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Primate Planet 15 Apr 2026 08:07:25 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/specials/2026/04/primate-planet/ author: Alejandroprescottcornejo dc:creator: Alejandro Prescott-Cornejo content:encoded: Across the tropics, a growing movement is working to secure a future for primates in the face of disease, deforestation and wildlife trade. Reporting from across the planet, this video series highlights how scientists, conservationists and local communities are rebuilding populations and reconnecting fragmented forests. Along the way, it reveals the innovation, collaboration and resilience shaping these efforts, offering a grounded yet hopeful look at what it takes to support primate survival in a rapidly changing world.This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Across the tropics, a growing movement is working to secure a future for primates in the face of disease, deforestation and wildlife trade. Reporting from across the planet, this video series highlights how scientists, conservationists and local communities are rebuilding populations and reconnecting fragmented forests. Along the way, it reveals the innovation, collaboration and resilience […] authors: | ||
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Invasive ferrets removed from an island in a world-first 15 Apr 2026 04:14:31 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/invasive-ferrets-removed-from-an-island-in-a-world-first/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Shreya Dasgupta content:encoded: Rathlin Island off the north of Northern Ireland is now free from feral ferrets that were harming its native seabirds. Conservationists say this is the first time these nonnative animals, which were domesticated from polecats some 2,000 years ago, have been completely eradicated from any island. Ferrets (Mustela furo) were introduced to Rathlin in the 1980s to control another invasive species, rabbits, which were considered agricultural pests. However, instead of targeting rabbits, the ferrets multiplied and feasted on seabirds, ground birds, and their eggs and chicks, said Erin McKeown, program manager of the Life Raft ferret-eradication project led by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Northern Ireland (RSPB NI). Rathlin Island is home to more than 250,000 seabirds like puffins, razorbills, guillemots and Manx shearwaters. “On Rathlin, there has been over 70% of decline in puffin population,” McKeown told Mongabay by phone. “There are loads of different reasons for this decline, but one of the big ones is overpredation by ferrets. For example, a feral ferret got into our puffin colony in 2017 and in a two-day period had killed over 26 mature puffin birds. These are a species that will lay one egg a year.” In 2021, a five-year, 4.5-million-pound ($6.1 million) project, involving RSPB NI, government agencies, other charities and the local community, was launched to eradicate ferrets on Rathlin. There were an estimated 93 ferrets on the island at the time; all have now been removed by trappers, McKeown said. The project team also relied…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Rathlin Island off the north of Northern Ireland is now free from feral ferrets that were harming its native seabirds. Conservationists say this is the first time these nonnative animals, which were domesticated from polecats some 2,000 years ago, have been completely eradicated from any island. Ferrets (Mustela furo) were introduced to Rathlin in the […] authors: | ||
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Indonesia braces for possible ‘Godzilla El Niño’ as fire season escalates early 15 Apr 2026 04:12:41 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/indonesia-braces-for-possible-godzilla-el-nino-as-fire-season-escalates-early/ author: Hans Nicholas Jong dc:creator: Hans Nicholas Jong content:encoded: JAKARTA — Indonesia is entering the 2026 fire season with early signs of escalation, as burned area surges even before the dry season peak and forecasts raise the possibility of a so-called “Godzilla” El Niño later this year. Burned area reached 32,637 hectares (80,650 acres) by February — about three times the size of Paris, 20 times higher than the same period last year — even before the dry season has fully set in. Scientists say this early surge could signal the start of a more intense fire season, especially as climate forecasts point to the possible return of El Niño. Some global forecasts suggest the event could become one of the strongest in at least a decade, raising the risk of prolonged drought and widespread fires, although significant uncertainty remains over how intense it will ultimately be. A strong El Niño would also likely reshape global weather patterns and could push global temperatures to record levels in 2027, due to the lagged warming effect the phenomenon has on the climate system. El Niño refers to a warming of sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean that can disrupt weather patterns worldwide. In Indonesia, it is typically associated with drier conditions and heightened fire risk. Indonesian agencies have at times referred to the potential event as a Godzilla El Niño, a nonscientific term used to describe an unusually strong episode that could significantly intensify drought and fire risk. Indonesia’s meteorological agency, BMKG, says there is a 50-80% chance of…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The 2026 fire season in Indonesia is already showing early signs of escalation, as burned areas reached 32,637 hectares by February, 20 times higher than the same period in 2025. - Some global forecasts suggest this year’s predicted El Niño could become one of the strongest in at least a decade, raising the risk of prolonged drought and widespread fires, although significant uncertainty remains over how intense it will ultimately be. - Fire monitoring by the watchdog Pantau Gambut show that many hotspots are in oil palm and timber concession areas, which the group says suggests that legal permits alone do not guarantee fire-safe land management and highlights gaps in oversight and enforcement. authors: | ||
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‘Rediscovered’ species in Papua spotlight importance of Indigenous knowledge 15 Apr 2026 02:22:50 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/rediscovered-species-in-papua-spotlights-importance-of-indigenous-knowledge/ author: Isabel Esterman dc:creator: John Cannon content:encoded: It started with a set of photographs, taken of an animal captured in 2015 on the Bird’s Head Peninsula in Indonesian Papua, the western half of the island of New Guinea. The smallish animal with “large hands” looked a bit like a slow loris, a small primate that doesn’t live on the island, or perhaps a cuscus, which, like this specimen, is also a marsupial. Further inspection of the photos, however, suggested it might be something else altogether, a species long thought lost to extinction — by scientists, anyway. Interviews in local communities provided a breadcrumb trail suggesting that a forest-dwelling glider, known — again, to science — only from millennia-old fragments of teeth and bone, might yet live in the forests of Indonesian Papua. Several years later, Rika Korain was approached by her longtime friend and colleague, Australian mammalogist Tim Flannery, who asked if she might help him get a bead on whether the animal still existed. Korain, a human rights lawyer and Indigenous Maybrat woman, immediately thought of the elders from the Tambrauw people, a group that lives close to the Maybrat and with whom they share traditions in common. “I’m from the Bird’s Head area,” she says. “I told [Flannery], let’s find out from my clan, from my people’s side. Let’s try to talk with the elders or especially the hunters who always go to the jungle to find out whether they see this particular animal.” So in 2023, she and Flannery spoke with two Tambrauw elders,…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Two species of marsupial thought by scientists to be extinct for thousands of years still live in the forests of Indonesian Papua on the island of New Guinea, according to recently published research. - One of the animals, the ring-tailed glider, is sacred to the Tambrauw people, and it’s part of a newly proposed genus, Tous, borrowing the Tambrauw name for the glider. - The other animal, a pygmy long-fingered possum, was discovered during a mammal-watching trip on the Bird’s Head Peninsula. - The research involved substantial collaborations with local communities and Indigenous elders. authors: | ||
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Coexisting with America’s growing urban coyote population is easier than you think 14 Apr 2026 23:01:04 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/04/coexisting-with-americas-growing-urban-coyote-population-is-easier-than-you-think/ author: Mikedigirolamo dc:creator: Mike DiGirolamo content:encoded: Coyotes are now present in almost every major urban-metropolitan area in the United States, yet conflicts between the canines and humans are exceptionally low. Between 1960 and 2006, only 146 documented coyote attacks on humans occurred in the U.S. and Canada. Yet there are 4.5 million dog attacks on humans annually in the U.S. alone. Despite the low number of conflicts with coyotes, nearly one coyote is killed every minute in the United States on average, according to the nonprofit organization Project Coyote. Camilla Fox, the group’s founder and executive director, joins this week’s podcast to discuss the myths and misconceptions around coyotes (Canis latrans), why they’re largely peaceful and critical for ecosystem health, and how humans can coexist better with the growing urban population of coyotes. “For a lot of people … who grow up in urban areas, a coyote is the first predator they’ve ever experienced in their lives,” she explains. “But … if you can arm yourself with knowledge and educate yourself about this animal, you’ll come to see not only their ecological role, but also what an amazing animal” it is. Coyotes mostly eat rodents and are critical for regulating rodent populations, Fox explains. Depending on location, they also help regulate the abundance of mesopredators such as raccoons and skunks. This, in turn, helps protect existing biodiversity, such as birds (which are declining across the U.S.). “By having the presence of a coyote in the landscape, they will help, through competitive exclusion, to keep these mesocarnivore…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Coyotes are now present in almost every major urban-metropolitan area in the United States, yet conflicts between the canines and humans are exceptionally low. Between 1960 and 2006, only 146 documented coyote attacks on humans occurred in the U.S. and Canada. Yet there are 4.5 million dog attacks on humans annually in the U.S. alone. […] authors: | ||
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Exploring giraffe-human conflict in Kenya 14 Apr 2026 22:08:54 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/exploring-giraffe-human-conflict-in-kenya/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: David Brown content:encoded: Reticulated giraffes are an endangered species across their primary range in Kenya, most commonly threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting. Conflicts with people are also rising as giraffes sometimes eat crops like mangos and compete with local people for water. A group of researchers investigated emerging human-giraffe conflict (HGC) in northeastern Kenya found that, despite tension, there is widespread local support for giraffes by local people, and opportunities to reduce conflict. Fewer than 20,000 reticulated giraffes (Giraffa reticulata) are estimated to remain in the wild, roughly a 56% population decline over the last 30 years, according to the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority. The research team worked in the Bour-Algy Giraffe Sanctuary, which was created along the Tana River in northeastern Kenya to protect the local population of reticulated giraffes. The sanctuary was created by volunteers from Bour-Algy village in 1995, but before this study there was little formal understanding of how local people felt about the giraffes and what impact giraffes had on their lives. The researchers conducted 400 interviews with households around the sanctuary. Their goal was to learn about local attitudes toward giraffes — whether people perceived them as a risk, what caused conflicts with giraffes and determine local strategies for coexistence. The team found that there was a relatively high tolerance for giraffes in the community. “Most respondents viewed giraffes as low-risk and over half reported no damage to land or property,” Abdullahi Ali, first author of the study, told Mongabay in an email. “Importantly, the…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Reticulated giraffes are an endangered species across their primary range in Kenya, most commonly threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting. Conflicts with people are also rising as giraffes sometimes eat crops like mangos and compete with local people for water. A group of researchers investigated emerging human-giraffe conflict (HGC) in northeastern Kenya found that, […] authors: | ||
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A reforestation corridor in Madagascar offers a future for lemurs and locals 14 Apr 2026 22:07:43 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-reforestation-corridor-in-madagascar-offers-a-future-for-lemurs-and-locals/ author: Morgan Erickson-Davis dc:creator: Marina Martinez content:encoded: In eastern Madagascar, Andasibe-Mantadia National Park and the Analamazoatra Special Reserve shelter around a dozen species of lemurs, alongside an extraordinary array of animals and plants, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Once connected by continuous rainforest, the landscape was fractured in the 1960s, when large stretches were cleared for agriculture and cattle pasture. What remained was a patchwork of forest fragments separated by degraded land, limiting wildlife movement and threatening biodiversity. Today, a coalition of researchers, conservationists and local communities is working to reverse that fragmentation by rebuilding a forest corridor from the ground up. The reforestation corridor connecting Andasibe-Mantadia and Analamazoatra, launched in 2023, aims to restore 150 hectares (370 acres) of native forest and reconnect these two critical habitats. Led by the Mad Dog Initiative (MDI), a Madagascar-based wildlife conservation NGO, in partnership with The Dr. Abigail Ross Foundation for Applied Conservation (TDARFAC, a nonprofit conservation organization focused on Madagascar), Association Mitsinjo and Ecovision Village, the project represents a unique convergence of science, private investment and community action. It began not with a grand plan, but with an exchange of ideas and a shared commitment. As Kim Valenta of MDI recalled, she first recognized the physical disconnect between these two protected areas in 2017, while leading sterilization and vaccination campaigns to limit the impacts of free-roaming pets on wildlife in the region. She then met others who were also committed to restoring the broken landscape. “We looked at some maps, and shortly after I…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - A reforestation corridor project aims to reconnect 150 hectares of fragmented forest between Andasibe-Mantadia National Park and the Analamazoatra Special Reserve, home to a dozen lemur species and many other animals and plants that are found nowhere else on Earth. - Led by the Mad Dog Initiative in partnership with The Dr. Abigail Ross Foundation for Applied Conservation, Association Mitsinjo and Ecovision Village, the project represents a unique convergence of science, private investment and community action. - The project has already planted more than 100 native tree species across 70 hectares, a portion of which were grown in soil inoculated with mycorrhiza, with seedlings showing high survival and growth rates. Even in its early stages, lemurs are using the corridor. - To address local challenges and increase the chances of long-term restoration success, project partners are investing in ecotourism, health care and education, among other strategies. authors: | ||
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In Brazil, unfinished water project leaves Indigenous villages without safe water 14 Apr 2026 21:13:25 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-brazil-unfinished-water-project-leaves-indigenous-villages-without-safe-water/ author: Xavier Bartaburu dc:creator: Adriana AmâncioFelipe Medeiros content:encoded: RAPOSA SERRA DO SOL, Brazil — Turned upside down on the dirt floor, next to an artisanal flour mill, a huge water tank catches the eye of those passing through the Bem Viver community, in the Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Territory, located 300 kilometers (186 miles) from Roraima’s state capital Boa Vista. Under the sun and rain, in the open air, the dusty object conveys an urgent message: Instead of storing drinking water for the Bem Viver (an Indigenous concept of ‘living well’ lifestyle prevalent in Latin America) village population, the 5,000-liter (1,320-gallon) container has remained unused for almost two years. The reservoir was provided to the community by the East Roraima Special Indigenous Sanitation District (DSEI in Portuguese), the managing unit of the federal government’s Indigenous Health Care Subsystem (SASISUS). It has not received a single drop of water — because it has not even been installed yet. Unable to use it, local residents were forced to devise an alternative plan: The mission consists of collecting water from a nearby waterfall connected to the village through an improvised network of pipes approximately 700 meters (2,296 feet) long. While the connection provides some water, it is consumed without proper treatment. At the same time, the thin and fragile pipes suffer from daily obstructions, almost always caused by the accumulation of leaves and debris. Improvised piping system for collecting water from a waterfall at the Bem Viver community in Raposa Serra do Sol, Roraima. Image by Felipe Medeiros. According to…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - According to Brazil’s Ministry of Health data obtained by Mongabay, of the 4,134 Indigenous villages in Brazil’s North Region, only 1,934 — about 47% — have proper infrastructure to supply drinking water to the population. - To avoid scarcity, many communities resort to improvised solutions, using buckets and pipes to fill their reservoirs with water from rivers and waterfalls. In times of drought, shallow wells are also dug on riverbanks. - Their emergency strategy against thirst, however, increases a series of health risks, forcing entire villages to consume ferrous, dirty, and contaminated water — all vectors for infectious diseases. - In some areas of the North, in addition to chemical purification solutions such as Salta-Z, nanotechnology-based collective filters have helped communities cope with the water crisis — and, according to their complaints, with government neglect. authors: | ||
