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Wild horses return to Spain’s Iberian highlands after 10,000 years (September 16, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/wild-horses-return-to-spains-iberian-highlands-after-10000-years/ For the first time in more than 10,000 years, wild horses once again roam Spain’s northwestern highlands. The 35 horses introduced by Rewilding Spain are bringing renewed resilience to the land, Mongabay senior editor Jeremy Hance reported. In 2023, an initial 16 Przewalski’s horses (Equus ferus przewalskii), the world’s last fully wild horse, were introduced […] | |
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Poisoning crisis could drive vulture extinction in South Africa’s Kruger region (September 16, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/poisoning-crisis-could-drive-vulture-extinction-in-south-africas-kruger-region/ - More than 400 vultures died in a spate of poisoning events in and near South Africa’s Kruger National Park in May and June this year. - André Botha, co-chair of the Vulture Specialist Group at the IUCN, says more than 2,000 vultures have been poisoned in the wider Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) since 2015, and other raptors and predators have also died. - Observers have noted an increase in hunting and snaring of species such as impala for the bushmeat trade, with poachers frequently leaving poison-laced carcasses behind to deliberately kill carnivores or vultures. - Botha and others stress that urgent action is needed to rein in poisoning and wildlife crime in the GLTFCA, particularly preventative engagement with communities. | |
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A nest with a chick brings rare hope for hooded vultures in South Africa (September 16, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/a-nest-with-a-chick-brings-rare-hope-for-hooded-vultures-in-south-africa/ In rare good news for vultures in Africa, conservationists have confirmed the first-ever nest of a hooded vulture containing a chick in KwaZulu-Natal, a province in southeast South Africa. That marks the southernmost recorded nesting site of the critically endangered vulture species, according to KwaZulu-Natal-based nonprofit Wildlife ACT. “It gives us as conservationists some new […] | |
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How AI helps conservationists better understand and protect giraffes (September 16, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/how-ai-helps-conservationists-better-understand-and-protect-giraffes/ - Scientists have deployed artificial intelligence models to identify and re-identify endangered giraffes in Tanzania. - The Wild Nature Institute partnered with Microsoft’s AI For Good Lab to launch Project GIRAFFE which uses open-source AI tools to identify and re-identify individual giraffes based on spot patterns on their bodies. - The data has helped scientists come up with estimates on survival and reproduction rates, movements, and behavior of the animals. | |
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Critics say FSC update risks weakening accountability for forest harm (September 16, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/critics-say-fsc-update-risks-weakening-accountability-for-forest-harm/ - The world’s biggest sustainable timber certifier has updated how it applies its “corporate group” rules, which determine whether certified companies are held responsible for violations by affiliates, suppliers or subsidiaries. - NGOs like Forest Peoples Programme, Greenpeace and Rainforest Action Network warn the change could let forestry giants such as APP and APRIL rejoin the FSC without fully remedying past deforestation and land conflicts. - The NGOs took part in the review process, but say it favored corporate voices and misrepresented civil society input, raising concerns that the update prioritizes company reputations over community rights. - Critics say narrowing the corporate group scope risks shielding parts of conglomerates from scrutiny just as the FSC tests its remedy framework with some of the world’s largest forestry companies. | |
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An ancient Indigenous civilization endures beneath an Amazon urban soy hub (September 16, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/an-ancient-indigenous-civilization-endures-beneath-an-amazon-urban-soy-hub/ - Ocara-Açu, a vast precolonial Amazon settlement, underlies the modern-day city of Santarém in Brazil, once serving as the core of a regional network that may have housed up to 60,000 people before the invasion of Europeans. - Occasionally, Santarém’s rich Indigenous heritage surfaces through the cracks in the urban concrete, although archaeological sites have disappeared as a result of urban expansion, agriculture, and the construction of a soy terminal by commodities giant Cargill. - Archaeological discoveries in the Santarém region challenge the long-held belief that the Amazon was too harsh to sustain large, complex human cultures, revealing a radically different urban paradigm. | |
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Oysters could help fight climate change, study finds (September 16, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/oysters-could-help-fight-climate-change-study-finds/ New research from China suggests that oysters can be good at removing carbon dioxide from oceans, making the bivalves both an important food source and a potential tool in the fight against climate change and ocean acidification. Scientists have long debated whether oysters are a net source or sink of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the […] | |
