The return of Batwa to their ancestral lands in the park, paying them compensation and a public apology for all the Batwa suffered are among the key recommendations the Batwa and sources highlighted. Implementation would be challenging, but necessary from a human rights standpoint, they said, while breaking down the process.
- Researchers say there lacks evidence that modern-day Batwa are custodians of the forest and environmentalists highlight the need to build community-centered conservation projects that help Batwa live sustainably on their land in the park or find a balance that works for both the Batwa and park officials.
- The DRC and park officials have not yet commented on the possibility of implementation, but conservation authorities and the park’s partners and donors say they are taking steps to reconcile Indigenous rights and the protection of biodiversity.
Easy to catch, yet little known: Meet the Chinese mountain cat
- The Chinese mountain cat (Felis bieti) is a little-known felid found only on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in northwestern China.
- The species was first photographed in the wild in 2007, and until recently, very little has been known about its distribution and basic ecology.
- Researchers collected vital data on an active Chinese mountain cat den in 2018, while a recent study in Menyuan county, Qinghai province, managed to GPS-collar Chinese mountain cats for the first time.
- Recent genetic research highlights the growing threat posed by hybridization with domestic cats.
Bobcats are back, and they’re helping protect people from zoonotic disease
- In the last 125 years, bobcats have recovered significantly from extremely low numbers, with several million individuals found throughout North America today.
- Living at the interface of urban and rural environments, bobcats face many human-caused dangers, including loss of habitat to roam, automobiles, and rodent poisons.
- Bobcats help reduce the spread of diseases from animals to humans partly because they and other large mammals are poor disease vectors. Bobcats also prey on the small rodents that easily transmit pathogens.
- It’s legal to hunt bobcats in most of the United States. California, which has for five years closed the bobcat season, may reinstate hunting in 2025. Some researchers suggest that regulators should more carefully consider the role thriving wildcat populations play in protecting human communities from zoonotic diseases before expanding hunting.
New ‘Cali Fund’ plans to make companies pay for benefiting from nature
A new global fund for conservation seeks to make corporations share part of their profits of benefiting from using genetic data from animals, plants or microorganisms in nature. Named the Cali Fund, the new finance mechanism was born out of the recently concluded United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity summit, or COP16, held in Cali, […]
Gibbons found to perform dance routines akin to ‘the robot,’ but why?
- Scientists have documented scores of animal species that perform elaborate dance displays for a variety of purposes: from courting cranes to pair-bonding penguins and waggle-dancing honeybees.
- New research and video evidence show that adult female crested gibbons also perform captivating dances in both captive and wild settings.
- The funky sequences of rump, arm and leg twitches have in the past been likened to the human “robot dance” and hypothesized as fulfilling a role in gibbon courtship.
- Experts say improved understanding of the dance brings new insight into small ape cognition and social structures, which will ultimately help conservationists better design and implement interventions to protect them.
Genome study shows five distinct elephant populations in India
A study on the genetic history of Asian elephants in India has revealed that there are actually five genetically distinct populations in the country, more than earlier estimates. These populations were also found to have diverged from each other much earlier than previously thought, reports Arathi Menon for Mongabay India. India hosts some 30,000 Asian elephants […]
Paraguay’s pumas adapt, with some help, to a ranch-filled landscape
- The creation of two biological corridors linking Paraguay’s largest national park to other protected areas is boosting efforts to conserve pumas, jaguars and other wildlife in country’s northern Chaco landscape.
- Paved roads, habitat fragmentation due to the expansion of the agricultural frontier, poaching, and conflicts over livestock predation are the main threats to the area’s big cats.
- Regulations for achieving sustainable development in the region include a requirement to maintain more than 25% of native forests across each farm, and stiff fines for noncompliance.
Animals consume alcohol more often than previously known: Study
What’s new: Humans know a thing or two about drinking alcohol, but accounts of animals turning to booze have often been discounted as accidental, unnatural or rare. Researchers now argue in a new study that animals drinking alcohol, or more specifically ethanol, might be more commonplace in the natural world than previously thought. “We’re moving […]
Earthshot Prize names 5 winners working on environmental solutions
![Wild male saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) visiting a waterhole at the Stepnoi Sanctuary, Astrakhan Oblast, Russia. Photo credit: Andrey Giljov [CC BY-SA 4.0]](https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/08/16183224/Saiga_antelope_at_the_Stepnoi_Sanctuary-100x100-1.jpg)
The Earthshot Prize announced its five winners for 2024 at an award ceremony hosted and livestreamed from Cape Town, South Africa, on Nov. 6. The prize was dubbed “Planet Earth’s biggest celebration of climate creativity” at the start of the event. Launched by Prince William of the U.K. in 2020, the Earthshot Prize is awarded […]
Camera trap survey in Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains finds 108 species
What’s new: The first ever camera trap study from Cambodia’s Central Cardamom Mountains has captured footage of 108 wildlife species, including 23 that are threatened with extinction. This survey confirms the area’s importance as a biodiversity hotspot, a recent report says. What the study says: The Central Cardamom Mountain Landscape (CCML), part of the Indo-Burma […]
Mountain highland bats lack data, face climate threats: Study
Bats in mountainous regions are facing more threats and lack of data compared with their lowland counterparts, a recent study showed. Lead author Rohit Chakravarty in an interview with Mongabay said there is much to be learned about bats dwelling in mountains, which are known to host one-third of the world’s biodiversity and half of […]
Study finds bonobos more diverse, and more vulnerable, than previously thought
- Recently published research finds that bonobos show a much deeper degree of genetic diversity than previously thought, with the species split into three distinct subgroups that diverged tens of thousands of years ago.
- The study is based on a detailed analysis of the genomes of 30 wild-born captive bonobos, cross-referenced with more limited data from 136 wild bonobos.
- Separation into three genetically isolated groups means that each group is more vulnerable than a single unified population would be, and that loss of any of these groups would result in a significant loss of the species’ genetic diversity.
With rare mammal tourism, observing means conserving (commentary)
- Mammal-watching tourism has traditionally focused on large, charismatic species, such as the African ‘big five’ (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and African buffalo) or humpback whales in California and New England.
- But this is changing in recent years as some big cat species once considered impossible to see in the wild — like jaguars — have become major tourist draws, contributing to their conservation. “It comes as little surprise that people will pay to see big cats, but will they pay to see smaller, less well-known mammal species? Yes, it turns out.”
- As interest in mammal-watching grows, can any of the 6,500 other less iconic global mammal species also benefit? The authors of a new op-ed think so, especially when the tourism benefits are captured by local communities and private land-owners, providing direct incentives for them to conserve mammals, big and small, on their lands.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily Mongabay.
New brown bear ‘stronghold’ in Nepal redraws species’ range map
- A population of brown bears has been discovered in western Nepal, extending the species’ known geographical range and suggesting a potential “contact zone” between the Himalayan and Tibetan brown bear subspecies.
- Researchers from the Himalayan Wolves Project discovered the bears during camera-trap studies in the Limi Valley, which is rich in biodiversity but has seen limited ecological research compared to other regions of Nepal.
- The bears exhibit physical traits associated with the Tibetan subspecies, but genetic analysis is necessary to confirm their subspecies classification and determine if they’re hybrids.