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EUDR is starting to steer company actions, despite slow progress: Report 14 Apr 2026 20:46:20 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/eudr-is-starting-to-steer-company-actions-despite-slow-progress-report/ author: Alexandrapopescu dc:creator: Constance Malleret content:encoded: Some companies have made headway toward removing deforestation from their supply chains in the last year, in preparation for the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), according to a new report by the NGO Global Canopy. This shows that the upcoming regulation is driving some progress despite an unfavorable global climate for environmental commitments. The Forest 500 Report 2026 examined the corporate commitments on deforestation, land conversion and human rights of the 500 companies with most influence over nine commodities linked to deforestation and covered by the EUDR: beef, cocoa, coffee, leather, palm, pulp and paper, rubber, soy and timber. It found that more than a quarter of companies reported new forms of implementation action in 2025, and 14% specifically mentioned the EUDR in documents about deforestation commitments. Forest 500 is based on public documents, and more companies could be making decisions based on the EUDR in private, the report notes. The EUDR is due to take effect Dec. 30 this year after several delays. “The EUDR is the main focus of this report. The key takeaway is that it’s working, it’s appearing in lots of company reporting, with 68 companies in our assessment citing it in regard to deforestation commitments, especially with traceability,” said Chloe Rollscane, a research associate at Global Canopy. “Even though [the EUDR] is not in place yet, it’s obvious that companies are getting ready for it.” These companies include producers and processors in source countries, as well as traders and retailers in the EU, Rollscane told…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Although more progress is needed, a growing number of companies are adopting and implementing deforestation commitments ahead of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) taking effect in December, according to a new report analyzing public data on 500 companies exposed to deforestation in their supply chains. - Global Canopy’s newest Forest 500 Report found that 14% of companies mentioned the EUDR in deforestation commitments and more than 25% reported new implementation actions in 2025. The number of companies with traceability mechanisms also increased. - The report also found that 24 companies have never published deforestation commitments and that 14 backtracked on previous commitments in 2025. - The legal uncertainty surrounding the EUDR and its implementation disincentivizes companies from adopting systems for due diligence on deforestation, experts say. authors: | ||
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Māori knowledge shows climate change domino effects on forest food chains 14 Apr 2026 20:26:02 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/maori-knowledge-shows-climate-change-domino-effects-on-forest-food-chains/ author: Latoya Abulu dc:creator: Monica Evans content:encoded: RAGLAN, Aotearoa New Zealand — Imagine a forest floor so thick with juicy, crunchy purple tawa (Beilschmiedia tawa) fruit in summertime that you can’t cross it without skidding and falling. Birds so fat with toromiro (Pectinopitys ferruginea) berries that they explode when you shoot them. Pigs that don’t bother to dig in the ground because there’s so much food on top of it for the taking. For elder Māori of the Tūhoe Tuawhenua and Ngāti Whare iwi (tribal groups) in Aotearoa New Zealand’s North Island, such phenomena used to be commonplace. But they’re now a distant memory. The fruits of the Te Urewera and Whirinaki forests used to set, ripen and drop with rhythmic regularity, and people who lived there were attuned to those beats and their impact across the food chain. In the past three decades, those patterns have started to falter. Over a decades-long engagement process, an Indigenous-led team of researchers has drawn on mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) to document and understand changes in these forests across the last 75 years. Their new study tracks, for the first time, fruiting changes in line with shifting climatic patterns in the country. Elders and scientists show how relatively subtle shifts like the timing of fruit ripening can cascade through such diverse issues as soil health, food systems and culture. Image by Jacqui Geux via iNaturalist (CC BY 4.0). The kererū, also known as the New Zealand pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae). Image courtesy of Phil Lyver. “The forest itself has signaled change,…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - An Indigenous-led team of researchers worked with Māori knowledge-holders in the Te Urewera and Whirinaki forests of Aotearoa New Zealand’s North Island to document forest change over the past 75 years. - Drawing on bioindicators from traditional ecological knowledge, they found dramatic changes in native tree fruiting patterns in line with climatic shifts. - The research showed cascading impacts from the fruiting shifts across the food chain — including for pigeons, pigs and people. authors: | ||
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Deep-sea wildernesses are more important than the promise of seafloor mining (analysis) 14 Apr 2026 18:23:10 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/deep-sea-wildernesses-are-more-important-than-the-promise-of-seafloor-mining-analysis/ author: Erik Hoffner dc:creator: Andrew D. Thaler content:encoded: When I set sail on the MV NorSky in the summer of 2008 to probe the depths of Manus Basin off the coast of Papua New Guinea, I believed in the promise of deep-sea mining. As an early-career deep-sea ecologist, I was swayed by arguments in favor of this emerging industry. It offered a new way to obtain the metals needed for the renewable energy revolution, one allegedly free of the human rights and environmental abuses of terrestrial mining. The company was Nautilus Minerals, and the plan was to mine an active hydrothermal vent field called Solwara I. What is a hydrothermal vent and why would anyone want to mine one? When seawater is drawn down into the earth and heated under enormous pressure, it rises through cracks in the crust, erupting from the seafloor in metal-rich plumes. Those metals are deposited on the walls of a growing chimney. Deep-sea miners call this structure a seafloor massive sulfide. They can be rich in gold and silver, as well as copper, zinc, lead and rare earth elements. By most estimates, Solwara I is among the most valuable seafloor massive sulfides ever discovered. And it is not only rich in metals, it is rich with life. The dumbo octopus is a species only found in the deep sea. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. The communities that grow around hydrothermal vents depend on the chemical energy of the vent plume. The geological process that deposits metals also…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - A scientist who was part of a major 2008 expedition exploring the promise of deep-sea mining writes in a new analysis that what they found offshore of Papua New Guinea ended his enthusiasm for the nascent industry. - The biodiversity documented by their remotely operated vehicle — added to the fragility and uniqueness of the geology and ecology they documented — was clearly too special to perhaps permanently decimate for electric vehicles and renewable energy. - “I entered this project in good faith, working with the mining company to help determine whether or not deep-sea mining at Solwara I could be conducted with minimal harm to the marine environment. I exited convinced that there is no viable path forward for hydrothermal vent mining, anywhere in the ocean.” - This article is an analysis. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. authors: | ||
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Ghana declares its first marine protected area 14 Apr 2026 17:57:42 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/ghana-declares-its-first-marine-protected-area/ author: Malavikavyawahare dc:creator: Victoria Schneider content:encoded: Ghana has declared its first marine protected area after more than 15 years of efforts to bolster marine conservation and safeguard its depleting fish stocks. Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang announced the creation of the MPA on April 14. It marks a “historic moment,” according to Ghana’s fisheries commission, Benjamin Campion. The designated area covers 703 square kilometers (271 square miles) in the greater Cape Three Points area, at the southernmost tip of the country. A key spawning and nursery ground for small pelagic fisheries, targeting fish near the water’s surface, the area has been identified as having the potential to restore critical fish populations. The protected area will consist of a core zone where no fishing will be allowed and multiple-use zones where fishing and other activities will be still be permitted, but strictly regulated. “The MPA forms part of a broader national strategy to rebuild Ghana’s fisheries sector, complementing existing interventions,” Campion told Mongabay via email. Ghana’s small pelagic fishery is at risk of collapse due to years of overfishing by a growing artisanal sector, the use of destructive gear and fishing methods by industrial trawlers, and the effects of climate change. These pressures increasingly threaten the country’s food security, as a majority of the population’s animal protein intake comes from small pelagics. In response, Ghana has implemented multiple conservation measures to ease pressure on populations of sardinella (Sardinella spp.), anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and mackerel (Scomber japonicus). These include seasonal fisheries closures, a three-year moratorium imposed in 2023 on…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Ghana has declared its first marine protected area after more than 15 years of efforts to bolster marine conservation and safeguard its depleting fish stocks. Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang announced the creation of the MPA on April 14. It marks a “historic moment,” according to Ghana’s fisheries commission, Benjamin Campion. The designated area covers […] authors: | ||
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Afghanistan’s capital is in the grip of a water crisis 14 Apr 2026 16:18:06 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/afghanistans-capital-is-in-the-grip-of-a-water-crisis/ author: Mongabay Editor dc:creator: Associated Press content:encoded: KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Nestled in a high-altitude valley in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountain range, Kabul is rapidly running out of water. Experts say climate change has played its part, but so has massive population growth and resource mismanagement. Many people, particularly in the poorer areas of the Afghan capital, are left struggling to cope. They have to buy clean drinking water and collect brackish water from communal taps, carrying it to their homes. The Taliban government says it has implemented a series of measures to tackle the growing crisis. But two major projects that would significantly contribute to a solution have been delayed. By Elena Becatoros, Associated Press Banner image: A boy and a girl collect water from a hose connected to a well at a mosque in Deh Mazang, Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, April 2, 2026. Image by Siddiqullah Alizai via Associated PressThis article was originally published on Mongabay description: KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Nestled in a high-altitude valley in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountain range, Kabul is rapidly running out of water. Experts say climate change has played its part, but so has massive population growth and resource mismanagement. Many people, particularly in the poorer areas of the Afghan capital, are left struggling to cope. […] authors: | ||
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This ghost octopus is facing a new threat 14 Apr 2026 14:48:04 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/this-ghost-octopus-is-facing-a-new-threat/ author: Lucia Torres dc:creator: Juan Maza content:encoded: China is one of the biggest players in the race to mine the deep sea — and a joint Mongabay-CNN investigation shows that over the past five years, eight Chinese research vessels have been busy exploring for minerals in zones designated to Chinese companies. These eight ships spent more than 800 days inside these deep-sea mining areas, traveling a distance more than twice the circumference of the Earth. But when we looked closer, we noticed something interesting. These vessels weren’t actually spending much of their sea time in these deep-sea mining areas. Instead, the ships were also operating in strategically important parts of the ocean — places where future military tensions with the United States might unfold. This raised an important question — are these ships just exploring for minerals? Or are they also gathering intelligence, such as scouting out the locations of U.S. submarines or undersea cables? Our findings suggest they are doing both. This raises important geopolitical concerns. And it matters for the environment : These ships use powerful echosounders that can harm whales and octopuses like Casper. And if deep-sea mining begins, it could cause irreversible damage to the marine environment. You can read the full investigation: https://news.mongabay.com/custom-story/2026/03/chinas-deep-sea-mining-fleet-may-also-track-us-submarines/This article was originally published on Mongabay description: China is one of the biggest players in the race to mine the deep sea — and a joint Mongabay-CNN investigation shows that over the past five years, eight Chinese research vessels have been busy exploring for minerals in zones designated to Chinese companies. These eight ships spent more than 800 days inside these deep-sea […] authors: | ||
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George Schaller: The field biologist who helped redefine conservation 14 Apr 2026 12:08:19 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/george-schaller-the-field-biologist-who-helped-redefine-conservation/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: Some lives seem to belong less to a nation or a profession than to a disposition. George B. Schaller’s was one of them. He belonged, above all, to animals—gorillas, lions, tigers, snow leopards, pandas—and to the landscapes that still made room for them. In Homesick for a World Unknown: The Life of George B. Schaller, Miriam Horn attempts something both straightforward and unusually difficult: to write a full biography of a man who spent most of his life turning his attention away from himself. Schaller is not obscure. He is widely regarded as the most important field biologist of the twentieth century, a figure whose work reshaped zoology, conservation biology, and the way humans think about animal lives. Yet he remains oddly resistant to biography. He disliked introspection, avoided publicity, and wrote sparingly about his own emotions even when describing moments of extreme danger or revelation. Horn’s achievement is to take this reticence seriously rather than try to overcome it. The result is a book that is expansive without being intrusive, admiring without being reverential, and alert to ambiguity even when recounting an extraordinary career. The arc of Schaller’s life has the shape of an adventure story, though Horn is careful not to write one. Born in Berlin in 1933 to an American mother and a German diplomat father, Schaller’s early years were marked by displacement, war, and a persistent sense of not quite belonging. His childhood moved across Nazi Germany, occupied Europe, and eventually the United States. These experiences…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Miriam Horn’s Homesick for a World Unknown traces the life of George B. Schaller, a field biologist whose work reshaped how animals are studied and understood. - The book portrays a scientist defined by patience, close observation, and a disciplined effort to understand animals on their own terms, even as such an approach ran against prevailing scientific norms. - Horn presents Schaller’s career across continents as both scientific and practical, showing how his research informed the creation of protected areas while gradually incorporating local knowledge and participation. - Rather than probing for psychological insight, the biography mirrors its subject’s outward focus, offering a restrained account that raises broader questions about attention, conservation, and what it means to share a world with other species. authors: | ||
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In northern Kenya, a shifting Lake Turkana reshapes traditional livelihoods 14 Apr 2026 11:18:58 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-northern-kenya-a-shifting-lake-turkana-reshapes-traditional-livelihoods/ author: Terna Gyuse dc:creator: Christopher Clark content:encoded: KOMOTE, Kenya — At sunrise on Komote Island, 36-year-old James Lekubo walks his two children down a rocky hillside to the water’s edge, where they clamber into a small fishing boat with a couple of dozen others to journey across a stretch of lake that didn’t exist a few years ago. On the other side lie their school and the nearest clinic — services that were previously within walking distance. Lekubo is a member of the El Molo, Kenya’s smallest and most marginalized ethnic group, who have lived here along the stark eastern shores of Lake Turkana for centuries. But in more recent years, the world’s largest desert lake has begun to turn against them, threatening not only their traditional livelihood but the very fabric of their cultural identity. According to a 2021 report by Kenya’s environment ministry, over the preceding decade, Turkana’s water levels rose by several meters, expanding the lake’s total surface area by around 10%, largely due to heavier rainfall in the Ethiopian highlands that feed it via the Omo River. Since then, the lake has continued to grow, submerging up to 1,000 square kilometers (about 390 square miles) of the surrounding landscape — an area half the size of London — including roads, grazing land, ancient burial sites, and even entire villages. Primary school children getting off the boat that now ferries them to school. Image by Christopher Clark for Mongabay. Lekubo watched helplessly as Komote was gradually cut off from the mainland. “Most people left…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - According to Kenya’s environment ministry, water levels in Lake Turkana have risen by several meters in the past decade, expanding its total surface area by around 10%. - The rise, mainly caused by increased rainfall far upstream, has affected communities and infrastructure on the lake’s shores, as well as disrupted fishing in its changing waters. - Extended drought in surrounding areas has drawn thousands of new fishers to Lake Turkana, sometimes sparking conflict. - The people who have lived here the longest are negotiating their survival in what a researcher calls “a system with many variables, both natural and human.” authors: | ||