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Women-led patrols and fire prevention restore forests in northern Thailand (September 16, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/women-led-patrols-and-fire-prevention-restore-forests-in-northern-thailand/ - Each year, northern Thailand struggles with choking haze caused by crop burning and forest fires, taking a severe toll on human health. - Over the past two decades, a group of women in Lampang province have taken action to improve their local environment and curb sources of haze by restoring their local community forest. - Their bold approach to fire prevention — combining regular patrols, check dams and fire breaks, as well as an innovative wildfire alert system — has earned them a reputation as a regional model for other communities. - Now thriving, the community forest also yields wild mushrooms, leafy vegetables and other marketable produce that support local livelihoods. | |
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Meet the DJs of nature, inspired by biodiversity (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/meet-the-djs-of-nature-inspired-by-biodiversity/ - Technology has allowed electronic music artists endless possibilities for mixing and creating sounds. - Some of these artists draw inspiration from nature and biodiversity, incorporating birdsong, rainforest soundscapes and the sounds of plant and animal species into their work. - From Frankfurt, Germany, to the Peruvian Amazon, musicians are creating music that raises awareness about the beauty of biodiversity and how it is nowadays threatened. | |
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Ani Dasgupta watched wetlands tame floods in Kigali. He believes nature is infrastructure we can fund. (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/ani-dasgupta-watched-wetlands-tame-floods-in-kigali-he-believes-nature-is-infrastructure-we-can-fund/ - Ani Dasgupta’s path runs from Delhi’s slums to the World Bank and now WRI, where he argues climate, nature, and development must move together. His leadership emphasizes moral purpose, trust, and “orchestration” that links funders, governments, NGOs, and communities to turn knowledge into action. - He points to pragmatic models: post-tsunami Aceh’s collaborative rebuild, a Kenyan macadamia venture restoring land while raising incomes with Terrafund’s early support, and Kigali’s wetland revival culminating in Nyandungu Park. These show nature-based solutions can cut risk and create jobs, yet financing remains the bottleneck despite WRI’s estimate that $1 in adaptation yields $10 in benefits over a decade. - Technology is a means, not a cure-all: radar-powered RADD alerts, Global Forest Watch, and WRI’s Land & Carbon Lab aim to democratize environmental intelligence, with AI lowering entry barriers. Evidence like Indigenous monitoring in Peru halving deforestation underpins his measured optimism that systems can bend if collaboration is real and benefits are visible. - Dasgupta was interviewed by Mongabay Founder and CEO Rhett Ayers Butler in September 2025. | |
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Beavers restored to tribal lands in California benefit ecosystems (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/beavers-restored-to-tribal-lands-in-california-benefit-ecosystems/ - In 2023, California relocated beavers for the first time in more than seven decades. - The state’s wildlife agency partnered with Native American tribes to move beavers from places where they were causing problems, such as flooding, to parts of their former range. - The moves and the state’s broader beaver restoration program are the result of decades of advocacy to change an adversarial relationship to one focused on beaver conservation and the benefits beavers can provide, from increased fire resilience to more consistent water supplies. - The change in mindset involved education and coexistence campaigns, as well as correcting long-held misconceptions about the limited extent of the beaver’s former range in California. | |
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Uruguay’s green hydrogen plans raise ecological concerns in Argentina & at home (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/uruguays-green-hydrogen-plans-raise-ecological-concerns-in-argentina-at-home/ - Communities in the Argentinian town of Colón worry that an upcoming major green hydrogen project on the Uruguay River will affect local ecosystems, as well as local tourism. - The Paysandú e-fuels facility is one of Uruguay’s major hydrogen projects, as the country is pushing to further decarbonize its economy and boost hydrogen exports. The plant will produce green hydrogen using renewable energy to then produce e-methanol for exporting. - Argentinian activists fear potential pollution from the plant and criticize the project for lack of transparency over its environmental impacts. Opposition is also growing on the Uruguayan side of the river. - Another green hydrogen project in the town of Tambores is also being denounced for its impact on water resources, as the plant will withdraw large amounts of water from some of the country’s largest aquifers. | |