- Research indicates that habitat for brown bears in Nepal may shrink significantly due to climate change, with predictions showing up to 82% habitat loss by 2070 if global temperatures rise by 2.7°C (4.9°F) by end-century, emphasizing the urgent need for conservation efforts.
As Nepal counts its snow leopards, even the best estimate is still a guess
- A committee of experts is combining various studies across different times and regions to estimate Nepal’s snow leopard population for the first time using new standards.
- Past studies varied in their methodology, often leading to overestimates due to sampling bias. The committee is integrating camera-trap and genetic data from fragmented research across Nepal’s snow leopard habitat landscapes.
- Unlike tigers, Nepal’s better-known big cats, snow leopards live in rugged, expansive habitats, making simultaneous surveys across all habitats impractical. Setting up extensive camera traps, as is done for tigers, would be costly and logistically challenging.
- Accurate population estimates are crucial for funding and assessing conservation impact, though the elusive nature of snow leopards means even the best estimate, backed by science, will still be an educated guess.
Local reps should lead Nepal’s conservation education: Interview with Anil Adhikari
- Author, journalist and conservationist Anil Adhikari focuses on grassroots conservation education by creating books for schoolchildren that feature local wildlife such as red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) and snow leopards (Panthera uncia), aiming to foster early environmental awareness and pride.
- Adhikari incorporates colorful illustrations and community-based stories in his books, making them more appealing and relevant for rural students whose traditional textbooks are often in black and white.
- He advocates for local governments to take responsibility for conservation education.
Langurs in Bangladesh face extinction as hybridization between species escalates
- Bangladesh is home to less than 500 Phayre’s langurs and 600 capped langurs in the rainforests in the country’s northeast.
- A recent study has unveiled a trend of hybridization between Phayre’s langurs and capped langurs in Bangladesh, which are listed as critically endangered and endangered, respectively, by IUCN.
- Hybridization is a vital indicator of ecological change, and researchers are raising serious concerns about the genetic health of the two species and their future existence in the wild.
- The study holds human activities such as deforestation, habitat fragmentation and hunting as some of the causes responsible for increasing the risk of hybridization cases.
Near-extinct North Atlantic right whales get a small population boost
The population of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale increased by five individuals, bringing the estimated total to 372 in 2023, according to an Oct. 22 report. The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) population has declined since 2011. However, the slight rise in recent years may signal some stability for these ocean giants, […]
Researchers track koalas using innovative airborne DNA detection tool
What’s new: Researchers have successfully detected the presence of koalas and other threatened wildlife species using new tools that allow easy collection of airborne environmental DNA, according to a recent study. What the study says: It’s often difficult, time-consuming and expensive to collect data and observe threatened wildlife like koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), small marsupials that […]
At Mexico’s school for jaguars, big cats learn skills to return to the wild
- In Oaxaca, southern Mexico, a multidisciplinary team is launching a program to return rescued wildcats to their natural habitat.
- The program is run by the foundation Jaguares en la Selva (Jaguars in the Wild) at the Yaguar Xoo sanctuary, where two wildlife enclosures have been designed for jaguars and pumas to learn to hunt and survive on their own.
- In 2021, the program successfully released two jaguars and is currently working to reintroduce two more jaguars and three pumas back into their natural habitats.
Search for new territory led Nepal’s ‘low-altitude’ snow leopard to get lost
- In January 2024, a snow leopard was found far from its usual high-elevation habitat, roaming in Nepal’s eastern plains — a region that’s the turf of the tiger.
- Researchers now conclude that the snow leopard, around 1.5 to 2 years old, likely lost its way during dispersal, a natural process in which young animals leave their birth area to establish their own territory.
- An analysis of the animal’s scat revealed the snow leopard had fed on blue sheep shortly before it was found, suggesting it had come from a higher altitude and ruling out the possibility that it had escaped from captivity.
Orangutan conservation and communication: Gary Shapiro’s half-century journey from zoos to the wilds of Borneo
- Gary Shapiro’s work on orangutan cognition and communication spans five decades, beginning with his pioneering studies teaching sign language to ex-captive orangutans in Borneo.
- His research evolved into a lifelong commitment to orangutan conservation, leading him to co-found organizations like Orangutan Foundation International, focusing on protecting orangutans and their rainforest habitats from logging and palm oil plantations.
- Shapiro advocates for “orangutan personhood,” emphasizing their intellectual and emotional capacities, and calls for global action to save both the orangutans and their critical habitats amidst the ongoing climate and biodiversity crises.
- Shapiro recently spoke with Mongabay Founder and CEO Rhett Ayers Butler about his work and the state of orangutans in the wild.
Nepal’s snow leopard conservation shifts focus from research to conflict mitigation
- Nepal’s new snow leopard conservation plan for 2024-2030 marks a shift in focus from research and monitoring to community engagement and conflict resolution.
- The plan has a significantly increased budget of $14.24 million and allocates 26% to combat illegal wildlife trade by improving intelligence, law enforcement, and international collaboration.
- The plan acknowledges the impact of livestock depredation by snow leopards on local communities, which can lead to retaliatory killings and exacerbate human-wildlife conflict.
- Nepal still doesn’t have a scientific count of the number of snow leopards in the country.
26 elephants from Namibia moved to Angola’s only private conservation area
- A translocation of 26 elephants from Okonjati Game Reserve in Namibia to Cuatir Conservation Area in southeastern Angola has just been completed.
- Private conservation areas are not yet an official designation in Angola, making Cuatir a pioneer of the approach.
- Southeast Angola has recently been highlighted as an area with a lot of conservation potential, but there’s still a lot of work required to make the region’s national parks viable.
- Proponents say private conservation areas like Cuatir offer another currently underutilized way to catalyze conservation in Angola.
Indigenous knowledge proves key in a study of plants gorillas use to self-medicate
- Seeking plants with potential medical properties, a team of researchers in Gabon looked to the practices of two distinct groups: traditional healers living on the fringes of Gabon’s Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, and the gorillas that live inside the park, which are known to host pathogens like E. coli without developing serious illnesses.
- The researchers interviewed Indigenous Vungu healers and herbalists about their medical usage of local plants, then followed gorillas in the park to observe which plants the apes also consumed, ultimately selecting four plant species to test.
- The bark extracts tested by the team were found to have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, as well as other bioactive compounds.
- This research, one expert says, highlights the shared evolutionary history of humans and gorillas, and the importance of preserving both apes and their habitats.
For ranchers in Costa Rica, jaguars and pumas become unexpected allies
- Since 2013, a joint project between Costa Rican conservation authorities and wildcat NGO Panthera has worked to tackle the problem of jaguars and pumas preying on ranchers’ livestock.
- Over the years, it has introduced measures such as the installation of electric fences and the use of predator deterrence devices that have brought down predation numbers and also improved ranches’ productivity.
- The project’s information system has registered 507 reports of predation by jaguars, pumas and other wildcats, and offers crucial data to identify the main areas where these cats live and design intervention programs.
- With more than 400 farms participating in the project, it has proved effective in reducing economic loss caused by predation and improving the relationship between ranchers and conservation authorities.