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Landmark win for Thai villagers, but gold mine appeal delays justice 14 Apr 2026 08:01:52 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/landmark-win-for-thai-villagers-but-gold-mine-appeal-delays-justice/ author: Naina Rao dc:creator: Mongabay.com content:encoded: In a landmark verdict, the Bangkok Civil Court last month held the operator of a gold mine liable for environmental and health damages, ordering it to compensate nearly 400 villagers. But the company is appealing against the ruling, which will likely delay payouts and prolong a decade-long legal fight, reports contributor Kannikar Petchkaew for Mongabay. The case against Akara Resources Plc, operator of the Chatree gold mine, is Thailand’s first environmental class action lawsuit, enabled by a 2015 legal amendment. It was filed in 2016 by affected residents in Phichit and Phetchabun provinces, in central Thailand, where the Chatree mine, the country’s largest gold mine, is located. The court recognized that for more than 10 years, residents suffered from elevated levels of heavy metals such as manganese and cyanide in their blood, alongside chronic health issues like skin disease, linked to mining operations. The court further said that Akara Resources had failed to prove the contamination was unrelated to its mining operations, and ruled the company was liable for the environmental damage and health impacts. The court mandated direct compensation of $2,300 to $7,200 per person, plus small medical expenses. It also ruled that Akara Resources must shut down a leaking facility holding mining sludge, and bear the full cost of environmental rehabilitation. Both Akara Resources and its Australian parent company, Kingsgate Consolidated, are appealing the ruling, citing “inconclusive evidence.” This move effectively freezes any compensation for the foreseeable future. Advocacy groups like the Manushya Foundation argue the court-ordered amounts…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: In a landmark verdict, the Bangkok Civil Court last month held the operator of a gold mine liable for environmental and health damages, ordering it to compensate nearly 400 villagers. But the company is appealing against the ruling, which will likely delay payouts and prolong a decade-long legal fight, reports contributor Kannikar Petchkaew for Mongabay. […] authors: | ||
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Conservation efforts help an endangered dipterocarp spread roots in Bangladesh 14 Apr 2026 07:53:11 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/conservation-efforts-help-an-endangered-dipterocarp-spread-roots-in-bangladesh/ author: Abu Siddique dc:creator: Sadiqur Rahman content:encoded: On Jan. 23, 2026, Mahbubul Islam Polash, a 34-year-old man from Bangladesh’s northern district of Sirajganj, traveled to Teknaf area in the southeastern coastal district of Cox’s Bazar, around 600 kilometers (373 miles) south of his hometown. Here, he planted a sapling of Anisoptera scaphula, a dipterocarp tree commonly known as boilam in Bangladesh. That day marked the 64th planting of the endangered tree species, completing the plantation campaign in all the districts of the country. The campaign was launched on June 5, 2024, coinciding with World Environment Day, in the northwestern Rajshahi district. When Polash learned that the towering tree species was on the verge of extinction and birds like kites and vultures were losing nesting habitats, he pinned his focus on planting boilams. “Even if it was just one species, I wanted to spread it countrywide,” Polash tells Mongabay. In 2019, he says, he planned to collect its seeds or saplings from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and distribute them across the country. But his initial attempts to germinate boilam seeds failed. Undeterred he continued to try and, in 2023, he succeeded in the germination of 74 seeds from the 2,000 sourced from mother trees in the hilly Bandarban and Khagrachhari districts. The saplings were nurtured on a piece of land adjacent to Polash’s home in Sirajganj for a year until they reached a height of about 30-45 centimeters (12-18 inches). Finally, the boilam saplings were planted in 64 districts of Bangladesh. Polash spent 597 days and self-financed…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Conservation of the endangered boilam tree (Anisoptera scaphula) — Bangladesh’s tallest tree species — has reached a milestone after a 34-year-old man planted saplings across all the districts of the country. - A Bangladeshi forestry professor’s dedicated work offers fresh hope for science-based conservation of the rare species. - With no established conservation approach in Southeast Asia, where the species is also endangered, the Bangladeshi model could serve as a replicable solution. authors: | ||
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Two-month-old bear cubs rescued from Facebook sale in Laos 14 Apr 2026 07:06:02 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/two-month-old-bear-cubs-rescued-from-facebook-sale-in-laos/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Naina Rao content:encoded: Two Asiatic black bear cubs posted for sale on Facebook have been rescued in Laos as part of an illegal wildlife trade sting. Free the Bears, an international conservation nonprofit, coordinated the operation with local authorities in Oudomxay province after discovering the Facebook post while monitoring online platforms for wildlife traders. The advertisement featured two Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) sisters, roughly 2 months old and weighing less than 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) each. “They had been taken illegally from the wild, and sadly their mother was likely killed in the process,” Free the Bears said in a press release. Both cubs, found malnourished and cramped in a plastic washing basket, were rescued within 24 hours of the Facebook post being discovered. They’re now receiving specialist care at the Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary, the nonprofit said. Matt Hunt, CEO of Free the Bears, told Mongabay by email that the case highlights a dangerous evolution in the illegal wildlife trade. “In the past, bear cubs would change hands several times before reaching cities or bear farms, from hunters to village middlemen and onto other traders,” Hunt said. “Each time cubs changed hands was an opportunity for law enforcement to intervene. Today, with the rise of social media, hunters in even the most remote forested provinces can directly reach urban buyers through chat groups on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, or WeChat.” Hunt added that this digital shift makes the trade faster and harder to track: Once animals are listed online, they can…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Two Asiatic black bear cubs posted for sale on Facebook have been rescued in Laos as part of an illegal wildlife trade sting. Free the Bears, an international conservation nonprofit, coordinated the operation with local authorities in Oudomxay province after discovering the Facebook post while monitoring online platforms for wildlife traders. The advertisement featured two […] authors: | ||
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Can nature outcompete war in Eastern Congo? 13 Apr 2026 23:26:11 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/can-nature-outcompete-war-in-eastern-congo/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: David AkanaRhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: In eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, discussion of conservation often centers on loss: forests cleared, wildlife depleted, conflict spreading across landscapes that once supported some of the richest ecosystems on Earth. At Virunga National Park, those pressures are concentrated. The park, Africa’s oldest, contains glaciers, volcanoes, forests, and wetlands within a single protected area. It also sits within a region shaped by decades of instability, where armed groups, informal economies, and weak governance are part of daily life. Virunga National Park. Image courtesy of Bitini Ndiyanabo Kanane. Emmanuel de Merode, who has led Virunga since 2008, does not begin with ecology. His training is in anthropology, and that shapes how he describes the park. The condition of wildlife, he suggests, follows from deeper forces. Forest loss, poaching, and insecurity are not simply environmental problems. They emerge from how people earn a living, how authority functions, and how money and resources circulate. In eastern Congo, conservation cannot be separated from the economy. For many communities around Virunga, the choices are immediate. Clearing forest for agriculture or producing charcoal can generate income that supports a household. The benefits of conservation are harder to see and often accrue far beyond the region. The imbalance shows up in daily decisions about fuel, food, and access to land. As de Merode describes it, the system asks some of the poorest populations to bear the cost of protecting assets valued globally. The pressure on the park is reinforced by conflict. Since the mid-1990s, eastern Congo…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - In eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, pressure on Virunga National Park reflects deeper economic and governance dynamics, where conservation competes with immediate livelihood needs tied to charcoal production and agriculture. - Emmanuel de Merode frames environmental decline as a consequence of how people earn a living, arguing that protecting biodiversity requires addressing energy access, jobs, and local economic systems. - Virunga has developed an integrated model built around renewable energy, small business development, financial access, and localized security, aimed at shifting incentives away from conflict-linked and extractive activities. - The proposed Green Corridor extends this approach across a national scale, testing whether a viable economic system can be built that depends on maintaining forests rather than clearing them, despite ongoing conflict and political constraints. authors: | ||
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30-year Himalayan project shows power of community-led forest restoration 13 Apr 2026 19:41:28 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/30-year-himalayan-project-shows-power-of-community-led-forest-restoration/ author: Morgan Erickson-Davis dc:creator: Shradha Triveni content:encoded: A recent study in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science shows why community engagement in forest restoration is a win-win game. The research documents a three-decade-long land restoration project on a 28-hectare (71-acre) slope of India’s Western Himalayas, in the state of Uttarakhand. The local communities in the surrounding villages cultivated a forest, with the help of researchers, and are now reaping the fruits of their collective effort. Before rehabilitation, the slope was inhabited by shrub species, dotted with the occasional longleaf Indian pine (Pinus roxburghii), a native tree that spread through monoculture cropping for resin and timber during British colonial rule. This landscape was prone to wildfire, which led to degradation. A team of researchers from the G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (GBP-NIHE), an arm of the environment ministry, launched the restoration project in 1992. Now, according to the study’s authors, the land supports rich biodiversity, including more than 160 bird species, more than 100 butterfly species, and many medicinal plants, providing livestock fodder, medicine and livelihoods for the residents of surrounding communities. The researchers named the site “Surya-Kunj,” or “Sun-Grove,” in a nod to the famous Katarmal Sun Temple, located about 12 kilometers (7 miles) away. A fire burns within a longleaf Indian pine (Pinus roxburghii) forest in Uttarakhand. Image by Ramwik via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Indra D. Bhatt, co-author of the study and director of the GBP-NIHE, said the Surya-Kunj site acts as a framework for large-scale forest restoration efforts in the Himalayas…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - A 30-year forest restoration project in India’s Western Himalayas transformed degraded land into a biodiverse ecosystem through the participation of local communities. - According to a recently published study, the project resulted in the establishment of 88 tree species that are now naturally multiplying, and employed simple bioengineering techniques to retain soil moisture, resulting in long-term natural regeneration and ecological stability. - The restored site, named Surya-Kunj, or Sun-Grove, now supports rich biodiversity, including more than 160 bird species as well as medicinal plants. - Strong community participation and educational value has helped turn the project into a scalable model for mountain ecosystem recovery, researchers say. authors: | ||
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Council recommends opening US Pacific marine monuments to commercial fishing 13 Apr 2026 17:25:15 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/council-recommends-opening-us-pacific-marine-monuments-to-commercial-fishing/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Bobby Bascomb content:encoded: A U.S. fishing regulator recently recommended allowing commercial fishing across all four of the country’s Pacific marine national monuments. The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac) said the move is “about restoring sustainable fishing.” Conservationists and native peoples, however, say it will damage some of Earth’s most pristine ocean ecosystems. The monuments — Pacific Islands Heritage, Rose Atoll, Marianas Trench, and Papahānaumokuākea — cover 3.1 million square kilometers (1.2 million square miles) of coral atolls, deep-sea trenches and remote islands. Image courtesy of NOAA Fisheries All four monuments have banned commercial fishing since their establishment. “I am sad that with all these restrictions in our areas, we are slowly losing some of our culture,” Wespac council member Pedro Itibus said in a press release. Many locals say recreational fishing was never banned and some sites are far from any community. “The practice of commercial fishing and the unavoidable and significant waste of marine resources caused by bycatch is an affront to Native Hawaiian practices and beliefs,” Solomon Pili Kaho’ohalahala, a native Hawaiian with Kāpaʻa, a local NGO, told Wespac in a statement. Commercial fishing would allow the use of longlines and purse seines, which result in large numbers of nontarget species — turtles, seabirds, sharks — being caught. “In 2014, before the expansion of Papahānaumokuākea, Hawaii-based longliners caught more than 5,600 sharks as bycatch in the now protected area,” Sheila Sarhangi, executive director of the Hawai‘i-based Pacific Islands Heritage Coalition and the Papahānaumokuākea Coalition, told Mongabay by email. “If you…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: A U.S. fishing regulator recently recommended allowing commercial fishing across all four of the country’s Pacific marine national monuments. The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac) said the move is “about restoring sustainable fishing.” Conservationists and native peoples, however, say it will damage some of Earth’s most pristine ocean ecosystems. The monuments — Pacific […] authors: | ||
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Defying conflict to track the world’s rarest chimpanzees 13 Apr 2026 16:46:31 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/video/2026/04/defying-conflict-to-track-the-worlds-rarest-chimpanzees/ author: Lucia Torres dc:creator: Leo PlunkettSandy WattTom Richards content:encoded: GASHAKA GUMTI NATIONAL PARK, Nigeria — Here in Nigeria’s largest protected wilderness area lies one of the last strongholds of the Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti), the world’s rarest chimpanzee subspecies. For nearly a decade, however, this population has lived largely out of sight. Once a leading hub for field research in West Africa, Gashaka fell silent in the late 2010s when insecurity in the area forced scientists to withdraw. “By 2018, all research had stopped,” says conservationist Elisha Emmanuel. When the researchers left, so did the rangers who protected the park. Without them, Gashaka became vulnerable to poachers and bandits, and its research stations slid into disrepair. But a handful of local research assistants refused to leave. “It’s our bush,” says Maigari, who grew up in nearby Gashaka village. “If they want to kill me, they will kill me because the chimps are my friends.” A turning point came later that year when the Nigerian government signed a co‑management agreement with the Africa Nature Investors Foundation (ANI), a local nonprofit. Since then, more than 180 rangers have been hired and trained to protect the forest. “This has really brought security to the park, which now gives us the opportunity to restart research,” Emmanuel says. For field assistants like Maigari, that stability means a chance to return to what they know best: tracking and monitoring chimpanzees in the wild. The first step in Gashaka’s scientific revival is an ambitious camera‑trap survey. Using a newly acquired helicopter, researchers have deployed cameras…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: GASHAKA GUMTI NATIONAL PARK, Nigeria — Here in Nigeria’s largest protected wilderness area lies one of the last strongholds of the Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti), the world’s rarest chimpanzee subspecies. For nearly a decade, however, this population has lived largely out of sight. Once a leading hub for field research in West Africa, Gashaka […] authors: | ||