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Shipping companies support a first-ever global fee on greenhouse gases, opposed by Trump officials (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/shipping-companies-support-a-first-ever-global-fee-on-greenhouse-gases-opposed-by-trump-officials/ Nearly 200 shipping companies said Monday they want the world’s largest maritime nations to adopt regulations that include the first-ever global fee on greenhouse gases to reduce their sector’s emissions. The Getting to Zero Coalition, an alliance of companies, governments and intergovernmental organizations, is asking member states of the International Maritime Organization to support adopting […] | |
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Brazil weighs new measures to manage shark trade, fishing (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/brazil-weighs-new-measures-to-manage-shark-trade-fishing/ - The Brazilian government is reviewing its legal framework for the trade in sharks, including fin exports and management of the fishery for blue sharks (Prionace glauca), the only species allowed to be caught in the country. - At a Sept. 3 meeting, the National Environmental Council (CONAMA), a government advisory body, recommended the government ban shark fin exports and restrict the use of shark-fishing gear known as wire leaders. - At the same meeting, the Ministry of Environment announced the suspension of an ordinance regulating blue shark fishing, including quotas, due to “increased pressure” on endangered species and flaws in monitoring and enforcement. - The moves follow a recent Mongabay investigation revealing that government agencies sought to procure thousands of tons of shark meat for meals at public institutions including schools, hospitals and prisons. The exposé was cited at the Sept. 3 CONAMA meeting as well as in a class-action civil suit filed by conservation NGO Sea Shepherd Brasil seeking to ban federal public institutions from issuing tenders for shark meat. | |
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The Great Insect Crisis (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/specials/2025/09/the-great-insect-crisis/ Insects underpin ecosystems worldwide, yet they are disappearing at alarming rates. In this 2019 special series, Mongabay reporter Jeremy Hance traces the global scale of the so-called “Insect Apocalypse,” as reported in the mainstream media — from massive declines in flying insects in Germany to the near-collapse of arthropods in Puerto Rico’s forests. Drawing on […] | |
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Conservationists oppose Peru’s plans to build prison in sensitive ecosystem (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/conservationists-oppose-perus-plans-to-build-prison-in-sensitive-ecosystem/ - A high-security prison planned on El Frontón Island, off the coast of Lima, Peru, would interfere with the movement of threatened marine species, experts say. - The project is part of a larger government plan to address overcrowding and organized crime in the country’s prison system. - The planned island prison will cover 5.7 hectares out of El Frontón’s total area of 100 hectares (14 out of 250 acres) and house approximately 2,000 inmates. - Conservationists have called for a formal environmental impact assessment for the project, citing multiple threatened species in the greater Humboldt Current ecosystem where the island sits. | |
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Rare earth rush endangers rural communities and conservation areas in Brazil (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/rare-earth-rush-endangers-rural-communities-and-conservation-areas-in-brazil/ - Brazil has 23% of global reserves of rare earth minerals, second only to China, but its production remains at an early stage, accounting for only 1% of the global market. - The race to mine and process rare earths in Brazil has raised fears among community leaders, particularly in rural settlements that are the focus of some 187 rare earth mining applications currently in process. - In these areas, rare earth mining activities risks exacerbating land disputes and devastating preserved forests — including one in Bahia state that hosts a 600-year-old endangered Brazilwood tree. | |
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Madagascar’s dry forests need attention, and Verreaux’s sifakas could help (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/madagascars-dry-forests-need-attention-and-verreauxs-sifakas-could-help/ - Western Madagascar is home to some of the country’s poorest communities and its most endangered wildlife, presenting intertwined challenges for conservation. - The region’s characteristic dry forests have been badly damaged by clearing of land for shifting agriculture — and for mining, plantations and timber harvesting — over the past 50 years: Across Madagascar, nearly 60% of dry forest species are classed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. - NGO leaders, scientists and government representatives are forming a dry forest alliance to better coordinate efforts to protect this valuable biome. - Among the new alliance’s first actions was pushing for the inclusion of the critically-endangered Verreaux’s sifaka on the latest list of the World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates, which alliance members hope will attract greater attention to this primate’s threatened habitat. | |
