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Pete Brosius brought Penan forest stewardship in Sarawak into court 22 Aug 2026 14:03:04 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/pete-brosius-brought-penan-forest-stewardship-into-court/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: In the early 1990s, the logging roads running through Sarawak’s Upper Baram became the site of a bitter confrontation. Penan families built wooden barricades and faced off bulldozers, timber trucks, and state security forces. As the protests drew international attention, the government of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud restricted media access and portrayed the Penan as backward people manipulated by foreign activists. International NGOs presented them as forest dwellers engaged in a timeless struggle to protect an untouched Eden. Pete Brosius, an anthropologist who conducted research with the Penan for four decades, spent much of his career complicating both versions. Brosius died on July 29th at 72. He had already spent years in Sarawak by the time the logging conflict attracted international attention. His research showed that Penan responses to logging varied substantially between communities. Some resisted through blockades. Others negotiated or sought compensation and employment. For Brosius, those differences reflected distinct histories and relationships. Penan people were making their own decisions under difficult circumstances, rather than simply following the direction of foreign activists. That argument put him at odds not only with the Sarawak government and timber interests, but also at times with environmental campaigners. In a series of papers, Brosius examined how international campaigns changed the way Penan culture and environmental knowledge were described. Complex local disputes over land and political power could become simpler stories designed for audiences in Europe and North America. Brosius argued that this could come at a cost. If Indigenous people were presented…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: In the early 1990s, the logging roads running through Sarawak’s Upper Baram became the site of a bitter confrontation. Penan families built wooden barricades and faced off bulldozers, timber trucks, and state security forces. As the protests drew international attention, the government of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud restricted media access and portrayed the Penan […] authors: | ||
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Hands On series: stories that build change 22 Aug 2026 08:59:45 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/hands-on-series-stories-that-build-change/ author: Lucia Torres dc:creator: Lucia Torres content:encoded: How does a community adapt to challenging times? A tiny home built to withstand floods. Ancient floating gardens bringing a canal back to life. Giant fishing nets and the people working to protect a threatened tradition. Across Bangladesh, Mexico and Thailand, communities are finding practical ways to protect their homes, food systems, waterways and livelihoods. In Bangladesh, families are building simple, flood-resistant homes designed to keep people and food supplies safe during intense monsoon seasons. In Mexico City, farmers in Xochimilco are restoring ancient floating gardens to support cleaner waterways, local food production and habitat for the endangered axolotl. In Thailand, fishers and researchers are mapping their lake and creating fish shelters as they work to protect a distinctive giant lift-net fishing tradition affected by pollution.These are the stories in Hands On: Stories That Build Change, a Mongabay video series exploring community-led environmental action in a changing world.This article was originally published on Mongabay description: How does a community adapt to challenging times? A tiny home built to withstand floods. Ancient floating gardens bringing a canal back to life. Giant fishing nets and the people working to protect a threatened tradition. Across Bangladesh, Mexico and Thailand, communities are finding practical ways to protect their homes, food systems, waterways and livelihoods. […] authors: | ||
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Art and science must come together for coral reef conservation, biologists argue 21 Aug 2026 20:00:16 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/art-and-science-must-come-together-for-coral-reef-conservation-biologists-argue/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: David Brown content:encoded: Art and science can work together to raise public awareness and propel conservation efforts needed to safeguard coral reef ecosystems, a group of coral scientists argues in a new research article published in Science Advances. Coral reefs are among Earth’s most threatened ecosystems amid climate change, coral bleaching and threats from mining. However, most people rarely see or think about corals. The study argues that artists can help shine a light on coral fragility and the resilience of nature. “Artistic interventions can render the largely unseen underwater world into something visible and accessible,” the authors note. “When paired with scientific data, interactive design, and clear calls to action, coral-inspired art installations in cities worldwide can amplify public understanding and galvanize support.” They argue music, dance, film and visual art can help corals get noticed. However, many initiatives to address the coral reef crisis are often local or disconnected from one another. “While these projects successfully blend ecological restoration with public engagement, their impact is usually limited to specific regions,” the article notes. However, article co-author Monica Medina, a biology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the U.S. told Mongabay in an email that local art can also take the global stage. She offered the example of Jalimer, a young Champeta musician in Colombia. Champeta is a local genre of music from the Colombian Caribbean, similar to reggaeton. “I spoke with him [Jalimer] near one of my field sites, about how Champeta could play a role in changing…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Art and science can work together to raise public awareness and propel conservation efforts needed to safeguard coral reef ecosystems, a group of coral scientists argues in a new research article published in Science Advances. Coral reefs are among Earth’s most threatened ecosystems amid climate change, coral bleaching and threats from mining. However, most people […] authors: | ||
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Move over bears. Fat Marmot Week puts a spotlight on the alpine rodents 21 Aug 2026 17:33:16 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/move-over-bears-fat-marmot-week-puts-a-spotlight-on-the-alpine-rodents/ author: Mongabay Editor dc:creator: Associated Press content:encoded: GOTHIC, Colo. (AP) — Fat Marmot Week is coming soon. Last winter was tough for the groundhog-like rodents living in the Colorado mountains. Researchers say there wasn’t enough snow to keep marmots’ burrows warm while they hibernated, causing many of the animals to freeze to death. The marmots that survived are doing well. They’ve fattened up, gaining the critical weight they need to make it through next winter. To drum up interest in their work, marmot researchers are launching an online contest for the public to vote for their favorite critter — Fat Marmot Week. It begins Monday. Researchers swab the cheek of a marmot Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Gothic, Colo. Image courtesy of Brittany Peterson via Associated Press. Columbia University undergraduate student Isabel Norman, left, learns how to weigh a marmot under the supervision of Katie Adler, a doctoral student at the University of California, Los Angeles, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Gothic, Colo. Image courtesy of Brittany Peterson via Associated Press. By Brittany Peterson and Mead Gruver, Associated Press Banner image: A marmot named 9 sits outside of her den Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Gothic, Colo. Image courtesy of Brittany Peterson via Associated Press. This article was originally published on Mongabay description: GOTHIC, Colo. (AP) — Fat Marmot Week is coming soon. Last winter was tough for the groundhog-like rodents living in the Colorado mountains. Researchers say there wasn’t enough snow to keep marmots’ burrows warm while they hibernated, causing many of the animals to freeze to death. The marmots that survived are doing well. They’ve fattened […] authors: | ||
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Angola’s peatlands highly underestimated, new study suggests 21 Aug 2026 17:28:45 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/angolas-peatlands-highly-underestimated-new-study-suggests/ author: Malavikavyawahare dc:creator: Victoria Schneider content:encoded: The Southwestern African nation of Angola has much more peatland than previously thought, new research suggests. In a study published on August 20 in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, researchers mapped out peatlands in the Angolan Highlands Water Tower (AHWT). This vast landscape stores and regulates freshwater in central Angola and feeds freshwater systems across southern Africa including the Okavango Basin. The researchers estimate that overall peatlands cover between 2.28–2.94 % of the of the AHWT. They found 8,662 km² (3,344 square miles) of peatland cover with high certainty (81–100% probability) and 11,167 km² (4,311 square miles) with low certainty (51–100% probability). Peatlands are areas of land where the surface layer consists of plant material that has partially decomposed. According to the study, they cover around three per cent of the world’s land surface but are estimated to store up to a third of the world’s soil carbon. In October 2025, Angola designated an area of 53,000 km² (20,463 square miles) in the AHWT as the country’s first Ramsar Site or Wetland of International Importance. The site was selected due to its sponge effect which absorbs, retains, filters, and ultimately supplies freshwater into the rivers that carry water to wetlands far and wide. A water tower is a highland area that produces a large amount of water, relative to its spatial scope. Study author Mauro Lourenço collecting the peat material during the research for this study. Image courtesy of Jennifer Guyton. One of them is the Okavango Delta in…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - New research mapping out the Angolan Highlands Water Tower (AWHT), a stretch of elevated plateau spanning 380,382 km², finds that a significantly larger portion of the region hosts peatland than previously thought. - The findings show that the AWHT, named thus because it receives and regulates vast amounts of rainwater, and because it feeds important freshwater systems across southern Africa, is also a critical carbon sink. - The research can inform national carbon policies and conservation strategies for these peatlands which store thousands of years-old carbon, experts said. - The biggest threats to the AHWT’s peatlands are human-made including slash and burn agriculture and the unsustainable use of peat — partially decomposed plant material that builds up in waterlogged soils — which result in the release of CO2. authors: | ||
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How ‘gentle power’ can preserve traditional biodiversity in Tokyo 21 Aug 2026 15:58:20 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/how-gentle-power-can-preserve-traditional-biodiversity-in-tokyo/ author: Morgan Erickson-Davis dc:creator: Annelise Giseburt content:encoded: The Zushi-Onoji Historical and Environmental Conservation Area nestles among Tokyo’s sprawling western suburbs. The area provides habitat for endangered species and a space to pass on traditional ecological knowledge of satoyama, Japanese rural landscapes that have been shaped by centuries of human activity. A recent study of a conservation initiative in Tokyo, Japan, explores how citizens and local government can adapt existing frameworks to maintain traditional landscapes rich in biodiversity. Coining the term “gentle power” to denote “influence based on mutual trust and collaboration,” the paper was published in March in the journal Frontiers in Water. It chronicles the contentious beginnings and eventual collaborative transformation of the Zushi-Onoji Historical and Environmental Conservation Area, nestled among Tokyo’s sprawling suburbs. The area provides habitat for endangered species and a space to pass on traditional ecological knowledge of satoyama, Japanese rural landscapes that have been shaped by centuries of human activity. Today, satoyama landscapes are widely valued for their biodiversity, as many of Japan’s plants and animals have adapted to satoyama over the centuries. However, both urban development and shifts away from traditional land uses have led to a decline in satoyama — and the organisms that call them home — since the mid-1900s. To stem this decline, Japan’s national and local governments have invested in satoyama conservation. However, the “gentle power” study cautions that top-down conservation initiatives may see limited success if they lack community input and don’t adapt accordingly — a pattern seen in Japan and around the world. Volunteers carry…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - In Japan, satoyama are rural landscapes with natural attributes that have also been shaped by centuries of human activity. - Tokyo’s satoyama provide habitat for many kinds of animals, including ecologically sensitive amphibians. - A recent study examined a satoyama conservation initiative in Tokyo, finding that it succeeded by prioritizing mutual trust and collaboration — an approach the study defines as “gentle power”. - Yet, some say this approach, which is based on volunteer participation, can stagnate as the volunteers are typically older, leading to the challenge of “how to pass this on to the younger generation.” authors: | ||
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Southeast Asia is a hotspot for oak trees, many under ‘dire threat’ 21 Aug 2026 15:40:59 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/southeast-asia-is-a-hotspot-for-oak-trees-many-under-dire-threat/ author: Isabel Esterman dc:creator: Sean Mowbray content:encoded: Southeast and East Asia may be famous for towering dipterocarps or massive conifers, but a new report highlights that the region is also home to more threatened oak species than anywhere else in the world. “While it may not be the region that first comes to mind when we think of oaks, it’s a really important region for oak biodiversity and as a result, oak conservation,” study author Kate Good, a research manager at The Morton Arboretum, told Mongabay in an interview. There are 430 oak species globally and 172 of those occur within Southeast Asia and East Asia. Researchers examined 54 threatened or data deficient oak species found in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Timor-Leste, Korea, Japan and Taiwan. “Many of these species are under dire threat,” Good said. The report found that 46 of 54 oak species surveyed faced “very high” or “high” human pressure in over 50% of their range in 2024. “One of the goals of this report was to really raise the alarm about the urgent need for oak conservation in Asia,” she said. Expansion of agriculture, notably wood and pulp plantations, is a major threat to two-thirds of the species analyzed in the report. Oil palm and rubber plantations also pose a threat, Good said. Other threats identified include small population sizes, ongoing infrastructure and urban development, and climate change. Acorns of the Quercus austrocochinchinensis oak tree, a critically endangered species. Conservation efforts should include collection and propagation of acorns…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - A recent report sheds light on Southeast Asia’s important oak tree diversity and underlines that many of these species are highly threatened. - Many threatened oak species in the region have limited distribution data, lack protected area coverage and aren’t found in ex situ collections. - The report authors are calling for surveys targeted at oaks, expansion of protected areas, and propagation of seedlings for restoration. authors: | ||
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Spain proposes 23 new marine protected areas in the Canary Islands and Mediterranean 21 Aug 2026 14:28:46 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/spain-proposes-23-new-marine-protected-areas-in-the-canary-islands-and-mediterranean/ author: Autumn Spanne dc:creator: Francesco De Augustinis content:encoded: The Spanish government has launched a consultation process to establish 23 new marine protected areas (MPAs) in Canary Islands waters and the Mediterranean Sea as part of efforts to meet a national commitment to protect 30% of its waters by 2030. The proposal, put forward by Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) in July, aims to protect 22,405 square kilometers (8,651 square miles) of marine waters primarily in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean around the Canary Islands, part of a region known as Macaronesia. It also covers areas of the Mediterranean off the coasts of Valencia, Almería, Granada and the Balearic island of Mallorca. The proposal includes 21 new sites of community importance (SCIs) under the Natura 2000 network. Seventeen of these are in Canary Islands waters covering 2,209 km2 (853 mi2), while four more in the Mediterranean Sea will cover 5,341 km2 (2,062 mi2). In addition, two new special protection areas (SPAs) will cover 14,855 km2 (5,736 mi2) of offshore waters around the Canary Islands. The plan, the ministry writes in the proposal, “will increase the area of marine waters under Spanish sovereignty or jurisdiction that are protected by 2.08 percentage points, bringing the total to 24.53%.” The proposal is now open for public consultation until Sept. 15. The black coral Antipathella wollastoni provides structure for biodiversity-rich marine animal forests in rocky seabeds near the Canary Islands. The species and the ecosystems it supports are vulnerable to overfishing, climate change, marine pollution and coastal…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The proposal represents Spain’s latest effort to advance protection of 30% of its waters by 2030. - It looks to protect 22,405 square kilometers (8,651 square miles) of marine waters, primarily in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean around the Canary Islands, as well as four sites in the Mediterranean Sea. - Conservation groups have raised concerns in recent years about the state of Spain’s marine protected areas, highlighting a significant discrepancy between areas designated “on paper” and those that are subject to effective protection. authors: | ||