NGOs say EU Commission must act on Greece oil activity in whale habitat
Environmental NGOs are urging the European Commission to pursue their complaint about Greece’s approval of offshore oil and gas concessions in a crucial habitat for whales, after the executive body previously said the matter did not need it’s intervention. “The Greek state is persistently avoiding carrying out the required assessments on marine biodiversity and marine […]
Canine distemper likely infecting & killing Nepal’s leopards, study shows
- A recent study confirms that canine distemper virus (CDV) is circulating among common leopards (Panthera pardus) in Nepal, causing fatalities; this is the first documentation of live CDV in leopards, establishing a direct link to their deaths.
- Researchers analyzed tissue samples from leopards that exhibited symptoms such as difficulty breathing and seizures, collected from areas like Kathmandu and Dolakha; they identified the virus’ genetic material and confirmed it was the Asia-5 lineage of CDV.
- The presence of different sublineages (A, B and C) of CDV in leopards suggests they may have acquired the virus from multiple sources, including domestic dogs and wild carnivores, highlighting the potential for cross-species transmission.
- The researchers emphasize the importance of controlling CDV spread through dog vaccination, as vaccinating wild animals isn’t possible.
Fears of big, bad wolves behind India attacks are without evidence, experts say
Bahraich district in north India has seen a troubling spate of wild animal attacks over the last several months. Ten people, mostly children, have been killed, and another 35 have been injured. Village residents and forest officials say wolves are to blame, but scientists say there isn’t enough evidence to support this assertion, report Arathi […]
NGOs raise concerns over oil exploration in Republic of Congo national park
- NGOs are calling on the government of the Republic of Congo to revoke a permit allowing oil exploration in Conkouati-Douli National Park, the country’s most biodiverse area.
- They argue that oil exploration and exploitation will have a catastrophic impact on the park and local communities living in and around it.
- They also argue that the project runs counter to agreements reached with international donors to fund forest protection and breaks the Republic of Congo’s own environmental law.
Just 0.7% of land hosts one-third of unique, endangered species, study
Just 0.7% of the world’s land surface is home to one-third of the world’s most threatened and unique four-legged animals, a recent study has found. In the vast evolutionary tree of life, some animals, like rats, have many closely related species that are at no immediate risk of extinction. But others, like the red panda […]
We know how many okapi live in zoos. In the wild? It’s complicated
- The okapi, an endangered species that looks like a cross between a large antelope and a zebra, but is most closely related to the giraffe, is found only in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo and is considered an important cultural icon.
- The elusive ungulate faces more threats today than a decade ago, which was the last time a conservation assessment for the population was carried out.
- Armed militia groups, illegal mining, and a new trade in okapi oil for medicinal use have kept the species under threat and prevented scientists from being able to properly assess its population status.
- With scientists lacking reliable population estimates, a specialist group is now working to produce an updated conservation assessment within the next year.
Fishing in a fog: Ship noise hampers orcas’ hunting success
Underwater noise from ships is making it tough for killer whales, or orcas, to find and catch their favorite fish, a recent study has found. Orcas (Orcinus orca) rely heavily on sound to hunt. They emit ultrasonic echolocation clicks that bounce off objects. By listening for the echoes of these clicks, the orcas can identify […]
Sri Lanka completes first elephant census since 2011 amid uncertainty
- Sri Lanka recently carried out a three-day elephant survey by counting the animals as they visited watering holes across the country.
- It’s the first such survey carried out since 2011, when Sri Lanka’s minimum elephant population was estimated at 5,879.
- In the intervening period, a total of 4,262 elephants have died, many of them in conflicts with humans, so it won’t be clear until the results are published in a month’s time whether the population trend is up or down.
- Despite potential inaccuracies in the total count, the survey is expected to provide essential insights, such as the male-to-female ratio and the number of calves, which are key indicators of the health of Sri Lanka’s Asian elephant population.
Northern elephant seals likely used sonar ‘dinner bell’ to find food
When eight young northern elephant seals suddenly began showing up at a deep-sea observatory, researchers were taken by surprise. Their repeated visits to the research site, otherwise a speck in the vast, dark ocean, wasn’t a chance occurrence, a new study reveals. The mammals were likely drawn to the area by the observatory’s sonar pulses. […]
First-ever global atlas shines light on large mammal migrations
Every year, massive herds of large mammals take on arduous long-distance migrations to find food, favorable weather and a suitable place to raise their young. An international team of scientists has now launched the first-ever online atlas showcasing the migration paths of several hooved mammals, also known as ungulates, from around the world. The new […]
Amazon lakes overheat as record drought drives dolphin deaths
Severe drought and soaring temperatures are causing lakes and rivers in the Amazon to reach dangerously high temperatures, threatening species like the Amazon river dolphin, according to a recent study’s preprint. In 2023, the Amazon experienced its worst drought in recorded history, coupled with the hottest dry season on record. The extreme climate caused the […]
Highways prevent pumas from reclaiming their eastern U.S. range: Study
Pumas are unlikely to recolonize much of their historical range in the eastern U.S., a new study finds. It’s not a lack of habitat or food keeping out the pumas, also known as cougars or mountain lions. It’s the highways. Historically, pumas (Puma concolor) ranged coast to coast across nearly all of the Americas, stretching […]
Mysterious African manatees inspire a growing chorus of champions
- Cameroonian conservationist Aristide Kamla recently won the prestigious Whitely Award for his ongoing work to understand and conserve the African manatee, the least-known and understood of the world’s three manatee species.
- African manatees occur in rivers, mangroves, lagoons and coastal waters along the west coast of Africa. Difficult to see in the murky water, they’re challenging to study and conserve, and much of what we assume about them is based on knowledge of the better-known Florida manatee.
- The African manatee faces numerous threats: poaching, drowning as bycatch in fishing nets, landscape degradation, and dam construction all contribute to what’s believed to be its declining population.
- A slowly growing number of species experts are working hard to shine a light on the plight of the African manatee, in the hope that a more unified effort can change the trajectory of the African manatee’s plight in future.
More alarms over Indonesia rhino poaching after latest trafficking bust
- A recent rhino horn trafficking bust in southern Sumatra may be linked to a poaching network in Java responsible for killing 26 Javan rhinos since 2019.
- The arrest of a 60-year-old suspect in the bust highlights the broader crackdown on the illegal wildlife trade, including the use of cyber patrols to monitor online trafficking activities.
- Investigations have uncovered significant discrepancies between official rhino population figures and actual numbers, suggesting that many rhinos have disappeared due to poaching, despite government claims of population growth.
- Conservation experts stress the exclusivity of the rhino horn trade network and the need for specialized efforts to dismantle it.
Famous ‘spy’ beluga whale found dead in Norway
A beluga whale nicknamed Hvaldimir, who was initially suspected of being a Russian spy, was found dead on Aug. 31, according to Norwegian media. Hvaldimir’s body was first spotted by a father and son who were out fishing for mackerel near the port town of Risavika in southwestern Norway. “This morning, after receiving a sighting […]
Wildlife-rich mangroves suffer as Indonesia ramps up construction of new capital
- The development of Indonesia’s new capital city on the island of Borneo has resulted in clearing of mangrove forests that are home to threatened wildlife such as proboscis monkeys and Irrawaddy dolphins.