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Researchers find ‘remarkable’ hot-pink insect in Panama rainforest 13 Apr 2026 12:57:06 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/researchers-find-remarkable-hot-pink-insect-in-panama-rainforest/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: David Brown content:encoded: In March 2025, biologist Benito Wainwright and his colleagues were searching for katydids — leaf-mimicking insects related to crickets and grasshoppers — in the rainforest of Barro Colorado Island in Panama, when they came across an unexpected sight: a hot-pink katydid individual of the species Arota festae. The researchers captured the katydid and raised her in captivity. Photographing her daily for 14 days, they chronicled her changing color from hot pink to a pastel pink and finally green, the researchers report in a recent study. A. festae, found in Panama, Colombia and Suriname, are typically light green in color, resembling early-growth vegetation, the authors write. The discovery of the hot-pink katydid is very rare, Wainwright told Mongabay by email. “I’ve spent a total of 8 months in the tropics and have only ever found one, and my collaborators who have spent 2+ years on BCI [Barro Colorado Island] have never seen one,” said Wainwright, from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. “We do most of our sampling around research station lights so it could be that these immature pink adults are hiding in places we’re not looking. The green morphs are pretty common though so, at least on BCI, the pink morph is a real abnormality.” Jeffrey Cole, an expert in katydid evolution, who wasn’t affiliated with the study, told Mongabay in an email: “The observation of this katydid changing colors within a single life stage is remarkable, as it is the first demonstration of this capability in a…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: In March 2025, biologist Benito Wainwright and his colleagues were searching for katydids — leaf-mimicking insects related to crickets and grasshoppers — in the rainforest of Barro Colorado Island in Panama, when they came across an unexpected sight: a hot-pink katydid individual of the species Arota festae. The researchers captured the katydid and raised her […] authors: | ||
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Colombia’s main river redraws the map of little-known night monkeys 13 Apr 2026 11:00:21 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/colombias-main-river-redraws-the-map-of-little-known-night-monkeys/ author: Alexandrapopescu dc:creator: Manuel Fonseca content:encoded: One night, 10-year-old Sebastián Montilla heard a creature moving over a tree branch on his father’s farm in Pijao, Quindío department, one of Colombia’s renowned coffee-growing regions. As he pointed a lantern up to the canopy, he saw a wild creature with big red eyes and a long tail watching him before moving away from the light. It was a night monkey, from the genus Aotus. This brief encounter would decide Montilla’s path. “I became very passionate about those animals, in fact, when I was in school, my favorite pastime was to go outside and lie down under their sleeping place, to watch them do nothing,” Montilla, now a doctoral student in biological sciences at the University of the Andes in Bogotá, told Mongabay in a video call. “I’m very surprised by the fact that [night monkeys] have gone unnoticed for so long, both in the scientific community and in the public sphere,” he added. “It’s astonishing because at midnight they are moving right past our houses and we don’t even notice.” Night monkeys, also known as owl monkeys, are the only primate group in the Americas that have adapted to be active at night. These monkeys have evolved enormous round eyes with retinas 50% bigger than those of daytime-active primates to better capture the scarce light available in their environments. Unlike other nocturnal primate species in Asia and Africa, such as lorises (family Lorisidae), tarsiers (Tarsiidae) and lemurs (Lemuroidae), which tend to be solitary, night monkeys form lifelong monogamous…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - A new study looks at genetic evidence to suggest that Colombia’s Magdalena River, and not the Andean massif, may be the true boundary separating two near-identical species of nocturnal primates. - Night monkeys from the genus Aotus, the only nocturnal primates in the Americas, have remained largely invisible to both the public and the scientific community, says the study’s main author. - Experts in the field say this discovery could fundamentally reshape national conservation maps and protection strategies for night monkeys. authors: | ||
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A new bird species has been discovered in Japan after 45 years 13 Apr 2026 08:15:19 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/a-new-bird-species-has-been-discovered-in-japan-after-45-years/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Naina Rao content:encoded: For decades, the research community thought that the small, olive-green songbirds found on two Japanese islands were identical. But a new study has revealed these birds are actually two distinct species, ones that have been evolutionarily isolated for millions of years and are now facing the risk of extinction. Researchers discovered a population of the newly named Tokara leaf warbler (Phylloscopus tokaraensis) on the remote Tokara archipelago in 1988. Back then, it was considered to be Ijima’s leaf warbler (Phylloscopus ijimae), found in the Izu Islands, some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away. An international team of researchers, led by Per Alström from Uppsala University in Sweden and Takema Saitoh of the Yamashina Institute of Ornithology in Japan, has now analyzed the genetic data and songs of the birds on the two islands. Genetic analysis showed that a “deep split” between the two lineages occurred approximately 3.2 million years ago, the authors write. The researchers also found that while the two bird populations are virtually indistinguishable in appearance, their songs say otherwise. In an email to Mongabay, Saitoh said the Tokara species’ songs are lower in pitch and faster in pace than those of its Izu relatives. This acoustic divide is so distinct that the researchers were able to correctly classify 100% of Tokara recordings based solely on their vocal patterns. The recognition of the Tokara and Ijima’s leaf warblers as separate species means they’re even rarer than previously realized. The Tokara leaf warbler is known to breed only on the…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: For decades, the research community thought that the small, olive-green songbirds found on two Japanese islands were identical. But a new study has revealed these birds are actually two distinct species, ones that have been evolutionarily isolated for millions of years and are now facing the risk of extinction. Researchers discovered a population of the […] authors: | ||
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Repeated failures expose gaps in Indonesia’s nickel waste management 13 Apr 2026 05:51:26 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-indonesias-nickel-waste-management/ author: Hans Nicholas Jong dc:creator: Hans Nicholas Jong content:encoded: JAKARTA — In February 2026, videos circulating on social media showed a mass of mining waste rushing downslope like thick mud, engulfing excavators and bulldozers within seconds as operators scrambled to escape. That landslide of mining waste, or tailings as it’s known in the industry, occurred on Feb. 18 at a storage area in Morowali industrial area in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province, a key hub of the country’s nickel industry. The facility was operated by PT QMB, a tenant of the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), and the incident left an excavator operator dead. Steven Emerman, a hydrogeologist and mining waste expert who reviewed the videos, concluded that they showed the phenomenon of liquefaction — a failure in which partially dried mining waste suddenly behaves like a liquid. “The video clearly shows liquefaction of a filtered tailings stack,” he told Mongabay. Filtered, or “dry stack” tailings are widely promoted as a safer alternative for storing mining waste than the wet sludge held behind conventional tailings dams. The material is filtered to remove its water content and stacked on land as a damp, soil-like mass. But a new report by U.S.-based environmental NGO Earthworks that Emerman contributed to raises concerns about how the technology is being applied in Indonesia. It says some facilities are being built “taller and contain more waste than they can safely hold,” and cites problems with design, drainage and quality control. These risks are compounded by the rapid expansion of Indonesia’s nickel industry, raising concerns about the…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - A deadly 2026 landslide in Indonesia’s Morowali nickel hub highlights risks in “dry stack” waste systems, which can still liquefy under poor conditions. - Indonesia’s booming nickel industry generates massive volumes of toxic waste, with dry stack or “filtered” tailings promoted as safer than the typical wet sludge, but often poorly implemented. - Experts cite design flaws, weak oversight, and challenging local conditions, including rainfall and seism activity, as key factors behind repeated failures. - Watchdogs are calling for a halt to new tailings facilities and stronger safeguards, warning of ongoing risks to workers, communities and ecosystems. authors: | ||
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Living with wildlife, bearing the cost 13 Apr 2026 00:20:59 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/living-with-wildlife-bearing-the-cost/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: “Let us stop talking about human-wildlife conflict. Some of us live with this reality and we pay a heavy price for sharing space with wildlife.” The remark was made by a community leader at the 2023 Community-led Conservation Congress in Namibia. It was not framed as a critique of conservation policy so much as a correction to how it is described. The phrase “human-wildlife conflict” appears frequently in reports and strategies, often as a category that can be measured and managed. For those living closest to wildlife, the experience it refers to is less abstract and less contained. “Have you ever seen how an elephant kills a person?” the same speaker asked. What followed was a detailed account of a fatal encounter during a routine trip to collect firewood: the animal catching up to a woman as she ran, throwing her, and then crushing her body. The description is difficult to read. It is also part of what is being described when conflict is reduced to a term. Elsewhere, the cost is expressed in more tangible terms, as recounted by Kendi Borona in a commentary published on Mongabay last September. A farmer in East Africa described taking out a loan to shift from pastoralism to agriculture after repeated livestock losses. He leased land, planted tomatoes, and paid someone to guard the fields through the night. When the crop was ready, heavy rain prevented the vehicle from reaching the farm. During that delay, elephants entered and consumed the harvest. The loss…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Communities living alongside wildlife bear immediate and recurring costs—from crop loss and injury to disrupted routines—while the benefits of conservation are often diffuse and global in scope. - These burdens are disproportionately carried by rural and Indigenous communities, many of whom are excluded from decisions about land use and conservation, despite being most affected by them. - Conservation efforts are increasingly incorporating rights-based approaches, compensation schemes, and conflict mitigation strategies, but their effectiveness remains inconsistent and often insufficient to offset real losses. - The long-term success of conservation depends on whether it can align ecological goals with the stability and wellbeing of local communities, rather than relying on unequal sacrifice to sustain protected areas. authors: | ||
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Doug Allan, wildlife cameraman who filmed animals in extreme environments 11 Apr 2026 13:42:01 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/doug-allan-wildlife-cameraman-who-filmed-animals-in-extreme-environments/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: There are moments in natural-history films when the camera seems improbably close: a polar bear’s breath fogging the lens, a seal’s eye lingering, an orca pod moving with intent beneath fractured ice. The illusion is of proximity without disturbance. The reality is colder, slower and less certain. It depends on patience, judgment and a tolerance for discomfort that most viewers never see. Doug Allan spent his career in such conditions. He worked where light is scarce, where equipment fails, and where the margin for error is thin. Much of his footage was gathered in the polar regions or underwater, environments that reward persistence and ingenuity. He liked the constraints. You could only be in one place at a time, he would say; if you weren’t there, you would not get the shot. Allan came to filmmaking indirectly. Born in 1951 in Dunfermline, he studied marine biology and began as a diver, including work with the British Antarctic Survey. A meeting with David Attenborough in Antarctica in the early 1980s redirected his path. He bought a camera, filmed emperor penguins, and sold the footage to the BBC. From there he became a principal cameraman on landmark series such as The Blue Planet, Planet Earth and Frozen Planet. His work helped define how audiences came to see remote ecosystems. The sequences were often brief on screen but long in the making. Allan might spend weeks waiting for an animal to appear, or return empty-handed after a day’s search. He accepted this as…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Doug Allan, a Scottish wildlife cameraman, spent decades filming in polar regions and underwater, bringing remote ecosystems into view for global audiences. - Trained as a marine biologist and diver, he moved into filmmaking after a chance meeting with David Attenborough in Antarctica. - His work on major BBC series, including The Blue Planet, Planet Earth and Frozen Planet, was shaped by patience, fieldcraft and long periods of waiting for rare moments. - He died on April 8th, aged 74, leaving a body of work defined by close observation and sustained exposure to some of the planet’s most demanding environments. authors: | ||
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The mother of orangutans 11 Apr 2026 12:24:57 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/the-mother-of-orangutans/ author: Sam Lee dc:creator: Izzy Sasada content:encoded: Dr Birutė Galdikas spent almost 50 years studying solitary and elusive orangutans in Borneo, at a time when no one believed it possible. Her pioneering work transformed scientific understanding of the great apes and their behavior. She passed on March 24 at the age of 79. Dr. Galdikas was one of three women who revolutionised the study of great apes in the 1970s – along with Dr Jane Goodall who observed chimpanzees in Tanzania, and Dr Dian Fossey who studied gorillas in Rwanda. Together, they were called the “Trimates”. At a time when women were rarely given such opportunities in science, these three women offered a window into the lives of our closest living ancestors. Their work helped bring global attention to the protection of chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans and inspired generations of conservationists. Now, as this chapter comes to a close, the question isn’t just what they discovered, but what comes next.This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Dr Birutė Galdikas spent almost 50 years studying solitary and elusive orangutans in Borneo, at a time when no one believed it possible. Her pioneering work transformed scientific understanding of the great apes and their behavior. She passed on March 24 at the age of 79. Dr. Galdikas was one of three women who revolutionised […] authors: | ||
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Venezuela’s new mining law could spell disaster for the Amazon, critics warn 10 Apr 2026 18:39:42 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/venezuelas-new-mining-law-could-spell-disaster-for-the-amazon-critics-warn/ author: Alexandrapopescu dc:creator: Maxwell Radwin content:encoded: Venezuela is close to passing a law to update the country’s mining regulations and attract private investment in gold, silver, coltan and other minerals. But advocacy groups say the law may end up exacerbating deforestation and pollution in mining areas where environmental damage is already an issue. The legislation is part of a broader effort to bring in international investment following the January capture of President Nicolás Maduro by the United States, which has expressed interest in Venezuela’s natural resources. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez introduced the bill to the National Assembly in early March, outlining a framework to allow private investment in mining while maintaining strong state control over the sector. While some environmental protections are included in the bill, critics say they’re not rigorous enough to prevent ongoing deforestation or human rights abuses in mining zones. The law passed by unanimous vote April 9 and now needs official approval from Rodríguez. “We denounce that this legal and political framework, rather than being a regulatory instrument for control and transparency, will only generate a veneer of legality for the current systematic plundering of the Amazon and the Guiana Shield, deepening the serious environmental deterioration and the violation of human rights that are taking place,” said a statement signed by 15 advocacy groups. The law reinforces state control over the country’s mineral resources while creating pathways for outside investment, allowing authorized private companies and joint ventures with the state to participate in mining operations. It also formalizes artisanal mining, requiring miners…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Venezuela passed a law to update the country’s mining regulations and attract international investment in gold, silver, coltan and other minerals. - While some environmental protections are included in the bill, critics say they’re not rigorous enough to stop the deforestation or human rights abuses already happening in the Venezuelan Amazon. - The law describes a commitment to “ecological mining development” that critics call a dangerous attempt at greenwashing. authors: | ||
