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Bangladesh struggles to choose between food security & stable groundwater table 30 Apr 2026 17:19:02 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/bangladesh-struggles-to-choose-between-food-security-stable-groundwater-table/ author: Abu Siddique dc:creator: Abu Siddique content:encoded: Considering the rapidly depleting groundwater table in Bangladesh’s northwestern zone, known as the Barind Tract, the country declared 25 subdistricts of the region as water crisis-prone areas in December 2025. In a circular, the government suggested that farmers immediately cut their cultivation of the high irrigation-intensive rice variety boro. At the same time, it directed the state-owned Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) to stop providing irrigation to the farmers. BMDA is an authority under the Ministry of Water Resources that oversees irrigation of extracted groundwater through roughly 16,000 deep tube wells to more than half a million hectares (1.2 million acres) of arable land in northern Bangladesh. “The water crisis is nothing new in the region. However, the sudden declaration of stopping irrigation and boro cultivation brought BMDA and the farmers into a confrontational situation,” said Md Abul Kasem, additional chief engineer of BMDA. “Later, we discussed the situation with the Water Resources Ministry and got a verbal direction to continue the irrigation till the next formal decision is made,” he added. The declaration came per the suggestion of the Bangladesh Water Resources Planning Organization (WARPO), as it suggested the government take measures to curb groundwater depletion in the country. According to WARPO, five subdistricts of Chapai Nawabganj, 10 subdistricts of Rajshahi and 10 subdistricts of Naogaon are marked at different levels of groundwater scarcity, including high, medium and low. A 2024 study said the Barind Tract was the most drought-affected zone in the country due to its lesser rainfall,…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - With an aim to stabilize the groundwater table, Bangladesh declared 25 subdistricts of its northwestern part as water crisis zones in late 2025. - Identifying irrigation as the major factor of the crisis, a government notice asked farmers to immediately halt the cultivation of high irrigation-fed boro paddy. - Since the zone is also considered a rice-producing hub, the government later changed the direction for a limited time, considering the immediate impacts of hampering staple food production in the country. - However, development professionals suggested shifts in agriculture practices from high irrigation-fed rice production to alternative crops to ensure a stabilized water table and livelihood for the people living in the region. authors: | ||
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Experts caution Nepal’s plan to open doors to private zoos 30 Apr 2026 15:17:21 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/experts-caution-nepals-plan-to-open-doors-to-private-zoos/ author: Abhaya Raj Joshi dc:creator: Deepak Adhikari content:encoded: KATHMANDU — Nepal has proposed legalizing private zoos, wildlife rescue centers and hospitals, but experts warn weak safeguards could fuel wildlife capture and undermine conservation efforts. Officials say the move could improve infrastructure and raise awareness, but critics warn it lacks clarity on oversight, enforcement and animal welfare standards. “There are so-called mini zoos in Nepal, but many function more like killing centers,” said Dibya Raj Dahal, president of Kathmandu-based NGO Small Mammals Conservation and Research Foundation (SMCRF). “Small wild animals are captured from the wild and sold to these facilities under the guise of rescue. In reality, it is extraction,” he said, adding that many animals die in captivity. Nepal’s only federal government-recognized and functional zoo, the Central Zoo in Kathmandu, was established in 1932 as a private collection. The zoo, which opened its doors to the public in 1956, was managed by the government until 1995 when it was handed over to the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), a semi-governmental nonprofit. Although different “mini zoos” have been set up in different parts of the country, their legal status has been dubious and their treatment of animals criticized by conservationists. In response, the government had been saying it plans to introduce new guidelines for the establishment and running of different categories of zoos across the country. Dahal said that despite its gaps, the draft was an improvement on the current regulatory vacuum. “It is a positive step, but the draft remains incomplete.” The guidelines also come as the…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Nepal’s draft guidelines to allow private zoos, wildlife hospitals and rescue centers marks a shift toward private participation in conservation, aimed at improving infrastructure and awareness. - Experts say vague definitions, weak oversight and limited technical capacity could enable wildlife capture under the guise of rescue and lead to poor animal welfare. - Drawing on India’s model, they say time-bound licensing and periodic compliance reviews — with the power to shut non-compliant zoos — will be crucial. authors: | ||
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In Indonesia, a schoolboy moves mountains on waste as government targets reform 30 Apr 2026 14:34:27 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-indonesia-a-schoolboy-moves-mountains-on-waste-as-government-targets-reform/ author: Mongabay Editor dc:creator: Gafur Abdullah content:encoded: JEMBER, Indonesia — Syazwan Luftan Riady traces his environmental campaigning to school holidays spent at his grandmother’s riverside home in a rural part of Indonesia’s East Java province. “Throw that trash in the river, the basket’s full!” Luftan said, mimicking the levity with which his grandmother, like millions of others on the world’s most populous island, handled household waste in the absence of government services. While still a schoolboy in Jember, East Java, Luftan learned from his parents and developed his interest in the environment further after joining Sekolah Alam Raya. At just 12 years old, Luftan went on to co-found an organization of his own, Wiskomunalian, a grassroots association of youngsters working on achievable measures to effect environmental change. “It was about making friends aware about the environment, especially the issue of waste,” said Luftan, now in his second year of an undergraduate degree at Brawijaya University in Malang, a four-hour drive from Jember. Some of the Wiskomunalian youth in January 2026. Image by Gafur Abdullah/Mongabay Indonesia Child star A goal of Luftan and his colleagues is that “every child must be supported with adequate knowledge and experience grounded in their local realities,” Wiskomunalian wrote last year. But converting that vision into cleaner rivers and streets is a tall order, amid population growth and limited fiscal space with which to build waste treatment facilities. The United Nations Environment Programme records Indonesia as generating around 3.2 million metric tons of plastic waste every year, making it the world’s second-largest plastic…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - At just 12 years old, Syazwan Luftan Riady started a grassroots nonprofit of young people in East Java province focused on environmental protection. - Now a second-year student at a prominent university in Indonesia, Luftan is also the protagonist of a children’s book and has received recognition from a U.S. organization for his campaigning work. - The United Nations Environment Programme notes that Indonesia generates 3.2 million metric tons of plastic waste every year, the second most in the world after China. - Indonesia’s president, Prabowo Subianto, announced in February a “war on waste” and is overseeing construction of 33 new electricity generation projects fueled by household waste. The president has also called for a volunteer army of schoolchildren to help clean up the country’s beaches and rivers. authors: | ||
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Inside the fight to save the little-known Galápagos petrel 30 Apr 2026 14:02:27 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/inside-the-fight-to-save-the-little-known-galapagos-petrel/ author: Alexandrapopescu dc:creator: Sean Mowbray content:encoded: Critically endangered Galápagos petrels spend much of their life at sea, but as they return to breed in the only place they call home, a litany of threats awaits. Over the last 60 years, in particular until the 1980s, the population of the Galápagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) declined significantly, with only 15,000 individuals remaining today, according to the latest IUCN Red List assessment of the species. And although that number could be as high as 20,000 as new colonies are being discovered, pressure from invasive species that prey on the bird and degrade its habitat keeps the petrel on the edge. But decades-long conservation efforts have refined strategies to protect these seabirds, while a new initiative will involve thousands of Galápagos private landowners in securing their fragile nesting grounds. “Even though it’s an oceanic bird, you don’t see them that often,” Paola Sangolquí, a marine conservation coordinator with Ecuadorian NGO Jocotoco, told Mongabay in a video interview. The petrels spend most of their time out on the open water, hunting squid and fish. When they return to land, it’s to the upland and remote areas of the Galápagos islands of San Cristóbal, Floreana, Santa Cruz, Isabela and Santiago, where they nest in burrows or natural crevices. These tend to be far from the islands’ human settlements, and because the birds are also largely nocturnal, that makes them even more difficult to spot. “They nest in these foggy, misty areas up in the highlands, surrounded by dense vegetation,” Sangolquí says. “It…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Galápagos petrels are rarely seen, yet critically endangered. These large seabirds endemic to five islands in the Galápagos archipelago face significant threats from numerous invasive species. - In the 1980s, their population plummeted to crisis levels, but sustained conservation efforts have since slowed their decline. - Conservationists are tackling invasive species and efforts are expanding to privately held farms that host important petrel breeding sites. - Experts point out that the various organizations working on petrel conservation need to coordinate their efforts so that they can plan effective interventions where most needed. authors: | ||
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The value of South Africa’s wildlife shouldn’t be in the hands of wealthy foreign hunters (commentary) 30 Apr 2026 12:07:04 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-value-of-south-africas-wildlife-shouldnt-be-in-the-hands-of-wealthy-foreign-hunters-commentary/ author: Erik Hoffner dc:creator: Stephanie Klarmann content:encoded: South Africa’s conservation debate is too often anchored within the blunt slogan, “If it pays, it stays.” At face value, this appears pragmatic, even responsible. But there’s a troubling premise underneath it: the survival of South Africa’s wildlife depends on its ability to generate an enormous income for a select group of wealthy farmers and professional hunters from an even wealthier foreign clientele. According to this logic, wildlife is protected not because it is ecologically vital, culturally significant, or ethically deserving of life, but purely because it can be killed for a hefty price. When conservation is built on the premise that wildlife must pay its way to exist, we should ask not only who benefits, but what is being lost, and at whose expense. Each year I examine the professional hunting statistics provided to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) to demand transparency regarding how South Africa’s wildlife is being utilized for financial gain. The most recently available statistics (for 2024) show a substantial increase of 17%: 7,756 visitors killed 40,508 wild animals (if one includes indigenous mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and exotic mammals also killed). For proponents of the euphemistically termed “sustainable use,” this will naturally look like a significant success. But can we continue to justify the continuous intensification and amplification of commercial wildlife use on ecological and ethical grounds? Number of animals hunted and hunting clients in South Africa, 2018-2024. Table provided by the author. ‘If it pays, it stays’ Superficially, this phrase…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The latest statistics on South Africa’s professional (“trophy”) hunting industry reveal a large increase in animals hunted, with numbers set to rise in coming years, under the logic that the revenue generated is necessary for managing wildlife. - But should the conservation of the nation’s wildlife, which have their own roles in natural ecosystems, depend on their ability to generate an enormous income for a select group of wealthy farmers and professional hunters, a new op-ed asks. - “When conservation is built on the premise that wildlife must pay its way to exist, we should ask not only who benefits, but what is being lost, and at whose expense,” 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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From protecting salamanders to seabirds, here are the 2026 Whitley Awards winners 30 Apr 2026 11:38:52 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/from-protecting-salamanders-to-seabirds-here-are-the-2026-whitley-awards-winners/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Naina Rao content:encoded: This year’s Whitley Awards honor six grassroots conservationists from South Asia, South America, and Africa protecting a range of wildlife and habitats, from threatened amphibians to marine and freshwater fish and lions. Dubbed the “Green Oscars,” the awards are presented annually by U.K. charity the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), and honor grassroots leaders from the Global South, channeling a total 420,000 pounds (about $566,000) to urgent conservation projects. The six conservationists each received 50,000 pounds ($67,300). Additionally, the Whitley Gold Award of 100,000 pounds (about $135,000), awarded to a past Whitley Award recipient, was presented to Indonesian conservationist Farwiza Farhan. The awards ceremony was held April 29 at the Royal Geographical Society in London and included a special tribute to WFN ambassador and presenter David Attenborough, turning 100 on May 8. “Receiving the Whitley award gives us the chance to strengthen communities, protect more nests, and secure a future for the Indian skimmer,” said Parveen Shaikh, a winner, during her awards speech. “And perhaps, in protecting this river, we are also protecting something far more fragile: our connection to the wild.” The 2026 Whitley Award winners: Barkha Subba from India works with communities in Darjeeling, West Bengal state, to protect the rare Himalayan salamander (Tylototriton himalayanus) within a rapidly transforming tea estate landscape. Parveen Shaikh, also from India, is expanding community-led riverine conservation for the Indian skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) to Prayagraj in the Ganga Basin. Her initiative has led to significant recovery in the endangered waterbird’s population. Issah Seidu…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: This year’s Whitley Awards honor six grassroots conservationists from South Asia, South America, and Africa protecting a range of wildlife and habitats, from threatened amphibians to marine and freshwater fish and lions. Dubbed the “Green Oscars,” the awards are presented annually by U.K. charity the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), and honor grassroots leaders from […] authors: | ||
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Cocaine exposure drives salmon to alter movements 30 Apr 2026 10:39:44 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/cocaine-exposure-drives-salmon-to-alter-movements/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Shreya Dasgupta content:encoded: Young Atlantic salmon exposed to cocaine and its breakdown product, benzoylecgonine, swim farther and more widely in the wild, a new study shows. This behavioral change can put them in risky situations, researchers say. “[T]he effects of illicit drug pollution on aquatic wildlife is not just a laboratory finding — it can measurably alter wildlife behaviour under natural conditions,” study co-author Jack Brand, an ecologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, told Mongabay by email. Researchers are increasingly detecting cocaine and its primary metabolite, benzoylecgonine, in aquatic wildlife, from sharks to freshwater shrimp. However, most studies into the impacts on behavior and brain chemistry in animals have been done in laboratory settings, Brand said. “We wanted to find out whether these effects translate to the real world.” The researchers selected Lake Vättern in Sweden for their real-world experiment. Young Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are released in the lake from a hatchery each year for recreational fishing. In some of these hatchery-raised 2-year-old salmon, the researchers implanted small devices that slowly released chemicals. One group of 35 fish received implants containing cocaine, another group got benzoylecgonine, while a third, control, group didn’t receive any chemical. The researchers found that in the exposed fish groups, concentrations of the chemicals per fish averaged about 43 nanograms per gram for cocaine, and 34 ng/g for benzoylecgonine. Previous studies have found up to 107.5 ng/g of cocaine in muscle samples of wild sharks, and nearly 70 ng/g of cocaine in some wild crustaceans. “These…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Young Atlantic salmon exposed to cocaine and its breakdown product, benzoylecgonine, swim farther and more widely in the wild, a new study shows. This behavioral change can put them in risky situations, researchers say. “[T]he effects of illicit drug pollution on aquatic wildlife is not just a laboratory finding — it can measurably alter wildlife […] authors: | ||