- The government has repeatedly claimed that the Nusantara project will be “green,” but experts attribute the ongoing deforestation to a lack of planning by the developers.
- With around 3,900 proboscis monkeys, Balikpapan Bay is a stronghold for the endangered species; but the new capital city’s footprint overlaps with 41% of their habitat.
- The government agency overseeing the project insists it’s doing what it can to mitigate the impacts on wildlife and ecosystems through planning, as well as cracking down on contractors destroying the mangroves.
Patents can serve as early-warning system for wildlife trade trends
Patent applications can reveal emerging trends in wildlife trade, a new study has found. From rhinoceros horns to pangolin scales, trade in wildlife is a highly lucrative business. In 2019, the legal global trade in wildlife was estimated to be worth about $107 billion. The illegal trade is thought to fetch between $7 billion and […]
As in India, tigers in Nepal may seek refuge in sugarcane fields
- A fatal tiger attack occurred near a sugarcane field in Nepal in August, raising concerns about tigers using sugarcane farms as refuge.
- Sugarcane cultivation in Nepal has expanded significantly, from 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres) in 1961 to 62,500 hectares (155,000 acres) in 2022, primarily in the Terai region where tiger populations have also grown.
- • Experts suggest that sugarcane fields may provide refuge or even habitat similar to tall grasslands in protected areas, potentially attracting tigers, especially weaker or dispersing individuals.
- While the phenomenon of “sugarcane tigers” is well documented in India, more research is needed in Nepal to determine the extent to which tigers use sugarcane farms.
‘Senseless’ U.S. trinket trade threatens distinctive Asian bat, study shows
- A new study reveals that small bats from Asia are increasingly being taken from the wild and killed to supply a burgeoning trade in bat-themed ornaments, a significant portion of which is driven by sellers and buyers in the U.S.
- At particular risk is a striking orange-and-black species called the painted woolly bat, which accounted for more than one-quarter of the online trade listings.
- Small bats have been shown to provide crucial pest-control, pollination and nutrient-cycling services in the forest ecosystems in which they live.
- The researchers urge government agencies in painted woolly bat range countries as well as major consumer markets, such as the U.S., to better control the trade by stepping up legal protections.
Nepal’s first community-based red panda conservation area sparks hope
- Nepal’s first community-based red panda conservation area has been established in the Puwamajhuwa area of Ilam Municipality, covering 116 hectares (287 acres) of temperate broad-leaved forests.
- The conservation area aims to protect the endangered red panda species (Ailurus fulgens), promote ecotourism and contribute to local community livelihoods.
- This initiative demonstrates the increased authority of local governments in Nepal following the 2015 Constitution, allowing for community-driven conservation efforts.
Sea lions with video cameras help scientists map ocean floor
For the first time ever, scientists have had help from sea lions in mapping the ocean floor. And the marine mammals have done their job well, capturing six different marine habitats, including algal meadows and reefs, that make up South Australia’s seabed, researchers report in a recently published study. For much of the planet’s ocean, […]
Three-legged lion makes the longest known swim across croc-filled water
Two African lion brothers recently broke the record for the longest documented swim across a body of water. The swim was made more impressive by the fact that the water was teeming with crocodiles and one of the lions has only three legs. The pair of African lions (Panthera leo), locally known as Jacob and […]
As Amazonian rivers recede under drought, manatees are left exposed to poaching
- Increasingly prolonged and intense droughts in the Amazon pose a deadly threat to the native Amazonian manatee, lowering river levels that expose these giant aquatic mammals to poachers.
- Conservationists warn that more frequent droughts will intensify manatee poaching, banned in 1967 (although manatee meat is still widely consumed across the Amazon) and still a major threat to the already vulnerable population.
- Experts urge stronger law enforcement to curb the sale and consumption of manatee meat, while conservation efforts focus on educating communities on the importance of the mammal to the biome.
- Despite the persistence of poaching, conservation and enforcement actions appear to have helped reverse the decline in the manatee population, although comprehensive population estimates aren’t available.
Federal court requires stronger protections for endangered Rice’s whale
A U.S. District Court in Maryland recently ruled in favor of a coalition of environmental groups, finding that a federal assessment of oil and gas activities’ impact on the critically endangered Rice’s whale was flawed. Rice’s whales (Balaenoptera ricei) were identified as a new species in 2021 after a dead whale with plastic in its […]
Sweden greenlights hunt of nearly 500 bears, a fifth of total population
Sweden has authorized the hunting of 486 brown bears in this year’s licensed hunting season that will run from Aug. 21 to Oct. 15. This quota represents 20% of the country’s bear population, officially estimated to be around 2,450 in 2023. By Aug. 22 afternoon, hunters had killed more than 150 bears, according to The […]
African Parks embarks on critical conservation undertaking for 2,000 rhinos
- African Parks, which manages national parks in several countries across the continent, plans to rewild all 2,000 southern white rhinos from Platinum Rhino, winding up John Hume’s controversial intensive rhino breeding project.
- The conservation organization needs to find safe spaces to translocate 300 rhinos to every year, as poaching of the animals for their horns continues.
- Potential recipient areas are assessed in terms of habitat, security, national regulatory support, and the recipient’s financial and management capacity.
- Earlier this year, 120 rhinos were translocated to private reserves operating as part of the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation.
Sumatran tiger confirmed killed by snare in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province
- Officials have confirmed that a Sumatran tiger was found killed by a snare in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province in late July, after farmers had reported encounters with the animal in human settlements over a period of around four months.
- The Sumatran tiger remains the most threatened tiger subspecies in the world, with fewer than 400 individuals estimated to remain in the wilds of Sumatra.
- Tiger species endemic to the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali were declared extinct during the 20th century following decades of hunting and deforestation.
- Researchers are calling for the various conservation and protected forests in West Sumatra and to unified into a single national park and for increased government regulation on snares.
From selfies to treetops: Thai NGOs rescue and release captive gibbons
- Thailand is home to four gibbon species, all of which are listed as endangered due to habitat loss and wildlife trafficking.
- Rescue, rehabilitation and release projects play an important role in protecting gibbon welfare and restoring ecosystems, but effectively rehabilitating and releasing gibbons is both difficult and costly.
- Two organizations, the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project and Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, have been rehabilitating gibbons in Thailand for more than 20 years.
Japanese ship hunts massive fin whale, country’s first in 50 years
Japanese commercial whalers recently killed their first fin whale in 50 years. The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), the world’s second-largest whale, after the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), can grow to up to 27 meters (88 feet) in length. Industrial whaling until the mid-1900s severely depleted their populations, and the species is classified as vulnerable to […]
Animal apocalypse: Deadly bird flu infects hundreds of species pole-to-pole
- The world is currently seeing the fastest-spreading, largest-ever outbreak of H5N1, a highly contagious, deadly strain of avian influenza. Scientists say this virus now presents an existential threat to the world’s biodiversity, with the risk to humans rising as it continues to leap the species barrier, reaching new host species.
- H5N1 has already impacted at least 485 bird species and 48 mammal species, killing seals, sea otters, dolphins, foxes, California condors, albatrosses, bald eagles, cougars, polar bears and a zoo tiger. Since it broke out in Europe in 2020, this virus has spread globally. Carried by birds along migratory pathways, it has invaded six continents, including Antarctica.