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Africa’s solar costs could rise as China cuts export subsidies 10 Apr 2026 16:42:09 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/africas-solar-costs-could-rise-as-china-cuts-export-subsidies/ author: Malavikavyawahare dc:creator: Elodie Toto content:encoded: The end of China’s export tax rebates for solar panels and associated equipment could prompt a rush by power developers in African to secure supplies at the previous lower prices. Across Africa, a lack of reliable access to grid electricity is driving the adoption of mini-grids and off-grid solar applications, especially in rural areas. Solar currently accounts for only 3% of electricity generation on the continent, but solar capacity is expanding rapidly, and the end of the 9% value-added tax rebate on Chinese exports of photovoltaic modules, cells and inverters as of April 1 could hasten adoption across Africa. “There’s a big acceleration of people trying to buy panels at the current reduced price with the rebate, which is why you’re seeing many projects rushing to start construction so they can procure panels at a lower cost,” Gerrit Jan Cronselaar, engineering project manager at GameChange Solar, a U.S.-based solar energy company, said at a March webinar organized by the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA), ahead of the end of the rebate. “Over the course of 2026, we are likely to see a wave of projects coming online as a result of this early push.” China is the world’s dominant producer and exporter of solar panels, and African countries depend heavily on the country for solar components. China is also phasing out export tax rebates for batteries, reducing them from 9% to 6% this month. They will be fully eliminated by January 2027. Storage systems including batteries ensure a more reliable…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: The end of China’s export tax rebates for solar panels and associated equipment could prompt a rush by power developers in African to secure supplies at the previous lower prices. Across Africa, a lack of reliable access to grid electricity is driving the adoption of mini-grids and off-grid solar applications, especially in rural areas. Solar […] authors: | ||
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Christianity can be an ally for Kenyan conservation (commentary) 10 Apr 2026 15:25:31 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/christianity-can-be-an-ally-for-kenyan-conservation-commentary/ author: Erik Hoffner dc:creator: Peter Rowe content:encoded: The influence of Christianity in public life in Kenya is undisputed. Indeed, for more than a century, everyday life in the country — from education to health care and politics — has, in many ways, been shaped by the faith. From missionary origins to indigenous expressions, Christianity has been, and remains, “one of the most powerful sociocultural forces” in Kenya. Interestingly, however, despite the prominent place of Christianity, the entanglements between Christianity and conservation — itself a major sociopolitical contour in Kenya — have been sorely understudied. In this sense, Stuart Butler’s 2024 article for Mongabay exploring the dynamic intersection of Maasai traditional religion, Christianity, land privatization, and conservation in the Naimina Enkiyioo (Loita) Forest is, in part, a breath of fresh air. For too long, religious faith (of any kind) has been on the margins of mainstream conservation thinking and practice. While some major players in conservation have begun to increasingly partner with faith communities and faith-based organizations (see for example WWF and UNEP), the task of getting (mainly Western) conservation practitioners and organizations to take faith seriously remains an uphill battle. Perhaps part of the difficulty in mainstreaming religious faith into conservation thinking and practice are the popular, but often partial, narratives concerning how faith — and for the purposes of this piece, Christianity — relate to conservation. In particular, the narrative concerning the negative impact of Christianity on the environment has been well-circulated for over a half-century, popularized and propelled most notably by the publication of Lynn…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Part of the difficulty in mainstreaming religious faith into conservation thinking and practice comes down to outdated narratives. - The negative impact of Christianity on the environment has in particular been well-circulated for over a half-century, but this doesn’t fully reflect current realities in nations like Kenya. - “As the diversity of Christian expression in Kenya demonstrates, the faith, its theologies and its outworkings are plural, contested, and capable of generating both productive and destructive relationships with the environment and its non-human inhabitants,” a new op-ed argues. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. authors: | ||
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Tropics take the brunt as hotter oceans drive large-scale humid heat waves: Study 10 Apr 2026 14:01:20 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/tropics-take-the-brunt-as-hotter-oceans-drive-large-scale-humid-heat-waves-study/ author: Glenn Scherer dc:creator: Adam Litchkofski content:encoded: As climate change intensifies, people around the world are learning firsthand how dangerous high temperatures can be. But prolonged heat becomes even more dangerous, and deadly, when paired with high humidity — a one-two punch known as a humid heat wave. Scientists report that humid heat waves have intensified rapidly over recent decades and are projected to worsen, raising the risk of significantly more heat-related mortalities. But quantifying the origins of these extreme weather events has remained challenging. A new study published in Nature Geoscience has identified and quantified a likely cause. It traced a strong connection between coastal waters heated by climate change and the development of humid heat waves that spread out over large areas inland — an effect especially pronounced in the tropics. “Compared with mid-to-high latitudes, the tropics encompass most [humid heat wave] high-risk areas and exhibit stronger land-ocean linkages, highlighting the critical role of tropical oceans,” according to the study conducted by researchers from Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Princeton University in the U.S., and Sun Yat-sen University in China. Humid heat waves — periods when high temperatures couple with high humidity — are particularly dangerous for human survival, Fenying Cai, study lead author with PIK, told Mongabay in a phone interview. Previous research indicated that even young, healthy people can experience dangerous heat stress when a wet-bulb thermometer (measuring ambient temperature plus relative humidity) has readings exceeding 31° Celsius (87.8° Fahrenheit), a point at which the body can no longer effectively…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - It’s well known that hotter temperatures due to climate change are dangerous to human health. But when paired with high humidity, this intense heat can be especially deadly. These extreme weather events, known as humid heat waves, are rapidly intensifying and increasing in frequency as the world warms. - A recent study found a strong causal link between hotter coastal ocean temperatures and large-scale humid heat waves. Rising sea surface temperatures are driving 50-64% of the increase in large-scale humid heat waves, researchers found, especially in the tropics, and raising the risk of heat-related fatalities. - These events do not remain localized. The researchers found that coastal humid heat waves can move far inland, and have a 90% chance of occurring even 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away from where they originated over the ocean. - Humid heat waves now pose a serious risk to people in tropical regions, though such events are forecast to worsen in temperate zones too as the world warms. Adding to threats in the tropics is insufficient air-conditioning to safeguard populations against such events. Humid heat waves also make outdoor work unsafe, impacting local economies. authors: | ||
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Record kākāpō breeding season with 95 rare parrot hatchlings: Photo of the week 10 Apr 2026 09:31:58 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/record-kakapo-breeding-season-with-95-rare-parrot-hatchlings-photo-of-the-week/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Shanna Hanbury content:encoded: The kākāpō is a flightless bird endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand, and one of the heaviest parrots in the world. It’s also critically endangered; after the introduction of predators to the islands off New Zealand, the adult kākāpō population plummeted to just 235 today. But this year, following a standout harvest of rīmu (Dacrydium cupressinum) berries, a staple of the kākāpō diet, at least 95 chicks are now growing. The previous record, in 2019, produced 73 fledglings. “2026 is now officially the biggest on record,” New Zealand’s Department of Conservation wrote on its kākāpō recovery Instagram account. In the photo above, kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus) siblings Tīwhiri-A3 and Tīwhiri-A4, both named after their mother, are pictured on Pukenui Anchor Island in southern New Zealand, a predator-free island chosen as a kākāpō sanctuary. The photo was taken by Sarah Manktelow, a kākāpō recovery program ranger at the Department of Conservation. The chicks will be officially added to the species’ population count once they reach 150 days old, after which they’re considered fledglings. Not all the chicks are expected to make it to this stage. Ten chicks have died so far, and three more are currently receiving veterinary care. Every Friday, the Department of Conservation released data on the progress of the eggs, with an uploaded photo of the tally written in marker on the department’s refrigerator. This year, 80 nests produced at least 256 eggs. Of these, 148 were fertile, and 105 hatched. “Infertility and low hatching success is a key obstacle for the program, and…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: The kākāpō is a flightless bird endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand, and one of the heaviest parrots in the world. It’s also critically endangered; after the introduction of predators to the islands off New Zealand, the adult kākāpō population plummeted to just 235 today. But this year, following a standout harvest of rīmu (Dacrydium cupressinum) berries, […] authors: | ||
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Indian border town adjacent to Bhutan is reeling from riverbed pollution 10 Apr 2026 09:15:20 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/indian-border-town-adjacent-to-bhutan-is-reeling-from-riverbed-pollution/ author: Shreya Dasgupta dc:creator: Mongabay.com content:encoded: Jaigaon, a densely populated town on India’s border with Bhutan, is facing a crisis of poor waste disposal, reports contributor Chandrani Sinha for Mongabay India. Much of the town’s plastic, construction and medical waste gets dumped along the banks of the Torsa River. The river originates in the Chumbi Valley in the eastern Himalayas and flows through Bhutan before entering India at Jaigaon. Locals say they worry the rampant river pollution could impact the image of Jaigaon, a key tourist and trade point between India and Bhutan. “Our towns share an international border and a lot of tourist footfall takes place every year, as the town is growing population-wise, we demand a municipality facility to manage the solid waste and also other issues of Jaigaon,” Jayant Mundra, convenor for the Joint Forum of Business Association Jaigaon and vice president of the Jaigaon Merchant Association, told Mongabay India. Mundra added that during rains, much of the waste enters the river, and ends up in homes and public places. Environmental activists said the dumped waste is often openly burned, which releases toxic pollutants into the air. Downstream, the Torsa flows through ecologically sensitive floodplains that serve as habitat for Indian rhinos, elephants, and various migratory bird species. “River life depends on three things: flow, silt and oxygen in the water,” Dipankar Saha, former additional director of India’s Central Pollution Control Board, told Mongabay India. “But we excavate the river, pollute it. So, if we don’t manage the river system, then the river…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Jaigaon, a densely populated town on India’s border with Bhutan, is facing a crisis of poor waste disposal, reports contributor Chandrani Sinha for Mongabay India. Much of the town’s plastic, construction and medical waste gets dumped along the banks of the Torsa River. The river originates in the Chumbi Valley in the eastern Himalayas and […] authors: | ||
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Novel research finds unexpected climate resilience in up to 36% of Amazon forest 10 Apr 2026 03:23:48 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/novel-research-finds-unexpected-climate-resilience-in-up-to-36-of-amazon-forest/ author: Glenn Scherer dc:creator: Justin Catanoso content:encoded: Reports on the health and vitality of the Amazon — often dubbed as Earth’s lungs — have been grim for years. Record drought has stressed large swaths of the world’s largest rainforest. Major Amazon River tributaries, including the Rio Negro and Madeira River, hit their lowest levels in more than a century of measurement in 2024. And experts warn that deforestation and wildfires are tipping parts of the biome from carbon sink to source. Yet in Manaus, a city at the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, forest ecologist Flávia Costa is upbeat as she highlights what appears to be a previously underappreciated underlying Amazon reality: Her research finds that the region’s vast wetlands, or shallow water table areas, have proven to be stubbornly drought resistant through years of intensifying climate change. In fact, her long-term research reveals that palm species and other wetland trees are not just surviving drought seasons, they’re maintaining their health and even adding biomass. That could mean these areas could serve as valuable refugia, as other parts of Amazonia degrade. Significantly, these shallow water table areas compose 36% of Amazonia and have been a crucial part of the evolving rainforest ecosystem for millions of years. Sturdy, resilient palms account for one in five tree species across the Amazon, which includes parts of nine nations, and of which Brazil occupies 60%. These forested wetlands and Costa’s research represent one bright spot in the Amazon’s otherwise gloomy projected trajectory for the 21st century — forecasts built on decades…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - In recent decades, the Amazon Rainforest has repeatedly and increasingly been struck by devastating drought along with record heat due to climate change. Add to this record wildfires, rapid deforestation and land conversion for agriculture. - Numerous field studies and modeling have found that these extreme changes are pushing the Amazon toward a tipping point and collapse of the biome — an ecological disaster that would release large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. - But one research team, in a recently published study, offered up some hope: They found that little-studied low water table wetland Amazon forests — constituting up to 36% of Amazon trees — have stood up well to, and even thrived, during major droughts, with an increase in aboveground biomass. - Those findings, the research team says, put the inevitability of an Amazon tipping point and collapse in some doubt, with the possibility that low water table forests could serve as a refugia for biodiversity. They also urge that these areas become a priority for protection and conservation as a hedge against future climate change. authors: | ||
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Half of seabirds are declining. Protecting marine flyways could help save them 10 Apr 2026 01:00:42 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/half-of-seabirds-are-declining-protecting-marine-flyways-could-help-save-them/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: Animals that cross borders often encounter conservation systems that stop at them. Migratory species move through jurisdictions with little regard for political boundaries, relying on habitats spread across large distances and governed by different rules. The result is patchy protection, overlapping threats, and declining populations. Seabirds make this problem clear. They range across entire ocean basins, breeding on remote islands, feeding in distant waters, and passing through multiple national zones along the way. Nearly half of migratory species are in decline, and seabirds are among the most threatened groups. Their conservation requires coordination across places and seasons, which has been difficult to sustain. On land, one organizing idea has helped. The concept of “flyways” groups migration into broad, recurring routes. It has been used to align governments, focus research, and guide investment. Over time, it has helped coordinate conservation efforts, especially for waterbirds. A policy paper, published last month in the British Ecological Society’s Journal of Applied Ecology, applies the same framework to the ocean. Overlap of the marine flyways and national waters (Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) in dark blue lines). Purple colored national waters denote CMS Parties and green represent Non- Party states. Maps are in Robinson projection, with (a) centered at 0° and (b) centered at 140° W. From Morten et al (2026) Recent advances in tracking have made this possible. By analyzing the movements of long-distance pelagic species, a team of researchers from BirdLife International, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), and multiple…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Nearly half of migratory seabird species are in decline, in part because conservation systems stop at borders while the birds do not. - A new study maps six “marine flyways” spanning the world’s oceans, showing how 151 species depend on connected routes across dozens of countries. - These pathways link breeding sites, feeding areas, and migration corridors, but face persistent threats from bycatch, invasive species, and climate change. - Coordinating protection along these routes—rather than focusing only on isolated sites—could improve conservation outcomes for seabirds at a global scale. authors: | ||