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‘Creamy, nutty’ spiders are protein source for Indigenous Indian tribe 30 Apr 2026 10:06:24 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/creamy-nutty-spiders-are-protein-source-for-indigenous-indian-tribe/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Megan Strauss content:encoded: In India’s northeastern Nagaland state, orb-weaver spiders are a sought-after source of protein, according to a new study in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. Here, “edible spiders hold a significant place in the local diet and have been consumed for generations,” study lead author Lobeno Mozhui, from Nagaland University, told Mongabay by email. The researchers surveyed 33 people with traditional knowledge about the consumption of two orb-weaver spider species: Nephila pilipes and Trichonephila clavata. Both species are locally known as siyankyü in the Lotha Naga language. Respondents told the researchers that before cooking, they remove the spiders’ head and legs. They then clean and cook them with seasoning, resulting in a “creamy, nutty” and nutritious meat substitute. The researchers also collected specimens of the two orb-weaver spiders from Nagaland University, and examined their total protein content, with legs removed. Both were rich in protein, ranging from 36.03-73.65% in N. pilipes and 34.17-57.65% in T. clavata — much higher than some commonly eaten insects. Mozhui said this research is an important baseline and that “the consumption of edible spiders has the potential to gain wider acceptance.” Arachnophagy, or the consumption of arachnids like spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites, has a long history, the authors write, yet only about 23 of the world’s more than 50,000 known spider species are eaten. The world’s largest spider, the goliath bird-eater (Theraphosa blondi), is part of the traditional diet of the Yanomamo and Piaroa peoples of the Amazon. Orb-weavers of the genus Nephila are eaten…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: In India’s northeastern Nagaland state, orb-weaver spiders are a sought-after source of protein, according to a new study in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. Here, “edible spiders hold a significant place in the local diet and have been consumed for generations,” study lead author Lobeno Mozhui, from Nagaland University, told Mongabay by email. The researchers […] authors: | ||
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Borneo’s GIGANTIC bat caves 30 Apr 2026 08:23:13 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/borneos-gigantic-bat-caves/ author: Sam Lee dc:creator: Izzy Sasada content:encoded: Borneo is home to some of the largest cave systems in the world… and they’re filled with bats. But HOW did these caves get so massive? They were first mapped by Western scientists in the 1970s, during a Royal Geographical Society and Sarawak Forestry Mulu Expedition. But they’ve long been known about by local Indigenous communities, as hunting took place in the cave entrances. Join Conservation Entangled host, Izzy Sasada, on her trip to Sarawak, where she explores these caves and learns about their role in the history of conservation science.This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Borneo is home to some of the largest cave systems in the world… and they’re filled with bats. But HOW did these caves get so massive? They were first mapped by Western scientists in the 1970s, during a Royal Geographical Society and Sarawak Forestry Mulu Expedition. But they’ve long been known about by local Indigenous […] authors: | ||
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Endangered Javan gibbon baby born in UK rare species sanctuary 30 Apr 2026 07:48:12 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/endangered-javan-gibbon-baby-born-in-uk-rare-species-sanctuary/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Shanna Hanbury content:encoded: A rare Javan gibbon was born at a wildlife park in the U.K., one of the world’s main centers for the species’ captive breeding. Lima, now just over 2 months old, is a potential candidate for returning to the species’ native habitat on the Indonesian island of Java. The Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch), known locally as owa, is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. A 2017 study estimated a wild population of between 2,640 and 4,178 individuals. This number is declining due to habitat destruction, forest fragmentation, and poaching for the illegal pet trade and bushmeat trade. “We’re very happy that we’ve got a new baby at our site and we’re very happy that she may be something that could be reintroduced into the future as well, back into the wild,” said Simon Jeffery, the animal director at Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve in the southern U.K. county of Kent, where Lima was born. Jeffery is also the animal director at the nearby Howletts Wild Animal Park. Both parks, run by U.K. charity The Howletts Wild Animal Trust, together hold 26 Javan gibbons, representing around 40-50% of the global captive population, Jeffery told Mongabay by phone. Many Javan gibbons born there have since been rehomed, he added. The trust has bred Javan gibbons since the early 1980s, recording more than 50 births across both parks in the past two decades. Since 2012, it has also sent around 10 individuals to Java. Lima, whose name means “five” in Indonesian, is…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: A rare Javan gibbon was born at a wildlife park in the U.K., one of the world’s main centers for the species’ captive breeding. Lima, now just over 2 months old, is a potential candidate for returning to the species’ native habitat on the Indonesian island of Java. The Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch), known locally […] authors: | ||
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UN report flags disproportionate costs of clean energy transition 30 Apr 2026 07:04:48 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/un-report-flags-disproportionate-costs-of-clean-energy-transition/ author: Malavikavyawahare dc:creator: Victoria Schneider content:encoded: A new report published by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) warns that wealthy nations’ push toward cleaner energy comes with high environmental and social costs in mineral-producing countries. The investigation links the extraction of transition minerals used in green energy technologies like solar panels and rechargeable batteries to acute water insecurity, livelihood disruptions and health risks for local communities. The authors conclude that the very technologies designed to combat climate change are also contributing to deepening inequality levels in vulnerable regions, mostly through the disproportionate usage of water. “Extraction, especially lithium, cobalt, copper and rare earth elements, directly depletes and contaminates freshwater resources, often in already water-stressed and water-bankrupt regions,” lead author Abraham Nunbogu told Mongabay via email. Across the world, mining activities have been linked to the depletion and contamination of freshwater sources as well as reduced access to safe water for local communities, increasing the risk of disease. Studies from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the world’s largest producer of cobalt, have linked the prevalence of gynecological problems, skin diseases and chronic illnesses in mining areas to heavy metal exposure through polluted water sources. “These impacts are not incidental side effects but structural outcomes of prevailing extraction models,” said Nunbogu, who is a researcher at the UNU-INWEH. Critical minerals are the minerals considered crucial to secure countries’ economic and security needs, especially in terms of energy access. Between 2010 and 2023, the demand for critical minerals tripled, with cobalt demand…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: A new report published by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) warns that wealthy nations’ push toward cleaner energy comes with high environmental and social costs in mineral-producing countries. The investigation links the extraction of transition minerals used in green energy technologies like solar panels and rechargeable batteries to acute […] authors: | ||
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Conservationist wins top award to protect lions and people in Zimbabwe 30 Apr 2026 02:49:06 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/conservationist-wins-top-award-to-protect-lions-and-people-in-zimbabwe/ author: Terna Gyuse dc:creator: Ryan Truscott content:encoded: Lion conservationist Moreangels Mbizah and her colleagues chose the name “Batabilili” for the community guardians they’re training in northern Zimbabwe. The word means “protectors” in the local language, Tonga, and its meaning cuts both ways: the guardians protect people and their livestock from lions, and lions from people. Both jobs are essential in this part of the Southern African country. When cattle are killed by lions, the economic losses suffered by families are considerable; when farmers retaliate by killing lions, it worsens the plight of an emblematic species, Panthera leo, now vulnerable to extinction across the continent. “In some cases these lions are female lions and at times some of them would have cubs, so when the females die [at the hands of people] the cubs would probably die [also],” says Mbizah, who is the winner of one of this year’s Whitley Awards, prestigious international conservation prizes given out annually by the U.K.’s Whitley Fund for Nature. A young lion at rest. Image courtesy of the Whitley Fund for Nature. The 50,000-pound ($67,500) prize money will go toward supporting the work by Mbizah’s NGO, Wildlife Conservation Action, in three additional rural wards — small administrative areas comprising clusters of villages and around 4,800 people — that are prone to human-carnivore conflict. This will include the recruitment of six new Batabilili. The protectors head out early each morning to look for tracks or droppings and warn farmers about the presence of predators or elephants (Loxodonta africana) so that they can avoid…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - A Zimbabwean conservationist working to reduce conflict between lions and livestock farmers is a winner of one of this year’s Whitley Awards, better known as the “Green Oscars.” - The prize money will fund the expansion of the work led by Moreangels Mbizah and her NGO, Wildlife Conservation Action, in a region that is a hotspot for human-carnivore conflict. - Community guardians employed by WCA warn farmers when lions enter their farming areas; promote the use of secure animal enclosures for cattle, goats and sheep, and oversee the installation of solar-powered flashing lights to deter nocturnal raids by lions. - These interventions have reduced conflict by up to 98% in at least two rural wards, but habitat loss through the expansion of farms into wildlife migration corridors worries Mbizah and her team. authors: | ||
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Laos can do more to mitigate chemical pollution of rivers flowing into Vietnam (analysis) 30 Apr 2026 02:43:53 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/laos-can-do-more-to-mitigate-chemical-pollution-of-rivers-flowing-into-vietnam-analysis/ author: Philip Jacobson dc:creator: Pham Phan Long content:encoded: Southeast Asia’s growing demand for rare earth elements and gold, driven by global needs in electronics, renewable energy, defense and high-value commodities, has accelerated mining across the region. While Myanmar’s unregulated mines have drawn attention for contaminating Mekong River tributaries, monitored by the Mekong River Commission, an equally pressing but less scrutinized issue exists along the river systems shared by Laos and Vietnam, where no comparable bilateral treaty provides oversight. River hydrology and the mining footprint The total population of Laos is less than 8 million. In northeastern Laos, particularly Houaphanh province (population 300,000), rapid expansion of rare earth and gold mining along the Nam Ma, Nam Sam and Nam Neun rivers poses significant transborder risks. These waterways flow into Vietnam as the Song Ma, Song Chu and Song Lam rivers, where they sustain drinking water, agriculture and fisheries for approximately 10 million people in Vietnam’s Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces. Pollutants can travel downstream within hours, creating urgent needs for cross-border cooperation. Satellite analysis from the Stimson Center’s interactive River Basins Dashboard shows 21 mines directly impacting these river systems in Laos. Contamination seen in these interconnected basins mirrors contamination patterns seen in Mekong tributaries affected by upstream mining in Myanmar, where toxins have devastated fisheries downstream in Laos and Thailand. Stimson’s dashboard shows 2,539 riverine mines in the region, including more than 500 rare earth mines concentrated in Myanmar and Laos. Many employ in-situ leaching techniques that use large volumes of river water and chemicals…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Rapid expansion of rare earth and gold mining in Laos is contaminating river systems that flow into Vietnam, putting millions of downstream users at risk. - Toxic runoff, particularly arsenic, poses a “silent” threat as it bioaccumulates over time, with serious long-term impacts on human health, fisheries and food security. - Weak enforcement and the lack of a dedicated Laos-Vietnam monitoring framework leave these shared rivers vulnerable, highlighting the urgent need for stronger cross-border cooperation and safeguards. - This article is an analysis. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. authors: | ||
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Florida ‘Sloth World’ shuts down amid dozens of captive sloth deaths 29 Apr 2026 18:57:25 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/florida-sloth-world-shuts-down-amid-dozens-of-captive-sloth-deaths/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Bobby Bascomb content:encoded: A startup known as “Sloth World” brought some 69 sloths to Orlando, Florida, with plans to charge $49 to let visitors see them up close. However, 52 sloths are believed to have died in conditions a former employee described to Mongabay as “heartbreaking,” ultimately forcing Sloth World to shut down, with plans to file for bankruptcy. Described as a slotharium, the venture was framed as a rescue mission to save sloths from deforested areas in Peru and Guyana. However, according to Rebecca Cliffe, founder and director of the Costa Rica-based nonprofit Sloth Conservation Foundation, that premise amounts to greenwashing, as more than 80% of Guyana is covered in rainforest. “There is no lack of habitat available for these sloths,” Cliffe told Mongabay in a video call. “There’s no way taking healthy adult breeding sloths out of an ecosystem, to go into a for-profit exhibit in the United States… [is] in the sloth’s best interest,” Cliffe said. In their natural habitat, sloths mainly eat native tree leaves and live alone. At Sloth World, the animals were kept in small cages stacked on top of each other and fed vegetables. “They would feed kale, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash and Mazuri biscuits, an exotic animal feed,” a former caretaker who briefly worked at Sloth World told Mongabay. The caretaker asked not to be named for fear of retribution. In their two weeks working with Sloth World, the caretaker said they saw a lot of sick animals, that they were told had intestinal problems. Normally,…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: A startup known as “Sloth World” brought some 69 sloths to Orlando, Florida, with plans to charge $49 to let visitors see them up close. However, 52 sloths are believed to have died in conditions a former employee described to Mongabay as “heartbreaking,” ultimately forcing Sloth World to shut down, with plans to file for […] authors: | ||
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A “good year” for forests changes less than it seems 29 Apr 2026 17:55:31 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-good-year-for-forests-changes-less-than-it-seems/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: The rate of tropical primary forest loss fell sharply in 2025, reversing the record highs of the year before. On paper, it looks like progress. In reality, the dip is likely only a temporary reprieve. The decline followed an exceptional year for wildfires. In 2024, drought helped drive some of the largest fire-related losses on record. In 2025, those climatic pressures eased, and the area lost to fire dropped with them. But the root causes—commodity-driven agricultural expansion, patchy enforcement, and growing climate stress—remain stubbornly in place. A single year’s improvement does not shift that fundamental footing. Tropical primary forest loss by year since 2002 What stands out is the pattern of loss. Forest loss is becoming less predictable, moving in sharper swings tied to weather as much as policy. Fire now accounts for a large share of global tree cover loss, and its behavior tracks temperature and rainfall extremes. When conditions align, losses surge. When they do not, they fall back. But the needle barely moves on the long-term trend: forest loss remains persistently high. Fire does not simply clear land; it hollows out forests in ways that make further loss more likely. Repeated burns thin canopies and dry the forest floor, eroding the processes that allow forests to recover. In parts of the Amazon, clearing has given way to a self-reinforcing cycle of decay, where degradation serves as a precursor to total forest loss. Climate is an increasingly active factor. Forecasts point to a likely El Niño in 2026,…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Tropical primary forest loss saw a significant drop in 2025, but the decline likely represents a temporary reprieve driven by favorable weather rather than a fundamental shift in the root causes of deforestation. - The reduction was largely due to a decrease in fire-related losses following the extreme droughts of 2024, highlighting how forest health is increasingly dictated by climate variability and rainfall extremes. - While policy-driven successes in Brazil and Indonesia offer a blueprint for enforcement, these gains remain fragile and vulnerable to shifting political dynamics and weakening governance. - The resilience of recent progress faces an imminent test in 2026, as forecasts for a returning El Niño threaten to bring back the dry conditions that historically trigger catastrophic forest loss. authors: | ||