- This current H5N1 animal pandemic (or panzootic) was caused by humans: A mild form of avian flu carried by wild birds turned deadly when it infected domestic poultry. Many industrial-scale poultry farms adjoin wetlands where migrating birds congregate, facilitating rapid spread.
- The toll on some bird and mammal populations has been devastating. With continued outbreaks, some imperiled species could be pushed to the brink, with wildlife already fighting to survive against a changing climate, disappearing habitat and other stressors.
Javan rhino poaching saga reveals serious security lapse
- The poaching of up to 26 Javan rhinos in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park highlights critical lapses in security and conservation efforts.
- An investigation by Mongabay Indonesia discovered that the poaching was orchestrated by organized groups with access to insider information about rhino movements.
- The primary poacher, Sunendi, was caught with detailed maps and data on rhino locations, allegedly provided by a former park patrol auxiliary member.
- Despite some arrests, many questions about the full extent of the poaching operations and the fate of the missing rhinos remain unresolved.
Critically endangered North Atlantic right whale spotted near Ireland
A lone critically endangered North Atlantic right whale was recently photographed off the coast of Ireland, some 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) from its usual habitat in the western North Atlantic. It’s the first confirmed sighting there in several decades. There are an estimated 360 North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) today, living along the East […]
‘Lost’ snow leopard to remain at Kathmandu zoo, officials say
- A snow leopard found in Nepal’s lowland at the start of the year will remain at Kathmandu’s Central Zoo, officials have announced.
- The juvenile male has recovered from injuries it had when it was found, and currently occupies a temperature-controlled quarantine shelter at the zoo.
- A committee formed by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation recommended that the snow leopard should not be released back into the wild due to its prolonged captivity.
- Six months since its capture, there’s still no consensus as to how the mountain-dwelling snow leopard ended up in the plains, with theories ranging from natural dispersal to escape from traffickers.
Nepal’s railway rerouting plan to avoid Chitwan park sparks fiery backlash
- On July 14, residents of Bharatpur on the fringes of Chitwan National Park burned a vehicle of a survey team, mistaking them for officials planning a controversial railway project reroute.
- The government’s decision to reroute the railway through Bharatpur to avoid Chitwan National Park has sparked local protests due to fears of displacement and inadequate compensation.
- Bharatpur’s rapid development and population growth have heightened tensions, with residents demanding the railway be rerouted farther north to avoid their homes. But doing so may not be technically and financially possible.
Study finds 2,000+ species restricted to natural disaster-prone areas
Thousands of land animals could be at risk of extinction from earthquakes, volcanos, tsunamis and hurricanes, a recent study has found. In 2017, for example, when Hurricane Maria struck the island of Dominica in the eastern Caribbean Sea, it likely wiped out most of the 250 known individuals of a critically endangered parrot, the imperial […]
First-ever video of Amazon weasel recorded in Bolivia
Coffee growers in Bolivia recently chanced upon an incredibly elusive animal on their farm: the rarely seen Amazon weasel. This is the first time this species has been reported in Bolivia, researchers write in a new study. “What a brilliant discovery,” Kristofer M. Helgen, chief scientist and director of the Australian Museum Research Institute, who […]
Rhino poop draws all the deer (and boars and more) to the yard, study finds
- Researchers have discovered that a variety of animals, from spotted deer to rhesus monkeys and peafowl, are attracted to and consume rhino excrement in Nepal’s Chitwan and Shuklaphanta national parks.
- The study used camera traps to record animal interactions with rhino dung, revealing that some animals eat the dung, the plants growing on it, the insects near it, or use the latrine areas for other activities.
- The findings suggest that translocation and reintroduction of even a few rhinos in their historical range can contribute positively to the restoration of the ecosystem.
Tapir poop sites serve as salad bars for other animals
We may wrinkle our noses at the thought of eating at a public toilet. But in the forests of Brazil, tapir toilets are important buffet centers for various animals, new research has found. The lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris), about the size of a large pig, eats a diverse variety of fruits, seeds, plants, and leaves. […]
DRC’s golden-bellied mangabeys: A little-known but much-threatened monkey
- The Congo rainforest is home to one of Africa’s least-known and most threatened monkeys: the golden-bellied mangabey.
- Golden-bellied mangabeys form extraordinarily large troops of dozens of individuals, and field observations reveal a complex social structure reminiscent of that of humans.
- The species faces significant threats from habitat loss, hunting and illegal trade, with experts pushing for stronger legal protections, including an upgrade from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I listing.
- Conservation efforts are slowly gaining momentum, with priorities including law reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo, upgrading the CITES listing, and conducting comprehensive surveys to better understand the species’ distribution and ecology.
Where Javan leopards thrive, so do other wildlife, study shows
- Where Javan leopards thrive, the diversity and abundance of other wildlife species is also enhanced, a new study shows.
- Researchers used camera traps across Java from 2020 to 2022 to identify the richness of animal life in areas with more leopards.
- Many of these species, such as barking deer and wild boar, are leopard prey, while others, such as dhole wild dogs and Javan rhinos, aren’t.
- The study highlights the importance of targeted conservation strategies that also include protecting these other species and restoring habitats, to support the endangered Javan leopards and their ecosystems.
Trophy hunting of Amboseli’s super-tuskers in Tanzania sparks outrage, calls for a ban
- Trophy hunters in Tanzania killed at least five male elephants with tusks weighing more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms). These iconic residents of Amboseli National Park in Kenya are known to venture into neighboring Tanzania, which allows trophy hunting.
- Conservationists described a “gentleman’s agreement” that held until early last year, whereby hunters in Tanzania left Amboseli elephants alone when they crossed over into Tanzania.
- The 51-year Amboseli Elephant Research Project is the “longest study of elephants in the world,” making these elephants some of the best known in the world; they’re keenly tracked and intimately known by scientists.
- In a letter published recently in the journal Science, two dozen signatories called for a moratorium on the hunting of elephants from Amboseli National Park that enter Tanzania, saying elephants from this “unique” population must not be hunted “to feed egos or the financial interests of short-term gain.”
Thai tiger numbers swell as prey populations stabilize in western forests
- Camera-trapping data revealed in a new study show a steady recovery of tigers in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex over the past two decades.
- The tiger recovery has been mirrored by a simultaneous increase in the numbers of the tigers’ prey animals, such as sambar deer and types of wild cattle.
- The authors attribute the recovery of the tigers and their prey to long-term efforts to strengthen systematic ranger patrols to control poaching as well as efforts to restore key habitats and water sources.
- Experts say the lessons learnt can be applied to support tiger recovery in other parts of Thailand and underscore the importance of the core WEFCOM population as a vital source of tigers repopulating adjacent landscapes.
Regions with highest risks to wildlife have fewest camera traps, study finds
- Camera traps are widely used to monitor biodiversity and guide conservation actions, but a first-of-its-kind study finds the technology isn’t as prevalent in highly biodiverse areas that face the most threats from human activities, such as the Congo Basin and the Amazon Rainforest.
- Even in areas with a high number of camera-trap studies, nearly two-thirds were conducted outside the regions facing the highest risk of animal extinctions.
- Country income, accessibility, mammal diversity and biome largely determine the locations of nearly two-thirds of camera-trap research.