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Hands On: Stories that build change 21 Aug 2026 13:59:47 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/specials/2026/08/hands-on-solutions/ author: Alejandroprescottcornejo dc:creator: content:encoded: Communities across the globe are responding to environmental pressures like climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution with local knowledge and practical action. This Mongabay multimedia Special Issue documents what communities are doing to adapt through hands-on activities—showcasing applied wisdom, craftsmanship, and worldviews that are crucial to navigating environmental crises at the local levelThis article was originally published on Mongabay description: Communities across the globe are responding to environmental pressures like climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution with local knowledge and practical action. This Mongabay multimedia Special Issue documents what communities are doing to adapt through hands-on activities—showcasing applied wisdom, craftsmanship, and worldviews that are crucial to navigating environmental crises at the local level authors: | ||
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Reconnecting the skies: Linking flyways for migratory seabirds across continents 21 Aug 2026 13:22:21 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/reconnecting-the-skies-linking-flyways-for-migratory-seabirds-across-continents/ author: Sharon Guynup dc:creator: Ruth Kamnitzer content:encoded: Arctic terns make the longest migration of any creature on Earth, with some Sterna paradisaea clocking more than 80,000 kilometers (49,709 miles) a year, flying from the Southern Ocean to their breeding grounds in the Arctic — and back. For a tiny bird, weighing less than an iPhone, it’s an astounding feat. South polar skuas (Stercorarius maccormicki) trace a similar figure eight around the Atlantic Ocean as they move between breeding colonies on Antarctic islands and the Arctic. In the Southern Ocean, grey-headed albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) breed on South Georgia Island. During the rest of the year, they fly a circle around Antarctica, covering roughly 22,000 km (13,670 mi) in as little as 46 days. The journeys of these and other migratory pelagic seabirds are almost beyond comprehension, and largely unseen. But with advances in tracking, researchers have realized seabirds fly broadly predictable paths over the open ocean. Last year, researchers used tracking data to identify six marine flyways that cross the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Southern oceans and touch the waters of 56 countries. A team of nearly a hundred were involved, led by researchers from the nonprofit BirdLife International, and their findings were published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography. Seabirds are the most at-risk birds, with more than 30% globally threatened. For migrants, life on the wing is especially perilous. They face myriad threats across multiple jurisdictions in national waters and on the high seas, at their breeding colonies, at stopovers during migration and on the open…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Seabirds are the most threatened group of birds, with more than 30% at risk of extinction. Migratory seabirds are especially vulnerable. - Researchers have described six marine flyways used by migratory pelagic seabirds, aerial corridors that cross the national waters of 56 countries; the high seas are used by at least 151 species. - In March, the U.N. Convention on Migratory Species adopted a resolution on marine flyways, creating a structure for international cooperation on protections. - Researchers are using seabird tracking data to identify key sites along marine flyways that need protection or mitigation measures against threats. authors: | ||
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Six things to know about Asia’s heatwave and the health impacts 21 Aug 2026 10:09:11 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/six-things-to-know-about-asias-heatwave-and-the-health-impacts/ author: Yenni Kwok dc:creator: Andrew Jeong content:encoded: SEOUL — A record-breaking heatwave swept through a broad swath of Asia earlier this month, causing deaths and heat-related illnesses. This year’s extreme weather has been linked to El Niño, which, according to weather experts, could be one of the strongest ever recorded. The “super” El Niño, which officially arrived in June, is expected to intensify over the rest of the year, bringing prolonged warmer weather, droughts and adverse health risks to people in the region. Here’s what you need to know about the extreme weather: How hot has it been in Asia? Very hot. On Aug. 2, the mercury in Yangsan, a city in South Korea, hit 42.5° Celsius (108.5° Fahrenheit), the highest mark since official records began in 1904. Parts of South Korea got so hot that potatoes were literally “boiled,” while still in the ground. In late July, temperatures exceeded 40°C (104°F) in several prefectures in Japan, as well as in central and western regions of China. On Aug. 9, the Hong Kong Observatory logged 39.8°C (103°F), the city’s highest reading since it introduced automatic weather stations in the 1980s. Southeast Asia also reported weather anomalies. Vietnamese officials said thermal readings from July 11 to Aug. 10 showed the mercury at 39-40°C (102-104°F), “exceeding records” in many parts of the country. Meanwhile, “areas of rainfall deficit” were observed in the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. An officer from the Korea Meteorological Administration shows a weather forecast map of temperatures during a heatwave in South…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - This year’s extreme weather has been linked to El Niño, which, according to weather experts, could be one of the strongest ever recorded. - Record-breaking temperatures were recorded in South Korea and Hong Kong, and mercury exceeded 40°C in Japan and China. - Apart from heatstroke risks, higher temperatures during El Niño can accelerate the life cycle of Aedes mosquitoes, which transmit dengue, and shorten the time for the virus to replicate, experts warn. authors: | ||
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This tiny Thai lizard shares its name with a ‘House of the Dragon’ beast 21 Aug 2026 08:54:27 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/this-tiny-thai-lizard-shares-its-name-with-a-house-of-the-dragon-beast/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Naina Rao content:encoded: Researchers have described a new-to-science species of horned lizard from the high-elevation, evergreen forests of western Thailand. The lizard, named the Syrax mountain horned dragon, or Acanthosaura syrax, in a recent study, was discovered in Mae Wong National Park. The species name syrax refers to the yellow dragon ridden by Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen in the fantasy series House of the Dragon. The researchers write they chose the name due to the lizard’s distinctive yellow-hued coloration and its diminutive size. They add they found the lizard only in the upper mountain range of the park, at elevations above 1,300 meters (about 4,300 feet). Study co-author Krittiya Trivalairat, a lecturer at the Department of Microbiology at Mahidol University in Bangkok, told Mongabay by email that the discovery highlights the remarkable biodiversity and ecological richness of Thailand’s forests. “To me, this discovery is not simply about adding another species to the scientific record; it also demonstrates how much biodiversity may still be hidden within these ecosystems,” Trivalairat said. Mountain horned dragons are a group of lizards that live in trees and have a spiny crest running down their necks and backs. To describe the Syrax mountain horned dragon, the researchers surveyed the park’s rugged highlands. They were able to capture specimens by hand since the lizards move slowly. They then took photographs of the live lizards to document their coloration patterns, before euthanizing them. The specimens were subsequently stored for taxonomic review at Thailand’s Natural History Museum. The researchers write that the lizard…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Researchers have described a new-to-science species of horned lizard from the high-elevation, evergreen forests of western Thailand. The lizard, named the Syrax mountain horned dragon, or Acanthosaura syrax, in a recent study, was discovered in Mae Wong National Park. The species name syrax refers to the yellow dragon ridden by Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen in the […] authors: | ||
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Hermit crabs and cockroaches emerge as unlikely seed dispersers on a Japanese island 21 Aug 2026 04:35:09 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/hermit-crabs-and-cockroaches-emerge-as-unlikely-seed-dispersers-on-a-japanese-island/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Naina Rao content:encoded: In the humid, coastal forests of Japan’s Ishigaki Island, near Okinawa, a parasitic plant relies on some unusual allies to spread its seeds: land hermit crabs and cockroaches, according to a recent study. The plant, fungus root (Balanophora fungosa), is non-photosynthetic, meaning it lacks chlorophyll and can’t make its own food. Instead, it grows as a parasite on the roots of trees in island forests across Asia, Australia and the Pacific. The mushroom-like plant has fleshy, dull-colored fruits with millions of seeds inside. Previously, scientists have suggested that gravity might be helping disperse those seeds. But in the latest study, researchers found that on Ishigaki, the seeds are primarily dispersed by the land hermit crab (Coenobita brevimanus) and the Australian cockroach (Periplaneta australasiae). Initially, study author Kenji Suetsugu, a professor of biodiversity and ecology at Kobe University, Japan, told Mongabay by email that he expected ants to be the primary dispersers, due to the plant’s detachable fruit layer. To test this, he conducted “exclusion experiments” by covering some plants with mesh nets that allowed tiny ants inside but kept larger animals out. However, the fruits inside these ant-only nets went completely untouched. So Suetsugu set up a waterproof digital camera about 20 centimeters (8 inches) from the plants. Programmed to snap photos every 50 seconds, the camera compiled 6,427 images over nearly 89 hours of monitoring. This time-lapse photography captured land hermit crabs and cockroaches aggregating under the cover of night to devour the fruits. “The biggest surprise was the…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: In the humid, coastal forests of Japan’s Ishigaki Island, near Okinawa, a parasitic plant relies on some unusual allies to spread its seeds: land hermit crabs and cockroaches, according to a recent study. The plant, fungus root (Balanophora fungosa), is non-photosynthetic, meaning it lacks chlorophyll and can’t make its own food. Instead, it grows as […] authors: | ||
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To secure protected areas from wildlife trafficking, criminal networks must be dismantled (commentary) 20 Aug 2026 23:10:18 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/secure-protected-areas-from-wildlife-trafficking-criminal-networks-must-be-dismantled-commentary/ author: Erik Hoffner dc:creator: Ofir Drori content:encoded: Conservation has historically emphasized protected area management including protecting land, fencing, local enforcement and rangers’ patrols within parks. And indeed, decades of protected area management have demonstrated that strong local protection matters enormously. But there is a weakness in this logic that we rarely confront directly. Protected areas can suppress poaching within their boundaries and in neighboring patrolled zones, but they cannot dismantle the criminal networks that finance, organize and replenish wildlife crime from the outside, which impact inside the protected areas as well as landscapes more broadly. As long as those networks remain intact, they will keep recruiting poachers, corrupting officials and — when conditions change (i.e. increased ivory prices, corruption in ranger units, etc.) — resuming operations. Focusing conservation investment exclusively on protected area protection, while ignoring the organized crime infrastructure surrounding it, is a little like trying to stop drug use in a neighborhood without ever addressing the criminal organizations supplying it. The pressure does not disappear. It persists and finds new ways. Golden lion tamarins rescued from the illegal wildlife trade in Togo. Image courtesy of EAGLE Network. The threat that lives outside the fence Wildlife trafficking is not a disorganized or opportunistic activity. It is a structured criminal enterprise, operating with hierarchy, logistics and, critically, access to high-level corruption within the institutions meant to stop it. When analyzing across more than 3,000 prosecuted cases in Africa undertaken by our team at EAGLE Network, a clear pattern emerges: Trafficking networks do not merely exploit weak enforcement…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Well managed protected areas can reduce the illegal wildlife trade, but the reality is that this crime will persist as long as trafficking networks remain, a new op-ed says. - Corruption often provides traffickers a way to circumvent and undermine even well-managed protected areas, suppressing enforcement and concealing wildlife losses. - “The question is not whether we can afford to invest in dismantling trafficking networks. Given what we now know about their reach and capacity, the question is whether we can afford not to,” a new op-ed argues. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. authors: | ||
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Drugs are becoming institutionalized: Interview with Ticuna leader in Peru’s Amazon 20 Aug 2026 17:11:45 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/drugs-are-becoming-institutionalized-interview-with-ticuna-leader-in-perus-amazon/ author: Latoya Abulu dc:creator: Aimee Gabay content:encoded: Francisco Hernández Cayetano, president of the Federation of Ticuna and Yagua Communities of the Lower Amazon (FECOTYBA), is raising the alarm about the latest threats related to drug trafficking in the Amazon’s tri-border area. Living along riverbanks and lowland forests in the remote area where Peru, Colombia and Brazil meet, the Ticuna and Yagua people find themselves in a hotspot for crime — and it is embedding in their communities. Tri-border areas in the Amazon often have a weak state presence that allows drug traffickers and other criminal groups to move drugs, gold and timber freely. As a 2024 report by Crisis Group, an independent organization, revealed, criminal activities in these areas can bring insecurity, violence and environmental damage to Indigenous peoples and their territories. “Our concern is very strong because most of the communities — almost 60 to 70% of the forests — are deforested due to drug trafficking,” Hernández tells Mongabay. “This causes certain problems, for example, children working in the [coca] fields, as well as women. It’s hitting us hard, especially the Ticuna youth.” Hernández, who comes from a Ticuna community known as Cushillo Cocha in the lowland rainforest region, says that the arrival of drug traffickers and illegal miners has brought social instability, deforestation and the contamination of waterways by chemicals used for mining and cocaine production. It has also created the conditions for a serious substance abuse problem among Indigenous youth. Drawn to coca fields for work, Ticuna children start smoking, taking drugs and drinking…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Mongabay interviewed Francisco Hernández Cayetano, president of the Federation of Ticuna and Yagua Communities of the Lower Amazon, about substance abuse problems affecting Ticuna youth. - He says many youth are addicted to drugs and alcohol, which they picked up while working as coca harvesters for drug traffickers due to a lack of alternative employment options. - The arrival of narcotraffickers, as well as illegal miners, has also led to deforestation and water pollution in Peru. - In this interview with Mongabay, Hernández describes efforts to bring Ticuna leaders from the Amazon’s tri-border area together to discuss solutions to their shared problems. authors: | ||
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Criminal probe clears Sloth World of criminal neglect in deaths of 57 animals 20 Aug 2026 14:24:01 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/criminal-probe-clears-sloth-world-of-criminal-neglect-in-deaths-of-57-animals/ author: Sharon Guynup dc:creator: Bobby Bascomb content:encoded: Authorities in the U.S. state of Florida have cleared a controversial startup of criminal neglect after dozens of wild-caught sloths that it imported from South America for tourism purposes died. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) opened an investigation following the closure of the Sloth World facility in April this year. On Aug. 19, it released its findings, with OCSO detective Aaron Bennet concluding the 57 deaths “appear to be consistent with a multifactorial animal health incident rather than the result of criminal activity or improper care.” As part of the investigation, Bennet interviewed 20 witnesses, including Sloth World administrators, former workers, and veterinarians with the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Garden, where the surviving sloths now live. In April, Ben Agresta, the owner of Sloth World, told local media, “we lost sloths that had a virus of which showed barely any symptoms and was undetectable even after necropsy.” However, according to the OCSO report, multiple veterinarians stated the sloths were in extremely poor condition: dehydrated, malnourished, and emaciated. Adam Stern, a veterinarian forensic pathologist, said that “the pathology findings reveal a consistent pattern of disease affecting multiple organ systems.” Pathology reports found multiple viruses present, which wasn’t surprising; 70-80% of sloths in the wild carry several viruses. But autopsies revealed lesions across respiratory, gastrointestinal, immune and neurological systems. Common findings also included pneumonia, bone marrow depletion, and degeneration of the brain and spinal cords, among other health concerns. Stern said chronic stress likely contributed to the animals’ rapid health…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Authorities in the U.S. state of Florida have cleared a controversial startup of criminal neglect after dozens of wild-caught sloths that it imported from South America for tourism purposes died. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) opened an investigation following the closure of the Sloth World facility in April this year. On Aug. 19, it […] authors: | ||