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Antarctic fur seals now endangered as climate change reduces krill for pups 09 Apr 2026 22:52:22 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/antarctic-fur-seals-now-endangered-as-climate-change-reduces-krill-for-pups/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Shanna Hanbury content:encoded: Antarctic fur seals are the smallest of the polar seals and live almost exclusively on the island of South Georgia. The latest assessment by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the global conservation authority, upgraded fur seal extinction threat from least concern to endangered. The last assessment was carried out in 2014. Recent research found that Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) populations have more than halved over the last 25 years, plummeting from nearly 2.2 million adult seals in 1999 to 944,000 in 2025. That’s a huge population loss in just three generations, Jaume Forcada, who has been studying fur seals at the British Antarctic Survey for more than 20 years, wrote in a statement. “Unless we address the root causes of climate change, we risk losing even more,” he added. The IUCN attributed the 50% population loss to reduced food availability: Warmer temperatures and shrinking sea ice caused by fossil fuel emissions led large schools of krill, the seal’s main prey, to move into deeper and colder waters. Fur seals are also competing with large fishing vessels, harvesting krill mostly for use as feed in aquaculture. In October 2025, Norway proposed doubling the krill catch limit in the Southern Ocean. Young seal pups under the age of 1 year are the most impacted by the habitat change; many are unable to survive to adulthood without sufficient food. The southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) was also listed as vulnerable in the IUCN’s April 9 announcement. An outbreak of the…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Antarctic fur seals are the smallest of the polar seals and live almost exclusively on the island of South Georgia. The latest assessment by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the global conservation authority, upgraded fur seal extinction threat from least concern to endangered. The last assessment was carried out in 2014. Recent research […] authors: | ||
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Emperor penguins are now endangered amid climate change and melting ice 09 Apr 2026 22:44:13 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/emperor-penguins-are-now-endangered-amid-climate-change-and-melting-ice/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Shanna Hanbury content:encoded: Emperor penguins are native to Antarctica, where record low sea ice over the last decade has dramatically changed their habitat. Populations of the world’s largest penguin have fallen so much that they have now officially moved from near threatened to endangered in the latest assessment by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the global conservation authority, published April 9. “Penguins are already among the most threatened birds on Earth,” Martin Harper, CEO of BirdLife International, which coordinated the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) assessment for the IUCN Red List, wrote in a statement. “The emperor penguin’s move to Endangered is a stark warning: climate change is accelerating the extinction crisis before our eyes. Governments must act now to urgently decarbonise our economies.” In 2022, researchers found that four out of five emperor penguin colonies in western Antarctica’s Bellingshausen Sea had died due to a lack of sea ice. In 2019, satellite images found that at Halley Bay, farther North, the colony failed to reproduce for three years in a row. The sea ice broke up before penguin chicks grew their waterproof feathers or learned to swim. They all died before fledging. “It’s very hard to think of these cute fluffy chicks dying in large numbers,” Peter Fretwell, a researcher with the British Antarctic Survey, told The Guardian in 2023 following the Bellingshausen colony losses. “The sea ice loss has been unprecedented and far quicker than we imagined.” Between 2009 and 2018, satellite images of 50 colonies across all of Antarctica…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Emperor penguins are native to Antarctica, where record low sea ice over the last decade has dramatically changed their habitat. Populations of the world’s largest penguin have fallen so much that they have now officially moved from near threatened to endangered in the latest assessment by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the global […] authors: | ||
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Giant otters, river sentinels, now listed as threatened migratory species 09 Apr 2026 18:36:20 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/giant-otters-river-sentinels-now-listed-as-threatened-migratory-species/ author: Xavier Bartaburu dc:creator: Gustavo Faleiros content:encoded: With evidence that the giant river otter is in an increasingly perilous state, delegates to the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) listed it as an animal requiring urgent conservation action at its March 2026 meeting in Campo Grande, Brazil. The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), endemic to tropical river systems in South America, once lived east of the Andes mountains from northern Venezuela to Argentina, a territory covering 9,021,590 square kilometers (3,483,255 square miles). The proposal advocating for stronger protection, submitted by France, noted that it was listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2021, though it is extinct in Uruguay and Argentina, is critically endangered in Paraguay and Ecuador and vulnerable in Brazil. The same document mentions a 50% decline in the giant otter population over the last 25 years. Individuals’ size has also been reduced, indicating a decrease in pups’ survival rates. Using climate projections such as reduced rainfall due to climate change, specialists point out that the downward trend in the species’ population will continue for a few decades. Illegal hunting for their fur wiped them out in large parts of their range; many populations never recovered, according to a 2025 report published by the Wildlife Conservation Society, a U.S.-based nonprofit. Although commercial hunting is no longer a serious threat, these otters still face serious challenges. Conflict continues, with local people competing for the fish that otters eat. Their habitat continues to disappear, frequently converted to farmland and cities. Rivers are dammed…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The giant otter was added to the list of animals needing protection under the UN Convention on Migratory Species, paving the way for international conservation actions. - Studies reveal that their population decreased by 50% over the past 25 years as their habitat disappears and fragments and growing pollution fouls rivers. - The new listing should promote cooperation between countries to protect the species as well as Amazon and Pantanal aquatic ecosystems, which are the otter’s strongholds. authors: | ||
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New mahogany species found in Zanzibar — but fewer than 30 trees remain 09 Apr 2026 18:13:22 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/new-mahogany-species-found-in-zanzibar-but-fewer-than-30-trees-remain/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Ryan Truscott content:encoded: A small group of mahogany trees were found growing along a 200-meter (650-foot) stretch of shoreline on Pemba Island, Zanzibar. Scientists have recently confirmed the tree is a new species, but with fewer than 30 left in the wild, it’s already critically endangered. “It’s an extraordinary finding that none of us expected,” Silvia Ceppi of Istituto Oikos, a conservation nonprofit working in the area, told Mongabay. Ceppi said the mahogany trees were hiding in plain sight. The beach along the Tondooni peninsula where they grow is visited by thousands of residents and tourists each year. The trees, named Afzelia corallina after the ancient fossilized coral beds where they grow, also produce sweet-smelling crimson, white and pink flowers that resemble coral, the botanists write in a paper describing the species. Mongabay was with the team of researchers in December 2024 when they stumbled upon the first of these flowering trees during a botanical expedition to the 2,000-hectare (nearly 5,000-acre) Ngezi-Vumawimbi Forest Reserve, in the north of Pemba. The team initially thought it could be one of the rare Intsia bijuga trees that grew in the reserve’s nearby patch of coastal forest. But closer examination confirmed it was an Afzelia, or mahogany. Like a number of other mahogany species, the timber is attractive and sought after for furniture, which could explain why there are so few surviving on Pemba, located just 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the Tanzanian mainland. A follow-up expedition in January found one of the 30 surviving trees was…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: A small group of mahogany trees were found growing along a 200-meter (650-foot) stretch of shoreline on Pemba Island, Zanzibar. Scientists have recently confirmed the tree is a new species, but with fewer than 30 left in the wild, it’s already critically endangered. “It’s an extraordinary finding that none of us expected,” Silvia Ceppi of […] authors: | ||
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Argentina approves Milei’s bill that eases protections for glaciers despite environmental backlash 09 Apr 2026 18:05:31 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/argentina-approves-mileis-bill-that-eases-protections-for-glaciers-despite-environmental-backlash/ author: Mongabay Editor dc:creator: Associated Press content:encoded: BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s Congress on Thursday approved a bill promoted by libertarian President Javier Milei that eases protections on glaciers to facilitate investments in mining for metals — a move that environmental groups vow to challenge in courts. The legislation, approved by the Senate in February, was passed with 137 votes in favor, 111 against and three abstentions. According to mining sector estimates, the new regulatory framework could unlock over $30 billion in investments over the next decade. Approximately 70% of those funds are slated for new copper, gold and silver projects. Milei is expected to sign the legislation in the coming days. On his X account, Milei shared a statement from his party hailing the new framework as a “significant improvement” that will help “strike a balance between environmental protection and economic development, moving away from an approach that tended to stifle investment, job creation and growth.” Environmental advocates are shifting to legal action to prevent the law from taking effect. Groups including Greenpeace and the Environment and Natural Resources Foundation are organizing a public class-action lawsuit describing the bill’s passage as a flawed process that dismissed public concerns over water safety. “If they refuse to listen in Congress, they will be forced to listen in the courts,” the organizations said in a statement, urging citizens to join a lawsuit that argues the reform threatens water access and the fragile ecosystems surrounding glaciers. Opposition lawmakers have labeled the legislation unconstitutional, contending that it rolls back essential environmental protections. Mining Secretary Luis Lucero told…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s Congress on Thursday approved a bill promoted by libertarian President Javier Milei that eases protections on glaciers to facilitate investments in mining for metals — a move that environmental groups vow to challenge in courts. The legislation, approved by the Senate in February, was passed with 137 votes in favor, 111 against and […] authors: | ||
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Invasive plant drives ecological change in America’s gigantic Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness (commentary) 09 Apr 2026 17:08:44 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/invasive-plant-drives-ecological-change-in-americas-gigantic-selway-bitterroot-wilderness-commentary/ author: Erik Hoffner dc:creator: Lyle Lewis content:encoded: The Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness was part of the original class of lands designated under the United States’ 1964 Wilderness Act: 1.3 million acres, or about 526,000 hectares, of steep river canyons, cold subalpine ridges, dense forest, and weather so unforgiving it shapes everything that survives there. It remains one of the most remote places in the continental U.S. The Selway offers a window into a broader global pattern: ecosystems that appear intact from afar are already being structurally reshaped by invasive species, climate change and hidden biodiversity loss. The idea of “untouched wilderness” persists in our imagination, but ecologically, it is no longer true. Its remoteness is literal. Trails disappear under the brush that regrows faster than crews can cut it. Fire and blowdowns reshape entire drainages in a year. Maps may show routes, but the land often says otherwise. Without intervention, trails vanish, reclaimed by vegetation and gravity. I know this because I’ve spent days clearing them. By 2016, roughly half the trails shown on topographic maps were already impassable, in a failure for recreation but a quiet triumph for wildlife. There are square miles of habitat here that likely haven’t seen a human in decades. The Selway River is one of the most technically demanding whitewater runs in North America. Rafts flip, boats wrap, and accidents turn fatal almost every year. People call it wilderness because it feels like one. But feeling wild and intact functioning are not the same thing. One of the largest elk herds in the…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - There’s a new plant growing in one of the largest designated wilderness areas in the U.S. — the Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness — which spans the states of Idaho and Montana. - Though it feels like a true wilderness, this introduced plant — spotted knapweed — has begun changing the ecosystem and threatens to drive local extinctions of some native species. - “From a distance, the Selway still looks intact. But at the level of its living fabric — the layer supporting insects, birds, amphibians, mammals and forest regeneration — losses are underway,” a new op-ed argues. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. authors: | ||
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Creating the North Atlantic’s largest MPA network: Interview with Azores President José Manuel Bolieiro 09 Apr 2026 15:27:39 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/creating-the-north-atlantics-largest-mpa-network-interview-with-azores-president-jose-manuel-bolieiro/ author: Autumn Spanne dc:creator: Maria José Mendes content:encoded: José Manuel Bolieiro says he’s been an environmentalist for as long as he can remember. He recalls captivating encounters with marine life as a teenager while diving in the North Atlantic waters of his native São Miguel, one of the nine islands that make up the Portuguese-administered Azores archipelago. The gaze of the moray eel remains etched in his memory: “It’s impressive because it watches us vigilantly, without aggression,” he tells Mongabay. Bolieiro’s early interactions with the ocean proved formative. A member of the Social Democratic Party, Bolieiro is a former mayor of Ponta Delgada, the largest city in the Azores, and has served as president of the regional government of the Azores since 2020, championing the establishment of a remarkable network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the biodiverse waters around the archipelago. The region is home to numerous species of dolphins and whales, sharks and turtles, and rich in corals, hydrothermal vent ecosystems and seamounts. The previous government of the Azores, which is run as an autonomous region of Portugal, had set a goal of protecting 15% of the archipelago’s waters. But Bolieiro dreamed bigger: He sought marine protection covering 30% by 2030. In 2024, the regional parliament approved legislation for the new Azores Marine Protected Areas Network, and it came into force on Jan. 1 of this year. At 287,000 square kilometers (110,800 square miles) — more than three times the land area of Portugal — it’s now the largest MPA network in the North Atlantic Ocean.…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - In May, José Manuel Bolieiro, president of the Portuguese-administered Azores region, will be honored at the international Peter Benchley Ocean Awards, known as the “Oscars for the Ocean.” - Bolieiro played a key role in the recent expansion of the archipelago’s existing ocean protections with the establishment of the Azores Marine Protected Areas Network, now the largest MPA network in the North Atlantic. - He spoke to Mongabay about the importance of ensuring adequate funding and enforcement for the new MPA network, his hope that Portugal can be a global reference for ocean conservation, and how growing up in the Azores fostered his deep love of the sea. authors: | ||
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Invasives take over native plant spaces in Nepal’s cities 09 Apr 2026 13:25:04 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/invasives-take-over-native-plant-spaces-in-nepals-cities/ author: Abhaya Raj Joshi dc:creator: Bibek Bhandari content:encoded: KATHMANDU — Until a few decades ago, botanist Bharat Babu Shrestha observed abundant growth of Indian pennywort (Centella asiatica) across large areas of Kathmandu. But the low-growing herb, distinguished by its kidney-shaped leaves and medicinal properties in the traditional Ayurveda, is now gradually vanishing from Nepal’s capital. Its disappearance has been attributed to shrinking open spaces, and largely due to the spread of another plant species creeping across Kathmandu: Crofton weed (Ageratina adenophora), locally known as kaalo banmara. The various species within the family of banmara — meaning “forest destroyer” in Nepali — the dense shrub with multi-colored flowers, with roots in Central and South America, is displacing many native species. “There has been no qualitative assessment in Kathmandu, but our observations show that our native vegetation has been dominated and displaced by many invasive species,” said Shrestha, a botany professor at Tribhuvan University, Nepal. “Our research in Nepal’s Parsa and Shuklaphanta national parks have concluded that invasive species have reduced almost half of the native species in those regions, indicating similar impacts in Kathmandu.” In Kathmandu, Crofton weed; the common lantana (Lantana camara), locally called kaade banmara; Santa Maria feverfew (parthenium weed, Parthenium hysterophorus), known as pati jhaar in Nepali; and blue billy goat weed (Ageratum houstonianum), locally called neelo gandhe, are said to be the dominant invasive species, according to experts. Shrestha said that species such as the common lantana or the polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya), which is native to Madagascar, have become popular ornamental plants in…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Native plants are declining in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, largely due to habitat loss and the spread of invasive species. - Several invasive plants are dominating ecosystems by blocking sunlight, altering soil and displacing native vegetation. - Non-native species were introduced historically (since the 1850s) and through globalization. Today, a large proportion of Kathmandu’s plants are exotic, with some becoming invasive and harmful. - Weak regulation, poor monitoring and preference for ornamental or fast-growing exotic plants in urban planning have worsened the problem, highlighting the need for stronger policies, early control and better institutional coordination. authors: | ||
