How do we stop the next pandemic? (November 26, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/video/2025/11/how-do-we-stop-the-next-pandemic/
How do we stop the next big viral outbreak? The answer to that question lies in preventing zoonotic spillovers. Thousands of pathogens have been silently circulating in our forests for centuries. However, climate change, deforestation and the trade of live animals increases the risk of bringing them in close proximity to humans. So how do […]
Deep-diving manta rays use the ocean’s midnight zone to build mental maps, study suggests (November 26, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/deep-diving-manta-rays-use-the-oceans-midnight-zone-to-build-mental-maps-study-suggests/
- Oceanic manta rays dive to record depths of 1,250 meters (4,100 feet), according to a first-of-its-kind study to examine in detail the extreme deep-diving behavior of these rays.
- Researchers tracked 24 manta rays between 2012 and 2022, attaching special tags to them in waters off Peru, Indonesia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Researchers propose that dives help rays sample stable environmental signals, such as temperature, oxygen levels and possibly magnetic fields, in preparation for navigating the open ocean.
- Extreme dives occurred most frequently when rays left continental shelves, before embarking on long journeys exceeding 200 kilometers (120 miles).
Bird diversity drops in human-dominated habitats, Nepal study suggests (November 26, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/bird-diversity-drops-in-human-dominated-habitats-nepal-study-suggests/
- Areas dominated by humans are home to fewer species, with similar ecosystem function and proximity in the evolutionary family tree, a recent study in Nepal’s southern plains suggests.
- Human activities act like a filter, letting only certain birds survive. Even natural areas show signs of such filtering when logging and hunting remove sensitive species, leaving behind only closely related groups of birds that are resilient and adaptable.
- A mosaic landscape provides more “homes” and more ecological roles for birds, helping them survive even amid human disturbances.
Brazil nut hauling effort gets easier with zip lines and ‘Amazon Waze’ (November 26, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/brazil-nut-hauling-effort-gets-easier-with-zip-lines-and-amazon-waze/
- Researchers are developing solutions to help Brazil nut collectors in the Amazon Rainforest reduce the physical toll of the trade.
- These include zip lines to haul heavy sacks across difficult terrain, and ergonomic baskets to reduce back strain while picking up the nut pods.
- These new technologies could encourage Indigenous youths to continue the practice, a crucial step for sustaining local communities who keep the Amazon standing.
- These advances are part of Brazil’s national push for a bioeconomy, a model designed to generate economic growth and social inclusion while protecting the rainforest.
How community custody empowered Ecuador’s crab catchers and revived its mangroves (November 26, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/how-community-custody-empowered-ecuadors-crab-catchers-and-revived-its-mangroves/
- Under agreements for sustainable use and protection, Ecuador’s environment ministry has granted concessions for 98,000 hectares (about 242,000 acres) of mangrove forests to artisanal fishers in the Gulf of Guayaquil.
- The fishers can catch crabs to sell, but are committed to the protection of this valuable ecosystem, imposing closed seasons twice a year and refraining from catching female and juvenile crabs.
- The concessions represent 62% of the total area of mangrove forests in Ecuador, of which 80% are located in the Gulf of Guayaquil.
- This system has allowed for the conservation of mangroves for 26 years and has been shown to be effective in protecting this type of forest, which is capable of retaining up to five times more carbon than other tropical forests.
Saving forests won’t be enough if fossil fuels beneath them are still extracted, experts warn (November 26, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/saving-forests-wont-be-enough-if-fossil-fuels-beneath-them-are-still-extracted-experts-warn/
- A new analysis finds that tropical forests in 68 countries sit atop fossil fuel deposits that, if extracted, would emit 317 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases — more than the remaining 1.5°C (2.7°F) carbon budget — revealing a major blind spot in global climate policy.
- Because Brazil’s proposed Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) focuses only on stopping deforestation, researchers warn it risks missing far larger emissions from potential oil, gas and coal extraction under protected forests.
- India, China and Indonesia hold the largest fossil reserves beneath forests, with Indonesia facing acute trade-offs as most of its coal lies under forest areas where mining threatens biodiversity and Indigenous communities, including rhino habitats in Borneo.
- Experts say that compensating countries for leaving fossil fuels unextracted — through mechanisms like debt swaps or climate finance — could unlock massive climate benefits, but fossil fuel phaseout remains excluded from TFFF negotiations despite growing calls to include it.