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More deforestation leads to a drier dry season, Amazon study finds (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/more-deforestation-leads-to-a-drier-dry-season-amazon-study-finds/ - Between 2002 and 2015, forest loss in Brazil’s southern Amazon reduced the amount of rainfall during the dry season by more than 5%, a recent study found. - Researchers studying how deforestation in the states of Rondônia and Mato Grosso affected the atmospheric water cycle between 2002 and 2015 found that a reduction in forest cover reduced evapotranspiration and disrupted regional atmospheric systems. - Lower rainfall during the dry season can compromise crops, boost wildfires, and reduce water supplies and river levels, sometimes leaving communities isolated. | |
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Australia approves the world’s first chlamydia vaccine for koalas (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/australia-approves-the-worlds-first-chlamydia-vaccine-for-koalas/ Australia’s veterinary medicine regulator has approved a vaccine to protect koalas from chlamydia, one of the leading causes of koala infertility and death. Researchers found the single-dose vaccine reduced mortality in wild koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) by at least 65%. In some cases, it even reversed existing symptoms in koalas that were already infected. “Koalas are […] | |
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Hyped reports of soaring Sri Lanka elephant deaths don’t match data (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/hyped-reports-of-soaring-sri-lanka-elephant-deaths-dont-match-data/ Claims of a spike in elephant deaths in Sri Lanka this year — amplified by social media and public officials — don’t add up, reports Mongabay contributor Malaka Rodrigo. In fact, analysis of the existing data shows a slight decrease from recent years. The claims are fueled by several headline-grabbing elephant deaths in Sri Lanka […] | |
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How to smuggle a wild Galápagos iguana? Pretend it was bred in Africa (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/how-to-smuggle-a-wild-galapagos-iguana-pretend-it-was-bred-in-africa/ At least 60 wild iguanas have been captured, sold and exported from the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador under permits that shouldn’t have been recognized since Ecuador doesn’t allow the export of live iguanas, Mongabay’s Ana Cristina Alvarado reported. Researchers behind a recent study found that traffickers smuggle the iguanas out of the archipelago, then declare […] | |
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Overcrowding threatens sustainability of jaguar ecotourism in Brazil’s Pantanal (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/overcrowding-threatens-sustainability-of-jaguar-ecotourism-in-brazils-pantanal/ The Brazilian Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland and home to the highest density of jaguars anywhere. Thousands of tourists arrive every year to see the animals in their natural habitat But the boom in tourism has created new problems, Mongabay contributor Francesco Schneider-Eicke reported from Porto Jofre, a jaguar hotspot in the northern Pantanal. […] | |
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The carbon market paradox: Steve Zwick on why financing forests is more complicated than it looks (September 15, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/the-carbon-market-paradox-steve-zwick-on-why-financing-forests-is-harder-than-it-looks/ - Steve Zwick’s career has traced the intersection of climate, finance, and media, from Chicago trading pits to international business reporting, Deutsche Welle, Ecosystem Marketplace, and now his Bionic Planet podcast and Carbon Paradox, where he focuses on clarifying the complexities of carbon markets and REDD+. - He emphasizes that carbon markets are built on probabilities, not certainties, and criticizes both media and advocacy for flattening nuance into oversimplified verdicts. For him, methods evolve through revision, guardrails, and conservative accounting, with avoidance of deforestation often delivering the greatest climate impact. - Zwick frames forest carbon as payment for services protecting a global commons, not charity, and insists that best practice must be community-led. He warns that skewed scrutiny and polarized narratives risk sidelining a tool that, while imperfect, can mobilize resources quickly until deeper emissions cuts take hold. - Zwick was interview by Mongabay Founder and CEO Rhett Ayers Butler in September 2025. | |
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Finding optimism (September 14, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/finding-optimism/ Since publishing my piece on optimism in conservation, I’ve heard from many who are finding it tough. I’m not an expert, but here are ideas that might help in the right situation. There’s a longer version of this piece here. Treat optimism as a method, not a mood. Narrow the frame, pick levers you […] | |
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Forests on Indigenous lands help protect health in the Amazon (September 12, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/forests-on-indigenous-lands-help-protect-health-in-the-amazon/ Healthy forests are more than climate shields; in the Amazon, they also serve as public-health infrastructure. A Communications Earth & Environment study spanning two decades across the biome links the extent and legal status of Indigenous Territories to 27 respiratory, cardiovascular, and zoonotic or vector-borne diseases. The findings are complex, but one pattern is clear: […] | |