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Climate change drove extreme July heat in European seas, study finds 20 Aug 2026 08:31:30 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/climate-change-drove-extreme-july-heat-in-european-seas-study-finds/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Naina Rao content:encoded: European coastal waters recorded unprecedented sea surface temperatures in July 2026. A new study has found that human-induced climate change primarily drove the temperature surge, pushing marine ecosystems past their limits. The rapid analysis was conducted by World Weather Attribution (WWA), a global network of researchers who analyze the influence of climate change in extreme weather events. WWA scientists focused their analysis on the warmest 14-day periods within July. They chose this specific time frame because sea surface temperatures normally peak in late summer (August-September). The authors analyzed July to isolate how early-season ocean heat is changing as the planet warms. Across all four regions studied — the Celtic Sea, the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Peninsula (BIP), and the western and eastern Mediterranean — these sea surface temperatures averaged 2.4° Celsius (4.3° Fahrenheit) warmer than historical July baselines. In individual basins, the Celtic Sea was 1.9°C (3.4°F) above normal, while the Eastern Mediterranean was 2°C (3.6°F) hotter than typical July conditions. The WWA report notes these extreme July temperatures would have been “virtually impossible” in a preindustrial climate, which was 1.4°C (2.5°F) cooler, but are “relatively common” in today’s climate. The study’s rapid attribution analysis reveals that burning fossil fuels directly drove this extreme warmth. In both Mediterranean regions, climate change added about 2°C of direct heat. In the Eastern Mediterranean, climate change accounted for the entirety of the 2°C anomaly. In the Celtic Sea and BIP, climate change directly added 1.1-1.4°C (2-2.5°F). “We find that without human-caused global warming, we would expect…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: European coastal waters recorded unprecedented sea surface temperatures in July 2026. A new study has found that human-induced climate change primarily drove the temperature surge, pushing marine ecosystems past their limits. The rapid analysis was conducted by World Weather Attribution (WWA), a global network of researchers who analyze the influence of climate change in extreme […] authors: | ||
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Indigenous fishers rethink shark hunting & protect species on Colombia’s coast 20 Aug 2026 06:00:42 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/indigenous-fishers-rethink-shark-hunting-protect-species-on-colombias-coast/ author: Latoya Abulu dc:creator: Euan Wallace content:encoded: LA GUAJIRA, Colombia — Feet from the ocean, four sharks and a ray lie dead on the wind-battered sand. Above them stands Wilfrido Arends, 46. The blade of a short knife glints in his hand. Carefully, he bends down to cut a small fin from the underside of one shark — an endangered species known as a blacknose (Carcharhinus acronotus). He hands the sample to a woman next to him, who places it delicately in a vial. A tape measure is passed over the still glistening back of the dead shark. Each measurement is read out and noted down. Arends, a fisher from Colombia’s Wayuu Indigenous community, is spearheading shark research and conservation in Punta Gallinas, a Wayuu community where shark meat is part of the traditional diet. Home to around 50 families, the community sits at the northernmost tip of South America. “If we wipe out our sharks, I think that further down the line we will miss them,” says Arends, who is known locally as “Caracas.” Together with researchers from Colombian shark conservation initiative Proyecto Puyuii, Arends and other Wayuu fishers are documenting shark diversity in the largely unstudied waters of La Guajira. “There’s almost no data on anything,” says Diego Cardeñosa, a marine biologist at Florida International University in the U.S. A member of Proyecto Puyuii, he has been training Wayuu fishers to record the shark species they catch. Wayuu fishers and Puyuii researchers measure the carcass of a caught blacknose shark, an endangered species. Image by…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - In the Colombian department of La Guajira, at South America’s northernmost tip, Indigenous Wayuu fishers from the community of Punta Gallinas are working with marine biologists to conserve and document shark populations. - Despite a 2021 law banning targeted shark and ray fishing in Colombia, the meat remains a vital protein source in one of the country’s most remote and food-insecure regions. - Colombian shark conservation initiative Proyecto Puyuii is working with Wayuu fishers to record shark species in the understudied waters of La Guajira, implementing sustainability measures such as larger-mesh nets, safe release techniques and avoiding longlines. - With sustainable tourism touted as a potential economic alternative to shark fishing, some fishers argue that compensation will need to be offered before they can afford to stop. authors: | ||
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Nepal pushes for hydropower in protected areas through legal grey area 20 Aug 2026 05:16:08 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/nepal-pushes-for-hydropower-in-protected-areas-through-legal-grey-area/ author: Abhaya Raj Joshi dc:creator: Rudra Pangeni content:encoded: KATHMANDU – Nepal’s government has allowed several private hydropower producers to develop projects inside protected areas and the buffer zones surrounding them, contravening a Supreme Court order, a Mongabay investigation reveals. In January 2025, the Supreme Court declared that a 2024 amendment to a key conservation law opening up protected areas to commercial projects was “invalid” as it was against the constitutionally defined state policy of environment-friendly development and the principle of intergenerational equity. As the court is yet to publish the full text of the verdict, the government has interpreted the law and issued permits for development, the investigation aided by a right to information request finds. “To issue permits [for hydropower projects] inside protected areas is a misinterpretation of the court verdict,” said senior lawyer Prakash Mani Sharma Bhusal, one of the petitioners who took the government to court on July 28, 2024, over its decision to open protected areas to infrastructure such as hydropower plants and hotels. Kaligandaki hydropower dam in Nepal. Image by Krish Dulal via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). The court’s 2025 verdict came in response to a petition filed by lawyers led by Dil Raj Khanal, who argued that the 2024 amendment to the parks and conservation act, which came into effect on July 8, 2024, violated Article 30 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to a clean and healthy environment, and contradicted Nepal’s obligations under international treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity. Yet the Supreme Court has still not…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Nepal’s government is allowing hydropower development inside protected areas, despite a January 2025 Supreme Court ruling that invalidates the legal provision for this activity. - With the court’s full verdict still unpublished, the government has interpreted the ruling and continued to issue land-use and environmental permits. - Mongabay’s investigation finds that 10 private hydropower projects, totaling more than 360 MW, have received permits since January 2026, affecting about 85 hectares across the Annapurna, Gaurishankar and Kanchanjunga protected areas, and the buffer zones of Makalu Barun and Langtang national parks. - Officials say they are relying on 2023 guidelines and cabinet decisions covering projects licensed before July 2024, while the country’s wildlife department has continued approving feasibility studies, environmental assessments and transmission lines in protected-area buffer zones. authors: | ||
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Sloth bears help shape India’s dry forests as unlikely seed dispersers 20 Aug 2026 03:11:10 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/sloth-bears-help-shape-indias-dry-forests-as-unlikely-seed-dispersers/ author: Naina Rao dc:creator: Mongabay.com content:encoded: Sloth bears play a critical role in structuring India’s dry deciduous forests by dispersing viable seeds and influencing plant regeneration, reports contributor Sneha Mahale for Mongabay India. “Dry deciduous forests’ plant compositions are a function of sloth bear presence, movement, and dietary habits,” study co-author K.S. Gopi Sundar, an independent scientist, told Mongabay India. For the study, the researchers surveyed the mountainous south-central Aravalli range in the western state of Rajasthan between November 2021 and July 2022. They analyzed 180 droppings or scats of sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) and discovered that the bears’ diet shifted from plant-dominated in the winter to animal-dominated in the summer. In winter, ants appeared in more than 80% of the scats, whereas termites dominated summer samples. Among fruits, donkey berry (Grewia flavescens) was the most critical food source in both seasons, while Ziziphus nummularia was favored in winter and the golden shower tree (Cassia fistula) in summer. “The strong shift in diet was of great surprise,” said study co-author Utkarsh Prajapati, a senior project associate at the Wildlife Institute of India. “Previous studies on sloth bears in semi-arid regions have shown that they consume a lot of fruits during the summer.” Study co-author Vijay Kumar Koli with the Department of Zoology at Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, said this seasonal change “showed that bears were highly adaptable, switching to foods that were more available.” To test whether bears help in seed dispersal, the researchers monitored the germination of eight plant species most important in the bears’…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Sloth bears play a critical role in structuring India’s dry deciduous forests by dispersing viable seeds and influencing plant regeneration, reports contributor Sneha Mahale for Mongabay India. “Dry deciduous forests’ plant compositions are a function of sloth bear presence, movement, and dietary habits,” study co-author K.S. Gopi Sundar, an independent scientist, told Mongabay India. For […] authors: | ||
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Why every endangered species needs a champion: a conversation with conservationist Bill Konstant 20 Aug 2026 00:09:29 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/why-every-endangered-species-needs-a-champion-a-conversation-with-conservationist-bill-konstant/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: Russell Mittermeier has a running joke about Bill Konstant. The two have worked together, off and on, for more than four decades, and Mittermeier writes in the foreword to Wrestles With Wolves that Konstant seems to have a tolerance of roughly five years working directly for him before departing for another organization. Konstant has an explanation for that pattern. He has never been much interested in becoming a “company man.” Instead, he has compared his role to that of a catalyst in a chemical reaction — something that helps raise the energy of the system but need not remain once the reaction is underway. There have been plenty of reactions. Bill Konstant in the UAE with a hunting falcon. Photo by Jean-Christophe Vie Konstant has worked for the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International, built conservation programs at zoos, and helped direct grants to field biologists working on threatened species. Much of his career has centered on primates, although the animals in his 2023 memoir range from golden frogs and rhinos to wolves, elephants and a squirrel his family raised when he was young. The route into professional conservation was less orderly than the résumé makes it look. At Cornell University, Konstant became an undergraduate teaching assistant for ornithologist Tom Cade, founder of the Peregrine Fund, whose work helped restore peregrine falcons after DDT contributed to steep population declines. Later, at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Konstant took a job caring for and training chimpanzees. Jane…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Wildlife conservationist Bill Konstant has spent more than four decades helping build species-conservation programs, connect field biologists with funding, and support threatened wildlife around the world. - Konstant argues that successful conservation often depends on strong local leadership, committed species champions, diverse teams and relatively small, strategically targeted grants that can launch or sustain field projects. - He sees the growth of career biologists and conservation organizations in primate range countries as one of the field’s most encouraging changes, even as habitat loss and wildlife population declines remain persistent problems. - Konstant spoke with Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler in August 2026 about his career, his memoir Wrestles With Wolves, and what decades of species conservation have taught him about how conservation succeeds. authors: | ||
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Dolphin mother and calf observed using shells to catch fish in Australia 19 Aug 2026 23:16:32 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/dolphin-mother-and-calf-observed-using-shells-to-catch-fish-in-australia/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Bobby Bascomb content:encoded: A small population of dolphins in Shark Bay in Western Australia have a documented history of using an unusual tool to help them catch fish: Large, empty snail shells. For the first time, scientists have now observed the same behavior in a different dolphin population on Australia’s east coast. Researchers even filmed a baby dolphin and its mother using a shell to capture fish, suggesting the baby may have learned the skill from its mother — this hadn’t been observed before now, they write in a recent study. “The second I saw it [on the east coast], I was like, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, this is huge,” study lead author Alexis Levengood, a lecturer of animal ecology at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, told Mongabay in a video call. In a behavior called “shelling,” bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) can chase fish into large empty sea snail shells, stick their beak inside to trap the fish, and then raise the shell to the water’s surface where the fish slides out into the dolphin’s mouth. “It essentially gives them a competitive edge over other dolphins that aren’t using this type of tool use because it makes it easier for them to catch harder-to-catch fish,” Levengood said. The behavior was first described in 2011 when researchers found roughly 2% of dolphins in Shark Bay demonstrated the skill. It was believed to be a localized behavior until Levengood confirmed three dolphins in Great Sandy Marine Park, Queensland, using the same…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: A small population of dolphins in Shark Bay in Western Australia have a documented history of using an unusual tool to help them catch fish: Large, empty snail shells. For the first time, scientists have now observed the same behavior in a different dolphin population on Australia’s east coast. Researchers even filmed a baby dolphin […] authors: | ||
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Orangutan Day: Here’s where the three critically endangered species stand 19 Aug 2026 20:30:56 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/orangutan-day-heres-where-the-three-critically-endangered-species-stand/ author: Shanna Hanbury dc:creator: Mongabay.com content:encoded: Aug. 19 is World Orangutan Day, a day to honor the three species of Southeast Asian great apes, all of which are classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, the global conservation authority. Orangutans were classified into two species: The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) found in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, and the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), endemic to its namesake island. But in 2017, scientists described the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) as a third, distinct species, also found in northern Sumatra. Here are the major orangutan developments over the past year: Whirlwind year for Tapanuli orangutans In September 2025, researchers confirmed a previously unknown Tapanuli population in a peat swamp forest in the Lumut Maju village forest in North Sumatra. Scientists previously believed the species, estimated at 716 wild individuals, lived only in Batang Toru, about 32 kilometers (20 miles) east of the new population. A Tapanuli orangutan. Image © Bert Harris via iNaturalist (CC BY-NC 4.0). Two months later, Cyclone Senyar triggered tens of thousands of landslides in Batang Toru and killed an estimated 58 Tapanuli orangutans. Habitat destruction for small-scale agriculture and logging accounts for around 70% of direct forest loss. Large-scale industrial projects, including the Batang Toru hydropower plant and the Martabe gold mine, are also encroaching into the orangutans’ range. Newborn Sumatran orangutan’s mother saved from trafficking In July 2026, a formerly trafficked Sumatran orangutan named Bulan gave birth in the wild seven years after being reintroduced. Her infant was the 10th confirmed birth from reintroduced orangutans…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Aug. 19 is World Orangutan Day, a day to honor the three species of Southeast Asian great apes, all of which are classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, the global conservation authority. Orangutans were classified into two species: The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) found in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, and the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), […] authors: | ||