- Experts suggest expanding the network of camera-trap studies, building capacity among local research communities, and leveraging tools and platforms that help with data sharing and analysis to address these disparities.
‘Explorer elephants’ in transfrontier conservation area offer solution to tree damage
- In parts of Southern Africa, elephants engage in “hedging” by breaking off the branches of hardwood mopane trees, snapping their trunks in two or pushing them over.
- Consequently, large areas of mopane forest are transformed into shrublands, which a new study in Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou National Park says can threaten the habitat of other forest-dependent animals.
- Gonarezhou is part of a massive transfrontier conservation area, and some “explorer elephants” have been searching for routes to alternative foraging grounds in neighboring South Africa and Mozambique.
- But hunting and human settlements are creating a “barrier of fear” that stands in their way.
Madagascar lemurs, tortoises seized in Thai bust reveal reach of wildlife trafficking
- The recent seizure in Thailand of 48 lemurs and more than 1,200 critically endangered tortoises endemic to Madagascar underscores the global scale of wildlife trafficking networks that use Thailand as a transshipment hub.
- The operation was aided by intelligence from a joint transnational investigation between Thai law enforcement agencies and international antitrafficking organizations working to dismantle global wildlife trafficking networks spanning Asia, Africa and South America.
- Among the confiscated animals were ring-tailed lemurs, common brown lemurs, spider tortoises and radiated tortoises, all of which were suspected to be destined for illegal pet markets in Asia.
- While Madagascar authorities are keen to see the animals repatriated, experts caution that the country’s capacity to receive them are woefully lacking, and urge the government to step up law enforcement, combat systemic corruption and boost surveillance in Madagascar’s remote protected areas.
Camera-trap study brings the lesula, Congo’s cryptic monkey, into focus
- Only found in the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the lesula monkey (Cercopithecus lomamiensis) was first described by scientists in 2012.
- A 2023 Animals study finds that the lesula is mostly terrestrial, unlike the other species of guenon monkeys in the region.
- The study also finds that the lesula is active during the day, has a seasonal reproductive cycle, and lives in family groups of up to 32 individuals, with males dispersing out to form bachelor groups.
- Researchers say the Tshuapa, Lomami and Lualaba Rivers Landscape, where the study was conducted, holds incredible primate diversity.
Sick chimps seek out medicinal plants to heal themselves, study finds
- A new study concludes that chimpanzees displaying a range of ailments seek out plants with known medicinal properties to treat those ailments.
- The finding is important because it’s a rare instance where a species is shown to consume a plant as medicine rather than as part of its general diet.
- The study identified 13 plant species that the chimpanzees in Uganda’s Budongo Forest relied on, which can help inform conservation efforts for the great apes.
- The finding could also hold potential for the development of new drugs for human use.
Javan rhino poacher gets 12 years in record sentence for wildlife crime in Indonesia
- A court in Indonesia has sentenced the head of a rhino poaching gang, Sunendi, to 12 years in jail for killing six rhinos, as well as stealing camera traps and illegal possession of firearms.
- At trial, it was revealed that Sunendi tracked down the rhinos after drawing up a map of their likely locations based on the data from the stolen camera traps.
- The sentence is the longest ever meted out in Indonesia for wildlife crime, and conservationists say they hope it will act as a determent.
- However, the loss of so many Javan rhinos — Sunendi’s and another gang claim to have killed a combined 26 rhinos, out of a population of 70-odd — puts the species closer to extinction than it has been since 2012.
Fear and hardship for the last community inside Chitwan, Nepal’s tiger central
- Residents of Nepal’s Madi Valley have for the last half century lived almost entirely surrounded by Chitwan National Park, famous for its tigers, leopards and rhinos.
- While the wildlife are a major tourist draw for the park, for the community they’re a constant source of fear, with attacks on people, livestock and crops far higher here than elsewhere in Nepal.
- The fate of the community epitomizes the tricky balance Nepal has tried to strike between conservation efforts and community welfare, complicated by cultural and political factors and the broader history of relocation in the Chitwan region.
- Though many residents have moved away from Madi, the poorest have been left behind, with no choice but to eke out a precarious existence as intruders on their own land.
Poachers claim to have killed one-third of all Javan rhinos, Indonesian police say
- An expanding investigation into poaching of Javan rhinos suggests as many as 26 of the critically endangered mammals, out of a total population of 70-odd, may have been slaughtered by poachers since 2019.
- Police in Indonesia have arrested 13 alleged members of two gangs that they say were responsible for the poaching spree in Ujung Kulon National Park, the last place on Earth where Javan rhinos are found.
- Two other men, charged with fencing the horns, say they were destined for China; police say they’re aware of at least two Chinese nationals who may also be involved.
- Suspicions about poaching at Ujung Kulon have swirled in recent years, but the latest revelations suggest the Indonesian government’s widely criticized lack of transparency about rhino counts served to conceal the scale of the problem.
Elusive jaguarundi inspires biologists to share data across Latin America
- The jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) is a little-known small felid with a range extending from northern Argentina to Mexico. The last confirmed sighting in the United States was in 1986.
- H. yagouaroundi is found in a variety of habitats, but is thought to occupy mostly rugged areas with good shrub cover, including near agricultural lands. Unlike most other felids, the jaguarundi is active during the day, which can easily bring it into conflict with farmers who don’t appreciate its habit of raiding chicken coops.
- Like most small, noncharismatic cat species, there’s little funding to learn more about the jaguarundi. But researchers are developing new tools, for example pooling sparse “bycatch” data gathered by many biologists from camera traps in widely scattered places and modeling it to predict habitat use and population size.
- An ongoing IUCN jaguarundi assessment is using a Google Forms questionnaire to reach out widely to researchers, governments and NGOs, while also using easily shared social media tools. A detailed understanding of jaguarundi behavior is needed to assure it is conserved both inside and outside protected areas.
Mysterious, at risk, understudied flat-headed cat lacks conservation focus
- Little is known about the elusive flat-headed cat, a cryptic Southeast Asian felid that’s found in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and southern Thailand.
- This cat is endangered due to its habitat being converted to agricultural lands (including oil palm plantations), pollution and hunting. The small felid confounds researchers who struggle to capture it on camera traps, leaving huge knowledge gaps about its distribution and ecology.
- But collaring of the cat and tailored research is helping fill data gaps, with conservationists now planning range-wide targeted surveys and tagging efforts. Innovative research techniques, such as eDNA, could shed further light on populations, but these methods face their own implementation challenges.
- Protecting the flat-headed cat in the face of multiple threats requires more targeted research, much better funding, and specific targeted conservation action that is currently lacking.
Collar cameras shed light on quirky baboon diet
- A new study has found that chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) like to feed on antelope poop, especially during drier months when vegetation might be sparse.
- Researchers deployed collar cameras attached to four baboons in South Africa as part of a documentary film in 2017; they later analyzed footage from two of them.
- They also gained insights into how baboons were interacting with other species that share their habitat.
- According to the study, collar cameras gave researchers a “primate-eye perspective” into the animals’ lives, and could be used in the future to gain more insights into other behavioral traits.
On World Otter Day, an uphill struggle for these creatures in Nepal
- Severe degradation of Nepal’s rivers due to overexploitation has negatively impacted otters and other aquatic species.