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War on Iran disrupts efforts to save the Asiatic cheetah, world’s rarest big cat 09 Apr 2026 12:37:09 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/war-on-iran-disrupts-efforts-to-save-the-asiatic-cheetah-worlds-rarest-big-cat/ author: Sharon Guynup dc:creator: Kayleigh Long content:encoded: Before the war began in February 2026, there was some rare good news for Iran’s imperiled Asiatic cheetahs. Rangers spotted and filmed a female in the North Khorasan province accompanied by five cubs — a first. No more than four had ever been seen before, and every individual counts. The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is the world’s most endangered big cat, and the number counted in the wild rose to 27. Bagher Nezami, national director of the Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project, told Iranian state-controlled media that these were “ID-carded” cheetahs, known individuals being monitored by researchers. Another five remain in breeding sites and six in captivity, he said. This represented a significant leap: In August last year, the Tehran Times reported that just 20 were left in the wild. Nine days after the sighting of the five cubs, the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, prompting a swift retaliation that has since escalated into a regional conflict with global repercussions — and poses a new threat to a big cat that hovers on the brink of extinction. Kushki (male) is one of the last surviving Asiatic cheetahs in northeastern Iran’s Miandasht Wildlife Refuge. Image by Ehsan Kamali / Tasnim News Agency via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). A species on the brink The Asiatic cheetah was once found throughout Central and Southwest Asia, with a range that spanned from the Arabian Peninsula to the Caspian Sea and as far east as India. However, this…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The Asiatic cheetah once roamed from the Arabian Peninsula to India, but today is found only in Iran, and fewer than 30 remain. With the country embroiled in war, the future of this subspecies’ is uncertain. - The Iranian government gave the cheetah protected status in 1959 and created a number of protected areas and national parks. But the relative success of these early conservation efforts was undone in the turmoil that followed the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and later, the Iran-Iraq war. - Complex geopolitics have hampered conservation efforts, and sweeping Western sanctions have prevented donor funding from reaching local conservation groups. - While poaching and human-wildlife conflict are relatively rare, depleted prey stocks, fragmented habitats, dangerous roads and low genetic diversity threaten their fragile existence. authors: | ||
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On the shores of Lake Victoria, a youth-led campaign to revive a wetland 09 Apr 2026 11:51:48 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/on-the-shores-of-lake-victoria-a-youth-led-campaign-to-revive-a-wetland/ author: Malavikavyawahare dc:creator: Achieng’ Otieno content:encoded: KISUMU, Kenya — On a December morning, the early sunshine casts a golden sheen on the waters of Lake Victoria in Kenya’s Kisumu county. The breeze from the lake carries the melody of birds, as a small wooden boat bobs gently on the languid waves. Occasionally, an African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) strikes, trapping a fish in its beak. The atmosphere at Dunga Beach, on the lake’s shore, is serene. In a few hours, fishmongers will arrive to haggle with fishers who have spent the night pulling up their nets. Victor Ochieng’ Didi, 32, leads a group of Kenyan tourists down the wooden boardwalk on the lakeshore. They’re bird-watchers, here at the culmination of a full year’s planning to catch a glimpse of the papyrus gonolek bird (Laniarius mufumbiri), a near-threatened species found only in the wetlands of Central and East Africa. The possibility of bird-watching at this spot is the result of years of efforts by conservationists, especially youths from this region. Momentum to preserve the Dunga wetland, identified by scientists as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), has ebbed and flowed, but activists say they hope a push to designate it as a gazetted wetland under Kenyan law will bring more lasting protections. Bird-watching guide Victor Ochieng’ Didi. Image by Achieng’ Otieno for Mongabay. A home for rare wildlife Dunga Beach is part of the wetland that’s also known as the Dunga swamp. It’s not only a habitat for rare species, but also an important carbon sink. The papyrus…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - In 2002, Dunga Beach, located within the larger Dunga wetland in the Kenyan county of Kisumu, which sits on the shores of Lake Victoria, was being choked by plastic waste. - Members of the nonprofit Dunga Ecotourism and Environmental Association (DECTTA) decided to build on the tourism potential of the area and get rid of the heaps of waste that had become an eyesore. - The Dunga wetland is listed as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), but is under threat from pollution as well as the unsustainable harvesting of papyrus reeds. - A campaign is underway to have the wetland officially recognized as a protected area by the government to bring lasting protection. authors: | ||
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In Indonesia, a coastal vine used as medicine now signals ecological decline 09 Apr 2026 11:34:10 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-indonesia-a-coastal-vine-used-as-medicine-now-signals-ecological-decline/ author: Mongabay Editor dc:creator: Christopel Paino content:encoded: SUMALATA, Indonesia — Following encounters while diving, Gusnar Ismail has long turned to the morning glory plants growing on sandbanks here on the north of Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island. “When I get stung or stabbed by an animal in the sea, I’ll go straight away to look for batata to use as medicine,” Gusnar told Mongabay Indonesia on March 14. Around the world, coastal communities have long self-medicated with what Gusnar calls batata to treat common ailments. The fast-growing batata vine (Ipomoea pes-caprae), commonly known as beach morning glory or bayhops, scrambles across beach dunes, unfurling fuchsia flowers throughout the tropics. Aboriginal societies have gathered the shoots and leaves to treat stings in waters off what is now Australia. In India, the plant is a ceremonial ingredient in countering evil spirits. Researchers from South Korea in a study published in 2022 in the journal Marine Drugs found an array of applications from beach morning glory around the world’s tropical and subtropical coastlines. “The dried leaves of the plant are used to treat arthritis in Nigeria, while the young leaves are boiled in coconut oil to treat sores in Indonesia,” the researchers noted. Beach morning glory is an abundant and resilient vine that carpets tropical beaches around the world. But where coastlines are upended by plantations, sand mining, infrastructure or heavy erosion, the green shoots and purple flowers can disappear from shorelines. “I’ve been observing the disappearance of coastal batata for a long time,” Gusnar told Mongabay Indonesia. Here on the northern…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The beach morning glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae) vine is widely used as a traditional medicine in the north of Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island, and in many tropical coastal communities, to treat common complaints, and by fishers to treat stings from venomous fish. - In addition to its medicinal use, the plant, also known as bayhops, reinforces beaches by binding sand dunes, increasing the resilience of global coastlines to risks of abrasion and erosion. - Beach morning glory is a ubiquitous crawling vine, but some communities in Sulawesi’s Gorontalo province say the medicinal plant has disappeared locally due to industrial development and infrastructure construction. authors: | ||
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Chile’s ancient conifers host underground web of life that sustains forests: Study 09 Apr 2026 10:26:36 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/chiles-ancient-conifers-host-underground-web-of-life-that-sustains-forests-study/ author: Alexandrapopescu dc:creator: Sofia Moutinho content:encoded: In an isolated valley within Alerce Costero National Park in southern Chile, one tree towers above all others. At 30 meters (100 feet) high, this alerce abuelo or grandpa alerce, is estimated to be more than 2,400 years old. Its massive trunk and branches are covered in lichens, mosses and even other woody plant species that take root in the crevices of its bark. But beneath it, hidden underground, lies another hidden treasure: a community of fungi known as arbuscular mycorrhizae. These kinds of fungi establish unique partnerships with plants that are fundamental to keeping forests alive. More than 80% of all terrestrial plants are associated with these fungi, which form underground networks, penetrating roots and creating specialized structures called arbuscules that supply nutrients and water to the plant in exchange for carbon and sugars. Now, for the first time, scientists have sampled and analyzed the fungal community beneath alerce trees (Fitzroya cupressoides) in the Chilean national park, the country’s largest protected area for temperate coastal forests. Their research revealed that the ancient alerce abuelo hosts two and a quarter times more fungal diversity than its smaller, younger counterparts, highlighting the uniqueness of this old tree. “All the diversity you see above in the tree branches also happens belowground,” says lead author Camille Truong, a mycologist with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and the University of Melbourne in Australia and the study’s lead author. “All these root systems and the soil offer a habitat for thousands of fungi, and also…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Estimated to be more than 2,400 years old, one alerce tree in Chile’s Alerce Costero National Park hosts about twice as much fungal diversity underground as younger alerce trees, a team of researchers found. - The scientists found 361 fungal DNA sequences unique to this tree, indicating that older trees harbor a vaster fungal network that benefits other plants on the forest floor. - Real estate expansion, climate change and infrastructure projects continue to threaten the alerce, which is listed as endangered. Although Chile protects the species, experts say older trees that support complex ecosystems should enjoy higher levels of protection and limited interaction from humans. authors: | ||
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Second progress report shows little action on World Bank redress plan at Liberian plantation 09 Apr 2026 10:07:03 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/second-progress-report-shows-little-action-on-world-bank-redress-plan-at-liberian-plantation/ author: Terna Gyuse dc:creator: Victoria Schneider content:encoded: A year after the World Bank approved a plan to redress community grievances over inadequate compensation and sexual harassment at Liberia’s Salala Rubber Corporation, a progress report provides little evidence that any of its key commitments have been implemented. In February, the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank, published a second report on progress with the action plan. “IFC will continue to engage with key stakeholders over the coming months to explore the feasibility of MAP implementation.” But Windor Smith, from the Liberian civil society organization Alliance for Rural Democracy, which works with affected communities around the Salala plantation, told Mongabay she does not know which stakeholders the IFC is engaging with. “The situation is still the same. There is no engagement, no consultation with the communities and supporting organizations.” Luxembourg-based multinational Socfin took over the rubber plantation in 2007 and received an IFC loan of $10 million to rehabilitate and expand it. Community members started voicing grievances soon thereafter. Dissatisfied with the company’s response, they filed a complaint with the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman, IFC’s independent watchdog, in 2019, alleging sexual harassment, inadequate compensation for their rubber trees and food crops lost and a flawed land acquisition process. Read more about Socfin’s plantations in Africa. Four years later, the CAO completed its investigation, concluding that many of the complaints were valid. The IFC developed an action plan, which it committed to implementing along with Socfin. In contrast to what followed many previous CAO investigations, the…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - An action plan for redress for communities whose land and human rights the World Bank’s ombudsman found were violated by the operators of the Salala rubber plantation in Liberia appears to have stalled. - A progress report published in February said the bank’s private sector arm would continue to engage key stakeholders, but affected communities say they have not been contacted. - In 2023, the International Finance Corporation’s ombudsman found communities’ complaints about inadequate compensation and widespread sexual harassment were valid. - The IFC and the former operator of the plantation, Socfin, committed to carrying out the action plan, but a year later the plantation was sold, creating uncertainty over who will see the process through. authors: | ||
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In zoos, ‘peaceful’ bonobos are just as aggressive as chimps, study suggests 09 Apr 2026 09:19:53 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/in-zoos-peaceful-bonobos-are-just-as-aggressive-as-chimps-study-suggests/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Megan Strauss content:encoded: A new study of our two closest living relatives finds that, at least in zoos, bonobos may not be more peaceful than chimpanzees. Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are only found south of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where food is abundant and evenly distributed. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) range across West, Central and East Africa, where food can be variable and patchy. Different environmental pressures may have contributed to divergent social behavior between the closely related species. Chimpanzee societies are male-dominant, territorial, and marked by frequent aggression toward other groups. In bonobo societies, females often equal or outrank males, and they have a reputation for more peaceful intergroup relations. Bonobo females form coalitions to suppress male aggression. However, new findings are adding nuance: One recent comparative analysis challenged bonobos’ “hippy” image; and another recent paper documents the first known death of an infant bonobo resulting from an intergroup encounter. Building on this framework, Emile Bryon of Utrecht University in the Netherlands led a group of researchers in comparing aggression between chimpanzees and bonobos in zoos, where environmental conditions are more controlled. Their findings, published in Science Advances, compared behaviors such as chasing, hitting, wrestling and biting in nine groups of chimpanzees and 13 groups of bonobos housed in 16 European zoos. They found no difference in rates of overall aggression, or more severe contact aggression, between zoo-housed chimpanzees and bonobos. However, they did find species-level differences in who used aggression. Male chimpanzees were more aggressive than females, while…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: A new study of our two closest living relatives finds that, at least in zoos, bonobos may not be more peaceful than chimpanzees. Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are only found south of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where food is abundant and evenly distributed. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) range across West, Central and […] authors: | ||
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How the US rebuilt a collapsed fishery 09 Apr 2026 05:50:51 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/how-the-us-rebuilt-a-collapsed-fishery/ 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. After this piece was published, we were informed that Aaron Longton had passed away. On the docks of Port Orford, a small fishing town on the southern coast of the U.S. state of Oregon, Aaron Longton runs a modest seafood business out of a garage converted into a processing room. On a recent morning, he lifted a redbanded rockfish from a sink full of ice water and passed it to Brian Morrissey, who works beside a cutting table turning the fish into tidy fillets. That day’s catch included hundreds of kilograms of rockfish (Sebastes babcocki) and lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus). Two decades ago, such abundance would have been difficult to imagine, reports contributor Jules Struck for Mongabay. The West Coast groundfish fishery, which spans more than 90 species living along the Pacific seabed from Washington state to California, once teetered near collapse. By 2000, federal authorities declared the industry a disaster. Stocks had been depleted by years of heavy fishing. Regulators responded with severe restrictions. Large sections of ocean were closed to trawling, quotas were slashed, and Congress funded a buyout that removed dozens of vessels from the fleet. Many fishers left the industry. Those who remained entered a very different system. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act required catch limits tied closely to scientific advice. A catch-share program introduced in 2010 allocated individual quotas to permit holders, allowing them to harvest fish…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. After this piece was published, we were informed that Aaron Longton had passed away. On the docks of Port Orford, a small fishing town on the southern coast of the U.S. state of Oregon, Aaron Longton runs a […] authors: | ||