As Sri Lanka continues new elephant drive, scientists warn against creating new conflicts (November 26, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/as-sri-lanka-continues-new-elephant-drive-scientists-warn-against-creating-new-conflicts/
- In Sri Lanka’s southern district of Hambantota, authorities have launched a large-scale elephant drive, mobilizing wildlife officers, armed forces and villagers to push herds from villages into what is known as the Managed Elephant Reserve (MER).
- Conservationists warn the Hambantota operation could mirror past failed drives, such as the 2006 drive in the south and the 2024 operation in north-central Sri Lanka that left elephant herds stranded.
- Experts urge a shift from elephant drives to implementing coexistence strategies, including habitat management and community-based fencing, as outlined in Sri Lanka’s national action plan to mitigate human-elephant conflict.
- Despite having reliable data on Asian elephant behavior and HEC, local scientists lament Sri Lanka is not adopting a scientific approach to find solutions to HEC while repeating past mistakes.
Island-confined reptiles face high extinction risk, but low research interest (November 26, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/11/island-confined-reptiles-face-high-extinction-risk-but-low-research-interest/
Reptile species found only on islands are significantly more vulnerable to extinction than their mainland counterparts, yet remain vastly overlooked by researchers, according to a recent study. “Reptiles, partly due to their ability to endure long periods without food or water, are particularly effective island colonizers,” Ricardo Rocha, study co-author and an associate professor at […]
The roughed-up roughy fish (cartoon) (November 26, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/custom-story/2025/11/the-roughed-up-roughy-fish-cartoon/
The orange roughy may be among the oldest living deep-sea fish in the world, with a lifespan of up to 250 years. But bottom trawling practices in Australia and New Zealand might have already decimated their slow-breeding populations beyond recovery.
COP30: What did it deliver for the ocean? (November 25, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/cop30-what-did-it-deliver-for-the-ocean/
- As climate change talks took center stage at COP30, a growing number of countries have integrated ocean-based solutions into their national climate commitments.
- A new report found that 92% of coastal and island nations’ updated climate plans now include ocean-related measures, although these strategies still represent only 12% of all proposed climate mitigation actions.
- Brazil and France unveiled a Blue NDC Implementation Taskforce to boost ocean solutions, while countries like the Solomon Islands and Ghana launched new plans for protecting their marine and coastal systems.
Rights to millions of hectares of Indigenous & local communities’ lands restored by ‘barefoot lawyers’ (November 25, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2025/11/rights-to-millions-of-hectares-of-indigenous-local-communities-lands-restored-by-barefoot-lawyers/
Nonette Royo is a lawyer from the Philippines and executive director of The Tenure Facility, a group of “barefoot lawyers” working to secure land tenure for Indigenous, local and Afro-descendant communities across the world. To date, the organization has secured more than $150 million in funding and has made progress in securing land rights covering […]
Drought amplifies human-wildlife conflict, study finds (November 25, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/11/drought-amplifies-human-wildlife-conflict-study-finds/
A recent study from the U.S. state of California finds that the public reported more encounters with wildlife in times of drought. Researchers say they expect such drought-driven human-wildlife interactions in other areas also facing water shortages — a growing problem amid climate change. The researchers analyzed more than 31,000 wildlife-related incidents reported by members […]
Global tiger trafficking crisis worsens with nine big cats seized monthly (November 25, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/11/global-tiger-trafficking-crisis-worsens-with-nine-big-cats-seized-monthly/
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysa (AP) — Authorities have seized an average of nine tigers each month over the past five years, highlighting a worsening trafficking crisis. A report by TRAFFIC warns that criminal networks are evolving faster than conservation efforts can respond. The global wild tiger population has plummeted to an estimated 3,700-5,500. Despite international protection, […]
Botanists decode secret life of rare plants to ensure reintroduction success (November 25, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/botanists-decode-secret-life-of-rare-plants-to-ensure-reintroduction-success/
- Working with South African daisies, Colombian magnolias and Philippine coffee trees, botanists the world over are discovering the secrets to bringing extremely rare and threatened plants back from the brink of extinction. Reintroductions are often the only way to build back thriving populations, but scientists face numerous hurdles.