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Egypt’s deserts show why ecological knowledge matters in conservation (commentary) 19 Aug 2026 15:13:56 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/egypts-deserts-show-why-ecological-knowledge-matters-in-conservation-commentary/ author: Erik Hoffner dc:creator: Marwan Mahmoud Kamal Hamdoun content:encoded: Egypt’s deserts are often introduced to the world as empty: Wide horizons, silence, heat, sand and stone. In tourism brochures they become dramatic scenery. In archaeological writing they can appear as corridors around monuments. In some conservation documents they are fragile spaces that need technical management from outside. But these descriptions miss something essential. Deserts are not empty. They are living landscapes, ecological archives and knowledge systems. For local desert communities, the landscape is not a blank background. It is read through water, plants, tracks, grazing routes, winds, seasonal movement, stories, risks and memories. A valley, a spring, a coastal plain or a mountain pass can hold information about how people and non-human life have adapted to scarcity. This kind of local ecological knowledge is not a decorative addition to conservation. It can help researchers and managers understand how landscapes are used, remembered and explained. In Egypt, this point matters urgently. The country is known globally for its ancient monuments, but its protected areas and biosphere reserves also contain another kind of heritage: Fossil valleys, desert plants, coral-linked coastal systems, migration routes, geological formations and human knowledge shaped by arid environments. If these landscapes are treated only as scenery, or as scientific sites separated from people, conservation loses part of its evidence base and much of its public meaning. At Wadi Al-Hitan in Fayoum, Egypt, visitors often arrive to see fossil whales, but the wider landscape tells a larger story: Ancient seas, changing climates, desert erosion and the long history…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Egypt is famous for ancient ruins but its protected areas and biosphere reserves contain another kind of heritage: Fossil valleys, desert plants, coral-linked coastal systems, migration routes, geological formations and human knowledge shaped by arid environments. - Desert expanses are not empty — or merely open spaces between archaeological monuments — but rather are places full of life, and this point matters urgently, a new op-ed argues. - “If conservation is to work in these landscapes, it must listen more carefully. It must see local ecological knowledge not as anecdote, and interpretation not as decoration, but as tools for making protection more grounded, more understandable and more just,” the author writes. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. authors: | ||
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New Zealand opens marine reserves with groundbreaking Māori co-management model 19 Aug 2026 14:48:18 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/new-zealand-opens-marine-reserves-with-groundbreaking-maori-co-management-model/ author: Latoya Abulu dc:creator: Edward Carver content:encoded: DUNEDIN, Aotearoa New Zealand — At a U.N. meeting in 2015, Aotearoa New Zealand’s then Prime Minister John Key made a major announcement that drew praise from international conservation groups: His administration would turn a swath of waters far larger than the country’s land mass into a marine protected area (MPA). The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary, planned for New Zealand’s northern waters, would have been one of the largest fully no-take MPAs in the world, but the sanctuary violated Māori fishing rights enshrined decades earlier. Key’s government had done relatively little to consult with Māori groups about the proposal, many of whom resisted the plan, calling for more recognition of their authority and their role in ocean governance. The sanctuary plan fell through. Yet, even as Key’s top-down exercise drew criticism, a more bottom-up approach to marine governance was underway in the country’s far southeast. There, Māori leaders helped develop a network of small MPAs, five of which became official on July 1, 2026, after more than a decade of grassroots and governmental work. A key aim is to protect seabed habitats, offshore canyons, rocky reefs, tidal lagoons and kelp forests. The network, called Te Au Roa o Te Rakihouia, is co-managed by the regional Māori tribe Kāi Tahu (Ngāi Tahu in standard Māori), and the Department of Conservation. The reserves are the first in the country to be co-managed by Indigenous people and the government using shared decision-making and a joint marine ranger team. The network name refers to the…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Five new marine protected areas (MPAs) came into effect in Aotearoa New Zealand in July after more than a decade of grassroots and governmental work — and a sixth is expected to open in the near future. - The MPAs are no-take marine reserves, areas where all extractive activities are banned, co-managed by the regional Māori tribe Kāi Tahu and the Department of Conservation. - The reserves are the first in the country to be co-managed by Indigenous people and the government through shared decision-making and a joint ranger team. - The reserves are the first part of a planned network, called Te Au Roa o Te Rakihouia, which is expected to have not only the reserves but also other types of protected areas that have less strict protections. authors: | ||
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Philippine Supreme Court rules monitoring commercial fishing vessels is unconstitutional 19 Aug 2026 14:33:28 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/philippine-supreme-court-rules-monitoring-commercial-fishing-vessels-is-unconstitutional/ author: Autumn Spanne dc:creator: Keith Anthony Fabro content:encoded: The Philippine Supreme Court has struck down a regulation requiring commercial fishing vessels to continuously transmit their locations and submit electronic catch reports, a decision small-scale fishers say could make it harder to protect coastal grounds already strained by overfishing and competition from larger operators. The high court upheld a lower-court decision that invalidated Fisheries Administrative Order No. 266 (FAO 266), which required all Philippine-flagged commercial fishing vessels to install tracking systems and electronically report catches and other operational information. The court issued its decision on Jan. 21, 2026, and announced it publicly on Aug. 3, 2026. The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) filed a motion for reconsideration of the court’s decision on Aug. 14. Without continuous tracking, fishers say authorities may struggle to detect commercial vessels entering municipal waters — the coastal zone generally extending 15 kilometers (9 miles) from shore and reserved primarily for small-scale local fishers. “If some vessels could still enter municipal waters even when monitoring devices were installed, it could become even worse now that the Supreme Court has declared the requirement unconstitutional,” Pablo Rosales, president of Pangisda Pilipinas, a national fisherfolk alliance, told Mongabay by phone. Some fishers and scientists also raised concerns that greater commercial fishing pressure could further reduce the number of fish available to coastal communities. A skipjack purse seine fishery operation underway on the deck of a Philippine fish carrier/supply boat. Image © Alex Hofford / Greenpeace. Tracking commercial fishing FAO 266 formed part of…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The Philippine Supreme Court struck down a regulation requiring commercial fishing vessels to continuously transmit their locations and submit electronic catch reports. - The requirement was partially implemented before being suspended in 2022 during a court challenge, with devices installed on about 52% of targeted vessels. - Small-scale fishers and scientists warn reduced oversight could increase commercial incursions into coastal waters where many fish stocks are already overexploited. - Following the high court’s decision, the country’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources filed a motion for reconsideration, a procedural remedy that allows a party to ask the Supreme Court to review its ruling before it becomes final. authors: | ||
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Cougars cut deadly vehicle-deer collisions in the US by up to 76%, study shows 19 Aug 2026 13:06:54 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/cougars-cut-deadly-vehicle-deer-collisions-in-the-u-s-by-up-to-76-study-shows/ author: Sharon Guynup dc:creator: Starre Vartan content:encoded: If you’re a black-tailed deer on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington, you’re always surrounded by friends and family. You are free-range, with abundant food to forage in familiar woods and meadows. But you’re also vigilant because you’re a prey species and your ideal habitat is also home to your top predators: Cascade mountain wolves (Canis lupus fuscus), cougars (Puma concolor) and black bears (Ursus americanus). Avoiding the animals that will hunt you and your fawns is an integral part of how you move across the landscape. Cougars, padding on giant, soundless paws, are to be especially feared, as you are their favorite meal. As such, cougars directly impact where you go to find food, water and rest, and when you do it, according to a new study in the journal Current Biology. The study reinforces the idea that the presence of cougars, also known as pumas, mountain lions and some 40 other names in English, alters how their prey uses the landscape. In doing so, they keep humans safer by pushing the region’s black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) away from roads and potential collisions with vehicles. Nationwide, there are 1.6-2.1 million accidents involving deer every year in the U.S., killing 200-440 people and costing about $10 billion a year, according to data cited in a 2025 study. The cats aren’t patrolling the highways and chasing deer away from traffic, of course. “The deer know where they’re most likely to be at risk of an encounter with a…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - When cougars are present in a landscape, roads are safer, according to a new study. - In area where the cats were highly active, the expected number of deer-vehicle collisions fell by 76% over five years, with the probability of a collision falling by 67%. - Researchers found that fear changes deer behavior: Rather than simply reducing deer numbers by eating them, pumas appear to create a “landscape of fear” that pushes deer away from developed areas and shifts their active hours from nighttime into daylight. - Large carnivores, including cougars, keep fast-reproducing prey species in check, while also reducing dangerous and costly wildlife collisions — another reason why coexistence with them is important, experts say. authors: | ||
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Brazil marks borders for isolated Indigenous group in the Amazon after decades 19 Aug 2026 11:44:35 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/brazil-marks-borders-for-isolated-indigenous-group-in-the-amazon-after-decades/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Shanna Hanbury content:encoded: Agents of Brazil’s Indigenous agency, FUNAI, spent 60 days in June and July 2026 physically marking the borders of the Rio Pardo Kawahiva Indigenous Territory. The 411,000-hectare (1 million-acre) area in the Amazon biome of Mato Grosso state is home to the Kawahiva, an isolated Indigenous group. The government agency confirmed the presence of the Indigenous group in 1999 and began demarcating its territory in 2001. “The uncontacted Kawahiva have been under threat in their own forest home for decades, while simply trying to exercise their right to live as they choose without contact,” Caroline Pearce, director of the UK-based NGO Survival International, said in a statement. Still image of a Kawahiva individual taken by federal agents in August 2013. Image courtesy of FUNAI. The territory has been invaded by land-grabbers and loggers, causing deforestation. Historically, the Kawahiva territory was intermittently protected via temporary land protection orders, which faced opposition from logging companies. To officially demarcate the territory, FUNAI agents opened a path around the land and installed roughly 140 signs at strategic locations, FUNAI agents told Mongabay. “Here in our region, all owners of plots of land do this,” Jair Candor, coordinator of the FUNAI unit that safeguards the Kawahiva, told Mongabay in an audio message. “The limits of land are marked by opening a path around that territory, whether it belongs to the white man or to an Indigenous person.” The last of more than 100 signs was placed on July 3, 2026. Image courtesy of Kenedy…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Agents of Brazil’s Indigenous agency, FUNAI, spent 60 days in June and July 2026 physically marking the borders of the Rio Pardo Kawahiva Indigenous Territory. The 411,000-hectare (1 million-acre) area in the Amazon biome of Mato Grosso state is home to the Kawahiva, an isolated Indigenous group. The government agency confirmed the presence of the […] authors: | ||
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New leadership initiative carries on legacy of late Indonesian environmental activist 19 Aug 2026 10:26:16 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/new-leadership-initiative-carries-on-legacy-of-late-indonesian-environmental-activist/ author: Hans Nicholas Jong dc:creator: Hans Nicholas Jong content:encoded: JAKARTA — It had been 648 days since Nur Hidayati, an Indonesian environmental activist fondly known as Yaya or Mbak Yaya, died of cancer. Rukka Sombolinggi, secretary-general of Indonesia’s largest Indigenous organization, AMAN, had counted every one of those days. “ It makes me sad,” she said at the launch of the Yaya Leadership Initiative in Jakarta on Aug. 14, which would have been Yaya’s 53th birthday. But seeing the initiative launched in Yaya’s name gave Rukka another way to think about the loss. “Although she has gone, there are legacies, ideas and actions she left behind that we can still benefit from,” she said. The initiative, known as the YLI, brings together environmental, Indigenous, agrarian, fisher, human rights, and other movements to develop a new generation of community leaders — particularly from the ranks of women, young people, Indigenous peoples, and grassroots changemakers. Facilitated by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), the country’s biggest green NGO, alongside organizations including the Indigenous alliance AMAN, the Consortium for Agrarian Reform (KPA), and the Indonesian Union of Traditional Fisherfolk (KNTI), the YLI aims to build the capacity, networks, and support systems of people working for social and environmental justice. The initiative is built around four principles that Yaya championed throughout her career: solidarity, equality, environmentalism, and diversity. But its proponents say the YLI is more than just an effort to preserve the memory of one of Indonesia’s most prominent environmental leaders. They say it’s an attempt to carry forward a particular…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The Yaya Leadership Initiative, launched in memory of late Indonesian environmental leader Nur Hidayati, aims to develop a new generation of community leaders, particularly women, young people, Indigenous peoples, and grassroots activists. - The initiative builds on Yaya’s leadership approach, which emphasized sharing power, supporting women and young activists, and connecting environmental, Indigenous, agrarian, and human rights movements. - Organizers say the initiative is especially important as Indonesian environmental defenders face rising threats, while social movements struggle with fragmentation, polarization, and a lack of leadership succession. - The YLI has begun supporting emerging leaders through fellowships and aims to build networks that help activists remain in their movements, work across causes, and nurture the next generation of leaders. authors: | ||
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Spotted by AI: seahorses and shark fins 19 Aug 2026 10:13:36 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/spotted-by-ai-seahorses-and-shark-fins/ author: Sam Lee dc:creator: Abhishyant Kidangoor content:encoded: While elephant ivory, rhino horns and pangolin scales get a lot of attention when it comes to illegal wildlife trade, marine wildlife are widely targeted as well. A new AI-driven tool detects marine wildlife in luggages and bags at airports. The tool can detect sea cucumbers, sea horses and shark fins, with more species to be added to the tool. While human inspection is still needed to verify the findings, the researchers hope the tool will serve as a second set of eyes to keep track of the trade. Watch this video to learn more.This article was originally published on Mongabay description: While elephant ivory, rhino horns and pangolin scales get a lot of attention when it comes to illegal wildlife trade, marine wildlife are widely targeted as well. A new AI-driven tool detects marine wildlife in luggages and bags at airports. The tool can detect sea cucumbers, sea horses and shark fins, with more species to […] authors: | ||