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Experts flag trafficking after monkey endemic to Borneo is found in Thailand 09 Apr 2026 04:23:53 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/experts-flag-trafficking-after-monkey-endemic-to-borneo-is-found-in-thailand/ author: Naina Rao dc:creator: Mongabay.com content:encoded: The recent discovery of an injured proboscis monkey near a railway track in Thailand points to the likelihood of cross-border trafficking in the endangered species, reports Mongabay contributor Ana Norman Bermudez. Proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), known for their distinctive long noses, are found only on the island of Borneo. The species is legally protected in all three countries that share the island: Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. It’s also listed under Appendix I of CITES, the global wildlife trade treaty, meaning its international commercial trade is prohibited except for specific research or conservation breeding purposes. Bermudez reported that local residents found the injured animal in Thailand’s Samut Sakhon province in January and later brought it to a nearby clinic. That’s when clinicians identified it as a “foreign monkey” and transferred it to the Ban Pong wildlife rescue center run by Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). The monkey had suffered serious injuries, requiring the amputation of a finger and part of its tail. It’s currently recovering at Ban Pong, and while it can’t be returned to the wild, discussions about repatriating it to Borneo once it’s stable are being considered. “I believe this monkey was brought illegally, because there are no records of it in the CITES database,” Kanpicha Han-Asa, a veterinarian with DNP, told Mongabay. At least one other proboscis monkey lives in a private zoo in Thailand; Mongabay confirmed its presence at the zoo during a visit in March. “Where did these animals come from?…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: The recent discovery of an injured proboscis monkey near a railway track in Thailand points to the likelihood of cross-border trafficking in the endangered species, reports Mongabay contributor Ana Norman Bermudez. Proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), known for their distinctive long noses, are found only on the island of Borneo. The species is legally protected in […] authors: | ||
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Indonesia’s plan to rezone national park sparks backlash 09 Apr 2026 04:07:34 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/indonesias-plan-to-rezone-national-park-sparks-backlash/ author: Naina Rao dc:creator: Mongabay.com content:encoded: Indonesia is moving to rezone Way Kambas National Park, transforming the Sumatran sanctuary from a “cost center” into a “profit center.” As Mongabay’s Hans Nicholas Jong reports, the government has framed the initiative as a carbon-trading and luxury-tourism initiative to fund conservation for ecosystem restoration. The proposed land reclassification would cut the park’s strictly protected core area in half, from roughly 60,000 to 27,661 hectares (148,100 to 68,352 acres) while expanding nearly tenfold the area that can be used for carbon trading and development. The move has sparked criticism from environmental experts and activists. “If the reason for reducing the core zone is to increase the utilization zone for business, that’s not appropriate,” Indonesian ecologist Wishnu Sukmantoro, a member of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group at the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority, told Mongabay. Counterintuitively, restoration and tree-planting projects can sometimes damage wildlife habitat. Carbon projects often prioritize high-density tree planting to maximize credits, but Sumatran elephants in Way Kambas rely on open grasslands for food. Replacing grass with dense forest could drive elephants into human settlements, increasing human-wildlife conflict, according to Irfan Tri Musri, director of the Lampung chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), the country’s largest environmental advocacy group. Aida Greenbury, a sustainability expert with the advisory board of the World Bioeconomy Forum, also raised questions about the level of engagement with local communities and the process of free, prior, and informed consent. “Proper FPIC is essential for a high-integrity carbon project,” said Greenbury,…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: Indonesia is moving to rezone Way Kambas National Park, transforming the Sumatran sanctuary from a “cost center” into a “profit center.” As Mongabay’s Hans Nicholas Jong reports, the government has framed the initiative as a carbon-trading and luxury-tourism initiative to fund conservation for ecosystem restoration. The proposed land reclassification would cut the park’s strictly protected […] authors: | ||
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24 new species found in ocean zone eyed for battery metals mining 09 Apr 2026 01:58:33 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/24-new-species-found-in-ocean-zone-eyed-for-battery-metals-mining/ author: Lizkimbrough dc:creator: Liz Kimbrough content:encoded: Researchers pulled 24 tiny new creatures from a deep abyss in the central Pacific Ocean, some with long, spindly legs and others with more squat, compact bodies. Some appeared to feed on the sediment itself, while others had large claws suggesting they prey on other creatures living in the mud. The discoveries, published in ZooKeys, come from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a roughly 6-million-square-kilometer (2.3-million-square-mile) expanse of seabed between Hawai‘i and Mexico. The newly described species are all amphipods, a diverse group of crustaceans. The shrimp-like creatures, most about a centimeter long, or less than half an inch, have evolved in the deep sea, some 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) below the surface, over millions of years. Among the finds was a completely new superfamily, Mirabestioidea, and a new family, Mirabestiidae, representing previously unknown evolutionary lineages. “If you imagine that on planet Earth, we know about carnivorous mammals, we know that bears exist and we know that the families of cats exist, it would be like finding dogs,” Tammy Horton, a researcher at the U.K.’s National Oceanography Centre and co-lead of the study, told Inside Climate News. Collage of the 24 new Amphipod species identified in Clarion-Clipperton Zone, CC BY, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton Scientists collected the specimens by extracting large cubes of mud from the seabed, known as box cores, and hauling them up to a research ship. After washing and sieving the cores, researchers found a variety of amphipods nestled among the mud and metallic nodules. During a weeklong…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Scientists discovered 24 new species of tiny crustaceans and an entirely new evolutionary branch from a deep abyss in the central Pacific, some 4,000 meters below the surface. - The the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) is studded with chunks of fused nickel, cobalt, copper and other minerals, making it one of the most commercially coveted tracts of ocean on Earth. - An estimated 90% of species in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone remain unnamed even as the U.S. moves to streamline the permitting process to mine the seabed for critical minerals. - A 2025 study found that a commercial mining test in the zone reduced animal abundance by 37% within the machine’s tracks, highlighting the ecological cost of extraction in a region science is only beginning to understand. authors: | ||
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Tracking environmental crime in the Amazon: A conversation with Alexa Vélez 09 Apr 2026 01:37:36 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/tracking-environmental-crime-in-the-amazon-a-conversation-with-alexa-velez/ author: Rhett Butler dc:creator: Rhett Ayers Butler content:encoded: Environmental crimes rarely occur in isolation. A road cut into a forest may appear first as a faint line in satellite imagery. Months later it becomes a corridor for timber, wildlife, and sometimes cocaine. The early stages often unfold far from capitals and rarely attract immediate scrutiny. When the evidence does emerge, it tends to arrive through a patchwork of sources: scientists sharing coordinates, local communities describing unfamiliar aircraft, or reporters willing to spend months tracing how a clearing became a network. Environmental journalism in Latin America has grown around precisely these kinds of fragments. The region contains some of the world’s most biodiverse landscapes and some of its most persistent environmental activities. Illegal mining, wildlife trafficking, and forest clearing often intersect with organized crime and political interests. Yet sustained reporting on these issues has historically been limited. Many large news organizations treat the environment as an occasional beat rather than a structural concern. Investigative work requires time, technical expertise, and sometimes the willingness to operate in difficult or dangerous conditions. In recent years the practice has begun to change. Satellite imagery, open databases, and new mapping tools allow reporters to track environmental change with greater precision than was possible even a decade ago. A clearing detected in a remote basin can be compared against historical imagery, connected to land concessions, and matched with field reporting. What once depended largely on eyewitness accounts now involves a blend of remote sensing, traditional reporting, and collaboration across borders. Those collaborations have become…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - Environmental investigations in Latin America increasingly combine field reporting with tools such as satellite imagery, cross-border collaboration, and long-term investigative work to document deforestation, illegal mining, wildlife trafficking, and other environmental violations. - Over the past decade, Mongabay Latam has built a regional reporting network and partnerships with dozens of media outlets, helping environmental investigations reach audiences across the region. - Alexa Vélez, managing editor of Mongabay Latam, has spent nearly ten years helping coordinate investigations, support reporters, and shape the outlet’s investigative approach to environmental reporting. - Vélez spoke with Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler in March 2026 about investigative journalism in Latin America, the role of technology in environmental reporting, and how Mongabay Latam’s work has evolved over the past decade. authors: | ||
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EU citizens file complaint for delays in response to anti-shark fin campaign 08 Apr 2026 23:01:15 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/eu-citizens-file-complaint-for-delays-in-response-to-anti-shark-fin-campaign/ author: Bobbybascomb dc:creator: Victoria Schneider content:encoded: The organizers of a campaign against shark finning in the European Union have filed a formal complaint against the EU Commission, accusing it of mishandling their case and missing deadlines. The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is an EU tool that allow citizens to participate in policy-making. The ECI known as “Stop Finning – Stop the Trade” calls for legislative action by the European Commission to completely ban the shark fin trade in the EU. “The Commission made concrete commitments in July 2023 — including launching an impact assessment by year-end — and then simply stopped communicating,” Katharina Loupal, an organizer of the initiative, told Mongabay via email. In 2023, the EU banned shark finning for all EU- flagged vessels and all vessels in EU waters. However, loose shark fins can still be legally traded — imported, exported or transited — in European countries. Worldwide, shark populations have plummeted since the 1970s and they continue to be among the most threatened species on the planet. Shark fins are in high demand in China and other Asian markets, often passing through transit hubs first. Despite international protections for several species, illegal trade is rife, often involving organized crime. However, there is also a thriving legal trade in shark fins. The EU is a major fin exporter and transit hub, with Spanish and Portuguese fleets most commonly fishing for sharks in international waters. According to a 2022 International Foundation for Animal Welfare report, 45% of shark fin-related products imported into Hong Kong, Singapore…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: The organizers of a campaign against shark finning in the European Union have filed a formal complaint against the EU Commission, accusing it of mishandling their case and missing deadlines. The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is an EU tool that allow citizens to participate in policy-making. The ECI known as “Stop Finning – Stop the […] authors: | ||
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March smashes record as most abnormally hot month for continental US, federal meteorologists say 08 Apr 2026 21:57:12 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/march-smashes-record-as-most-abnormally-hot-month-for-continental-us-federal-meteorologists-say/ author: Mongabay Editor dc:creator: Associated Press content:encoded: WASHINGTON (AP) — March’s persistent unseasonable heat was so intense that the continental United States registered its most abnormally hot month in 132 years of records, according to federal weather data. And the next year or so looks to turn the dial up on global warmth even more, as some forecasts predict a brewing El Nino will reach superstrength. Not only was it the hottest March on record for the U.S., but the amount it was above normal beat any other month in history for the Lower 48 states. March’s average temperature of 50.85 degrees Fahrenheit (10.47 degrees Celsius) was 9.35 F (5.19 C) above the 20th century normal for March. That easily passed the old record of 8.9 F (4.9 C) set in March 2012 as the most abnormally hot month on record — regardless of the month of the year — according to records released Wednesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average maximum temperature for March was especially high at 11.4 F (6.3 C) above the 20th century average and was almost a degree warmer than the average daytime high for April, NOAA said. Six of the nation’s top 10 most abnormally hot months have been in the last 10 years. This February, which was 6.57 F (3.65 C) above 20th century normal, was the tenth highest above normal. “What we experienced in March across the United States was unprecedented,” said Climate Central meteorologist Shel Winkley. “One reason that’s so concerning is just the sheer volume of records, all-time…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: WASHINGTON (AP) — March’s persistent unseasonable heat was so intense that the continental United States registered its most abnormally hot month in 132 years of records, according to federal weather data. And the next year or so looks to turn the dial up on global warmth even more, as some forecasts predict a brewing El Nino will reach superstrength. […] authors: | ||
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As EU-Mercosur agreement goes into effect, environmentalists raise red flags 08 Apr 2026 21:56:41 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-eu-mercosur-agreement-goes-into-effect-environmentalists-raise-red-flags/ author: Xavier Bartaburu dc:creator: Ramana Rech content:encoded: In March, after decades of negotiations, the free trade agreement between Mercosur nations and the European Union (EU) was ratified by Paraguay, the last founding member of the Latin American bloc to give the green light to the deal. Already in its final stage, the document will be provisionally implemented in May, 2026, according to the European Commission. The agreement is being hailed as an economic boon for both EU and Latin American nations. However, it may cause a series of environmental impacts. According to various NGOs and environmental advocates, major problems for Latin America could include expansion of deforestation, mining, and pesticide imports and use. Other experts argue that the agreement could impose a series of environmental rules on already existing global trade – in addition to facilitating knowledge exchange among the parties. Good for trade, bad for the environment? Mercosur, as it’s known in Spanish, and Mercosul, in Portuguese, has been dubbed the Southern Common Market. It represents one of the world’s leading economic blocs, and its fifth-largest economy. It is composed of five member countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia) and seven associate members (Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and most recently Panama). In general terms, the treaty between Mercosur nations and the European Union provides for gradual reduction of import tariffs between the two continental blocs. In late February, the Brazilian government stated that the EU “commits to eliminating import tariffs on approximately 95% of goods that account for 92% of the value of…This article was originally published on Mongabay description: - The EU-Mercosur trade agreement, between the European Union and many Latin American nations, is potentially worth trillions of dollars in transcontinental commerce, and it is about to be implemented on a provisional basis starting in May, 2026. - But experts and environmental organizations are concerned about the risks that may arise across Latin America as the accord goes into effect. - Indigenous organizations warn about the lack of consultation with potentially affected native peoples, and studies point to problems associated with increases in deforestation, mining, and the use of agrochemicals and pesticides. - On the other hand, experts argue that some provisions, such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), could help reduce environmental damage in Latin America under existing trade dynamics. authors: | ||
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