- A major barrier is lack of botanical knowledge about rare species, making it hard to produce sufficient viable seeds, determine triggers for germination, and identify suitable seedling habitat. If seeds aren’t available from rare plants, botanists must use cuttings to propagate plants.
- Newly established plant populations often need help in the face of numerous threats. Climate change, for example, can not only create harsh new growing conditions but also fuels the spread of plant pests. Young plants frequently need to be protected from human activities like poaching, intentional burning or land-use change.
- While it can take decades for reintroduced plants to grow into sustainable, self-replenishing populations, project funding is often limited to three years or less, especially in the Global South. Experts say they hope funding will increase as recognition grows that ecosystem restoration requires plant diversity, including rare species.
Big finance still funds deforestation, 10 years after Paris pact (November 25, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/11/big-finance-still-funds-deforestation-10-years-after-paris-pact/
A new report by the Forests & Finance Coalition finds that despite years of voluntary climate commitments, banks and other financial institutions have continued to increase their investments in companies linked to deforestation. The value of investments in these companies — in industries such as beef, soy, palm oil and paper — has increased by […]
Brazil aims for alternative route to fossil fuel road map after COP30 failure (November 25, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/brazil-aims-for-alternative-route-to-fossil-fuel-road-map-after-cop30-failure/
- Brazil will collaborate with the Colombian and Dutch delegations to develop the road map outside the formal U.N. process, with the goal of bringing it back for discussion at COP31.
- Experts say the Belém summit showed disappointing deals after ambitious promises, failing to address the environmental and economic needs of climate change.
- The turbulent final plenary exposed deeper diplomatic rifts, with one delegate accusing Colombian counterparts of behaving “like children” amid high tensions.
It’s ‘whack-a-mole’: Alarming rise in pet trade fuels wildlife trafficking into California (November 25, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/its-whack-a-mole-alarming-rise-in-pet-trade-fuels-wildlife-trafficking-into-california/
- California has become a wildlife trafficking hotspot in the U.S., with a notable spike in live animals smuggled across the southern border to be sold as pets, from monkeys and exotic birds to venomous snakes.
- The state has three high-traffic border crossings with Mexico and millions of tons of cargo shipped through some of the nation’s busiest airports and seaports. With limited staff, resource-strapped agencies face serious challenges in policing the illegal import of protected plants and animals into California.
- Poachers also target California’s native plants and reptiles, threatening local species. Meanwhile, some imported animals get loose and become invasive species that destroy ecosystems or may carry diseases, creating public health risks.
- As traffickers exploit new technologies and follow market demand for different animals, enforcement officials struggle to control the influx of illegally traded species.
Already disappearing, Southeast Asia’s striped rabbits now caught in global pet trade (November 25, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/already-disappearing-southeast-asias-striped-rabbits-now-caught-in-global-pet-trade/
- Rare, elusive and little-known to science, two species of striped rabbits are endemic to Southeast Asia: Sumatran striped rabbits from Indonesia and endangered Annamite striped rabbits from the Vietnam-Laos border region.
- Both species are threatened by habitat loss and illegal snaring, despite having protected status in their range countries.
- In recent months, authorities have seized at least 10 live rabbits smuggled from Thailand on commercial flights to India, highlighting the first known instance of these rabbits being trafficked internationally for the pet trade.
- Conservationists say this trend is alarming, given that the two species are on the brink of extinction. They urge range countries to add the two species to CITES Appendix III, the international wildlife trade convention, and to work with Thai authorities to establish a conservation breeding program with the seized rabbits.
Chronic diseases prevalent across animals, but understudied: Study (November 25, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/11/chronic-diseases-prevalent-across-animals-but-understudied-study/
From obesity in cats and dogs and osteoarthritis in pigs, to cancer in whales and high blood glucose in racoons, chronic diseases are increasingly becoming a concern across the animal world, a recent study finds. Most of these ailments can be traced back to human-driven changes, the author says. Antonia Mataragka, the study’s author from […]
In Indonesia’s courts, truth can be a lonely witness (November 25, 2025)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/11/in-indonesias-courts-truth-can-be-a-lonely-witness/
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. For more than two decades, professors Bambang Hero Saharjo and Basuki Wasis of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture have stood where science meets power, testifying against companies accused of torching forests and draining peatlands. Their measurements of ash […]