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Marine resource conflicts in Africa revolve mostly around access: Study 29 Apr 2026 17:54:18 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/marine-resource-conflicts-in-africa-revolve-mostly-around-access-study/ author: Malavikavyawahare dc:creator: Edward Carver content:encoded: Marine resource conflicts can arise when industrial vessels enter coastal waters used by small-scale fishers, a port is built on a mangrove restoration site or a shipping lane runs through a marine protected area. A new study identified more than 1,000 such conflicts in Africa over an 11-year period and found that nearly 75% were disputes over access to spaces and resources. The study, published April 17 in the journal One Earth, calls for more participatory and transparent governance to reduce conflicts, warning that without such reforms, conflicts could derail African policymakers’ sustainability and equity goals. “Ensuring meaningful participation of affected groups is one of the biggest takeaways,” Elizabeth Selig, managing director at the Center for Ocean Solutions at Stanford University in the U.S. and lead author of the study, told Mongabay. “If you embed [these groups] within decision-making processes and are conscious of [future] actions that could affect them, you are more likely to be able to avoid conflict.” Effects of an oil spill are visible at Goi Creek, Nigeria, in August 2010. Conflicts related to oil spills in Nigeria appear in a marine resource conflict database created by Stanford University researcher Elizabath Selig and her co-authors. Image by Friends of the Earth Netherlands via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). The ocean is a site of both increased conservation interest and economic activity, Selig and her co-authors write. “The compound impacts of a growing ocean economy, climate-change-associated shifts in marine resources’ availability, and the expansion of spatial conservation measures” increases…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - A new study identified more than 1,000 conflicts in Africa over an 11-year period and found that nearly 75% were disputes over access to spaces and resources. - The study calls for more participatory and transparent governance to reduce conflicts, warning that without such reforms, conflicts could derail African policymakers’ sustainability and equity goals. - The analysis, based on media reports and academic articles, found that the underlying drivers of the conflicts, some more direct than others, included illegal fishing, changes in distribution of benefits, weak governance and resource degradation caused by human activity. authors: | ||
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Chesapeake Bay conservation bolstered by the power of business & viral videos 29 Apr 2026 17:09:00 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/chesapeake-bay-conservation-bolstered-by-the-power-of-business-viral-videos/ author: Erik Hoffner dc:creator: Erik Hoffner content:encoded: The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the U.S., providing key habitat for a huge variety of aquatic life, and it is also home to major cities like Baltimore and Annapolis. That large human footprint is very evident in the bay’s water quality, though, which has suffered greatly from pollution – much of which is invisible, but the rest is quite visible in the form of trash. Austin Lewis is a veteran of the Army National Guard and small business owner in the Baltimore area who greatly enjoys his home waters, but increasingly noticed all the debris that floated or coated the bottom of his beloved bay, and so decided to become part of the solution: “I really had no choice but to attempt to do my part,” he told Mongabay in the recent short interview below. Using the flexibility provided by owning his own insurance firm, Bay Life Brokerage (“Not just a life insurance brokerage, but an agency for environmental change” its homepage says) he can afford to work part time with local conservation group Back River Restoration Committee for hours every day, removing tons of trash while recording very entertaining and informative videos about their shared mission, later posted to various social platforms like Instagram, FaceBook and TikTok under the handle @BayLifeBrokerage. These often humorous videos also share much natural history information and the Instagram reels in particular garner large numbers of comments and views, all of which extend the reach of the cleanup effort by raising awareness…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Austin Lewis is small business owner in the Baltimore area who greatly enjoys his home waters, but he increasingly noticed how much trash floated or coated the bottom of his beloved Chesapeake Bay, and so decided to become part of the solution. - His often humorous and always educational videos posted to various social media platforms garner huge attention and drive action by viewers to also do their part to improve water quality. The business allows him the flexibility to do this work daily, which in partnership with a local nonprofit, has removed millions of pounds of debris from the bay. - In a new interview at Mongabay, Lewis shares his motivations and thoughts about the power of business to do good in the world. authors: | ||
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Black cockatoo species caught in the crosshairs of global race for minerals 29 Apr 2026 14:06:38 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/black-cockatoo-species-caught-in-the-crosshairs-of-global-race-for-minerals/ author: Latoya Abulu dc:creator: Aimee Gabay content:encoded: Environmental organizations in southwest Australia have criticized the Australian government’s decision to grant the U.S. bauxite mining company Alcoa a national interest exemption, usually provided in cases of emergency, defense or national security, thereby authorizing the company to continue its operations despite years of unauthorized clearing in the country’s Northern Jarrah Forest. The Northern Jarrah Forest, one of the world’s most biodiverse temperate forests, has faced threats since European settlers first occupied it in 1836. Between 1960 and 2020, 32,130 hectares (79,394 acres) were cleared for bauxite mining alone. As remediation for the illegal clearings, the government reached an agreement with Alcoa on Feb. 18, which involves the company paying A$55 million (about $39.5 million) through enforceable undertakings, including a range of environmental rectification works, such as ecological offsets to preserve habitats and conservation programs for black cockatoo species. Environmental organizations, such as BirdLife Western Australia and the Biodiversity Council, say these measures are insufficient to prevent the extinction of the Baudin’s black cockatoo (Zanda baudinii). The bird is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and it depends on the Northern Jarrah Forest for feeding during the nonbreeding season. “The reason the birds are in trouble is because of habitat loss and habitat degradation,” Mark Henryon, the chair of the BirdLife Western Australia Advocacy Committee, told Mongabay over a video call. “If you take the habitat out, we’re going to lose the birds.” The government also agreed to progress a strategic assessment agreement with…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The Australian government has granted the U.S. bauxite mining company Alcoa a national interest exemption, allowing it to continue operations despite years of unauthorized clearing in the country’s Northern Jarrah Forest. - The forest is a critical habitat for three threatened black cockatoo species, including the critically endangered Baudin’s black cockatoo. - Environmental organizations, such as BirdLife Western Australia, say the government’s agreement with Alcoa, which includes a payment of A$55 million and the implementation of conservation programs to protect the black cockatoo species, is not enough to protect the species. - They say the Baudin could become extinct within 50 years if the company’s project expansion plans are approved, as most of the birds’ habitat will be destroyed. authors: | ||
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‘True success’ is a DRC that no longer needs outside help: Interview with EU envoy Fabrice Basile 29 Apr 2026 13:48:07 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/true-success-is-a-drc-that-no-longer-needs-outside-help-interview-with-eu-envoy-fabrice-basile/ author: Christophe Assogba dc:creator: David Akana content:encoded: KINSHASA — Few countries are the focal point of as many expectations, tensions and contradictions as the Democratic Republic of Congo. With its vast forests, iconic protected areas and mineral resources among the most coveted in the world, the country finds itself at the heart of two global dynamics often portrayed as opposing forces: biodiversity conservation and the energy transition. Cobalt, copper and lithium, the country’s strategic minerals, fuel global supply chains. At the same time, its forests play a vital role in regulating the climate. Caught between these two realities, the fundamental question remains: how can resource extraction, conservation and development be reconciled in a country still marked by insecurity, governance challenges and regional inequalities? In the capital, Kinshasa, the European Union has positioned itself as a key partner, engaging in natural resource management, the traceability of critical minerals, the financing of protected areas, and diplomatic efforts aimed at stabilizing Africa’s Great Lakes region. This presence is part of a broader approach that combines investment, structural reforms and support for public policy. In this interview, Fabrice Basile, the European Union’s chargé d’affaires (top envoy) to the DRC, reflects on this cooperation and advocates for a strategy he describes as pragmatic: strengthening transparency in the extractive sectors; supporting local economic models, such as that of Virunga National Park; and fostering a more inclusive approach that integrates local and Indigenous communities. In the face of criticism regarding past resource management or the impact of certain conservation projects, Basile emphasizes the evolution…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The European Union’s top envoy to the Democratic Republic of Congo says he hopes to see less foreign presence in the DRC as a sign the country can drive its own development and ensure its people benefit from its resources. - The DRC holds vast reserves of critical minerals such as cobalt, coltan, copper and lithium, and is also home to the Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest rainforest and a key carbon sink. - Fabrice Basile says the EU is working with the DRC government to improve natural resource management, emphasizing transparency, traceability and local value creation through approaches tailored to local realities. - In an interview with Mongabay, he says the EU will support a U.S.-brokered DRC-Rwanda agreement on critical minerals, while stressing that lasting stability depends on governance reforms and pointing to conservation efforts like Virunga National Park as reasons for cautious optimism. authors: | ||
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Brazilian state greenlights deforestation for contested open-pit gold mine 29 Apr 2026 13:25:00 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/brazilian-state-greenlights-deforestation-for-contested-open-pit-gold-mine/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Shanna Hanbury content:encoded: The state of Pará in the Brazilian Amazon has authorized Canadian mining company Belo Sun to begin clearing nearly 600 hectares, or almost 1,500 acres, of rainforest for an open-pit gold mine. Legal experts say it’s premature to clear a forest the size of 840 soccer fields while key aspects of the project remain unresolved. The April 14 decision by Pará’s environment secretariat, SEMAS, is being challenged in court by federal agencies and prosecutors. They say the state lacks authority to approve a mine along the Xingu River, a major tributary of the Amazon, which could impact several Indigenous territories. Management of Brazil’s rivers and Indigenous affairs falls under federal jurisdiction. Indigenous groups, including the Juruna, Xikrin, Xipaia, Arara and Parakanã peoples, protested the Belo Sun mine project for more than a month, saying they weren’t properly consulted, and warning the project could irreversibly harm their way of life. “For the Indigenous, riverine and extractive women of the Middle Xingu, water is not a resource, it is the very condition of existence,” the coalition Indigenous Women Against Belo Sun wrote in an April 22 statement. “The contamination of rivers with mercury and other heavy metals would permanently destroy life in traditional territories.” The public prosecutor’s office told Mongabay by email that Indigenous consultation was conducted by private consultants hired by the company, and that this violates the international treaty governing Indigenous rights. Belo Sun denied the allegation in an email to Mongabay, saying the consultation was conducted with government oversight…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: The state of Pará in the Brazilian Amazon has authorized Canadian mining company Belo Sun to begin clearing nearly 600 hectares, or almost 1,500 acres, of rainforest for an open-pit gold mine. Legal experts say it’s premature to clear a forest the size of 840 soccer fields while key aspects of the project remain unresolved. […] authors: | ||
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Nearly three in four marine protected areas undermined by wastewater pollution 29 Apr 2026 10:45:44 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/nearly-three-in-four-marine-protected-areas-undermined-by-wastewater-pollution/ author: Autumn Spanne dc:creator: Elizabeth Fitt content:encoded: Wastewater pollution levels are higher inside many marine protected areas than in nearby unprotected areas, according to a new study published in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management. The researchers also found that nearly three-quarters of all MPAs — more than 12,000 globally — are exposed to wastewater nitrogen pollution from sewage and agricultural runoff. “[O]ur results expose that we are not systematically incorporating information about pollution into marine spatial planning or implementing integrated land-sea management,” study co-author Amelia Wenger, a senior research fellow at the University of Queensland in Australia and global water pollution program lead with the U.S.-headquartered NGO Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), told Mongabay. “Land and sea are deeply connected, but the way we manage them is not,” she added. The researchers modeled nitrogen pollution within MPAs globally and looked at levels both inside and outside MPAs throughout a 50-kilometer-wide (30-mile) coastal zone in six tropical regions with high biodiversity. Median pollution levels were up to 10 times higher inside MPAs across four of the study’s six focus regions, including the Caribbean and Bahamas, the Middle East and North Africa, the Coral Triangle in the Western Pacific, and the Indian Ocean. “In regions such as East Africa and the Middle East and North Africa, around 60% of MPAs are exposed to [nitrogen] loads higher than the global median,” Wenger said. The findings raise questions about the effectiveness of current MPA strategy, according to Jasmine Fournier, executive director of the Ocean Sewage Alliance (OSA), an international organization focused…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - A global modeling study found that 73% of marine protected areas are exposed to nitrogen pollution from wastewater — often at higher levels than in nearby unprotected waters. - The findings indicate that marine conservation planning often fails to adequately account for land-based wastewater pollution or to integrate land-sea management. - Wastewater pollution, largely untreated globally, introduces nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients and other contaminants that degrade marine ecosystems, with impacts on coral reefs, seagrass and water quality, and can undermine the effectiveness of MPAs. - Addressing the issue is considered feasible but constrained by fragmented governance, underfunding and limited monitoring, despite solutions that include existing technologies, various policy proposals and examples of improved wastewater management. authors: | ||
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One of the world’s largest deep-sea coral reefs discovered off Argentina 29 Apr 2026 09:52:21 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/one-of-the-worlds-largest-deep-sea-coral-reefs-discovered-off-argentina/ author: Autumn Spanne dc:creator: Elizabeth Claire Alberts content:encoded: Biologist Erik Cordes has spent much of his career studying cold-water reefs — coral systems typically found in chilly, dark waters far below the ocean’s surface. But his latest project took him by surprise when he and a group of colleagues discovered what might be one of the world’s largest deep-sea, cold-water reefs. Over the course of two expeditions aboard the research ship R/V Falkor (too) — first in July 2025, and then in December 2025–January 2026 — Cordes and a team of scientists explored a previously undocumented cold-water coral reef system along a 900-kilometer (560-mile) stretch of Argentina’s territorial waters, about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) below the surface. Globally, cold-water reefs can be found in depths as shallow as 50 m (164 ft) and as deep as 4,000 m (13,100 ft). Just one of the coral mounds — underwater hills made up of coral skeletons topped by living coral that take thousands or even millions of years to form — stretched out over an area of 0.4 square kilometers (0.15 square miles), nearly the size of Vatican City. The expeditions, mounted by the U.S.-based Schmidt Ocean Institute, identified many more of these mounds across the 900 km that it mapped, leading the researchers to believe the corals could be part of one of the most extensive cold-water reefs in the world. “It still amazes me when we can discover something this size still on our planet,” Cordes, a professor of biology at Temple University in the U.S., told Mongabay.…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Scientists have discovered what may be one of the world’s largest cold-water coral reef systems, located about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) deep in Argentina’s territorial waters, with much of it remaining unmapped. - The reef, dominated by the rare coral species Bathelia candida, hosts a surprisingly rich ecosystem, including dozens of deep-sea species new to science. - Researchers found signs of human impact, including fishing debris and possible trawling damage, and worry the reef area might also be targeted for oil and gas exploration. - The researchers are testing restoration techniques, including the installation of 3D-printed “artificial corals,” which they hope will encourage the rapid growth of new corals. authors: | ||