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Floodwaters begin receding in a major Pakistani city but nearby towns face evacuations (September 12, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/floodwaters-begin-receding-in-a-major-pakistani-city-but-nearby-towns-face-evacuations/ MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — Officials say floodwaters that threatened a major town in eastern Punjab province have started receding, sparing its 700,000 residents. However, rising waters on Friday swamped villages near two nearby cities, forcing panicked evacuations. The Disaster Management Authority said waters around Jalalpur Pirwala, which had touched the official danger mark, are now […] | |
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Countries shorten tuna fishing closure at Pacific summit with few conservation ‘wins’ (September 12, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/countries-shorten-tuna-fishing-closure-at-pacific-summit-with-few-conservation-wins/ - The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), a multilateral body that manages tuna and other fish stocks in the Eastern Pacific, held its annual meeting Sept. 1-5 in Panama. - Commission members agreed to shorten an annual fishing closure from 72 days to 64 days, which was in keeping with recommendations from the IATTC’s scientific committee. - The members also agreed to move toward adoption, in 2026, of a long-term harvest strategy for bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus). - They didn’t adopt proposals to increase monitoring of longline tuna vessels and strengthen shark protection measures, due to resistance from East Asian members. | |
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Indonesia reopens Raja Ampat nickel mine despite reef damage concerns (September 12, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesia-reopens-raja-ampat-nickel-mine-despite-reef-damage-concerns/ - Indonesia has allowed state-owned PT Gag Nikel to resume mining operations on Gag Island in Raja Ampat, despite a ban on mining small islands and a previous suspension imposed in June. - A 2024 survey commissioned by Gag Nikel reported widespread community complaints of dust, health issues, sedimentation, and coral damage from barges — contradicting the government’s claims of minimal impact. - NGOs say the “green” rating cited by the government to justify the resumption masks real destruction in Raja Ampat, one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems, and note the government has revoked other mining concessions in the area for similar impacts but not Gag Nikel’s. - More than 60,000 people have signed a Greenpeace petition opposing mining in Raja Ampat, warning sedimentation could destroy coral reefs and threaten local livelihoods even as the nickel feeds Indonesia’s EV battery supply chain. | |
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Conservationists split over greener ranching versus ditching beef (September 12, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/conservationists-split-over-greener-ranching-versus-ditching-beef/ Beef production is a major driver of climate change. It fuels deforestation in crucial biomes, a significant source of carbon emissions, and cows themselves produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Regenerative ranching practices aim to reduce the environmental and climate impacts of rearing cattle, but some conservation groups say a pivot away from beef is […] | |
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On World Dolphin Day, spotlight falls on threats to dolphins worldwide (September 12, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/on-world-dolphin-day-spotlight-falls-on-threats-to-dolphins-worldwide/ September 12 is World Dolphin Day. Marine conservation and advocacy nonprofit Sea Shephard created the day in 2022 to remember that dolphins, among the most intelligent animals on Earth, are under threat and need protection. That date, Sept. 12, was chosen to memorialize the massacre of 1,428 Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Leucopleurus acutus) on the Faroe […] | |
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Indonesia flooding traced to corporate canals that drain peatlands: Report (September 12, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesia-flooding-traced-to-corporate-canals-that-drain-peatlands-report/ - Flooding in Indonesia is increasingly traced to corporate destruction of peatlands rather than natural causes, according to a new report by NGO Pantau Gambut. - The construction of industrial-scale canals poses a growing threat; the report found that 281,253 kilometers of canals have cut through peatland ecosystems, draining the peat and compromising its sponge-like function. - In addition, the report concluded that peatland protection laws are deeply flawed, as they serve corporate profit interests, rather than environmental protection. | |
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Ebony’s uncertain future without elephants (September 11, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/ebonys-uncertain-future-without-elephants/ In 2017, when Vincent Deblauwe joined the Congo Basin Institute in Cameroon to study African ebony, he soon realized the fate of the tree lay with another species. Around campfires and during treks, the Indigenous Baka people told him that the forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) was key to the survival of African ebony (Diospyros crassiflora). […] | |