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Why carbon markets alone won’t save Southeast Asia’s concessions forests 19 Aug 2026 05:25:05 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/why-carbon-markets-alone-wont-save-southeast-asias-concessions-forests/ author: Naina Rao dc:creator: Mongabay.com content:encoded: New research suggests a “massive and untapped” opportunity for conservation within commercial concessions in Southeast Asia, reports Mongabay’s Carolyn Cowan. Using satellite data, researchers identified roughly 42 million hectares (104 million acres) of intact forest still standing inside logging, timber, rubber and oil palm concessions across Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar. The study suggests that clearing these forests — an area larger than the whole of Malaysia — could release 1.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions over the next 30 years. Incentivizing concession holders to protect these forests instead of converting them for commodity production presents a big opportunity for conservation, the study says. “A substantial portion of Southeast Asia’s remaining forest lies within concession landscapes,” study lead author Annabel Lim, a Ph.D. student at the National University of Singapore, said in an interview with Mongabay. “Meeting climate and biodiversity goals will, therefore, require engaging the concession owners as potential conservation partners”. However, the study notes that relying strictly on carbon markets to incentivize concession holders to choose conservation is economically unviable at current carbon prices. Currently, carbon credits issued for avoided deforestation in Southeast Asia, trade at just $5 to $12 per metric ton, according to the World Bank’s 2026 State and Trends of Carbon Pricing report. To make conservation financially competitive with agricultural or logging, the researchers calculated that carbon prices would need to reach between $33 and $1,677 per metric ton of carbon dioxide. Yiwen Zeng, a conservation scientist at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and senior…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: New research suggests a “massive and untapped” opportunity for conservation within commercial concessions in Southeast Asia, reports Mongabay’s Carolyn Cowan. Using satellite data, researchers identified roughly 42 million hectares (104 million acres) of intact forest still standing inside logging, timber, rubber and oil palm concessions across Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar. The study suggests that […] authors: | ||
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Tapirs, bats and nests: How plastic infiltrates Amazonian wildlife 18 Aug 2026 21:12:13 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/tapirs-bats-and-nests-how-plastic-infiltrates-amazonian-wildlife/ author: Xavier Bartaburu dc:creator: Tiago da Mota e Silva content:encoded: This is the third and final article in a special series on microplastics in the Amazon. Read the first story here and the second story here. MANAUS, Brazil — Traveling by boat up the Negro River from Amazonas state capital Manaus, it takes eight to nine hours to cover the 100 kilometers (62 miles) to Anavilhanas National Park. This protected area preserves one of the world’s largest freshwater archipelagos, comprising more than 400 islands and 60 lakes. They include Prato Lake, which is about 3.5 kilometers (about 2 miles) long and 1.5 kilometers (nearly 1 mile) wide. Yet, even here, in a protected area far from urban pressures, microplastics were found in the digestive tracts of fish. A recent study found an average concentration of 0.25 particles per liter of microplastics in the waters of Prato Lake. The particles were also present in the fish analyzed, regardless of their feeding habits, averaging 3.3 particles per individual. In total, about eight out of every 10 fish contained microplastics, despite living in a preserved area far from urban centers. “As a result of the entire connectivity dynamic that exists between aquatic environments in the Amazon, plastic is found even in the most remote places,” said co-author of the study Adalberto Val, a biologist from the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA). Plastic’s likely journey begins long before it reaches the lake. Most of the particles found in the fish consisted of filaments of polyamide, also known as nylon, alongside fragments of materials…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Studies have found microplastics in various species of Amazonian wildlife, including fish, tapirs, crabs and bats, even within protected areas far from major urban centers. - Contamination spreads through multiple routes, traveling from small forest streams known as igarapés to the mouth of the Amazon River, where birds are building “blue nests” out of plastic debris. - Although the toxic effects on animals remain poorly understood, data show that microplastics cross between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, potentially impacting the entire food chain. authors: | ||
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‘Remembering Wildlife’ shines a spotlight on the species we risk losing forever 18 Aug 2026 20:05:24 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/08/remembering-wildlife-shines-a-spotlight-on-the-species-we-risk-losing-forever/ author: Mikedigirolamo dc:creator: Mike DiGirolamo content:encoded: British wildlife photographer Margot Raggett says she created the book Remembering Elephants after she heard David Attenborough say, “The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?” Her effort was to provoke this question in others and to give the proceeds from its sale to conservation organizations. In a sense, the book went viral and generated a following, prompting Raggett to continue the book series and her nonprofit, Remembering Wildlife. “Sometimes people get upset with me and say ‘They’re still around,’ but I want people to stop and think,” Raggett says. In this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, she discusses her journey into photography, the intention behind memorializing still-living species, and details of her 11th book, Remembering Giraffes, which will be published Oct. 12. Raggett has gathered work from some of the world’s most renowned wildlife photographers. To date, Remembering Wildlife has raised more than $1.6 million for 85 conservation organizations in 35 countries. Publishing the first book was not without its challenges. Not knowing as many photographers at the time, Raggett had to actively solicit photographers for their work. Just as she closed out the Kickstarter campaign to fund the book, Raggett was diagnosed with breast cancer, a moment that she says anchored her to the work. “During the next three months of my treatment … during my radiotherapy, I would work on the elephant book in the morning and then go and have…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: British wildlife photographer Margot Raggett says she created the book Remembering Elephants after she heard David Attenborough say, “The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?” Her effort was to provoke this question in others and to give the […] authors: | ||
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Elders, conservationists race to record fading sacred ties to Philippines’ endemic birds 18 Aug 2026 19:55:13 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/elders-conservationists-race-to-record-fading-sacred-ties-to-philippines-endemic-birds/ author: Latoya Abulu dc:creator: Keith Anthony Fabro content:encoded: PUERTO GALERA, Philippines — The forest settles into a gentle rhythm as the trail climbs into the Iraya Mangyan ancestral domain in Puerto Galera town, on the Philippines’ Mindoro Island. Only birdsong breaks the silence as towering trees sway overhead. A clear stream tumbles across the trail over smooth rocks. Ahead walks 43-year-old Lenito Pampilo. Every few steps, he stops — not because the climb is difficult, but because the forest is speaking, he says. He points to an unseen bird in the canopy. Another answers from farther uphill. For him, each call carries meaning. “Our elders taught us these birds,” he tells Mongabay. Pampilo, an Iraya community leader and ecotrail guide, has spent much of his life in these mountains. His knowledge goes beyond recognizing species. “Some birds signal changing weather, warn of danger or carry messages between the living and spirit worlds,” he says. “Trees, streams and ridges also hold stories passed from one generation to the next.” For the Iraya, the forest is a largely unwritten living archive. Lenito Pampilo, an Iraya community leader and ecotrail guide, has spent much of his life in the mountains located in the Iraya Mangyan ancestral lands. Image by Keith Anthony Fabro. For the Iraya, the forest is a largely unwritten living archive. Image courtesy of Center for Conservation Innovations PH Inc. As elders age and fewer young people learn beside them, the Center for Conservation Innovations Philippines (CCIPH) is helping Iraya knowledge holders document wildlife, medicinal plants and culturally important places…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The Iraya Mangyan ancestral forestland supports hundreds of plant and animal species, including many that are rare, threatened or found only on the Philippines’ Mindoro Island. - Culturally important birds include the Mindoro racket-tail (Prioniturus mindorensis), Mindoro boobook (Ninox mindorensis) and Mindoro scops owl (Otus mindorensis), whose calls and behaviors guide weather preparation, farming decisions and spiritual practices. - Iraya knowledge also links medicinal plants, wildlife and healing, showing how customary beliefs can regulate harvesting, discourage disturbance and protect forest habitats. - Community-led documentation will help carry this knowledge into ancestral-domain planning, ecotrail interpretation and broader conservation of Mindoro’s endemic wildlife. authors: | ||
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On the Great Barrier Reef, management by Traditional Owners is growing 18 Aug 2026 18:35:11 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/on-the-great-barrier-reef-management-by-traditional-owners-is-growing/ author: Latoya Abulu dc:creator: Cat Williams content:encoded: PERTH, Australia — “There’s this beautiful underwater garden out there,” says Mercy Singleton, referring to the vast network of colorful corals that make up the Great Barrier Reef off eastern Australia’s Queensland coast. “We’d like to see it safe and recovering.” Singleton is Yirrganydji and director of Research and Engagement Services at Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation. Her people are one of 18 Traditional Owner groups helping steward the Great Barrier Reef, for them their Sea Country — with Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreements (TUMRAs) in hand. These community-based plans for joint management of the Reef are part of a suite of conservation efforts at the iconic World Heritage Site that include Traditional Owners in management. While there are still gaps in the full inclusion of Indigenous communities in the stewardship of their traditional waters, big strides are being made, say Indigenous governance organizations and scientists. A recent decision by the World Heritage Committee has taken notice. “The last 30 years have seen massive changes in how the Great Barrier Reef is managed, particularly for Traditional Owners,” says Allan Dale, professor of tropical regional development at James Cook University. “There’s been this great increase in the governing capability and the ability of those Traditional Owner groups to achieve their aspirations,” he tells Mongabay. “There’s been a real huge growth in the sort of capability of land and sea reservations and there’s an increasing number of rangers and leaders and planners and workers in that space.” Dr. Mercy Singleton, director of Research…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Joint management of the Great Barrier Reef is changing, with Traditional Owners playing an increasing role in the conservation of one of the seven natural wonders of the world. - Despite climate change continuing to threaten the health of the Reef, the World Heritage Committee has again decided not to put the Great Barrier Reef on its “in danger” list, and has cited increased levels of Traditional Owner management in its decision. - Traditional use and management agreements currently cover 43% of the Great Barrier Reef’s coastline and the government has announced new funding and measures to further include Indigenous management. - There are still gaps in the full inclusion of Indigenous communities in the stewardship of their traditional waters, say Indigenous governance organizations, though strides are being made. authors: | ||
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A looming rock collapse threatens a Swiss village as thawing permafrost destabilizes the Alps 18 Aug 2026 17:12:07 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/a-looming-rock-collapse-threatens-a-swiss-village-as-thawing-permafrost-destabilizes-the-alps/ author: Mongabay Editor dc:creator: Associated Press content:encoded: KANDERSTEG, Switzerland (AP) — An unstable mountain rock formation looming above the Swiss village of Kandersteg threatens a landslide that could rival the disaster that destroyed nearby Blatten last year, a collapse scientists linked to thawing permafrost and glacier dynamics. The 1,300 residents of Kandersteg, in Switzerland’s Bern canton, live amid a quintessential Alpine landscape of sharp peaks, white glaciers, steep green valleys and the distant sound of cowbells. But a catastrophe looms over the quiet village: a mountainside rock formation called Spitze Stei, part of a mountain landscape increasingly affected by thawing permafrost, threatens to collapse into the valley in a massive landslide. “You are aware that it’s happening, but not afraid,” said Brigitte Jüni, an inhabitant of Kandersteg. She said authorities took all the precautions they could. “But then it’s nature. It’s nature and you never know,” Jüni added. As glaciers and permafrost — the frozen soil sediment and rock that acts like a glue holding mountains together — melt due to higher temperatures caused by climate change, the threat of landslides is rising in the Swiss Alps. In May 2025, a huge mass of rock and ice from a glacier thundered down the mountainside in the nearby Loetschental valley, sending plumes of dust skyward and coating with mud nearly all of Blatten, which had been evacuated earlier as a precaution. Markus Stoffel, professor for climate change and natural risks at the University of Geneva, said climate change leads to the melting of both glaciers and permafrost. “In the mountains…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: KANDERSTEG, Switzerland (AP) — An unstable mountain rock formation looming above the Swiss village of Kandersteg threatens a landslide that could rival the disaster that destroyed nearby Blatten last year, a collapse scientists linked to thawing permafrost and glacier dynamics. The 1,300 residents of Kandersteg, in Switzerland’s Bern canton, live amid a quintessential Alpine landscape of sharp […] authors: | ||
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Indigenous food sovereignty is one of the most overlooked conservation strategies (commentary) 18 Aug 2026 16:21:29 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/indigenous-food-sovereignty-is-one-of-the-most-overlooked-conservation-strategies-commentary/ author: Erik Hoffner dc:creator: Brijlal ChaudhariGemma Sethsmith content:encoded: As governments and conservation organizations search for solutions to the interconnected crises of biodiversity loss, climate change and food insecurity, they are overlooking one of the most effective approaches already working on the ground: Indigenous food sovereignty. Around the world, Indigenous communities manage or hold tenure rights to roughly a quarter of Earth’s land surface, which contains 37% of remaining natural lands worldwide and a third of the planet’s intact forest landscapes. They conserve seeds, maintain diverse farming landscapes, protect forests and rivers and fisheries, and pass ecological knowledge from one generation to the next. Yet these systems are rarely recognized as central to conservation policy, despite their proven contributions to both biodiversity and community resilience. This needs to change. Food sovereignty leader Richard Rojo in his Vanuatu taro garden. Image courtesy of Monica Kidd. The global food system is becoming increasingly uniform. Just three crops — wheat, rice, and maize — provide more than half of the world’s plant-derived calories. Driven by profit, industrial agriculture has transformed vast landscapes into monocultures, contributing to habitat loss, declining soil health, water pollution and the erosion of crop diversity. At the same time, communities everywhere are becoming more vulnerable to climate shocks, market instability and diet-related disease. In contrast, Indigenous food systems are often built on diversity, reciprocity with the land and the way many Indigenous communities perceive wealth. For one of our communities, for example, the Tharu of Nepal, wealth is found in mutual aid, collective reciprocity, and the sacred relations…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Conservation cannot succeed if it separates biodiversity from the Indigenous people who have helped sustain it for generations, a new op-ed argues. - Indigenous food systems are an important facet of this biological stewardship, and these demonstrate that ecological stewardship, cultural continuity and human well-being are deeply interconnected. - “Indigenous food sovereignty is not simply about preserving the past but, rather, it is a living practice and a proven practical pathway toward a more diverse, resilient and sustainable future the world needs,” the authors write. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. authors: | ||