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A village biogas project tests Zambia’s push to improve rural energy access 29 Apr 2026 07:44:14 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-village-biogas-project-tests-zambias-push-to-improve-rural-energy-access/ author: Malavikavyawahare dc:creator: Sokosi Silvester Banda content:encoded: LUSAKA, Zambia — In Nkhundye, a farming community in Zambia’s Eastern province, cattle dung from a communal kraal, a traditional livestock enclosure, is being used to produce energy for cooking, to run irrigation pumps, and to meet some electricity needs. The biogas plant is managed by the Nkhundye Community Cooperative, whose members collectively keep some 300 head of cattle. The dung from the animals is fed into a biodigester that produces methane gas, which is used as a cooking fuel. As of March 2026, the project was providing biogas to 100 households. The cooperative comprises roughly 600 households and the operation is gradually being expanded to cover all members and nearby communities, according to the company Biogas Technology in Zambia, which is a partner in the project. Homes within 100 meters (330 feet) of the biogas plant receive gas through underground pipes, while those further away receive storage bags with enough methane to last three to five days, depending on use. A community member cooks using biogas in Nkhundye village in Eastern province, Zambia. Image courtesy of Biogas Technology in Zambia. Community members use the biogas for cooking through adapted biogas stoves. All the project equipment was supplied free of cost to the consumers, including fittings to install the connections. Household stoves are connected directly to gas storage bags using a valve and pipes. The process starts with mixing cow dung with water and feeding it into the sealed biodigester. Inside the biodigester, anaerobic bacteria break down the waste, producing…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - A biogas project in Zambia’s Nkhundye village is turning cattle dung into energy for cooking, irrigation, and meeting limited electricity needs. - The system was serving about 100 households as of March this year, with plans to expand cooking gas access to 600 community households using underground pipes and portable gas bags. - Nonprofits and development agencies bore the initial costs of installing the system and providing equipment, but the running of the plant will depend on the Nkhundye Community Cooperative in the future. - While this project is small, Zambian authorities say the country is pursuing a large-scale rural electrification strategy that includes biogas, mini-grids, solar arrays and other decentralized energy technologies. authors: | ||
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As Ghana eyes lithium future, affected communities face uncertainty 29 Apr 2026 06:55:21 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-ghana-eyes-lithium-future-affected-communities-face-uncertainty/ author: Malavikavyawahare dc:creator: Maxine Betteridge-Moes content:encoded: EWOYAA, Ghana — In March, the Ghanaian parliament approved what could become the West African nation’s first lithium mine. Atlantic Lithium’s Ewoyaa project sets the stage for Ghana to become a key supplier in the critical minerals supply chain, but some experts say the rights of communities impacted by the project are at risk. Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources granted the mining lease to Barari DV Ghana, a subsidiary of Australia’s Atlantic Lithium, in October 2023, following the discovery of lithium deposits in and around the village of Ewoyaa in Ghana’s Central region. The lease, situated about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of the capital, Accra, provides the company with exclusive rights to mine lithium for an initial period of 15 years. In Ghana, like many countries across the world, mineral rights rest with the state, and deals granting foreign companies access to these resources must be ratified by parliament. The Ewoyaa mine is expected to produce an estimated 3.6 million metric tons of spodumene concentrate, a mineral rich in lithium, over 12 years. The lithium will then be exported to the U.S. and further refined for use in electric vehicle batteries. At least 50% of the spodumene concentrate has already been committed to North American producer Elevra Lithium, which supplies Tesla. According to Ghanaian NGO Friends of the Nation (FON), only 1% of the project’s gross revenues are earmarked for local development initiatives. A water treatment plant donated by Atlantic Lithium. The company has already made some…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - After more than two years of delays, Ghana’s parliament has ratified a deal with a subsidiary of Australian miner Atlantic Lithium to develop the country’s first lithium mine. - The company received permission to develop a mining concession in Ewoyaa in 2023, and under Ghanaian laws restrictions were put in place on agricultural and other economic activities in that area. - But delays in parliamentary ratification as a result of renegotiating the deal have meant that around 1,500 farmers are still awaiting compensation for loss of access to their land and livelihoods. - Advocates warn the project could now be fast-tracked at the expense of community rights, citing Ghana’s past experience with industrial mining and the environmental, social and governance challenges associated with lithium mining in other parts of the world. authors: | ||
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Species thought extinct for thousands of years ‘rediscovered’ thanks to Indigenous knowledge 29 Apr 2026 04:47:12 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/species-thought-extinct-for-thousands-of-years-rediscovered-thanks-to-indigenous-knowledge/ 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 a remote peninsula in Indonesian Papua, a species long thought extinct by scientists has been confirmed to survive. The evidence did not come from a formal survey. It began with conversations with Tambrauw elders, who described a forest glider they had known for generations. Their accounts, combined with earlier photographs, led researchers to verify the continued existence of the ring-tailed glider, reports Mongabay’s John Cannon. The finding can be described as a rediscovery, though that framing reflects a scientific perspective, not a local one. For the Tambrauw, the animal was never lost. It remains part of a body of knowledge tied to hunting, story and custom. The glider also carries cultural significance, including a role in initiation practices. That status affected how openly it was discussed with outsiders and helps explain why earlier expeditions did not document it. In Papua, similar accounts have surfaced in recent years. Fieldwork has also confirmed the persistence of other animals once listed as extinct, including a long-fingered possum and Attenborough’s echidna. Each case reflects a similar dynamic. Scientific absence does not necessarily mean actual absence; it can reflect a gap in access or trust. A parallel line of research, focused on birds, points to the broader value of long-held observation. In a global study drawing on Indigenous and local memory, researchers reconstructed changes in bird communities over roughly eight decades. Participants consistently described a shift toward…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 a remote peninsula in Indonesian Papua, a species long thought extinct by scientists has been confirmed to survive. The evidence did not come from a formal survey. It began with conversations with Tambrauw elders, who described a […] authors: | ||
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Angola’s highest mountain and its unique wildlife are now protected 29 Apr 2026 04:36:08 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/angolas-highest-mountain-and-its-unique-wildlife-are-now-protected/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Ryan Truscott content:encoded: Angola has declared its highest mountain, Mount Moco, part of a new conservation area to protect its threatened Afromontane forests. The Serra do Moco Conservation Area, which includes a complex of elevations, slopes and valleys in the municipality of Londuimbali, Huambo province, will now be under “a special regime of environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable use,” according to a government notice published April 9. The declaration protects around 22,000 hectares (54,000 acres) of land, ornithologist Michael Mills told Mongabay. “It encompasses all areas where there can potentially be forest,” he added. Mills has worked since 2011 with residents of Kanjonde village, at the foot of Mount Moco, to restore forest lost to timber harvesting and wildfires. Moco’s forests, which declined to 50-60 hectares (about 120-150 acres) from 200-300 hectares (about 500-750 acres) more than 50 years ago, host a unique suite of birds separated from other Afromontane regions for millennia. The government notice says the Serra do Moco region is of strategic importance “for observing rare and endemic species and for scientific research in its natural habitat.” Nigel Collar, a conservation biologist with BirdLife International, told Mongabay that his organization had shared the plight of Moco’s unique plants and animals with the rest of the world since the 1980s. “The news that the government of Angola has now moved to give the mountain formal protected area status is a moment for real celebration and congratulations,” he said. Collar added the protection represents a big win for one of Moco’s…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Angola has declared its highest mountain, Mount Moco, part of a new conservation area to protect its threatened Afromontane forests. The Serra do Moco Conservation Area, which includes a complex of elevations, slopes and valleys in the municipality of Londuimbali, Huambo province, will now be under “a special regime of environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and […] authors: | ||
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Tropical forest loss falls in 2025, but world still off track on deforestation goals 29 Apr 2026 04:10:13 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/tropical-forest-loss-falls-in-2025-but-world-still-off-track-on-deforestation-goals/ author: Hans Nicholas Jong dc:creator: Hans Nicholas Jong content:encoded: JAKARTA — Tropical primary forest loss fell sharply in 2025, dropping 36% from the record highs of the previous year, according to new data from a long-running satellite monitoring project. Non-fire forest loss also declined by 23%, reaching its lowest level in a decade, according to the data from the University of Maryland’s Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD) laboratory and visualized on the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Global Forest Watch platform. The drop suggests that policy and enforcement can make be effective in protecting tropical primary forests, which are critical for biodiversity, water provision, carbon storage, food and medicine, cultural identity and more. But researchers say the headline figures mask a more complex reality and may say more about fewer fires than real progress, as forests across the tropics continue to move in the same direction: toward less forest and, in many places, faster rates of loss. “A drop of this scale in a single year is encouraging — it shows what decisive government action can achieve,” said Elizabeth Goldman, co-director of Global Forest Watch. Even so, total loss remains high. The tropics lost 4.3 million hectares (10.6 million acres) of primary forest in 2025 — an area larger than Switzerland, and still 46% higher than a decade ago. That’s the equivalent of about 11 football fields’ worth of forests being razed every minute. At current rates, the world remains far off track from the 2030 goal of halting and reversing forest loss, a pledge made by more than…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Tropical primary forest loss fell sharply in 2025, down 36% from 2024, but the decline may reflect fewer fires rather than sustained progress. - Despite the drop, the world still lost an area of tropical primary forest larger than Switzerland last year, leaving countries far off track from their 2030 goal of ending deforestation. - Smaller forest-rich countries are losing remaining forests fastest, while major forest nations like Brazil show gains linked to stronger enforcement. - Climate-driven fires, weak governance and commodity pressures continue to drive forest loss, making recent gains fragile and uncertain. authors: | ||
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Migration and climate pressures deepen flood risks in Bangladesh’s haors 29 Apr 2026 03:30:15 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/migration-and-climate-pressures-deepen-flood-risks-in-bangladeshs-haors/ author: Abu Siddique dc:creator: Ashraful Haque content:encoded: Flash floods are a common occurrence in Bangladesh’s northeastern haor (shallow wetland ecosystem) region. These large bowl-shaped topographic depressions remain inundated for around seven months every year. At the beginning of every monsoon, runoff from the heavy rainfall in the Himalayan foothills of India’s Meghalaya state, which neighbors Bangladesh, overflows via the trans-boundary rivers and causes flooding in the haors of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona and Kishoreganj districts. While the changing climate and silting of rivers are worsening the flooding impact (such as that of 2017), pressures from population growth have also been seen to complicate things when it comes to the vulnerability of residents here. For example, newly established villages like Rangpur Bosti or Notun Jibonpur in Companiganj, Sylhet — located at the base of the Himalayan foothills of Meghalaya — were washed away by multiple flash floods in 2022. While flash floods are nothing new in the area, the scale of destruction in these villages are. House after house in these villages — located on the banks of Dholai River, a transboundary river originating in India — was devastated; in some cases they were totally washed away. The devastation demonstrated the brute force of raging floods, a rather uncommon sight even in a flash flood-prone area. The reason: These villages were not supposed to be here, and they were not built to withstand the magnitude of the flood. Flood-ravaged houses seen in Chanpur in Sylhet’s Companiganj subdistrict. Built right on the edge of a transboundary river, the community has…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - In Bangladesh, people are pushed to live in flood-prone areas due to population pressures and poverty. - The impacts of climate change are magnified due to the destruction of natural barriers such as forests and natural wetland vegetation. - Building better houses and agricultural practices with conservation of native vegetation can protect many of these communities. authors: | ||
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Indonesia escalates ‘war on waste’ with criminal probe into Jakarta landfill disaster 29 Apr 2026 01:00:48 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/indonesia-escalates-war-on-waste-with-criminal-probe-into-jakarta-landfill-disaster/ author: Mongabay Editor dc:creator: Achmad Rizki MuazamLuh De Suriyani content:encoded: JAKARTA — Indonesian authorities are pursuing a criminal investigation into two senior public health managers over the most recent tragedy and alleged mismanagement at two of the country’s largest landfill sites. The investigations were announced two months after President Prabowo Subianto publicly declared a “war on waste,” and just weeks after a fatal avalanche of garbage at Southeast Asia’s largest dump. On March 8, seven sanitation and support workers were killed after being buried under a landslide of solid waste following structural failure at the Bantargebang site east of Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital city. A further six people were injured. Bantargebang, the country’s largest landfill, spans an area the size of 200 football fields and reaches more than 50 meters (167 feet) high at its peak, taller than the Statue of Liberty. Indonesia’s environment minister at the time said Asep Kuswanto, the former head of the Jakarta Environmental Agency, responsible for operating Bantargebang, had been charged on April 20 under the country’s 2008 environment law. Excavators atop a mountain of garbage in Bantargebang. Image by Achmad Rizki Muazam/Mongabay Indonesia. “We conducted an environmental audit, which found that required standards had not been met,” Hanif Faisol Nurofiq told Mongabay Indonesia on April 21. (On April 27, Hanif was removed from his post in a cabinet reshuffle.) If convicted, Asep could face up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 15 billion rupiah (around $870,000). Hanif added that environmental investigators would continue to investigate the Bantargebang tragedy, and did not…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - On March 8, seven sanitation workers were killed at Southeast Asia’s largest landfill, the Bantargebang dump site east of Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital city. - The country’s environment minister at the time, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, told Mongabay that criminal charges against a former environment agency lead for the capital could be followed by charges against other civil servants. - The criminal investigations into the former environment Jakarta and also in Bali were announced two months after President Prabowo Subianto announced a “war on waste” amid revived plans to build incinerators capable of turning millions of tons of household waste into electricity. authors: | ||
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Reciprocity, not extraction: Centering an Indigenous approach to forestry 28 Apr 2026 20:24:11 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/04/reciprocity-not-extraction-centering-an-indigenous-approach-to-forestry/ author: Mikedigirolamo dc:creator: Mike DiGirolamo content:encoded: Forester and scientist Suzanne Simard is well known for her landmark 1997 paper, which demonstrated that two distinct species of trees could share resources. At the time, it turned traditional Western forestry thinking on its head. Instead of the Darwinian view of trees as being in competition with each other, it introduced the idea that these trees may actually help each other, and that industrial logging practices may be missing the forest for the trees. In recent years, Simard has been advocating for Indigenous knowledge as the only way to save the Earth and its forests. Environmental reporter Erica Gies spent some time in the field with Simard and her colleagues in a First Nations collective, and also learned about her large-scale experiment, The Mother Tree Project, which seeks to find the most sustainable form of forestry for both people and ecosystems. Gies joins the Mongabay Newscast to explain what she learned from Simard and why she advocates Indigenous knowledge and systems, which are governed by rules of reciprocity. A shift in her thinking occurred when she read the dissertation of fisheries ecologist Teresa Sm’hayetsk Ryan, who now works with Simard. “She realized that, you know, the people were also a very important part of the complex forest relationships,” Gies says. “Which is much more of a reciprocity kind of mentality. If you take, you also give back. There is a responsibility to care for the system. Because if you don’t, and if you overexploit it, it would be really easy to starve,…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Forester and scientist Suzanne Simard is well known for her landmark 1997 paper, which demonstrated that two distinct species of trees could share resources. At the time, it turned traditional Western forestry thinking on its head. Instead of the Darwinian view of trees as being in competition with each other, it introduced the idea that […] authors: | ||