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Photos: Indigenous elders push for comeback of the revered Philippine crocodile (September 11, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indigenous-elders-push-for-comeback-of-the-revered-philippine-crocodile-photos/ - The critically endangered Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) embodies strength and protective spirits for Indigenous Agta elders who are involved in efforts to rebrand the image of the predator. - Thanks to conservation efforts led by the Mabuwaya Foundation in partnership with local and Indigenous communities, the wild crocodile population in a region of the northern Philippines increased from one adult in 1999 to 125 individuals by 2024. - Community sanctuary guards, known as Bantay Sanktuwaryo, play a significant role in safeguarding the crocodiles and their habitat despite ongoing challenges posed by illegal fishing, agricultural encroachment and inadequate law enforcement. - Conservationists warn that without stable funding and stronger government support, even successful grassroots efforts may not ensure the species’ long-term survival. | |
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Park guardians or destroyers? Study dissects 2 narratives of DRC’s Indigenous Batwa (September 11, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/park-guardians-or-destroyers-study-dissects-2-narratives-of-drcs-indigenous-batwa/ - A recent study looks at two polarized characterizations of Indigenous people in Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo: forest guardians vs. forest destroyers. - The two narratives are rooted in colonial perspectives on the Batwa people who had lived inside the park until they were evicted in the 20th century; today, some Batwa populations have returned in an effort to try to rebuild their lives. - Tensions remain between Batwa members who say they have faced broken promises and insufficient support from park management, but the park management team says it prioritizes Indigenous rights and efforts to improve livelihoods; meanwhile, the situation on the ground is changing amid renewed M23 rebel violence. - Researchers say the overall situation is much more nuanced than the two narratives of forest guardians vs. destroyers allow for. | |
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More than half the world’s forests fragmented in 20 years — but protection works: Study (September 11, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/more-than-half-the-worlds-forests-fragmented-in-20-years-but-protection-works-study/ - Large intact forests and connected landscapes support biodiversity and ecosystem processes. - Globally, more than half of the world’s forests became more fragmented between 2000 and 2020, according to a new Science study, with the highest rates in the tropics. - The study used new measures of fragmentation that more closely align with ecological functions and is higher than previous estimates of fragmentation rates. - The study also finds that in the tropical forests, protected areas experienced much lower rates of fragmentation than similar unprotected forests. | |
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Largest turtle nest in the world revealed in drone study (September 11, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/largest-turtle-nest-in-the-world-revealed-in-drone-study/ Scientists studying the world’s largest river turtles, a South American species that grows to a length of nearly a meter, or 3 feet, have found the largest nesting aggregation ever recorded. Using drones to conduct a population survey in the western Brazilian Amazon, researchers recorded a nesting area of the endangered giant South American river […] | |
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Experimental ocean climate fixes move ahead without regulation (September 11, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/experimental-ocean-climate-fixes-move-ahead-without-regulation/ Experimental climate interventions in the world’s oceans are moving ahead in a regulatory vacuum, raising concerns among scientists about potential risks, Mongabay staff writer Edward Carver reported. The projects, known as marine-climate interventions, aim to tackle global warming or help people and ocean life adapt to climate change. But a group of 24 researchers warned […] | |
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An indestructible invasive anemone threatens Chilean Patagonia’s seas (September 11, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/an-indestructible-invasive-anemone-threatens-chilean-patagonias-seas/ - Native to the northern hemisphere, plumose anemones have spread across Chilean Patagonia. - Scientists estimate that it was likely introduced in the late 20th century via ship ballast water. - The exotic species occupies the seabed and displaces native communities of shellfish, mollusks and corals. - The anemone’s presence is associated with a decline in biodiversity, and artisanal fishers are concerned. | |