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On an Indonesian island, an ancient ritual evolves to protect an endangered cockatoo 18 Aug 2026 14:10:23 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/on-an-indonesian-island-an-ancient-ritual-evolves-to-protect-an-endangered-cockatoo/ author: Hayat Indriyatno dc:creator: Basten Gokkon content:encoded: An Indigenous community on Indonesia’s Seram Island is preserving a centuries-old coming-of-age ritual while helping protect the endangered salmon-crested cockatoo, a new study has found. The study, published in July in the Journal of Ethnobiology, documents how the Huaulu people adapted the sacred Cidaku initiation ceremony in collaboration with conservationists and government authorities. The ritual marks young men’s transition to adulthood and traditionally involved wearing the distinctive crest feathers of the salmon-crested cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis), a bird found nowhere else on Earth. The Huaulu, one of Seram’s oldest Indigenous communities, regard Seram’s forests as a living realm inhabited by powerful spirits, shaping their approach to conservation. “The use of cockatoo feathers is specifically embedded within this cultural system and is very different from hunting birds for commercial purposes,” study lead author Dwi Agustina, a researcher at Indonesia’s Gadjah Mada University and program coordinator at the Indonesia’s Cockatoo Conservation Association (KKI), told Mongabay in an email. An endangered salmon-crested cockatoo on Seram Island, Indonesia. Image courtesy of Balázs Tisza/Wildlife Messengers. The Cidaku ritual once had ties to head-taking, but after colonial authorities and Christian missionaries suppressed the practice in the early 20th century, the Huaulu adapted the ceremony around hunting wild animals. The salmon-crested cockatoo became one traditional target, with its crest feathers used in the ceremonial puheliam headdress: the white feathers as a symbol of sacred life, peace and community, and the peach-tinged feathers signifying great strength and courage. Over the decades, however, the species has become endangered, largely due…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - A new study has found that the Huaulu Indigenous community on Indonesia’s Seram Island is adapting a centuries-old coming-of-age ritual to help protect the endangered salmon-crested cockatoo. - Researchers say that rather than hunting the birds for their feathers, used in the Cidaku ceremony, the Huaulu have agreed to use naturally shed feathers, collected from rehabilitation centers, rescue facilities and zoos. - The findings suggest that conservation efforts may be more effective when they work with Indigenous cultural traditions and local knowledge rather than relying solely on imposing restrictions from outside. - However, an independent expert warns that this still leaves the much larger threats to the species — wildlife trafficking and habitat loss — unaddressed, and that the approach is a bespoke solution that won’t work with other threatened species. authors: | ||
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As an industry and a cooking ingredient, seaweed is gaining ground in Brazil 18 Aug 2026 12:26:44 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/as-an-industry-and-a-cooking-ingredient-seaweed-is-gaining-ground-in-brazil/ author: Xavier Bartaburu dc:creator: Letícia Klein content:encoded: Aparecida Rosa Ayres often says she has known seaweed since she was in her mother’s womb, thanks to the stories she used to tell her. As a child, her mother used seaweed as doll hair while playing on the beach. Today, the 47-year-old Caiçara woman has given it a new meaning: It is the star ingredient at Rancho Ayres, her restaurant on Paraty’s São Gonçalo Beach. While the seaweed of her mother’s childhood was native to Ilha Grande Bay, the variety Aparecida uses for cooking is Kappaphycus alvarezii, a macroalgae of Philippine origin that she first found in 2013. Eight years later, she took a course offered by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the Paraty municipal government on the potential of seaweed farming for the regional bioeconomy. That course inspired Algas na Mesa Paraty, an initiative that combines what Aparecida calls “seaweed gastronomy” with historical revival at the São Gonçalo and São Gonçalinho beaches. “We are the daughters of the waters; we were born in the maritório [marine territory], so the use of seaweed comes as a form of resistance and permanence to preserve the territory,” Aparecida says. She descends from one of the traditional Caiçara families (traditional population from south/southeast Brazil) displaced from their homes by the beach during the construction of the Rio-Santos federal road (BR-101) between 1969 and 1975. However, the Caiçara continued to use the beaches for work and leisure. There, families built ranchos — facilities that support mariculture, community-based tourism and…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - In Paraty, Brazil, a Caiçara family has transformed seaweed cultivation into gastronomy, educational tourism and a source of income. The venture is driven by strong female participation and a deep connection to their territory. - Originally introduced in Brazil to supply the carrageenan industry, the macroalgae Kappaphycus alvarezii is also being used as a biofertilizer and increasingly as a food item.. - Its farming also supports ecological balance. It produces oxygen, absorbs carbon and helps improve water quality by filtering out excess nutrients. - Experts say the expansion of seaweed farming in Brazil faces bottlenecks in credit, marketing, technology and regulation. New research networks and public policies are attempting to organize the sector as part of the country’s growing bioeconomy. authors: | ||
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Indonesia leads global tally of abuses linked to Chinese transition-mineral investments 18 Aug 2026 10:59:25 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/indonesia-leads-global-tally-of-abuses-linked-to-chinese-transition-mineral-investments/ author: Hans Nicholas Jong dc:creator: Hans Nicholas Jong content:encoded: JAKARTA — Indonesia recorded more allegations of human rights and environmental abuses linked to Chinese investments in transition minerals than any other country between 2023 and 2025, a new report says. It identifies the vast majority of problems with the country’s rapidly expanding nickel industry. The report by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRC) documented 323 publicly reported allegations across 24 countries during the three-year period, plus three confidential cases involving attacks on human rights defenders. That brings the total to 326 allegations for 2023-2025. The number of recorded allegations has also risen each year, from 51 in 2021 to 148 in 2025, bringing the five-year total to 434. That increase doesn’t necessarily mean the number of abuses themselves have tripled, as changes in reporting, monitoring, and the database can affect the figures. Still, the rising trend comes as investment in the minerals used in electric vehicles, batteries, and renewable energy technologies expands rapidly, raising risks for workers, Indigenous peoples, local communities, and the environment. The report also documented 18 attacks against human rights defenders across all 24 countries between 2023 and 2025, including cases involving judicial harassment, violence, and intimidation. Indonesia Of the 323 allegations analyzed in detail, 96 were in Indonesia, the highest of any country. The Democratic Republic of Congo was second with 52, followed by Myanmar with 36, Serbia with 32, and Zimbabwe with 20. Ninety of the 96 Indonesian allegations involved nickel. Of those, 71 concerned nickel processing, 17 nickel extraction, and two…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Indonesia recorded 96 allegations of human rights and environmental abuses linked to Chinese investments in transition minerals from 2023 to 2025, the most of any country, with 90 involving nickel, according to a new report. - Water, soil, and air pollution were among the main environmental concerns, while Indonesian nickel processors accounted for 57% of work-related deaths and 68% of injury allegations documented globally. - The report also documented allegations involving Indigenous rights violations, intimidation of environmental defenders, and failures to obtain free, prior, and informed consent around nickel projects in Indonesia. - The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, which compiled the report, says Chinese companies need stronger human rights and environmental due diligence, as gaps between corporate commitments and practices could create growing risks for workers, communities, and supply chains. authors: | ||
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Mobile queen conch hatcheries strive to help the species, engage Caribbean communities 18 Aug 2026 09:54:48 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/mobile-queen-conch-hatcheries-strive-to-help-the-species-engage-caribbean-communities/ author: Autumn Spanne dc:creator: André Habet content:encoded: Queen conch were once so abundant that fishers in many parts of the Caribbean could wade into knee-deep waters and gather armfuls of the pink, whorled shells. Today, however, the giant marine snails are in decline across the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, while some populations have already collapsed. Growing demand for queen conch (Aliger gigas) meat and shells has led to overharvesting; habitat degradation, pollution and warming waters add further threats. Despite a 1992 CITES Appendix II listing to regulate their international trade, seasonal restrictions and bans by several Caribbean countries to address overfishing and juvenile harvesting, and a 2024 designation as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, few queen conch survive to adulthood compared to historical baselines. In a bid to slow the species’ decline by helping more conch reach reproductive age, scientists are deploying an innovative set of solar-powered mobile hatcheries to shelter them through their vulnerable early life stages. The Queen Conch Lab (QCL), affiliated with Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in the U.S., partners with local conservation organizations to deploy the hatcheries. The aim is not just to build nurseries that will nurture and protect developing conch, but to create community learning spaces where students and other visitors can gain knowledge about the species’ life cycle and participate in restoration efforts, according to Megan Davis, director of the QCL and a research professor at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. A researcher holds a juvenile queen conch. Image by Jennifer Doerr, NOAA…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - International demand for queen conch meat and shells has led to severe overharvesting, while habitat degradation, pollution and warming waters add further threats. - In a bid to slow the decline of the queen conch, researchers are partnering with local conservation organizations across the Caribbean to establish a network of mobile hatcheries aimed at protecting the giant marine snail through its vulnerable early life stages. - The goal is not only to nurture developing conch, but to create community spaces where local people can learn about the queen conch life cycle and participate in restoration efforts. - However, some researchers have doubts about whether aquaculture alone can restore wild conch fisheries. authors: | ||
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Despite energy crisis, Bangladesh’s factories are slow to adopt solar power: Study 18 Aug 2026 07:37:42 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/despite-energy-crisis-bangladeshs-factories-are-slow-to-adopt-solar-power-study/ author: Abu Siddique dc:creator: Md Asaduz Zaman content:encoded: Bangladesh’s energy system is facing intense pressure from the country’s ongoing fuel crisis and rising electricity bills. Yet thousands of garment factories’ rooftops that could be fitted with solar panels remain largely unused. Renewable energy such as solar could be a potential solution to the escalating crisis, but has been overlooked for many years despite Bangladesh having sufficient amounts of sunshine. Rather, the country relies almost entirely on grid electricity, which is mostly generated from imported fossil fuels. More than two-thirds or 69% of factories have still not adopted renewable energy technologies (RET), according to a recent study funded by the International Growth Centre (IGC). “Only 31% of factories have adopted RET (predominantly rooftop solar), with very low average capacity,” the study says. “Half of all solar installations do not even contribute to production processes.” This analysis is based on a survey of 661 factories in the cities of Gazipur and Savar, located close to the capital Dhaka, conducted by Atonu Rabbani of Dhaka University and a BRAC University research team and completed in October 2025. Bangladesh’s garment sector has more than 3,320 active factories. Of these, more than are located in Savar and Gazipur. The study focuses on these two industrial hubs using the Mapped in Bangladesh (MiB) database and samples more than 650 factories out of 1,937 in the two cities. A separate study conducted by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) finds that solar adoption is mostly seen in large and environmentally certified factories (LEED-certified). Large factories…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Less than one-third or 31% of the garment factories in Bangladesh have adopted renewable energy technologies, including rooftop solar, despite the sector having significant potential. - A study shows that financing is still a barrier owing to the upfront costs, limited working capital and procedural red tape from the lenders. - Industry insiders also believe that limited space and a lack of knowledge among owners slow the adoption of sustainable options. - According to an estimate, the garment and textile sector could install up to 2,800 MWp of rooftop solar capacity with an investment of about 126.7 billion Bangladeshi Taka ($1.03 billion). authors: | ||
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Land crisis and ‘green revolution’ practices trap millions of Malawi’s farmers 18 Aug 2026 07:30:34 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/land-crisis-and-green-revolution-practices-trap-millions-of-malawis-farmers/ author: Terna Gyuse dc:creator: Charles Mpaka content:encoded: GOLIATI, Malawi — All that’s left to eat in Tapiwa Ligomeka’s one-room home is stored in a small plastic basin in one corner. Two days earlier, her husband came home with 2 kilos of maize meal, about 5 pounds — all he could afford to buy after a day hustling for casual work carrying traders’ goods at a nearby market, here in southern Malawi’s Thyolo district. On the day Mongabay visits her home, Ligomeka has just returned to her thatched-roof house in the village of Goliati, clutching a bundle of dry maize and pigeon pea stalks to make a fire later, her 8-month-old baby strapped to her back. It’s coming up to noon on a Sunday; her husband is still out watering his tomato crop near the river. “I’ll wait for him,” says Ligomeka, 18, dropping her bundle by the cold fireplace on the verandah. “This flour cannot make enough nsima for us to eat separately.” Nsima is the Chewa term for Malawi’s staple dish, a stiff porridge made from maize flour and usually eaten with vegetables, legumes, and, for those who can afford it, meat or fish. “It also means there won’t be anything for us to eat this evening,” Ligomeka says, measuring the flour with scoops of her right hand. “Sometimes, that goes on for two days.” She says the couple harvested 178 kg (392 lb) of maize from their small farm in March. They couldn’t afford fertilizer for their plot, which measures less than half an acre,…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Malawi’s maize harvest has barely grown in two decades even as its population has surged, leaving millions vulnerable to food shortages each year. - Small farmers struggle to produce enough food on tiny plots because of high fertilizer costs, degraded soils, erratic rains, and unreliable access to government subsidies. - Many farmers sell much of their maize to pay for basic necessities, then depend on risky vegetable crops or scarce seasonal jobs to buy food during the lean months. - After two decades of maize-focused agricultural policy, experts and farmers say Malawi needs stronger support for diverse, resilient farming and rural livelihoods rather than simply producing more maize. authors: | ||
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‘Cocoa fever’ in Liberia’s Grand Gedeh is wiping out native forests 18 Aug 2026 07:17:23 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/cocoa-fever-in-liberias-grand-gedeh-is-wiping-out-native-forests/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Mongabay.com content:encoded: Until 2020, 99% of Liberia’s Grand Gedeh county was covered by natural forests. Since then, cacao farms have rapidly encroached on those forests, reports Mongabay’s Ashoka Mukpo. Grand Gedeh in southeastern Liberia borders Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s largest exporter of cacao beans. Much of Côte d’Ivoire’s forests have been cleared for cacao and many of its cacao plantations are now ageing and nutrient poor. That’s prompted cacao workers from Côte d’Ivoire to turn their attention to Liberia, where landowners have offered them their land in exchange for a share in cocoa earnings. Data from Global Forest Watch show that in 2025, Grand Gedeh lost more forest than any other Liberian county in a single year since 2002. “In Côte d’Ivoire there are no forests, that’s why I came to Liberia,” said Mohammed, a cacao farm worker near the town of Zleh in Grand Gedeh’s Gbarzon district. Around Zleh, roughly 82% of the community’s 6,900 hectares (17,000 acres) of customary forest land have been given over to cacao, Zleh’s town chief said. Yei Neagor, in charge of the regional headquarters of Liberia’s Forestry Development Authority (FDA) in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh’s capital, told Mongabay that Gbarzon has seen the worst forest loss in the county. “I will be honest to tell you that about 70% of the forest there is gone,” she said. Forests in southeastern Liberia are communally owned, and laws regulate how private individuals can lease them for commercial agriculture. In practice, those laws aren’t being followed, said Ashai Wulu Gaye, chair…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Until 2020, 99% of Liberia’s Grand Gedeh county was covered by natural forests. Since then, cacao farms have rapidly encroached on those forests, reports Mongabay’s Ashoka Mukpo. Grand Gedeh in southeastern Liberia borders Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s largest exporter of cacao beans. Much of Côte d’Ivoire’s forests have been cleared for cacao and many of its cacao […] authors: | ||