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Young conservationists are building hope & optimism despite challenging times (commentary) 28 Apr 2026 16:49:19 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/young-conservationists-are-building-hope-optimism-despite-challenging-times-commentary/ author: Erik Hoffner dc:creator: Erfan FirouziMaria HashmiQazi Hammad MueenTaras Bains content:encoded: Several recent articles at Mongabay regarding mental health in the conservation sector provide a much-needed overview of an issue not talked about enough: that conservationists face a mental health crisis, an “epidemic of suffering” that is nestled within a complex biodiversity crisis. We are in a profession in which loss is a normal, everyday occurrence. The foundation of this sector lies in the passion of conservationists working tirelessly to understand, document and mitigate biodiversity and its loss. With that passion comes a job profile that is marked by exploitative practices, low wages and a general lack of support for dealing with mental well-being. Coupled with few benefits and a front-row seat to biodiversity loss and de-prioritization of conservation actions, a pertinent question arises: Is there a reason for hope? As young conservationists starting out in the field, following “conservation optimism” as a philosophy, we think so! Sometimes conservation work can make one feel like a lone tree on a mountain, but young conservationists say there’s a lot of room for hope and optimism amid the challenges. Image courtesy of Qazi Hammad Mueen. Language matters Conservation is marred by a language of crisis. This might not be the root of the mental health crisis in the field, but it is a major contributor. Hope is a delicate word to use in a field riddled with anxiety and despair. Its power, nonetheless, can be an enabling force for rebalancing the discourse around conservation and what it can achieve. How then do we…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Several recent Mongabay features have shared the emotional strain that conservationists are under from increasing environmental degradation, job losses, moral injury, and a sense of isolation. - Young people working in conservation face these issues and even more challenges since they’re just beginning their careers, but as young conservationists pushing for optimism in the sector write in a new commentary, there are many avenues for building hope and positivity. - “Conservation Optimism as a philosophy is rooted in celebrating all successes, no matter the size or scope, and sharing stories of hope which are essential in sustaining our minds, bodies and motivations,” they write. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. authors: | ||
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A search engine for the planet opens to the public 28 Apr 2026 16:30:22 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/a-search-engine-for-the-planet-opens-to-the-public/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: The idea that the Earth can be “searched” like a database has circulated for several years in academic and technical circles. Earth Index, developed by the nonprofit Earth Genome, brings that idea into practical use. Earth Index allows users to scan satellite imagery by visual similarity. A user can highlight an example—a patch of deforestation, a mining site, a trawler, or an airstrip—and instruct the system to find comparable patterns elsewhere. The underlying approach relies on “foundation models” trained on vast archives of Earth observation data, enabling the system to recognize features across geography and time. Until recently, such analysis required specialized teams, bespoke models, and significant computing resources. Even well-funded investigations could take months to develop. Tools like Earth Index reduce that burden. In one Mongabay-specific case, our journalists used it to identify previously unreported narcotrafficking airstrips in the Peruvian Amazon, combining automated detection with on-the-ground reporting (Spanish) Earth Index is now available without a waitlist, through an “Open” tier that provides global access and core features to any user. More advanced capabilities—such as higher usage limits, API access, and a more computationally intensive “Deep Search”—sit behind a separate tier, though the developers say they intend to keep access free for high-impact users. This expansion reflects a shift in how geospatial AI is being deployed. Satellite data has been publicly available for decades, yet much of it remains underused because of its complexity. Foundation models alter that dynamic by allowing users to interact with imagery in more intuitive ways,…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: The idea that the Earth can be “searched” like a database has circulated for several years in academic and technical circles. Earth Index, developed by the nonprofit Earth Genome, brings that idea into practical use. Earth Index allows users to scan satellite imagery by visual similarity. A user can highlight an example—a patch of deforestation, […] authors: | ||
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Novel DNA research shows massive native ant decline over hundreds of years in Fiji 28 Apr 2026 09:57:40 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/novel-dna-research-shows-massive-native-ant-decline-over-hundreds-of-years-in-fiji/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Shanna Hanbury content:encoded: Scientists conducting a DNA analysis of ant specimens collected from across the Fiji islands in the Pacific have been able to reconstruct how entire ant populations rose and fell over thousands of years. The findings, based on specimens held at museums, showed that nearly 80% of the archipelago’s 88 endemic ant species have been declining since humans first arrived there 3,000 years ago, while a small number of nonnative species expanded their populations. “It can be difficult to estimate historical changes to insect populations, because with few exceptions, we haven’t been directly monitoring populations over time,” co-author Evan Economo, a biologist at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan, and the University of Maryland, U.S., wrote in a statement. The new methodology, called community genomics, uses DNA to infer large-scale population patterns across entire ecological communities, rather than just one or a few species. It’s especially useful for studying insects, as their populations are difficult to assess in the wild. “The genomes hold evidence of whether populations are growing or shrinking,” Economo said. Researchers found a sharp decline starting around 300 years ago, roughly corresponding with the arrival of Europeans, industrial agriculture, and introduced species. Fiji’s ant fauna, mainly found in intact, high-elevation forests, were shaped by at least 65 colonization events, the study found. A total of 88 species are endemic to Fiji, while 16 species arrived after European colonization. “The findings confirm once more what we have been saying for the past decade: that human impacts are…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Scientists conducting a DNA analysis of ant specimens collected from across the Fiji islands in the Pacific have been able to reconstruct how entire ant populations rose and fell over thousands of years. The findings, based on specimens held at museums, showed that nearly 80% of the archipelago’s 88 endemic ant species have been declining […] authors: | ||
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Saving crocodiles from extinction 28 Apr 2026 06:47:11 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/saving-crocodiles-from-extinction/ author: Lucia Torres dc:creator: Abhishyant Kidangoor content:encoded: Community-led efforts are helping revive and save Siamese crocodiles from the brink of extinction. Siamese crocodiles are native to Southeast Asia and considered guardians of the wetlands by many communities. However, their population declined drastically due to hunting and habitat loss as a result of which they have been declared a critically endangered species. In Laos, a conservation program led by local groups is helping revive the population. They collect eggs from wild nests and raise baby crocodiles till they are ready to go back into the wild. Watch this video to learn more.This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Community-led efforts are helping revive and save Siamese crocodiles from the brink of extinction. Siamese crocodiles are native to Southeast Asia and considered guardians of the wetlands by many communities. However, their population declined drastically due to hunting and habitat loss as a result of which they have been declared a critically endangered species. In […] authors: | ||
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India has a wealth of bats, but our knowledge of them is poor: Report 28 Apr 2026 06:07:47 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/india-has-a-wealth-of-bats-but-our-knowledge-of-them-is-poor-report/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Shreya Dasgupta content:encoded: India is home to 135 known bat species, but their natural history and ecology remain poorly understood, according to the first nationwide assessment of the country’s bats. The report, developed by 36 experts from 27 institutions in India, was released by the nonprofit organizations Bat Conservation International (BCI) and the Nature Conservation Foundation. “Bats are the most diverse order of mammals in [India],” Rohit Chakravarty, BCI’s India program manager, told Mongabay by email. “[Yet], there are less than 50 dedicated bat researchers in the country so there’s an urgent need for prioritizing research topics, species, geographical areas.” Of the 135 species, seven are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List. Roughly a quarter, or 35 species, are listed as data deficient or not listed at all, meaning their conservation status hasn’t yet been evaluated, the report notes. Sixteen bat species are found only in India, including the somber bat (Cnephaeus tatei), Salim Ali’s fruit bat (Latidens salimalii), the Kolar leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros hypophyllus) and the Nicobar flying fox (Pteropus faunulus). Most of the endemic species are either threatened or data deficient. Chakravarty said there’s still plenty to learn about the ecology of India’s bats. For example, many bats have been found roosting inside caves, plants and even human-made structures like mines and culverts, old buildings and archaeological sites. But where the bats feed is still poorly understood. “This prevents us from protecting habitats beyond their roosts, particularly for [threatened] species like the Kolar leaf-nosed bat and Salim Ali’s…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: India is home to 135 known bat species, but their natural history and ecology remain poorly understood, according to the first nationwide assessment of the country’s bats. The report, developed by 36 experts from 27 institutions in India, was released by the nonprofit organizations Bat Conservation International (BCI) and the Nature Conservation Foundation. “Bats […] authors: | ||
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On World Tapir Day, data gaps cloud future of Malaysia’s tapirs 28 Apr 2026 05:48:09 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/on-world-tapir-day-data-gaps-cloud-future-of-malaysias-tapirs/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Naina Rao content:encoded: Asia’s only tapir species still remains understudied in Malaysia, researchers at the Wildlife Conservation Society say. Recent findings from Thailand suggest that some forest complexes there may hold more Malay, or Asian tapirs (Tapirus indicus) than previously estimated. However, across the border in Malaysia, experts warn that the endangered species faces an uncertain future, complicated by a lack of robust national population data and a persistent snaring crisis. On World Tapir Day, April 27, Mongabay asked WCS Malaysia researchers why this is the case. There have been very few reliable estimates of tapir numbers in Malaysia; one was published in 2012 and another in 2024. “It is always challenging to provide meaningful and realistic national figures for a large mammal species that is difficult to count, and the tapir is one that fits the bill,” Mark Darmaraj, WCS Malaysia country director, told Mongabay by email. Tapirs are notoriously difficult to count because, unlike a tiger with its distinct stripes, these black-and-white animals lack unique natural markings. Previously, researchers were able to use “bycatch” data from camera traps — images of tapirs captured on cameras originally set up for another species. They’ve identified unique individuals through a combination of scars, neck wrinkles and ear damage, said Shariff Mohamad, science and strategic communications manager for WCS Malaysia. Mohamad told Mongabay that while statistical models today are capable of estimating the population density of species without any distinguishing markings, these are difficult to implement because they require resource-intensive survey designs. Consequently, Malaysia still…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Asia’s only tapir species still remains understudied in Malaysia, researchers at the Wildlife Conservation Society say. Recent findings from Thailand suggest that some forest complexes there may hold more Malay, or Asian tapirs (Tapirus indicus) than previously estimated. However, across the border in Malaysia, experts warn that the endangered species faces an uncertain future, complicated […] authors: | ||
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Deforestation is surging in Indonesia 28 Apr 2026 05:07:47 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/deforestation-is-surging-in-indonesia/ 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. Indonesia’s forests, long held up as a case of tentative progress, are again under pressure. New analysis shows deforestation rose sharply in 2025, reversing several years of decline and returning to levels not seen in nearly a decade, reports Mongabay’s Hans Nicholas Jong. Auriga Nusantara, an Indonesian NGO, estimates that more than 430,000 hectares (1.1 million acres) were cleared last year, a jump of 66% from 2024. The increase follows a period when forest loss had fallen steadily, reaching a low in 2021 after a series of policy interventions and tighter oversight. Since then, losses have climbed each year, with 2025 marking a clear break from the earlier trend. The shift is notable in a global context. In Brazil, enforcement has pushed Amazon deforestation down for three consecutive years. Indonesia is now moving in the opposite direction, with the possibility of becoming the largest tropical deforester if current patterns hold. Policy choices help explain the change. Regulatory easing during the later years of former President Joko Widodo’s presidency reduced some environmental safeguards. Large-scale habitat conversion programs, including food estate projects and industrial expansion, have opened forested land. The current administration has continued many of these priorities, with land allocated for agriculture, energy and infrastructure often overlapping with intact forest. The geography of loss is also changing. Papua, home to some of Indonesia’s most extensive remaining forests, recorded a sharp increase in clearing.…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. Indonesia’s forests, long held up as a case of tentative progress, are again under pressure. New analysis shows deforestation rose sharply in 2025, reversing several years of decline and returning to levels not seen in nearly a decade, […] authors: | ||
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When protest works: Examples where activists have successfully pushed for change 28 Apr 2026 01:11:29 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/when-protest-works/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: Protest arrives with a clear sense of purpose. Annie Leonard and André Carothers avoid constructing a grand, unified theory of dissent and offer no rigid framework to explain why movements live or die. Instead, they have assembled a curated history: a series of episodes of resistance, each functioning as both narrative and instruction. The perspective reflects the authors’ own backgrounds. Annie Leonard spent nearly two decades with Greenpeace US, including a period as executive director, and has been involved in campaigns on climate, waste, and environmental justice. André Carothers has worked as an organizer and adviser across a range of social movements, including time with Greenpeace and as cofounder of the Rockwood Leadership Institute, which trains activists. Both have operated within the kinds of campaigns the book describes. That experience shapes the selection and framing of the case studies, which lean toward movements where sustained organizing and nonviolent pressure are central. At its core, the book rests on a simple claim: protest works. From abolitionism to climate strikes, from labor organizing to Indigenous land defense, the case studies are familiar yet deliberately eclectic. The authors show that protest is not a singular tactic but an expansive repertoire—a march or a boycott, a blockade or a refusal to comply, spanning large demonstrations and more solitary acts. Waorani leader Nenquimo with the Pekinani, traditional leaders and warriors. In February 2019, they jointly mobilized after filing a lawsuit against the Ecuadorian government to protect their territory from oil drilling in Puyo, Pastaza…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - In their new book, “Protest: Respect It. Defend It. Use It”, Annie Leonard and André Carothers assemble a series of protest movements to show how collective action has shaped political and social change, relying on examples rather than formal theory. - Protest is presented as a varied set of tactics, with internal disagreements acknowledged and treated as part of how movements function. - The book situates current efforts to restrict protest within a longer pattern in which dissent is tolerated when marginal and resisted when effective. - Across its cases, the book underscores that many rights now taken for granted were contested and that the space for protest remains uncertain. authors: | ||