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The need for success stories in conservation (commentary) (September 11, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/the-need-for-success-stories-in-conservation/ - Optimism is a strategy in conservation—grounded in evidence and small, local wins that build agency and scale. - Rhett ayers butler, the founder and ceo of mongabay, argues that pairing hard truths with credible success stories counters doom, mobilizes action, and keeps coalitions working. - Real-world recoveries—mountain gorillas, revived marshes, and leopard shark reintroductions—show how disciplined optimism, sound policy, and community leadership turn concern into measurable results. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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An elusive deer species clings to survival in Sri Lanka’s south (September 11, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/an-elusive-deer-species-clings-to-survival-in-sri-lankas-south/ - The hog deer (Axis porcinus), Sri Lanka’s most threatened deer species, is classified as critically endangered in the country and survives only in fragmented habitats in the island’s southwest. - A year-long survey recorded 306 adults and 22 fawns, showing a modest increase in their numbers, but an array of threats continues to put pressure on the species’ survival. - Conservationists warn against major threats including attacks by feral dogs and water monitors, road accidents and habitat loss, while garbage dumping alters predator dynamics, adding a fresh threat. - Debate continues over whether Sri Lanka’s hog deer is native or introduced, with fossil evidence hinting at an ancient presence but some theories indicating colonial-era introductions. | |
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Researchers describe three new-to-science snailfish species off California coast (September 11, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/researchers-describe-three-new-to-science-snailfish-species-off-california-coast/ In 2019, researchers surveying the seafloor off the coast of California came upon three unusual species of small fishes with large heads: one with bumpy pink skin, and the other two both black in color. The team collected the fish using underwater research vehicles and later analyzed their DNA and bodies. Their analysis showed that […] | |
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Indonesia’s giant Java seawall plan sparks criticism & calls for alternatives (September 11, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesias-giant-java-seawall-plan-sparks-criticism-calls-for-alternatives/ - Indonesia has launched a massive new project on Java’s northern coast, framed as protection for millions of residents from worsening environmental threats. - The plan has drawn sharp criticism from experts and activists who question its methods, costs and potential impact on vulnerable communities. - Calls are growing for deeper public consultation and long-term solutions that go beyond quick fixes. | |
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Scientists are breeding rare and endangered animals in China’s longest river (September 11, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/scientists-are-breeding-rare-and-endangered-animals-in-chinas-longest-river/ WUHAN, China (AP) — A dozen sleek grey Yangtze finless porpoises glide inside a vast pool at the Institute of Hydrobiology in Wuhan as scientists find ways to protect and breed the rare mammals in China’s longest river. The Yangtze River is one of the busiest inland waterways in the world with 16 major ports. […] | |
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Vian Ruma, Indonesian activist, found dead. Aged 30. (September 10, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/vian-ruma-indonesian-activist-found-dead-aged-30/ He taught mathematics in a small state school on Flores and organized the parish youth group on weekends. Numbers ordered his days; community gave them purpose. In recent years, he also helped mobilize opposition to plans to tap the island’s restless geology for power. On Sept. 5, 2025, Vian Ruma was found dead, hanging from […] | |
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Controlling wildlife crime saves more than species (commentary) (September 10, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/controlling-wildlife-crime-saves-more-than-species-commentary/ - The illegal wildlife trade threatens many species worldwide but also jeopardizes local communities’ well-being and livelihoods, breaks down law and order in society, compromises people’s safety and security, and promotes corruption, a new op-ed argues. - Organized criminal networks typically depend on vulnerable, cash-poor people in local communities to capture and transport wildlife across borders, but even when they’re not caught, the damage to their families and communities can be great. - That’s because this trade can be utilized for any form of illegal activity, not just wildlife crime, according to the writer: “People involved in the illegal wildlife chain are often found involved in other crimes as well, such as drugs, arms and gold smuggling, and money laundering. All these activities promote various forms of corruption, harming societal development and entrenching the cycle of poverty.” - This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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In southeast Nigeria, pangolins hunted for meat, not scales, study finds (September 10, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/in-southeast-nigeria-pangolins-hunted-for-meat-not-scales-study-finds/ - African pangolins are heavily hunted to meet the international demand for scales as well as for their meat in the local bushmeat trade. But how much each contributes to the hunting of these beleaguered mammals in various parts of Nigeria, a trafficking hub, is unclear. - For a recent study, researchers interviewed more than 800 hunters and meat vendors in southeast Nigeria, a poaching hotspot, and found that hunters almost always hunt pangolins opportunistically, mostly for their meat rather than their scales. - