Nepal zoo bird flu outbreak raises alarm for national parks (August 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/nepal-zoo-bird-flu-outbreak-raises-alarm-for-national-parks/
- In June, a bird flu outbreak at Kathmandu’s Central Zoo killed at least 65 animals from more than 20 species, exposing flaws in Nepal’s disease surveillance.
- The outbreak has raised concerns that similar outbreaks could go undetected in national parks, where wildlife is not routinely monitored.
- Experts warn that shared feeding sites, including Nepal’s renowned “vulture restaurants”, and the reliance of wild carnivores on domestic poultry could create pathways for influenza viruses to spread between birds and mammals.
- Despite the outbreak and recommendations from the zoo’s own investigation committee for contingency plans, stronger biosecurity and rapid reporting, Nepal’s wildlife and livestock authorities say they have no plans for park-specific surveillance or response programs.
On a Philippine beach, villagers are stepping up to save sea turtle nests (August 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/on-a-philippine-beach-villagers-are-stepping-up-to-save-sea-turtle-nests/
Beaches in San Vicente municipality in the Philippines’ Palawan province are crucial nesting grounds for olive ridley sea turtles. But the turtles and their babies face perilous journeys on those beaches — from dogs, tourism, and increasingly severe storms and high tides. To counter these threats, the NGO Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) […]
In Manila’s shadow, a forest refuge still shelters rare plants (August 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/in-manilas-shadow-a-forest-refuge-still-shelters-rare-plants/
A mountainous reserve near Manila, the Philippine capital, is a critical ecological refuge, harboring high levels of plant diversity despite its proximity to the highly urbanized city, according to a recent study. The findings come from surveys done 10 years earlier, however, and mounting pressures on the area’s forests since then may have had an […]
What happens after a whale strands on a Mumbai beach? (August 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/what-happens-after-a-whale-strands-on-a-mumbai-beach/
On the morning of June 27, a 7.6-meter (25-foot) blue whale calf washed ashore on a busy beach in Mumbai, India’s financial capital and the capital of Maharashtra state. Whale strandings are rare along the Maharashtra coast, so Mongabay spoke with experts to find out what happened next. “Each stranding incident is a totally unexpected […]
Social media images lead to first recording of parasitoid wasp species in Japan (August 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/social-media-images-lead-to-first-recording-of-parasitoid-wasp-species-in-japan/
Photos of a striking, iridescent wasp posted on social media by wasp enthusiasts in Japan have led to an unexpected discovery: The images are the first record of the species in Japan. The footage also helped scientists describe a male of the species for the first time. The images and a video of the wasps […]
Jute loses ground to plastic despite Bangladesh’s packaging law (August 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/jute-loses-ground-to-plastic-despite-bangladeshs-packaging-law/
- Despite being the world’s second-largest producer of jute, a biodegradable fiber, Bangladesh faces the daunting task of combating the onslaught of hazardous plastic-based packaging and synthetic fibers.
- The Mandatory Jute Packaging Act of 2010 stipulated that 19 essential items must be contained and transported in jute sacks, but the legislation failed to protect the jute industry, which employs 3 million households.
- While traders ensure a door-to-door supply of “cheap” plastic and synthetic fiber for users, the government has closed down 25 state-owned jute mills that produced “costly” jute sacks and bags.
- Although a small rice mill demonstrates that jute sacks and bags are cheaper and bring a good profit, the government has not devised a proper strategy to sensitize businessmen to switch to jute instead of plastic/synthetic packing materials.
Vinod Rishi helped give India’s elephants room to roam (August 6, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/vinod-rishi-helped-give-indias-elephants-room-to-roam/
- Vinod Rishi rose from field postings in West Bengal to some of India’s most senior wildlife positions, including serving as the first director of Project Elephant.
- Trained as an engineer, he brought a practical, evidence-based approach to conservation, testing official claims and scientific methods against conditions on the ground.
- His work helped shift wildlife management beyond individual protected areas toward broader landscapes, particularly elephant habitats, migration corridors, and conflict-prone regions.
- Colleagues remembered him as humble, determined, and collaborative, while his later writing revealed a close attention to individual animals and the places they inhabited.
Looming loss of Singapore’s Maju Forest to development raises many questions (commentary) (August 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/looming-loss-of-singapores-maju-forest-to-development-raises-many-questions-commentary/
- A 23-hectare (57-acre) forest in the Singaporean neighborhood of Clementi that provides stress relief and community enjoyment for residents, plus habitat for urban biodiversity, has been proposed for development, sparking a public debate.
- Although Singapore has earned recognition for integrating nature into this, one of the world’s most densely populated urban environments, the proposal would convert most of it into public housing.
- A new op-ed argues that urban forests are essential public health infrastructure and that this debate reflects a challenge that cities increasingly face: How should we value mature ecosystems in an era of climate change, urbanization and rising health challenges?
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Amazon canopy bridges enable 15,000 wildlife crossings without a single roadkill (August 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/amazon-canopy-bridges-enable-15000-wildlife-crossings-without-a-single-roadkill/
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. Roads through Brazil’s forests divide primate habitat and sometimes force animals that normally remain in the canopy onto the ground. Researchers in the Amazon are testing rope bridges that allow them to cross above traffic. Eight bridges were […]
Environmental activists in Kenya concerned over billionaire’s planned oil refinery (August 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/environmental-activists-in-kenya-concerned-over-billionaires-planned-oil-refinery/
- Environmental activists opposed to the oil refinery project cite risks to the local ecosystem and the community’s livelihoods.
- The Kenyan government insists that the project will boost the East Africa region’s economy, and create 60,000 jobs during its construction and then operation.
- Opponents demand absolute transparency with the local community and seek adequate inclusion of all stakeholders during the Environment Impact Assessment process.
Malaysia implements total e-waste import ban to curb toxic trade (August 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/malaysia-implements-total-e-waste-import-ban-to-curb-toxic-trade/
In April 2026, Malaysia enacted an absolute ban on the import of electronic waste, moving to end its role as a primary destination for the world’s hazardous electrical and electronic scrap. The regulation aims to shutter a black market of illegal recycling yards that use falsified paperwork to smuggle toxic materials into the country, reports […]
These mice live on volcano summits at extreme elevations. Study finds how (August 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/these-mice-live-on-volcano-summits-at-extreme-elevations-study-finds-how/
The Andean leaf-eared mouse thrives at extreme elevations where most other mammals wouldn’t survive. At these altitudes, oxygen levels are low; temperatures are permanently below freezing; and humans can’t survive for long without oxygen masks and insulated clothing. Yet, the mighty mouse is right at home, and scientists have now figured out the biological adaptations […]
Nepal’s newest national parks drive tiger recovery, but new concerns arise (August 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/nepals-newest-national-parks-drive-tiger-recovery-but-new-concerns-arise/
- Nepal’s tiger count hit a record 429, but growth is concentrated almost entirely in the country’s newer national parks. Meanwhile Bardiya, the second-oldest park, declined 10%.
- Researchers point to three drivers behind the split: drought pushing tigers toward parks with better water infrastructure, cross-border habitat connectivity with India, and invasive weeds degrading grazing land in the older parks.
- Prey density doesn’t track with tiger growth the way expected — Bardiya’s prey density actually rose 74% (the largest gain of any park) even as its tiger numbers fell, suggesting water management, not food scarcity, is driving movement across park boundaries.
- Amid ongoing protests over human-wildlife conflict, some Bardiya residents suspect the government undercounted tigers there, while researchers flag a related emerging concern tigers displacing leopards into human settlements.
Investigation exposes Cambodia’s illegal wildlife trade linked to transnational crime (August 5, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/investigation-exposes-cambodias-illegal-wildlife-trade-linked-to-transnational-crime/
There’s a thriving illegal wildlife trade in Cambodia that caters to high-ranking government officials and wealthy Chinese nationals, according to a report on a yearlong undercover investigation by the U.S.-based NGO Earth League International (ELI). The report, titled “Sandokan,” identified five kingpins allegedly running transnational criminal networks involved in wildlife smuggling, human and drug trafficking, […]
‘My Wild City’ reminds us why cities need nature (August 4, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/08/my-wild-city-reminds-us-why-cities-need-nature/
In her upcoming book, My Wild City: Finding Nature, Meaning, and Hope in India’s Capital, conservation biologist Neha Sinha takes readers to the hidden and not-so-hidden ecosystems of India’s largest city. And while the book expertly details the biodiversity, I believe its greatest strength lies in connecting with the reader emotionally through powerful stories from […]
Scientists discover that giant octopuses were top predators of ancient oceans (August 4, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/scientists-discover-that-giant-octopuses-were-top-predators-of-ancient-oceans/
Finned octopus species alive today are all small, deep-sea animals that mostly live in pitch-black darkness thousands of meters beneath the surface of the sea. But a new discovery by a team of researchers in Japan, published in April 2026, found that the ancient octopus relatives were likely gigantic predators that roamed the late Cretaceous […]
Mining threat persists in Raja Ampat, Indonesia’s ‘Amazon of the Seas’ (August 4, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/mining-threat-persists-in-raja-ampat-indonesias-amazon-of-the-seas/
- The Indonesian archipelago of Raja Ampat is home to some of the world’s richest marine biodiversity.
- A year ago, the Indonesian government suspended mining activities for review and later revoked the permits of four of the five nickel companies operating in Raja Ampat following a public backlash.
- According to a new Greenpeace report, Raja Ampat remains vulnerable to nickel mining, with three companies still pursuing mining rights on its largest island and state-owned PT Gag Nikel continuing to operate.
Global hunger levels fall but Africa still lags behind, UN report finds (August 4, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/global-hunger-levels-fall-but-africa-still-lags-behind-un-report-finds/
- The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization says the number of people facing hunger globally fell by around 43 million people between 2022 and 2025 — 20% of Africans were food insecure in 2025, compared to just 6% in Asia.
- FAO’s director of agrifood economics, David Laborde, said severe cuts to development aid, armed conflict, and climate shocks have held back food production in Africa over the past decade.
- Analysts told Mongabay that African governments need to stop promoting agriculture approaches that rely on imported synthetic fertilizer and pesticides, and instead support more effective practices that strengthen soil fertility, diversify crops and diets for farmers, and are more resilient to external shocks.
A shy bird found only in Nepal is waiting for the world to notice (August 4, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/a-shy-bird-found-only-in-nepal-is-waiting-for-the-world-to-notice/
- First scientifically described in 1836, the spiny babbler has only ever been found in Nepal.
- Despite its uniqueness, the species remains poorly understood.
- The bird has typically been spotted in and around Kathmandu and Pokhara, but sightings have now been recorded in shrublands across all seven of Nepal’s provinces.
- Ornithologists have been unable to determine why the bird does not exist outside Nepal or document more information on its habitat and behavior owing to limited research and researchers are calling for more attention for the bird.
Australia confirms first mass bird flu mortality in wildlife (August 4, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/australia-confirms-first-mass-bird-flu-mortality-in-wildlife/
Australia has confirmed the country’s first mass mortality of native seabirds from the deadly strain of avian influenza, H5N1. On Aug. 1, authorities confirmed the positive cases among 49 dead and 35 sick greater crested terns (Thalasseus bergii) at Baudin Rocks, an island roughly 5 kilometers (3 miles) off South Australia’s southeast coast near Cape […]