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Restoring land with wildlife & earning carbon credits in the Kalahari Desert 27 Apr 2026 21:12:54 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/restoring-land-with-wildlife-earning-carbon-credits-in-the-kalahari-desert/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Mongabay.com content:encoded: In northern South Africa, the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in the Kalahari Desert is teeming with life — and carbon credits. Most carbon credit projects are focused on forests, but globally, soils hold roughly three times more terrestrial carbon than forests. Some scientists also say soil is more stable since it can’t be easily removed in a forest fire or clear-cut. At Tswalu, decades of wildlife reintroductions are helping to restore the degraded soils of the landscape while generating revenue through carbon markets. “I think Tswalu shows how rewilding can mitigate climate change through soil carbon storage and improve land productivity,” Duncan MacFadyen told Mongabay’s John Cannon. MacFadyen is the head of research and conservation with Oppenheimer Generations, which represents the family that owns Tswalu. The Oppenheimer family acquired the reserve in 1999 and eventually expanded it to an area larger than the size of Hong Kong, 118,000 hectares (292,000 acres). Their goal is to rebuild a functioning ecosystem by bringing back native herbivores and predators, and with it, soil carbon. Locally known as “the waterless place,” the region averages just 10-50 centimeters (4-20 inches) of rainfall annually, but that’s enough for rare, desert-adapted wildlife. Historically, vast herds of springbok antelope (Antidorcas marsupialis) followed seasonal rains and fresh grass across the landscape. The Indigenous San people compared springbok numbers to the number of stars in the Milky Way. European settlers later described herds stretching some 160 kilometers long and 24 km wide (100 miles by 15 mi). By the early 1900s, hunting,…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: In northern South Africa, the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in the Kalahari Desert is teeming with life — and carbon credits. Most carbon credit projects are focused on forests, but globally, soils hold roughly three times more terrestrial carbon than forests. Some scientists also say soil is more stable since it can’t be easily removed in […] authors: | ||
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As global 30×30 goal lags, Colombia shows how progress can be made 27 Apr 2026 20:52:23 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-global-30x30-goal-lags-colombia-shows-how-progress-can-be-made/ author: Morgan Erickson-Davis dc:creator: Ruth Kamnitzer content:encoded: In 2022, at the U.N. Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada, 196 nations pledged to conserve 30% of land and inland waters, and 30% of marine and coastal areas, by 2030. Popularly known as “30×30,” and officially known as Target 3, the pledge was one of 23 targets detailed in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and part of global efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. According to the GBF, the 30% target can be achieved through protection, connection and conservation of areas that are representative of a range of ecosystems, as well as key sites for biodiversity and ecosystem services. The framework also requires implementation to recognize and respect Indigenous and community territories and rights. Two years later, the “Protected Planet Report 2024,” released to coincide with the most recent U.N. Biodiversity Conference, in Cali, Colombia, in 2024, provided the first evaluation of progress toward 30×30. It found that 17.6% of land and inland waters, and 8.4% of marine and coastal areas were protected or conserved. In a speech at the conference, Iger Anderson, executive director of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP), said the report offered “glimmers of promise” but showed there was still “hard work to be done.” Globally, those figures now stand at 18.43% and 9.97%, respectively. But progress is uneven. Colombia, the host of the 2024 conference, is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries. The landscape is extremely varied, from Amazonian rainforest to Andean peaks, the plains of the Orinoco, Caribbean reefs and the Pacific…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - In 2022, nearly 200 nations pledged to protect and conserve 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030 under Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. - Currently, 18% of land and inland waters, and 10% of marine and coastal areas are protected and conserved. - Colombia, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, has exceeded the global average, protecting and conserving 47% of marine and 26% of terrestrial areas. - This has been achieved through new and expanded public and private protected areas, other area-based effective conservation measures (OECMs), and other means, including Heritage Colombia, an innovative “project for finance permanence” initiative. authors: | ||
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Nigeria arrests suspected pangolin trafficking kingpin on the run 27 Apr 2026 18:51:57 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/nigeria-arrests-suspected-pangolin-trafficking-kingpin-on-the-run/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Spoorthy Raman content:encoded: Authorities in Nigeria have arrested the suspected kingpin of a transnational pangolin trafficking network, the latest in a series of high-profile wildlife busts in the country. Shamsideen Abubakar was linked to a September 2021 case in which authorities seized 1,009.5 kilograms (2,226 pounds) of scales in Lagos, estimated to have come from at least 5,451 pangolins. Two of his associates, Sunday Ebenyi and Salif Sandwidi, were arrested at the time, but Abubakar himself remained on the run until now. The arrest was the result of a collaboration between Nigerian authorities and Netherlands-based NGO the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC). “The arrest sends a strong signal to Nigeria’s illegal wildlife trafficking network that arrest warrants will be strongly pursued,” Nigeria’s National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) said in a press release. Abubakar’s arrest follows two high-profile busts in Nigeria over the last two years. Each resulted in the seizure of several tons of pangolin scales and the arrest of suspected wildlife trafficking kingpins, including Chinese and Vietnamese nationals. Pangolin scales are coveted in East Asia for use in traditional medicine, and the meat is eaten in Nigeria. Selling pangolins is banned in the country and internationally, but they continue to be sold on the black market for a hefty price. Trafficking has driven all eight known pangolin species to the brink of extinction: three are listed as critically endangered, three as endangered and two as vulnerable. The high profits and low risks involved in such wildlife crime attract transnational criminal…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Authorities in Nigeria have arrested the suspected kingpin of a transnational pangolin trafficking network, the latest in a series of high-profile wildlife busts in the country. Shamsideen Abubakar was linked to a September 2021 case in which authorities seized 1,009.5 kilograms (2,226 pounds) of scales in Lagos, estimated to have come from at least 5,451 […] authors: | ||
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Rare, high-altitude jaguar sighting in Honduras raises hope for conservation 27 Apr 2026 18:44:42 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/rare-high-altitude-jaguar-sighting-in-honduras-raises-hope-for-conservation/ author: Sharon Guynup dc:creator: Spoorthy Raman content:encoded: High in the Sierra del Merendón mountains in Honduras, a jaguar has been photographed at 2,200 meters, or about 7,200 feet — an unusually lofty elevation for a species that usually sticks to lowland forests and wetlands. Jaguars (Panthera onca) are typically found below 1,000 m (3,300 ft), making high-elevation sightings so unusual that scientists have coined a term for the big cats spotted here: cloud jaguars. Seeing jaguars at this elevation is very rare, said Allison Devlin, who directs the jaguar program for U.S.-based wildcat conservation NGO Panthera. “The fact that they’re able to travel through these high elevation areas also shows how resilient they are.” The jaguar, a healthy-looking young male, was photographed by camera traps on Feb. 6 this year — almost 10 years to the day, and in the same location, where camera traps captured the first recorded glimpse of an elusive cloud jaguar in the Sierra del Merendón. The mountains form an important corridor between Honduras and Guatemala, linking the jaguar’s historical range, which spans 18 countries across the Americas, running from Mexico to Argentina. As apex predators, jaguars play a key role in the ecosystem by keeping prey populations healthy and balanced, and in helping prevent zoonotic diseases that jump between species and can infect humans. But like all wild cats, they face multiple threats. Once-intact forests are being felled to make way for human settlements, plantations, ranches, mines and other developments. Climate change is also taking a toll: Forest fires are scorching wetlands…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - For the first time in a decade, camera traps set up high in the Sierra del Merendón mountain range in Honduras captured images of a male jaguar. - The cat was documented at an altitude of 2,200 meters (about 7,200 feet), much higher than their normal range. Jaguars typically live below 1,000 m (3,300 ft). - These mountains can act as a high-elevation corridor for animals to move between landscapes in Honduras, Guatemala and beyond. - Jaguars, like all big cats, continue to lose habitat and are targeted by poachers. But this cat moving back into its former territory shows that conservation efforts, such as anti-poaching patrols, land protection and the introduction of prey species, may be working. authors: | ||
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Offshore wind’s clean energy potential remains largely untapped, say experts 27 Apr 2026 16:28:59 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/offshore-winds-clean-energy-potential-remains-largely-untapped-say-experts/ author: Glenn Scherer dc:creator: Sean Mowbray content:encoded: Winds sweep across the world’s oceans every day, and harnessing that largely unused resource has the potential to provide abundant, clean and reliable energy. Experts widely agree that marine wind could play a vital role in reducing fossil fuel reliance and tackling climate change, while also bolstering energy security. “The beauty of it is that the technology is tried, tested, proven, and has scaled,” says Amisha Patel, head of secretariat at the Global Offshore Wind Alliance. “This is not just about climate, it’s about having energy independence for many nations and regions as well.” Tapping into only a tiny fraction of that overall potential could reap gigantic benefits. A 2025 paper found that utilizing even just 1% of the global area suitable for offshore wind could produce roughly 20% of current global electricity demand, and cut carbon emissions by more than 2.3 billion metric tons annually. “Our key finding is that a relatively small fraction of suitable ocean area could deliver substantial climate and energy benefits,” Yi Wen, a lead author on that study with the National University of Singapore (NUS), told Mongabay in an email. But today, marine wind remains almost entirely untapped, with only around 15,000 offshore turbines producing just over 80 gigawatts of electricity, and another 150 GW of offshore wind farms under development. In 2024, energy generation from these turbines was sufficient to power around 73 million households. Wind turbines off Guishan Island, Zhuhai, China. Image by Squids Z via Unsplash (Public domain). To date, the…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Offshore wind has enormous clean energy potential across the globe. Though the sector has expanded in recent years that potential remains largely untapped. - Today, China and European nations lead the way in developing offshore wind farms, with the U.S. hampered by the Trump administration, and other nations just beginning to tap into the potential of marine wind. - Currently, about 80 gigawatts of power is generated by existing marine wind farms. According to some estimates, more than 2,000 GW of offshore wind is needed to meet climate goals, requiring a huge expansion including in deeper waters using floating platforms. authors: | ||
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Researchers say remote Lake Superior island’s wolves are thriving as packs prey on moose 27 Apr 2026 15:07:54 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/researchers-say-remote-lake-superior-islands-wolves-are-thriving-as-packs-prey-on-moose/ author: Mongabay Editor dc:creator: Associated Press content:encoded: Wolves on a remote island in Lake Superior appear to be thriving, but they’re making deep dents in the moose population that they rely on as a leading food source, according to a report released Monday. Isle Royale is a 134,000-acre (54,200-hectare) national park in far western Lake Superior between Grand Marais, Minnesota, and Thunder Bay, Canada. The island is a natural laboratory, offering scientists a rare opportunity to observe wolves and moose largely free from human influence. Researchers have conducted wolf and moose population surveys on the island since 1958. The surveys had been an annual winter event when the roadless island is closed to visitors, but researchers have run into obstacles in recent years. The pandemic in 2021 forced scientists to cancel the survey for the first time. The National Park Service ordered researchers to evacuate the island during their 2024 winter survey after weeks of unusually warm weather left the ice surrounding the island unsafe for ski-plane landings. Researchers rely on the planes for easier wildlife tracking but the island has no runway, forcing them to land on iced-over Lake Superior. Things didn’t go much better last year when researchers were forced to scrap the effort after their pilot suffered a last-minute medical issue. But this year a team of researchers led by scientists from Michigan Tech University were able to conduct a survey from Jan. 22 through March 3. Findings from the survey led them to estimate the island’s wolf population at 37 animals. Data scientists gathered before they evacuated in…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Wolves on a remote island in Lake Superior appear to be thriving, but they’re making deep dents in the moose population that they rely on as a leading food source, according to a report released Monday. Isle Royale is a 134,000-acre (54,200-hectare) national park in far western Lake Superior between Grand Marais, Minnesota, and Thunder Bay, […] authors: | ||
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Peru bets on bamboo to restore nature in its main coca-growing region 27 Apr 2026 14:48:59 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/peru-bets-on-bamboo-to-restore-nature-in-its-main-coca-growing-region/ author: Alexandrapopescu dc:creator: Anastasia AustinDouwe den Held content:encoded: PICHARI, Peru — It’s nearly 5 p.m., and the bamboo grove is filled with children. In silence, they’re looking up in awe. The monkeys have arrived. They jump from stalk to bamboo stalk and skitter down trees, not approaching the humans below but sometimes pausing to stare back. Monkey sightings are rare in Peru’s Valley of the Rivers Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro, also known as VRAEM. Deforestation, much of it to make way for coca crops, has pushed wildlife to the margins of populated areas. But here, in the bamboo forest planted by Yuri Paredes just a few kilometers outside Pichari, VRAEM’s de facto capital, monkeys are coming back. For decades, illegal coca cultivation has dominated the region, clearing its primary forests and stripping the soil of nutrients. To restore local ecosystems, in the last three years Peruvian authorities have been counting on expanding bamboo plantations, which they say will also bring back wildlife and allow farmers to profit from the crop. Yet some farmers and experts remain critical. In 2023, PROVRAEM, a Ministry of Agriculture initiative for sustainable rural development in the region, launched the Bamboo Sustainable Development Project to help more than 2,400 local farming families and boost the industry. So far, it has spent approximately 16.7 million soles ($4.9 million) to plant nearly 1,300 hectares (about 3,200 acres) of bamboo. The agency hopes to extend the project for at least another three years. Paredes’s 6-hectare (15-acre) bamboo forest, the biggest of its kind in the region, has…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Since 2023, Peruvian development agency PROVRAEM has spent nearly $5 million planting almost 1,300 hectares (3,200 acres) of bamboo across the VRAEM, the country’s largest coca-producing region, promoting it as a legal, environmentally restorative alternative to illegal coca cultivation. - On one farm in Pichari, growing bamboo as a monoculture has created a self-sustaining microclimate that has attracted more than 50 squirrel monkeys and dozens of bird species to what was once degraded land. - The farm has since expanded into a successful ecotourism venture, and Peruvian authorities are promoting it as a model of success for their program. - But bamboo is no miracle crop, experts say: It takes up to eight years to reach a first mature harvest, doesn’t bring nearly as much income as high-yielding coca, and its biodiversity benefits only hold when plantations are connected to larger forest corridors. authors: | ||