- Dumping of raw sewage and industrial waste, leaching of agricultural pesticides, and rapid urbanization and infrastructure developments are undermining otter habitats across the country.
- The widespread damming of rivers coupled with unsustainable fishing practices have also reduced food sources for Nepal’s otters.
- The country is home to two, possibly three, otter species, but conservationists say funding and attention for the welfare of these animals tend to be overshadowed by that for Nepal’s higher-profile wildlife, such as tigers and rhinos.
Exploring the science of Asian elephants: Interview with Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel
- Nepali researcher Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel explores Asian elephant physiology and behavior in response to ecological challenges, emphasizing the importance of context and experience in understanding elephants.
- She underlines the need for cross-border cooperation and learning between Nepal and India to understand the behavior of the animals and to minimize negative interactions.
- She says future research needs to delve into zoonotic diseases and climate change impacts to prevent the extinction of Asian elephants and improve conservation strategies.
Max sentence request for Javan rhino poacher too low, experts say
- Indonesian prosecutors are seeking a five-year-sentence for a poacher who confessed to participating in the killing of seven Javan rhinos.
- Experts say that while this sentence is the legal maximum and would be the longest they are aware of for a poaching offense in Indonesia, it remains too low to serve as a strong deterrent.
- As the trial continues, another alleged poacher has also been arrested in Ujung Kulon, the national park home to all of the world’s remaining Javan rhinos, a population believed to stand at fewer than 70 individuals.
Otter-preneurs: Female sea otters lead the way in tool use for survival
- In Monterey Bay, California, southern sea otters face food scarcity as their preferred prey, urchins and abalone, have declined due to climate change, overfishing and other environmental factors.
- To adapt, some sea otters, particularly females, use tools like rocks, shells and even discarded glass bottles to crack open harder-shelled alternative prey like snails, clams and mussels.
- A study of 196 tagged sea otters found that frequent tool users, especially females, could consume prey up to 35% harder than non-tool users and had significantly less tooth damage.
- The findings highlight the importance of behavioral flexibility in the face of ecological challenges and underscore the need to protect the threatened southern sea otter population, which plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of coastal ecosystems.
Innovative Nepali PSA seeks emotional connection to save red pandas
- A public service announcement video featuring actors in costumes resembling red pandas uses a poem and theatrical performance to create an emotional connection with the audience, rather than preaching at them.
- Red pandas, found in Nepal, India, Bhutan, and China, are endangered by habitat loss, poaching and accidental snaring.
- The PSA highlights the interconnectedness of human survival and red panda conservation, aiming to foster a deeper understanding and lasting impact on younger generations, the producers say.
Messengers of the gods: Nara’s ‘sacred’ deer at a conservation crossroads
- Japan’s Nara city is famous for its sacred deer, protected for a millennium as “messengers of the gods” according to Shinto religious tradition, and today also a valuable tourism resource.
- In recent years, genetic analysis by Japanese researchers has found that Nara’s protected deer population has become genetically isolated over its history. But a nationwide deer population boom now threatens to end the Nara deer’s long isolation, potentially bringing diseases transmissible to humans, the scientists warn.
- In addition, deer overpopulation can harm farmers’ livelihoods and upset the balance of ecosystems. The Nara prefectural government is leading efforts to minimize community conflicts and ecological damage from both protected and “ordinary” deer.
- However, the researchers warn that even stronger deer management measures, including installing more deer-proof fences and expanded culling, may be necessary to address conservation and community conflict issues.
Hold my ointment: Wild orangutan observed healing wound with medicinal plant
- Researchers observed a wild orangutan in Sumatra treating a facial wound with a plant known for its healing properties, marking the first documented case of such behavior in a wild animal.
- The adult male Sumatran orangutan was observed chewing on the plant Fibraurea tinctoria, which has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects, and rubbing the resultant ointment on the wound, which later healed without infection.
- This finding supports the idea that orangutans might self-medicate, demonstrating their cognitive abilities and drawing parallels to human practices.
- Conservationists have welcomed the finding, highlighting its significance for understanding forest biodiversity and the urgency of protecting orangutan habitat amid declining populations and persistent threats.
Ridiculously rare photo catches Asian caracal swimming a river in India
- A tourist took a surprising photo of a caracal, a medium-sized cat, fording a river in India.
- What makes the photo doubly unusual is that India’s caracals aren’t known for swimming — and the cat was supposed to be extinct in the region.
- Once an important species culturally in India, caracals are now endangered, according to the IUCN Red List.
- The cat is also imperiled because it often occurs outside protected areas, inhabiting less-valued grasslands.
On foot and by drone, radio tracking helps rehabilitate pangolins in Vietnam
- Conservation NGO Save Vietnam’s Wildlife is employing radio tracking to follow rehabilitated pangolins rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, even in difficult terrain and when the animals burrow underground.
- Tracking these pangolins on foot and using a novel radio telemetry drone has not only allowed the organization to assess the survival of released pangolins, but also improved the team’s knowledge of the secretive animals’ behaviors and habitat needs.
- However, this radio-tracking work is vulnerable to funding challenges, as the expectation that conservation work result in published papers can make it difficult to find long-term funding for basic equipment like radio tags.
Saving Asia’s fishing cat means protecting threatened wetland habitat
- Fishing cats are uniquely adapted to life in wetlands, possessing a double-layered coat that serves as a water barrier and insulation, partially webbed feet, ears that plug when submerged, and a curious call reminiscent of a duck.
- Spread across Asia, this small wild cat species faces myriad threats, including habitat loss, hunting and retaliatory killings, road kill, and more. Considered vulnerable across its range, the felid is also elusive and underresearched, with many knowledge gaps about its distribution and ecology.
- Conservationists are working across its range to raise the profile of this wildcat, reduce threats and understand the species. Linking its protection to equally threatened wetlands is vital, they say. Initiatives such as the Fishing Cat Project in India have achieved success in making this cat the face of these habitats.
- Multiple conservation and research projects operate in Asia under the banner of the Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance, a cooperative model that provides funding lifelines and enables international collaboration to protect this small cat.
Indonesian company defies order, still clearing peatlands in orangutan habitat
- Indonesian Pulpwood producer PT Mayawana Persada is continuing to clear peatlands on critical Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) habitat, despite a government order to stop clearing.
- An NGO coalition analysis found that 30,296 hectares (74,900 acres) of peatland, including 15,560 hectares (38,400 acres) of protected lands, had been converted as of March; 15,643 hectares (38,700 acres) of known Bornean orangutan habitat were cleared between 2016 and 2022.
- Conservationists are calling on the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to revoke the company’s permits.
Education & research bring Rio’s dolphins back from the brink of extinction
- The Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) is one of the most common cetaceans in Brazil but also one of the most vulnerable, with numbers dwindling by up to 93% in the last 40 years.
- One of the worst affected regions is Guanabara Bay, in Rio de Janeiro, where Guiana dolphins face daily industrial contamination, sewage and noise pollution, causing chronic stress that leads to weakened immune systems and reproduction difficulties.
- A recently published study found high toxin concentrations in Guiana dolphins in neighboring Sepetiba Bay, which has significantly impacted the health of the population, the researchers found.
- Environmentalists are banking on research and education to help protect the species and consequently the marine environment. So far, a protected environment in Sepetiba Bay has helped stem dolphin mortality, and efforts are being made in Guanabara to clean up the bay, but more is required to restore and save the population.
Scientists collaborate to conserve the endangered Guiana Dolphins
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) is one of Brazil’s most common cetaceans, yet it faces severe vulnerability, with populations declining by up to 93% over the past 40 years. Key threats to these dolphins include industrial contamination, sewage, and noise pollution. These factors contribute to chronic stress, which weakens their […]
Nepal govt bypasses parliament to allow commercial projects in protected areas
- Nepal’s government has issued a controversial ordinance bypassing parliament to enable foreign investment in various sectors, including protected areas.
- The ordinance coincides with Nepal’s Investment Summit, facilitating projects like cable car routes and hotels within national parks.
- Details of the ordinance remain undisclosed, but it reportedly amends laws governing protected areas, allowing construction in previously restricted zones.
- Critics have expressed concern over the potential long-term consequences, questioning the impact on conservation efforts and local communities.
A single gang of poachers may have killed 10% of Javan rhinos since 2019
- A poaching case currently being heard in an Indonesian court has revealed that at least seven Javan rhinos were killed from 2019-2023 for their horns.
- The world’s sole remaining population of Javan rhinos lives in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park, with official population estimates standing at around 70 individuals.
- A single suspect has been arrested and indicted in the case, with three alleged accomplices still at large.
- The revelation from the recent indictment raises questions about security at the park, most of which has been closed off to the public since September 2023 over poaching concerns.
Navigating the rise in conflicts between humans and fishing cats in Bangladesh
- In Bangladesh, rapid village expansion shrinks wetlands, forcing fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) closer to humans. This triggers human-cat conflicts occurring every two weeks, with over half of them ending in a cat’s death.
- The main reason for the killings is fear. Locals often mistake fishing cats for tigers and feel threatened. Social pressure to participate in killings and revenge for livestock losses (often caused by other animals) further fuel the conflicts.
- Despite ongoing threats like infrastructure projects that fragment habitats, some hope exists. Government awareness campaigns and dedicated nongovernmental efforts are educating communities and finding solutions to promote peaceful coexistence with fishing cats.
Study challenges use of charismatic wildlife as umbrella species for conservation
- A new study from Indonesia’s Leuser forests challenges the traditional use of charismatic “umbrella species” like tigers and rhinos to represent ecosystem biodiversity.
- Researchers found that focusing on these well-known species neglects other important wildlife and may not accurately represent overall biodiversity.
- Instead, the study proposes a data-driven approach using camera-trap data to identify the most suitable umbrella species based on their association with higher levels of community occupancy and diversity.
- The study identified the sambar deer and Sunda clouded leopard as better umbrella species than tigers and rhinos in the Leuser Ecosystem, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive approach to wildlife conservation that includes multiple species, not just the most charismatic ones.
New calf, same threats: Javan rhinos continue to reproduce despite perils
- Recent camera-trap images of a Javan rhino calf, estimated to be 3-5 months old in March, demonstrate that the species continues to reproduce despite being beset by challenges.
- The species is confined to a single habitat, and while its population is officially estimated at more than 70 individuals, a report last year cast doubt on those figures, alleging that 18 of those rhinos had not been spotted on camera for years.
- The peninsula of Ujung Kulon National Park, where all Javan rhinos live, has been closed to all visitors since September 2023 after poaching activity was detected.
Sierra Leone cacao project boosts livelihoods and buffers biodiversity
- The Gola rainforest in West Africa, a biodiversity hotspot, is home to more than 400 species of wildlife, including endemic and threatened species, and more than 100 forest-dependent communities living just outside the protected Gola Rainforest National Park and dependent on the forest for their livelihoods.
- In the last few decades, logging, mining, poaching and expanding agriculture have driven up deforestation rates and habitat loss for rainforest-dependent species, prompting a voluntary REDD+ carbon credit program in 2015 to incentivize conservation and provide alternative livelihoods.
- One activity under the REDD+ project is shade-grown cacao plantations, which provide a wildlife refuge while generating income for cacao farmers in the region.
- Independent evaluations have found that the REDD+ program has slowed deforestation, increased household incomes, and avoided 340,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually — all while enjoying support from local communities.
Malawi police arrest elephant poachers in Kasungu National Park
- Police and wildlife authorities in Malawi have arrested two men suspected of having killed an elephant in Kasungu National Park.
- Residents of villages just outside the park’s boundaries informed police about two men selling elephant meat, who were subsequently found in possession of 16.6 kg (36.6 lbs) of ivory.
- Kasungu forms part of a transfrontier conservation area that extends into Zambia, a previous poaching hotspot where authorities have spent the past five years strengthening enforcement in collaboration with the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
- In July 2022, 263 elephants were translocated to Kasungu from Liwonde National Park in southern Malawi; communities have reported increased raids by elephants on farms and granaries since then, with four people killed by elephants between July and October.
Climate change could drive mammal extinction in Brazil’s Caatinga, study warns
- According to a new study, 91.6% of terrestrial mammal communities in the Caatinga will lose species by 2060, with 87% of them being deprived of their habitats if the temperature in the region increases by at least 2°C.
- Small mammals will suffer the strongest impact, and some species may disappear from the biome, such as the giant anteater and the giant armadillo.
- In addition to more drought and rising temperatures, deforestation caused by wind farms also threatens some species, such as the jaguar.
- In a previous study, the same researchers had warned that 99% of plant communities in the Caatinga will lose species by 2060.
On the trail of Borneo’s bay cat, one of the world’s most mysterious felines
- The bay cat, named for its brownish-red coat, is arguably the most elusive of all the world’s wildcats. And among the most endangered.
- The bay cat is the only feline endemic to Borneo. Researchers — some of whom have never seen the cat in the wild — say it is potentially threatened by habitat loss and killings by locals, with accidental snaring another possible major cause of loss.
- But the biggest threat may be ignorance. In order to better protect this species, researchers urgently need to figure out: Why is it so rare? And why is it vanishing?
- Jim Sanderson, the world’s leading expert on wildcats, suggests research on the bay cat should focus on why it’s so uncommon, what is causing its decline, and how to reduce those threats. Then conservationists can make a viable plan to protect it.
Bonobos, the ‘hippy apes’, may not be as peaceful as once thought
- Bonobos have a reputation of being the hippies of the ape world, due to their propensity to “make love, not war.”
- But a new study reveals that bonobos, found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo, may not be as peaceful as once thought.
- Researchers discovered aggressive acts between bonobos from the same group exceeded those recorded among chimpanzees, and that aggressive male bonobos were more successful in mating.
- The study provides a more nuanced analysis of these endangered apes, but also highlights the need to protect them from hunting and habitat loss.
Jane Goodall celebrates her 90th birthday with Mongabay
In this special episode of Mongabay Sessions, Mongabay founder Rhett Butler celebrates Jane Goodall’s 90th birthday with an inspiring conversation. They delve into a range of topics, including conservation, hope, empathy, and collaboration. Jane reflects on her field experiences, underscores the vital role of hope amidst environmental challenges, and advocates for a compassionate approach towards […]
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