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Nepal’s newest national parks drive tiger recovery, but emerging concerns threaten progress 18 Aug 2026 06:42:14 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/nepals-newest-national-parks-drive-tiger-recovery-but-emerging-concerns-threaten-progress/ author: Naina Rao dc:creator: Mongabay.com content:encoded: In the last four years, Nepal’s wild tiger population has experienced a historic increase. In 2022, the tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) population was numbered at 355 individuals. Now, it has reached an estimated 429 individuals — nearly a four-fold jump from 16 years ago, reports Mongabay’s Abhaya Raj Joshi. Bed Kumar Dhakal, spokesperson for the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, said that the department’s latest tiger monitoring survey results “reflect the positive outcomes of ongoing efforts in the field of tiger conservation in Nepal, such as habitat conservation and management, poaching control, conservation of prey species, and biological corridor conservation.” However, a closer look at the latest numbers reveals an uneven recovery. Growth is concentrated almost entirely within the country’s newest national parks, Banke, Parsa and Shuklaphanta, while Bardiya, the country’s second-oldest park, experienced a population decline. Shant Raj Jnawali, a researcher and conservationist, said the uneven growth of tiger numbers across Nepal’s parks is due to water availability, spread of weed species and improved connectivity with potential habitats in India, rather than administrative or management changes. “We have seen some areas of Bardiya, especially the banks of the Geruwa River, and Chitwan (west) are facing droughts due to changing river course,” Jnawali said. This dry spell, he added, may be pushing tigers toward parks with better water infrastructure, such as Banke and Parsa, where officials have heavily invested in artificial ponds. Additionally, older parks are suffering from invasive weeds such as bitter vine (Mikania micrantha) and common…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: In the last four years, Nepal’s wild tiger population has experienced a historic increase. In 2022, the tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) population was numbered at 355 individuals. Now, it has reached an estimated 429 individuals — nearly a four-fold jump from 16 years ago, reports Mongabay’s Abhaya Raj Joshi. Bed Kumar Dhakal, spokesperson for the […] authors: | ||
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Texas activist’s claims of Indigenous ancestry face scrutiny 17 Aug 2026 20:21:15 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/texas-activists-claims-of-indigenous-ancestry-face-scrutiny/ author: Latoya Abulu dc:creator: Mongabay.com content:encoded: A recent investigation from Grist, a U.S.-based nonprofit media organization, raises questions about environmental activist Juan Mancias’ Indigenous claim to the land he works to protect in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2017, Mancias traveled to France and helped pressure French banks to withdraw support for oil and gas projects that he said threatened ancestral Indigenous lands and a rare coastal ecosystem. Since that success, the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe, which Mancias is the chairman of, has received recognition in the United Nations and financing for environmental work. The Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe isn’t currently recognized by U.S. federal or state governments; Indigenous groups seeking recognition, as Mancias has, must establish a substantially continuous tribal existence as an autonomous entity. Experts believed “Carrizo” or “Comecrudo” people disappeared from the area after violence, disease or assimilation dramatically reduced their populations. For years, Mancias has said that his grandfather and dozens of tribal families fled their Rio Grande homeland in the 1940s and moved north to the Texas panhandle where they blended in with Mexican farm workers. According to Mancias, they kept their culture alive, secretly speaking their native language and sharing oral histories. Mancias says he lives by two guiding principles from his grandparents. His grandmother told him, “Know your people, know who you are,” while his grandfather told him, “Go get our land back,” according to news reports. However, Grist found inconsistencies in Mancias’ account that raise questions about the accuracy of his family history. For example, he has repeatedly cited an alleged…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: A recent investigation from Grist, a U.S.-based nonprofit media organization, raises questions about environmental activist Juan Mancias’ Indigenous claim to the land he works to protect in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2017, Mancias traveled to France and helped pressure French banks to withdraw support for oil and gas projects that he said threatened […] authors: | ||
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Lake Powell hits record low, threatening key water and electricity supply for millions 17 Aug 2026 19:41:46 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/lake-powell-hits-record-low-threatening-key-water-and-electricity-supply-for-millions/ author: Mongabay Editor dc:creator: Associated Press content:encoded: The water level at Lake Powell, the United States’ second-largest reservoir, has fallen to a record low, heightening concerns about the ongoing crisis in the Colorado River system. The alarming milestone at Lake Powell, reached Saturday, comes about a week after the river’s other major reservoir, Lake Mead, also hit a historic low. Plummeting water levels pose a major threat to the Colorado River Basin, which is a key resource for wildlife, hydropower and more than 40 million people in seven U.S. states. The historic lows come as the federal government and states that rely on the river — California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado — struggle to reach agreement on a long-term management plan for the dwindling resource. Persistent overuse combined with a record-dry winter and rising temperatures have been depleting both Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Lake Powell’s elevation dropped to 3,519.91 feet (1072.9 meters) above sea level on Saturday, dropping just slightly below a previous record set in April 2023, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The lake is more than 20 feet (6.10 meters) lower than it was at the start of the year, USBR data shows. The reservoir is now about 30 feet (9.1 meters) away from the point at which turbines would stop producing hydroelectric power. Federal officials warned in April that a “major intervention” would be necessary to avoid reaching that threshold by the end of this year. USBR in July proposed a 10-year plan that includes major potential water cuts for Arizona, California and Nevada.…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: The water level at Lake Powell, the United States’ second-largest reservoir, has fallen to a record low, heightening concerns about the ongoing crisis in the Colorado River system. The alarming milestone at Lake Powell, reached Saturday, comes about a week after the river’s other major reservoir, Lake Mead, also hit a historic low. Plummeting water levels […] authors: | ||
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Fatal barge crashes fuel fear over Madeira River waterway expansion in Brazil 17 Aug 2026 19:21:33 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/fatal-barge-crashes-fuel-fear-over-madeira-river-waterway-expansion-in-brazil/ author: Alexandre de Santi dc:creator: Karla Mendes content:encoded: CALAMA AND PARAÍSO GRANDE, Brazil — A mother and her three kids died after a barge loaded with soybeans collided with a floating structure and completely destroyed their stilt house on Jan. 17, 2025, in the Urumatuba riverine community along the Madeira River, in the Brazilian Amazon. Four months later, another freight vessel hit three mining barges anchored in the neighboring Nova Catarina riverine community, in the Manicoré municipality, in Amazonas state. The owner of one of the mining barges was the husband of the woman and father of the three kids who died in the January accident, according to a local news outlet. Mongabay was reporting in riverine communities in the region of the city of Humaitá, 190 kilometers (118 miles) southeast and downstream from Manicoré, when the second accident happened. All those interviewed on that day and the following days said they were terrified by the event — and knew someone who suffered losses or even died in collisions involving grain barges in the Madeira River. “We are very worried here in our community about these vessels,” smallholder Maria Delci Barros de Morais, 59, told Mongabay on the balcony of her house in the riverine community of Paraíso Grande, located 30 minutes by fast boat from Humaitá. “They’ve already run over someone we know.” The barge smashed the boat used by the family as a home, she recalled. “Thank God no one died.” According to Morais, the risk increases during the Madeira River’s high-water season, between December and…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Brazil is planning to dredge the Madeira River to boost grain exports despite recent fatal barge collisions and poor dialogue with local communities. - In addition to accidents, expanded traffic and dredging pose risks of erosion, water pollution, harm to aquatic species and fishing. - As national elections approach, communities worry that politicians will prioritize agribusiness over the safety of those who rely on the river to access doctors, schools, work, trade and daily routines. authors: | ||
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Concerns grow over ‘green’ biomass power in Japan after spate of accidents 17 Aug 2026 15:45:17 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/concerns-grow-over-green-biomass-power-in-japan-after-spate-of-accidents/ author: Philip Jacobson dc:creator: Nithin Coca content:encoded: For the past decade, Japan has been expanding the use of woody biomass for power generation to replace or be mixed and burned with coal. The country is now the second-largest wood pellet consumer in the world after the U.K. But there are concerns that burning wood pellets or palm kernel shells to generate electricity might not be safe. In the past few years, there have been at least 14 fires, explosions and accidents at biomass power plants across Japan. These incidents, combined with rising prices, pollution concerns and growing opposition are leading some to question the future of Japan’s large-scale biomass plants, an estimated 34 of which produce 3.5 gigawatts of power. For many living near the plants or pushing Japan to decarbonize, this would be welcome as accident and pollution concerns grow. “Explosions at biomass power plants in Japan have been occurring too frequently, and despite this, regulations are being applied leniently,” An Nakane, a campaigner with Friends of the Earth Japan, told Mongabay. “The government should urge operators to formulate business plans that take into account the safety of nearby residents.” Tanks storing palm kernel shells and wood pellets at a biomass power plant in Japan’s Okinawa. Image by Annelise Giseburt for Mongabay. Why Japan has so many accidents Japan expanded the use woody biomass as an alternative to coal by including it alongside solar and wind in its clean energy feed-in-tariff program. This move came despite concerns that wood pellet production often rests on the destruction…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - In the past few years, there have been at least 14 fires, explosions and accidents at biomass power plants across Japan. - Accidents, rising prices and pollution concerns have led local residents and campaigners to question the future of the country’s large biomass plants. - Japan had expanded the use woody biomass as an alternative to coal, but operators are facing rising costs and no longer benefit from a government-backed fixed tariff to support the industry. authors: | ||
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Increasingly rare: Jaguarundi moves up a notch on the endangered species list 17 Aug 2026 13:40:23 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/increasingly-rare-jaguarundi-moves-up-a-notch-on-the-endangered-species-list/ author: Sharon Guynup dc:creator: Sean Mowbray content:encoded: Distinct for their rather uncat-like appearance, jaguarundis have long flown under the research and conservation radar. However, its latest uplisting to near threatened on the IUCN Red List could change that. These small cats — weighing up to around 7 kilograms (15 pounds) — roam savannah and forest landscapes across a massive range stretching from Mexico through Central America and all the way to southern Brazil and Argentina. Tadeu de Oliveira, co-chair of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group, who led the latest review, said the assessment had to battle against the perception that jaguarundis are common and, thus, not threatened. That’s partly because, as a diurnal species, they roam and hunt in open spaces during the day, making them more visible than many other feline species, he said. They also inhabit degraded, less-than-pristine landscapes. “If you have a forest and that becomes savannah-like, it will mimic the ideal habitat for the species,” de Oliveira said. “It’s not [the jaguarundi’s] favorable habitat, but it will allow it to be there.” As this cat moves through open spaces, it is more frequently seen than other feline species that live in dense forest. Jaguarundis are sometimes known as the “otter cat” due to their distinctive, uncat-like appearance. They’re unique for their wide range of vocalizations, including “chirping” like a bird. Image by Wild Cats Brazil-Americas Conservation Program/Gatos do Mato. “It’s easier to be seen and because of that, people perceived it as common,” de Oliveira said. “But when you quantify it data-wise, it…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The jaguarundi needs more attention, researchers say. This small cat, ranging from Mexico to Argentina, was recently recategorized from least concern to near threatened on the IUCN Red List. - Despite the species’ large territory, monitoring data suggests it’s rare, now among the least abundant felids across its range. Conservationists also warn some populations are in decline due to human-wildlife conflict, dangerous roadways, attacks by dogs and infectious disease. - With relatively little field study or funding for research, there are huge gaps in researchers’ understanding of this cat, but conservationists hope this change in conservation status will spark greater attention. authors: | ||
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Only a few hundred Timor green pigeons may remain. There is still time to save them 17 Aug 2026 11:10:13 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/only-a-few-hundred-timor-green-pigeons-may-remain-there-is-still-time-to-save-them/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. On April 20, on the south coast of Timor-Leste, Jafet Potenzo Lopes saw three green pigeons. He had not seen the species for years. The birds were Timor green pigeons, and the site, in Manatuto municipality, had no previous record of them. With the species nearing extinction, finding three birds in a new place was encouraging. The latest estimates suggest how few remain. A study published this year in Oryx, drawing on more than 1,400 days of field surveys between 2002 and 2025, estimates the global population at 100-500 birds across eight sites. The true number may be near the lower end of that range. Only Nino Konis Santana National Park in eastern Timor-Leste is thought to hold more than 50 birds. The researchers recommend changing the status of the Timor green pigeon (Treron psittaceus) on the IUCN Red List from endangered to critically endangered, reports contributor Timothy Mihocik for Mongabay. In Indonesia, where many older records came from West Timor and nearby islands, the pigeon may already be functionally extinct. Most of the remaining birds are in Timor-Leste, where hunting continues even in protected areas. Timor green pigeons gather at fruiting trees and are unusually vulnerable: After one bird is shot, others may stay in the canopy. Forest conversion has also reduced their habitat. More than 80% of known records come from protected areas, yet researchers say those areas lack the funding…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. On April 20, on the south coast of Timor-Leste, Jafet Potenzo Lopes saw three green pigeons. He had not seen the species for years. The birds were Timor green pigeons, and the site, in Manatuto municipality, had no […] authors: | ||
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Safeguarding passageways is the next step for India’s growing tiger populations 17 Aug 2026 09:52:24 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/safeguarding-passageways-is-the-next-step-for-indias-growing-tiger-populations/ author: Naina Rao dc:creator: Mongabay.com content:encoded: As Bengal tiger numbers rebound in India and increasingly disperse into human-dominated areas, conservationists are urging the government to prioritize protecting ecological corridors that connect vital habitats and tiger populations. But they also warn that corridors shouldn’t become sticking plasters for compromised core habitats, reports contributor Nirmal Ghosh for Mongabay. India is home to roughly 75% of the world’s wild tigers. The national population has more than doubled from an estimated 1,827 in 1972 to an estimated 3,682 in the 2022 census. However, this conservation success has created new challenges. Experts estimate that 35% of India’s wild tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) now live outside protected areas. Young tigers leave their mothers to establish large home ranges, which for males can cover up to 200 square kilometers (77 square miles). In doing so, tigers frequently navigate a highly fragmented matrix of roads, railways and urban sprawl. Without safe pathways, isolated tiger populations risk inbreeding and local extinction. In response to rapid infrastructure development, India has constructed more wildlife underpasses and overpasses than any other Asian country, according to Bilal Habib, a scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), a government-run research center. This includes the world’s 10 largest wildlife mitigation structures built since 2017, such as a 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) underpass beneath a newly opened expressway connecting New Delhi to the city of Dehradun. “I don’t think anywhere in the world, any developing country has spent as much money as we have on mitigation, exclusively for wildlife conservation,” Habib told Mongabay. At the…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: As Bengal tiger numbers rebound in India and increasingly disperse into human-dominated areas, conservationists are urging the government to prioritize protecting ecological corridors that connect vital habitats and tiger populations. But they also warn that corridors shouldn’t become sticking plasters for compromised core habitats, reports contributor Nirmal Ghosh for Mongabay. India is home to roughly […] authors: | ||