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What it takes to make conservation work in Central Africa: Luis Arranz’s 46-year journey 27 Apr 2026 10:48:03 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/what-it-takes-to-make-conservation-work-in-central-africa-luis-arranzs-46-year-journey/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: David AkanaRhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: Luis Arranz arrived in Africa in 1980 with little more than a degree in biology and a determination to work in the field. Without contacts or a clear path, he drove south from Spain in a small Citroën 2CV, crossing the Sahara over several weeks and repairing the car as it failed along the way. The journey is unusual. The work that followed is uncommon in its form and duration: more than four decades spent managing protected areas in Central Africa. His career has taken him through Equatorial Guinea, Angola, and South America, but it is in Central Africa that it has largely settled. He has led or helped run parks including Monte Alén, Zakouma, Garamba, Dzanga-Sangha, and now Salonga, often remaining in each for extended periods. That continuity has shaped his approach. He tends to describe conservation less in terms of design than of execution—what can be maintained over time, and what cannot. Photo courtesy of Luis Arranz This perspective runs through a series of conversations that took place in forests, villages, and vehicles across the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo in March 2026. Arranz is skeptical of the emphasis placed on planning processes and external analysis. He returns instead to implementation. “We know what we have to do,” he says, referring to the distance between written plans and what can be carried out in practice. Much of the work, in his account, comes down to transport, communication, and maintaining teams across large and difficult…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Luis Arranz has spent more than four decades managing protected areas in Central Africa, taking a field-based approach shaped by long tenures in places like Zakouma, Garamba, Dzanga-Sangha, and Salonga. - He argues that conservation is less about new plans than about execution—maintaining teams, logistics, and consistent operations in remote and difficult terrain. - Success depends on aligning conservation with local livelihoods, through mechanisms such as tourism and other income-generating activities tied to protected areas. - Progress is fragile: parks rely heavily on external funding, operate in unstable security contexts, and can quickly deteriorate without sustained presence on the ground. authors: | ||
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A blue-nosed chameleon in Madagascar: Photo of the week 27 Apr 2026 09:37:15 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/a-blue-nosed-chameleon-in-madagascar-photo-of-the-week/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Shanna Hanbury content:encoded: Blue-nosed chameleons, a lizard species found only in northern Madagascar, are known for their colorful noses, which brighten when they get excited. For many years, lack of data meant the blue-nosed chameleon was classified as the species Calumma boettgeri, a chameleon whose nose, while also prominently shaped, isn’t blue. It was only in 2015 that scientists published a revision: the blue-nosed chameleon, they declared, is it’s own species, Calumma linotum. Apart from a few other differences in size and shape, C. linotum’s coloration was described as “a blue rostral appendage and greenish turquoise extremities,” compared to the “inconspicuously yellowish brown” C. boettgeri. The photograph, by Mongabay photo editor Julie Larsen, was taken in northern Madagascar’s Montagne d’Ambre National Park, home to one of two known populations of the species. C. linotum’s conservation status is currently considered least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its relatively high density and presence in a well-managed park. However, every year, hundreds of thousands of chameleons are taken from the wild, both legally and illegally, to be sold on the exotic pet trade. Chameleons are challenging to keep alive and healthy in captivity, yet remain among the most popular reptiles in the trade due to their distinctive features. C. linotum, like most other chameleons, is listed on Appendix II of CITES, the global wildlife trade treaty, meaning its international trade requires permits and monitoring. According to a recent study, reptile species found only on islands are much more vulnerable to extinction than mainland…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Blue-nosed chameleons, a lizard species found only in northern Madagascar, are known for their colorful noses, which brighten when they get excited. For many years, lack of data meant the blue-nosed chameleon was classified as the species Calumma boettgeri, a chameleon whose nose, while also prominently shaped, isn’t blue. It was only in 2015 that […] authors: | ||
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Celebrating the ‘gardeners of the forest’ on World Tapir Day 27 Apr 2026 07:20:40 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/celebrating-the-gardeners-of-the-forest-on-world-tapir-day/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Naina Rao content:encoded: Described as “gardeners of the forest,” tapirs help maintain healthy ecosystems by dispersing seeds and landscaping the vegetation. Yet they remain underfunded for research. All four tapir species — the Asian (Malayan) tapir (Tapirus indicus), Baird’s tapir (T. bairdii), the lowland or South American tapir (T. terrestris) and the mountain tapir (T. pinchaque) — are currently listed as vulnerable or endangered on the IUCN Red List. They face mounting pressures from habitat fragmentation and loss, hunting, and climate change. In honor of World Tapir Day on April 27, we highlight recent Mongabay stories from the frontlines of tapir conservation. New light on Asian tapir strongholds in Thailand In Thailand, researchers used “bycatch” data from camera traps to identify critical refuges for the endangered Asian tapir. Mongabay’s Carolyn Cowan reported in Feb 2026 that the study led by biologist Wyatt Petersen analyzed archived photos from camera traps originally intended to monitor bears in the Khlong Saeng–Khao Sok Forest Complex between 2016 and 2017. From the photos, the researchers identified at least 43 individual tapirs and estimated a population density of six to 10 individuals per 100 square kilometers (16-26 per 100 square miles). This suggests the forest complex could hold up to 436 mature tapirs, a figure significantly higher than previous estimates for Thailand and Myanmar combined. While the researchers warn these numbers must be interpreted with caution, the findings underscore the importance of protecting intact forest strongholds for the species’ long-term survival. Indigenous guardians protect the ‘Sacha wagra’ in Colombia…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Described as “gardeners of the forest,” tapirs help maintain healthy ecosystems by dispersing seeds and landscaping the vegetation. Yet they remain underfunded for research. All four tapir species — the Asian (Malayan) tapir (Tapirus indicus), Baird’s tapir (T. bairdii), the lowland or South American tapir (T. terrestris) and the mountain tapir (T. pinchaque) — are […] authors: | ||
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Heat, fires and agribusiness squeeze traditional Amazon açaí harvesters 27 Apr 2026 07:00:19 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/heat-fires-and-agribusiness-squeeze-traditional-amazon-acai-harvesters/ author: Alexandre de Santi dc:creator: Carla Ruas content:encoded: ACARÁ, Brazil — “I’ve spent my whole life working with açaí,” said Eliseu Carvalho, 57, who cultivates the berry in a floodplain area next to his home in the municipality of Acará, in the Brazilian state of Pará. “I’ve always made a living from it.” But after a devastating wildfire near his community, Carvalho is now considering abandoning açaí harvesting altogether. Acará is one of the most productive açaí regions in the state of Pará, with thousands of small-scale producers working in forest patches and along riverbanks. In 2024, the municipality was severely affected by an intense wildfire season. More than 18 million hectares (44.5 million acres) — an area the size of Cambodia — burned in the Amazon that year, according to the Brazilian collaborative research network MapBiomas. Most of the burning occurred in forest areas, threatening frontline communities. Carvalho said he watched the flames burn for more than 20 days and consume almost 30 hectares (74 acres) of forestland. Prolonged drought conditions had left the humid vegetation unusually dry, leaving it much more susceptible to fire. “The flames spread through roots and organic matter,” he told Mongabay in Acará. “We would put them out on the surface, but they kept burning underground.” Açaí farmer Eliseu Carvalho shows his land in Acará, where a devastating wildfire burned down their açaí production in 2024. Image by Carla Ruas. When firefighters and volunteers finally managed to control the fire, about 2 hectares (5 acres) of açaí palms had burned to the…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Intensive farming of the popular açaí berry grew by 70% since 2015, while community cooperatives reported losses of 35% or more during recent heat waves and fires. - Industrial açaí crops often rely on artificial irrigation and nonnative honeybees, adapting the Amazon to intensive methods rather than benefiting from the biome’s own systems. - Market analysis indicates increasing international demand and rising prices, a trend that pushes for high-yield commercial monocultures over forest-based extraction. authors: | ||
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After nearly a century, Taiwan’s legless lizard gets its own identity 27 Apr 2026 04:01:42 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/after-nearly-a-century-taiwans-legless-lizard-gets-its-own-identity/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Naina Rao content:encoded: A new study has cleared up a century’s worth of identity confusion surrounding a secretive, legless lizard found in Taiwan’s forests. Researchers from National Taiwan Normal University confirmed the Formosan legless lizard (Dopasia formosensis) is a distinct species endemic to the island, separate from the more widespread Hart’s glass lizard (D. harti), under which it was previously clubbed. Legless lizards, often mistaken for snakes, possess several distinct features. The lizards have movable eyelids that allow them to blink, small external ear openings, and a longitudinal lateral fold that allows their skin to expand for breathing or carrying eggs. For nearly a century, scientists have debated whether Taiwan is home to one or two species of Dopasia legless lizards. Japanese zoologist Kyukichi Kishida first described Ophisaurus formosensis as a distinct species of legless lizard, endemic to Taiwan, in 1930 (the lizards were subsequently placed under the genus Dopasia). He noted that O. formosensis and O. harti, co-occurred in Taiwan but had slight differences in coloration: O. harti had blue spots while O. formosensis didn’t. However, in 2003, researchers concluded the two were a single species, and that the color differences were between females and young lizards, and males. The debate continued, the confusion stemming from the loss of the original specimen that Kishida had referred to after World War II. Legless lizards are notoriously difficult to find in their natural habitat since they stay hidden under leaf litter and humus. Dopasia is also protected in Taiwan. So, for the new study,…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: A new study has cleared up a century’s worth of identity confusion surrounding a secretive, legless lizard found in Taiwan’s forests. Researchers from National Taiwan Normal University confirmed the Formosan legless lizard (Dopasia formosensis) is a distinct species endemic to the island, separate from the more widespread Hart’s glass lizard (D. harti), under which it […] authors: | ||
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Endangered civet faces local extinction in Cambodian sanctuary 27 Apr 2026 03:19:34 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/endangered-civet-faces-local-extinction-in-cambodian-sanctuary/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Naina Rao content:encoded: The large-spotted civet is an endangered small carnivore found in pockets of forest across Southeast Asia. Now, a new study suggests the nocturnal mammals are heading toward local extinction in Cambodia’s Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS), once considered a global stronghold for the species. The study, published in Pacific Conservation Biology, analyzed a decade of camera-trap data from the sanctuary and found a 75-95% decline in the large-spotted civet’s (Viverra megaspila) population density between 2009 and 2019. Over the 10-year period, estimated densities plummeted from approximately 9 individuals per 100 square kilometers (23 per 100 square miles) to fewer than 1 per 100 km2 (3 per 100 mi2). Population models now project the species could be extirpated from the sanctuary by 2034. However, in the same sanctuary over same study period, the closely related large Indian civet (Viverra zibetha) population flourished. Its population density tripled from 2 to 7 individuals per 100 km² (5 to 18 per 100 mi2). Researchers point to several factors driving these divergent fates. The large-spotted civet is believed to reproduce slowly, producing only two offspring per year during a strict breeding season, which the study suggests occurs between November and April. In contrast, the large Indian civet breeds year-round with larger litters, allowing it to better withstand high mortality rates from hunting and snaring. While there’s no direct evidence of hunting of large-spotted civets in the area, the study authors say indiscriminate snaring increased significantly over the study period, becoming the main driver of wildlife decline…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: The large-spotted civet is an endangered small carnivore found in pockets of forest across Southeast Asia. Now, a new study suggests the nocturnal mammals are heading toward local extinction in Cambodia’s Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS), once considered a global stronghold for the species. The study, published in Pacific Conservation Biology, analyzed a decade of camera-trap […] authors: | ||
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Peter Raven, botanist and advocate for biodiversity, has died, aged 89 27 Apr 2026 00:18:39 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/peter-raven-botanist-and-advocate-for-biodiversity-has-died-aged-89/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: Life on Earth is often described as a web, but for much of modern science it was catalogued as a ledger: names, specimens, distributions, relationships drawn in careful lines. Over the course of the 20th century, that ledger gave way to a more connected view. Plants and animals were no longer just entries in a system; they were participants in it, shaping one another across deep time. The implications of that shift were not merely scientific. They pointed, more directly than before, to the role of a single species—our own—in altering the terms of that participation. Few scientists did more to define that transition, or to explain its consequences, than Peter Raven. Peter Hamilton Raven, who died last night, aged 89, was among the most influential botanists of the past century. Over a career that spanned more than six decades, he combined taxonomy, evolutionary biology and conservation into a coherent body of work: to understand the diversity of life, and to argue for its preservation with a clarity that was unusual among scientists of his generation. Peter Raven. Courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden He began with curiosity rather than doctrine. Born in Shanghai in 1936 to American parents, he spent his childhood in California after his family returned in the late 1930s. As a boy in San Francisco, he collected insects and then plants, drawn to the order that botany seemed to offer. The ranges of species were mapped; their forms could be compared. It was, as he later…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Peter Raven was one of the most influential botanists of the 20th century, helping to shape modern understanding of biodiversity and coevolution. - As director of the Missouri Botanical Garden for nearly four decades, he transformed it into a global center for research, conservation, and education. - He was an early and persistent voice warning that human activity—through habitat loss, consumption, and population growth—was driving a mass loss of species. - His work combined science and public engagement, emphasizing that understanding the natural world carries an obligation to sustain it. authors: | ||
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Don Janssen, wildlife veterinarian who argued that caring for animals begins with people 26 Apr 2026 16:38:30 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/don-janssen-wildlife-veterinarian-who-argued-that-caring-for-animals-begins-with-people/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: In a zoo, a crisis often begins before anyone names it as such. An animal stops responding to treatment. A pregnancy fails to progress. A procedure goes as planned but the animal does not recover as expected. The work is technical and uncertain, and the margin for error is narrow. Outcomes depend on biology, timing, judgment, and factors that are not immediately apparent. Over time, this shapes the people who do the work. Some grow detached; others become more deliberate. What matters is not only what is done for the animal, but how people carry the outcome when it goes against them. Leadership, in such settings, tends to show itself in small ways: who turns up, who listens, and who steadies the room. Don Janssen, a wildlife veterinarian who spent more than three decades at the San Diego Zoo and its Safari Park, came to see his profession in these terms. Early on, he had assumed that liking animals more than people was an advantage. A senior veterinarian corrected him. If you do not learn to work well with people, he was told, you will spend your career in conflict, and the animals will bear the cost. Janssen returned to that lesson often. Janssen trained at the University of California, Davis, graduating in 1978, and went on to build a career that helped shape modern zoological medicine. At San Diego, he rose to become director of veterinary services and later vice-president of animal health. His work ranged from routine clinical…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Don Janssen spent more than three decades at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, helping shape modern zoological medicine through clinical work, research, and leadership. - He came to believe that veterinary care depended as much on trust, relationships, and teamwork as on technical expertise. - Drawing on his experience, he developed and taught a model of “servant leadership” that emphasized presence, humility, and clarity in times of stress. - Later in life, a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease reinforced his view that while circumstances cannot be controlled, one’s response to them can. authors: | ||
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As Walk for Peace begins in Sri Lanka, activists call for animal rights 26 Apr 2026 01:53:05 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-walk-for-peace-begins-in-sri-lanka-activists-call-for-animal-rights/ author: Dilrukshi Handunnetti dc:creator: Malaka Rodrigo content:encoded: COLOMBO — A group of barefoot Buddhist monks promoting peace, compassion, mindfulness and nonviolence has arrived in Sri Lanka, accompanied by an unlikely figure: a once stray dog named Aloka. The Walk for Peace, organized by 24 Buddhist monks of the Theravada tradition affiliated with a Vipassana meditation center in Texas in the United States under the guidance of Vietnamese monk Bhikkhu Paññākāra, commenced in October 2025 and gathered momentum across the U.S. before gaining global popularity. Inspired by the teachings of Gautama Buddha and his 45-year walk, the journey aims to spread awareness of loving kindness and compassion in a world increasingly shaped by conflict. Aloka derives her name from Sanskrit, meaning light, and was first encountered by the monks during a 2022 pilgrimage to India. A stray, Aloka began following the monks despite being injured in a road accident and was eventually adopted by the monks. Her early life on the streets, marked by hardship and illness, has since become central to her identity as a symbol of resilience. Bhikkhu Paññākāra, who played a leading role in organizing the Walk for Peace, chose to include Aloka in the journey as both a companion and a living expression of compassion toward all living beings, a core principle of Buddhism. Sri Lanka marks the first international destination for the walk for peace outside the United States, but Aloka’s participation was initially uncertain. The journey from the United States to Sri Lanka typically exceeds 20 hours of air travel and involves…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Aloka, previously a stray dog in India, has become a global symbol of compassion, accompanying Buddhist monks on their intercontinental Walk for Peace, which is now in Sri Lanka. - Concerns were expressed over Aloka’s health and safety due to the prevalence of intense heat in Sri Lanka, with unusually high daytime temperatures and humid conditions prompting special care measures including a trailing ambulance and veterinary support throughout the journey. - With an estimated 2.5 million stray dogs in Sri Lanka, activists critiqued an initial plan to remove street dogs from the walking path to avoid local dogs threatening Aloka’s safety. - Animal rights advocates are using the moment to call for the long-delayed Animal Welfare Bill, urging stronger legal protections and humane treatment, replacing the country’s outdated laws to protect wild, domestic and stray animals. authors: | ||
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These tiny houses are designed to stand in extreme floods 25 Apr 2026 15:05:49 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/video/2026/04/how-bangladesh-builds-houses-that-stand-in-extreme-floods/ author: Sam Lee dc:creator: Lucia Torres content:encoded: JAMUNA RIVER, Bangladesh — Bulbul has just married and moved into a small village in northeast Bangladesh, a region battered year after year by severe flooding. During the rainy season, water routinely invades homes, wipes out crops, and turns daily life into a struggle for survival. For families like Bulbul’s, rebuilding after each monsoon has become an exhausting cycle. A group of architects from Dhaka is working with rural communities to break that cycle. Through hands-on workshops, they teach villagers how to build simple, flood-resistant tiny houses that safeguard families and food supplies when waters rise. As Bulbul prepares to build one of these homes, the film follows his transition into married life and a community learning to adapt and endure in the face of climate extremes. 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 touch with us here! Banner image: Khudi Bari hause, Bangladesh. ©Asif Salmana. Saving Mexico City’s ancient floating farmsThis article was originally published on Mongabay description: JAMUNA RIVER, Bangladesh — Bulbul has just married and moved into a small village in northeast Bangladesh, a region battered year after year by severe flooding. During the rainy season, water routinely invades homes, wipes out crops, and turns daily life into a struggle for survival. For families like Bulbul’s, rebuilding after each monsoon has […] authors: | ||
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Nan Schaffer, veterinarian who helped unlock the science of rhino reproduction, has died, aged 72 24 Apr 2026 17:46:59 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/nan-schaffer-veterinarian-who-helped-unlock-the-science-of-rhino-reproduction-has-died-aged-72/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: “One of the great tragedies of the 21st century,” Nan Schaffer once said, “will be humanity’s homogeneity.” The remark was less a warning than a diagnosis. In a world where landscapes were being simplified and species reduced to remnants, she concerned herself with what would be lost when difference itself began to disappear. For species like rhinoceroses, that erosion of difference was already under way. In the controlled stillness of a zoo enclosure, where a four-ton animal may refuse to breed or carry a pregnancy to term, extinction can feel procedural. It is a matter of missed signals, incompatible pairs, and time lost in small increments. For the rhinoceros—ancient, solitary, and increasingly isolated—survival has often depended not on the drama of the wild but on the patience of those willing to study its most intimate biology. Schaffer spent much of her life in that patient, technical struggle. She believed that if rhinos were to persist, it would be because people learned how to help them reproduce when shrinking, fragmented populations could no longer sustain breeding on their own. Sumatran rhino at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay. Schaffer, a veterinarian who pioneered the science of rhino reproduction, died on March 27th after a prolonged battle with cancer. She was 72. Her work took her into pens and barns, across zoos and wilderness sites, and into a field that barely existed when she began: the reproductive physiology of large, endangered mammals. She was one of the world’s leading…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Nan Schaffer, a veterinarian who pioneered the study of rhinoceros reproduction, devoted her career to understanding and overcoming the biological barriers that kept captive rhinos from breeding as wild populations declined. - Working across zoos and research programs, she developed techniques to manage pregnancies, collect and preserve genetic material, and build the scientific foundation that underpins modern rhino conservation efforts. - Beyond her scientific work, she was a prominent supporter of LGBTQ+ causes in Chicago, a philanthropist, and a civic figure recognized with induction into the Chicago LGBTQ+ Hall of Fame. - Guided by a belief that the loss of species would diminish human understanding of the natural world, she argued that extinction was not only a biological crisis but a cultural and moral one, with consequences that extend beyond conservation itself. authors: | ||
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AI is a double-edged sword for Indigenous stewardship, say U.N. experts 24 Apr 2026 15:05:57 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/ai-is-a-double-edged-sword-for-indigenous-stewardship-say-u-n-experts/ author: Latoya Abulu dc:creator: Aimee Gabay content:encoded: This story is republished through the Indigenous News Alliance. At the 2026 United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, or UNPFII, in New York, experts warned of the opportunities and dangers of using artificial intelligence (AI) in conservation and climate adaptation efforts. AI can support the protection and management of Indigenous peoples’ lands and resources, such as by monitoring deforestation, fires and illegal extraction, but it can also contribute to greater environmental harm and infringe on Indigenous rights. A study published by Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, former chair of the permanent forum from the Mbororo people of Chad, highlighted some of the possibilities and challenges AI presents for environmental protection, as well as the impacts of this technology on Indigenous territories. This includes land-grabbing, water overexploitation and land degradation due to its high energy, water and critical minerals needs. “For generations, Indigenous Peoples have protected the world’s most intact ecosystems without satellites, without algorithms or technologies,” Ibrahim told Mongabay over email. “AI can become a powerful ally to that stewardship, if it is used on our terms in a culturally appropriated way.” AI and conservation Ibrahim explained that AI can help Indigenous communities monitor biodiversity, detect deforestation, illegal mining, wildfires, or water contamination through the use of satellite imagery and sensors. “When combined with Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge, AI can help predict climate impacts, track wildlife movements, and strengthen land-use planning while helping to plan faster resilience strategies,” she added. Setting up a camera trap in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - At the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 25th session, U.N. experts called attention to the opportunities and dangers of AI-centered conservation efforts. - A study published by former chair of the permanent forum Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim highlighted that AI can positively contribute to the protection of the environment but also impact efforts, due to its high consumption of energy, water and critical minerals. - AI can support the protection and management of Indigenous peoples’ lands and resources, such as by monitoring the environment to detect deforestation, fires, or illegal extraction. - Experts warned that to ensure the protection of Indigenous peoples and their territories, governments must prevent all forms of land-grabbing, water exploitation and mining activities related to data centers and energy sources, and respect Indigenous rights, worldviews and aspirations. authors: | ||
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NPFC adopts illegal fishing measures — but no Emperor Seamount protections 24 Apr 2026 14:50:54 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/npfc-adopts-illegal-fishing-measures-but-no-emperor-seamount-protections/ author: Autumn Spanne dc:creator: Francesco De Augustinis content:encoded: The North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) approved a series of measures aimed at combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and improving stock assessments during its latest annual meeting in Osaka, Japan, April 14-17. However, several NGOs viewed the meeting as a step backward for fish stock management, calling out the commission’s failure to add protections for several vulnerable species and to halt bottom fishing in the Emperor Seamount Chain. The NPFC protects marine ecosystems and non-tuna fish stocks in the high seas of the North Pacific Ocean and is one of four regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) in the Pacific. Its 10th annual meeting gathered the nine members — Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, the United States and Vanuatu — along with 11 observer groups and Panama as a cooperating noncontracting party. “It was a hard but a good week,” Gerald Leape, principal officer with the U.S.-based Pew Charitable Trusts’ international fisheries project, told Mongabay minutes after the closure of the meeting. Japanese sardines (Sardinops melanostictus). Image by Totti via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Combating IUU fishing NPFC members agreed to adopt a shared system of minimum standards for port inspection, a move that targets IUU fishing. The decision brings the commission in line with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), a binding international agreement marking its 10th anniversary this year. With the approval of this measure, commission members committed to implementing more stringent inspection standards and…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The 10th annual meeting of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NFPC) took place April 14-17 in Osaka, Japan. - While the NPFC members enacted new measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, leading NGOs criticized the commission for failing to act on bottom trawling in the Emperor Seamount Chain, a biodiversity-rich volcanic submarine mountain range in the Northwest Pacific. - Some NPFC members and observers also expressed disappointment about backtracking on stock management and conservation for the Pacific saury, which is targeted by fishing fleets of several member countries. authors: | ||
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Investigators eye organized crime links in 3-ton pangolin scale haul at Jakarta port 24 Apr 2026 12:26:32 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/investigators-eye-organized-crime-links-in-3-ton-pangolin-scale-haul-at-jakarta-port/ author: Mongabay Editor dc:creator: Anggita Raissa content:encoded: JAKARTA, Indonesia – Customs and excise investigators in Jakarta continue to trace the origin of more than 3 metric tons of pangolin scales found in late February inside a shipping container at Indonesia’s largest port. “This is still under investigation,” Suhartoyo, a lead customs investigator at Tanjung Priok Port told Mongabay Indonesia, adding that evidence in the case remained in the container storage area in early April. On Feb. 18, customs officials at Tanjung Priok inspected a container declared as sea cucumbers and instant noodles, but found more than 3 metric tons of dried pangolin scales concealed in 99 boxes — an illicit haul valued at more than $10 million. Pangolins are insectivores clad entirely by scales made from keratin, the same protein as human hair and nails. These scales are prized by traditional healers in China and Vietnam, despite no scientific evidence that consuming them has any health benefits. All eight known species of pangolin in Africa and Asia are listed as threatened on the Red List maintained by the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority. Investigators remain focused on the company identified as the exporter of the shipping container, PT Temu Satu Rasa (TSR), as well as a company that may have provided customs clearance services. A review of corporate records held by the Directorate General of General Legal Administration showed TSR was registered to address in the west of Jakarta, the capital city, in January. Mongabay Indonesia visited this address by a minimart on a busy street,…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Customs officers in Jakarta planned to conduct interviews this month in connection with the seizure of more than 3 metric tons of pangolin scales, which inspectors found in a shipping container bound for Cambodia in late February. - Mongabay Indonesia visited the address registered to the company exporting the container, but it appeared to be a shopfront, while its contact numbers registered in a government database were inactive. - Indonesian authorities continue to make more pangolin scale seizures: This month, a Navy vessel intercepted a Vietnam-flagged cargo boat off the northwest coast of Java found to be carrying 780 kg (1,720 lbs) of scales. authors: | ||
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AI tool tracks spread of illegal gold mining in Amazon protected areas 24 Apr 2026 09:56:11 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/ai-tool-tracks-spread-of-illegal-gold-mining-in-amazon-protected-areas/ author: Alexandrapopescu dc:creator: Constance Malleret content:encoded: In July 2025, the Indigenous Shuar people celebrated the end of a decade-long struggle when they received official titles for three communities — the Shuar Tunants, Kampan and Tsuntsuim –- within the Kutukú Shaimi Protected Forest, in the south of the Ecuadorean Amazon. But in one of those communities, satellite imagery shows that between August and December 2025, a gaping hole appeared in the forest around a riverbend — a mining scar. Despite the Tunants territory’s newly formalized status, deforestation due to gold mining nearly tripled, reaching 2 hectares (5 acres) in size in the last three months of 2025, according to Amazon Mining Watch Panorama, a new quarterly report. The report shows that deforestation due to illegal gold mining continues to grow across the Amazon, threatening protected parts of the rainforest. In total, 6,000 hectares (more than 14,800 acres) — about seven times the size of Central Park in New York City — of new mining scars appeared across protected areas and Indigenous territories over the last three months of 2025. This mining is presumed to be illegal, as most Amazonian countries have legislation prohibiting mining in Indigenous territories and protected areas, with experts warning that greater law enforcement is needed. Most of the deforestation caused by mining during that period took place in Brazil, with roughly 2,000 hectares (about 5,000 acres) of forest being cleared. This was followed by Peru with 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres), and Guyana with 900 hectares (about 2,200 acres). New mining scars were also…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Gold mining presumed to be illegal caused 6,000 hectares (more than 14,800 acres) of deforestation in Amazonian protected areas and Indigenous territories during the last three months of 2025, according to a new quarterly report from the Amazon Mining Watch platform. - New mining scars were identified in all nine Amazonian countries, with Brazil, Peru and Guyana suffering the highest levels of mining-linked deforestation. - Soaring gold prices are driving this destruction, experts say, and call for more monitoring, law enforcement and coordinated action between countries to tackle the issue. - Using an AI algorithm that’s constantly being improved, the Amazon Mining Watch platform aims to serve as an early-warning tool for authorities and civil society to identify and address new incidences of illegal gold mining, especially in border areas. authors: | ||
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