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Aceh’s community fishers struggle to preserve tradition amid blooms of plastic pollution 17 Aug 2026 08:48:53 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/acehs-community-fishers-struggle-to-preserve-tradition-amid-blooms-of-plastic-pollution/ author: Mongabay Editor dc:creator: Nurul Hasanah content:encoded: BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — Seven fishers moved in concert along the shore of Gampong Jawa Beach in Banda Aceh, Indonesia’s westernmost city, hauling in a blue net nearly half a mile long from the Indian Ocean. “Forward … Keep it going … Now, move back!” instructed Surya Abid, the panglima laot, or “sea commander,” of the Gampong Jawa community. The practice known as tarek pukat is a form of community fishing dating to the Aceh Sultanate, which ruled here from the 15th century until defeat to the Dutch colonial navy in 1903. Its rules are overseen by the panglima laot, an Indigenous Acehnese institution that governed fishing through customary law long before the existence of the modern Indonesian state. Toward the end of 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake under nearby Simeleue Island triggered the infamous Indian Ocean tsunami — a disaster that, in Gampong Jawa, wiped out more than 90% of the population. Memorials in and around Banda Aceh are built 30 meters (100 feet) high to honor those lost and remind future generations of the wave height that left 167,540 people dead or missing in Indonesia alone. Today, only a small number of fishers still work together handling these vast nets to catch fish, following unwritten customary rules to protect threatened marine species including sea turtles and their eggs. In Gampong Jawa, those rules are overseen by Surya, the local panglima laot. Efendi, an assistant to the panglima laot (customary fishery lead), mends a torn fishing net. Image by Nurul…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Coastal communities in Indonesia’s Aceh province have practiced community fish trawling since the time of the Aceh Sultanate, but the tradition today exists in only a handful of communities across the semiautonomous province. - The customary panglima laot, a customary fishery lead, at one beach in the Aceh capital Banda Aceh, told Mongabay Indonesia that the customary rules included environmental protections such as requirements not to take threatened species. - However, this traditional fishing practice is under threat due to the increasing burden of plastic and other household waste accumulating in nearshore waters and along beaches. - For many, the time and cost required to patch holes in giant fishing nets can make the cost of doing business unviable, leading some fishers to abandon the tradition for jobs elsewhere. authors: | ||
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Logging and the slow disappearance of Australia’s large old trees (commentary) 17 Aug 2026 00:43:09 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/logging-and-the-slow-disappearance-of-australias-large-old-trees-commentary/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: David Lindenmayer content:encoded: Large old trees are among the most important structures in native forests, in Australia and around the world. They store disproportionately large amounts of carbon relative to small, young trees, and they provide the nesting and denning hollows that hundreds of animal species depend on. A single large old tree can take two or three centuries to grow. There is a persistent claim that logging does little or no lasting harm to these trees. It is worth examining what the evidence actually shows. I have studied populations of thousands of large old trees for more than four decades and published that work in the international peer-reviewed literature. I have also written a series of global reviews on large old trees and co-edited an international book on the subject – so the issue of logging effects on large old trees can be examined from data rather than assertion. Our long-term research has shown quite clearly that logged and regenerated forests have far fewer large old trees than places that have not been logged. There are several reasons for this – some obvious and some not so obvious. First, most trees are removed in a logging operation. Second, trees that are retained in logged areas are very exposed to increased windspeeds – the previous tree cover is not there to slow air movement. Third, the debris left on the forest floor after logging is burnt in a fire lit deliberately to help regenerate the forest. These are very high severity fires which…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Large old trees store substantial amounts of carbon and provide essential nesting and denning hollows for hundreds of Australian animal species. - Logging removes these trees directly and increases the risk that surviving trees will be damaged by wind and regeneration burns. - In this commentary, David Lindenmayer of the Australian National University argues that protecting large old trees is essential because they take centuries to replace. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. authors: | ||
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South Africa’s top court blocks Shell oil exploration off country’s Wild Coast 17 Aug 2026 00:00:22 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/south-africas-top-court-blocks-shell-oil-exploration-off-countrys-wild-coast/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Victoria Schneider content:encoded: In a landmark judgment on Aug. 14, South Africa’s Constitutional Court set aside exploration rights held by oil giant Shell and Impact Africa, a South African oil and gas company. The ruling prevents the companies from exploring for fossil fuels off South Africa’s Wild Coast. The case was brought by Wild Coast communities and environmental organizations after Shell announced plans in 2021 to conduct a 3D seismic survey off the country’s Eastern Cape province coastline. They argued that authorities had failed to meaningfully consult affected communities or consider harms to their spiritual and cultural rights and livelihoods. Authorities also failed to consider the potential harm to marine life and climate change, the plaintiffs argued. In the judgement, Justice Jody Kollapen wrote the majority opinion and said consulting communities isn’t just a procedural requirement, but “a process which affirms human dignity by affording a seat at the table to those whose lives are impacted by decisions.” Acknowledging the “cornerstone role that dispossession played in the apartheid regime,” the court noted that South Africa’s natural resources are highly contested and that the case is embedded in “well-documented struggles by coastal communities to protect their land, marine resources and ways of life in the face of extractive activities.” The judges also considered last year’s International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on countries’ obligations in the context of climate change: “Decisions must be taken within a framework of heightened diligence, informed by scientific knowledge, international commitments and the foreseeable impacts of emissions on present…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: In a landmark judgment on Aug. 14, South Africa’s Constitutional Court set aside exploration rights held by oil giant Shell and Impact Africa, a South African oil and gas company. The ruling prevents the companies from exploring for fossil fuels off South Africa’s Wild Coast. The case was brought by Wild Coast communities and environmental […] authors: | ||
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Is this the world’s loneliest tree? 16 Aug 2026 20:05:45 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/is-this-the-worlds-loneliest-tree/ author: Sam Lee dc:creator: Sam Lee content:encoded: The last known wild individual of Dendroseris neriifolia hangs off the side of a steep cliff on a remote island. To try to prevent its total extinction in the wild, conservationists recently went to great lengths—and heights—to collect seeds from the tree. They have begun trials to cultivate them with the help of the Millennium Seed Bank @kewgardens.This article was originally published on Mongabay description: The last known wild individual of Dendroseris neriifolia hangs off the side of a steep cliff on a remote island. To try to prevent its total extinction in the wild, conservationists recently went to great lengths—and heights—to collect seeds from the tree. They have begun trials to cultivate them with the help of the Millennium […] authors: | ||
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Steve Smit, South Africa’s “Monkey Man,” has died 15 Aug 2026 21:18:30 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/steve-smit-south-africas-monkey-man-has-died/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: In 2015 Steve Smit badly injured his right eye while trying to round up rescued chickens in his garden in Westville, near Durban. A branch struck him and almost cost him his sight. Doctors told him to rest. Within weeks he had gone on more than 20 wildlife rescues, wearing an eye patch. For three decades Smit climbed trees, crossed roofs, crawled under buildings, and entered gardens to retrieve vervet monkeys that had been shot, shocked on power lines, hit by cars, bitten by dogs, or caught in wire. Around KwaZulu-Natal he became known simply as the “Monkey Man.” He died on August 12th after a battle with cancer. He was 70. Before rescuing monkeys became his full-time occupation, Smit spent roughly 25 years in South Africa’s intelligence services. He had first joined the police after objecting to military conscription, and later moved through the Bureau of State Security and National Intelligence Service. In an oral-history interview in 2007, he recalled being troubled by the conduct and culture of some of the institutions in which he worked. His involvement with animals began while he was still in government service. In 1985 he founded FALCON, the Front for Animal Liberation and Conservation of Nature, described as South Africa’s first animal-rights organization. It later became Justice for Animals. Smit campaigned against vivisection, recreational hunting, circuses, wildlife trade, and other uses of animals that he regarded as exploitation. His position often put him at odds with conservationists. Smit was concerned not only with…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Steve Smit, known in KwaZulu-Natal as the “Monkey Man,” spent three decades rescuing and rehabilitating vervet monkeys and other urban wildlife. - Before becoming a full-time rescuer, he spent roughly 25 years in South Africa’s intelligence services and helped build the country’s early animal-rights movement. - Through FALCON, Justice for Animals, and later Monkey Helpline, he challenged elephant culling, wildlife trade, vivisection, and other practices he believed sacrificed individual animals. - Smit, who died on August 12 at 70, became known for an uncompromising defense of animals that many people regarded as common, troublesome, or expendable. authors: | ||
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John Salehe helped shape Tanzania’s community conservation movement 15 Aug 2026 15:40:53 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/john-salehe-helped-shape-tanzanias-community-conservation-movement/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: For wildlife moving between Lake Manyara and Tarangire, a line on a map was never enough. Elephants, wildebeest, and other animals crossed land used by pastoralists and farmers, where roads, cultivation, and settlements were expanding. Keeping such routes open meant persuading people who lived there that wildlife had a place in their future. It meant dealing with livestock killed by predators, arguments over revenue, and the tedious business of local institutions. John Gospel Yonazi Salehe, who died on June 19th aged 71, spent much of his working life on such problems. A Tanzanian forester by training, he worked for the government, FAO, UNDP, WWF, and, eventually, the African Wildlife Foundation, where he became Tanzania country director. His career stretched for more than four decades and across forests, wildlife areas, and development projects in East Africa. Salehe’s conservation was practical and strongly social. In the Maasai Steppe he worked to protect wildlife corridors and strengthen community-run Wildlife Management Areas. He wanted the benefits from conservation to reach households, and supported measures such as predator-proof livestock enclosures and compensation for losses to wildlife. Communities were not an audience for conservation after the important decisions had been made. They were part of how it was supposed to work. The same thinking shaped his work on forests. In central Tanzania, where charcoal production and farming put pressure on woodland, he argued that restrictions had to be accompanied by viable livelihoods. Higher agricultural productivity, land-use planning, and secure tenure could reduce pressure on forests, he…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: For wildlife moving between Lake Manyara and Tarangire, a line on a map was never enough. Elephants, wildebeest, and other animals crossed land used by pastoralists and farmers, where roads, cultivation, and settlements were expanding. Keeping such routes open meant persuading people who lived there that wildlife had a place in their future. It meant […] authors: | ||
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The king of the Andes: How a village learned to coexist with condors 15 Aug 2026 07:40:55 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/video/2026/08/the-king-of-the-andes-how-a-village-learned-to-coexist-with-condors/ author: Lucia Torres dc:creator: Christina NoriegaJulia LimaMonica Wise Robles content:encoded: PÁRAMO EL ALMORZADERO, Colombia — Doris Torres is a sheepherder who grew up seeing Andean condors as enemies. In this remote village high in the Colombian Andes, the birds were blamed for livestock losses and often killed through poisoning or shooting — persecution that helped push their population to the brink. But as Torres learned more about the condor and its importance to the Andean ecosystem, her relationship with the species began to change. She became an unlikely conservationist and is now at the heart of a grassroots effort helping bring condors back to these mountains. Working with Fernando Castro, from the Parque Jaime Duque Foundation, Torres and other villagers have transformed a long-standing conflict into a model of coexistence. Former enemies of the condor have become its protectors, creating a rare safe haven for one of Colombia’s most threatened birds of prey. Today, condors are once again soaring over the páramo. And the community is preparing for the next step: welcoming young condors bred in captivity by Castro and his team in Bogotá. Using artificial incubation and condor-shaped hand puppets to raise the chicks without accustoming them to humans, the team hopes to release at least three juveniles into the wild by the end of 2027. Mongabay’s Video Team wants to cover questions and topics that matter to you. Are there any inspiring people, urgent issues, or local stories that you’d like us to cover? We want to hear from you. Be a part of our reporting process—get in…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: PÁRAMO EL ALMORZADERO, Colombia — Doris Torres is a sheepherder who grew up seeing Andean condors as enemies. In this remote village high in the Colombian Andes, the birds were blamed for livestock losses and often killed through poisoning or shooting — persecution that helped push their population to the brink. But as Torres learned […] authors: | ||
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Global marine protected areas fail to safeguard most sharks and rays: Study 14 Aug 2026 16:41:43 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/global-marine-protected-areas-fail-to-safeguard-most-sharks-and-rays-study/ author: Autumn Spanne dc:creator: Madeline Shaw content:encoded: In 2022, 196 countries agreed to the ambitious conservation goal of “30×30”: setting aside 30% of the planet’s coastal and marine areas for conservation by 2030 as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Now, halfway to 2030, only about 10% of the ocean is covered by protected areas, leaving many countries far short of meeting this biodiversity goal by the end of the decade. Even within these existing reserves, new research shows significant gaps for one of the most threatened marine groups: sharks and rays. A study published in Conservation Letters in July finds that most species of sharks and rays have less than 10% of their ranges covered by any marine protected area (MPA), with significant shortfalls for threatened and critically endangered species. The analysis also reveals major gaps in reporting on the extent of fishing and harvesting restrictions in these preserves, also known as “take-status”, which is important for assessing meaningful protection for these animals. “Simply increasing the amount of protected ocean doesn’t necessarily mean we’re actually protecting those threatened species,” Amanda Arnold, a marine biodiversity researcher at Simon Fraser University in Canada and the lead author of the study, told Mongabay. “It’s not covering the breadth of biodiversity.” Sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus), a critically endangered species according to the IUCN. Image mattdowse via iNaturalist (CC BY-NC 4.0). Research suggests that to offer measurable conservation benefits, marine preserves should cover at least a tenth of a species’ range, with 20-40% coverage maximizing conservation gains. Yet few…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Marine protected areas (MPAs) cover less than 10% of the ranges of most species of sharks and rays, with significant shortfalls for threatened and critically endangered species, a new study finds. - The analysis also reveals major gaps in reporting on the extent of fishing and harvesting re-strictions in these preserves. - The study’s authors recommend including biodiversity targets as part of the 30×30 framework and encourage policymakers to consider aligning MPAs with important shark and ray areas to maximize conservation and biodiversity benefits. - However, some researchers disagree that blanket MPAs would meaningfully benefit shark and ray conservation. authors: | ||
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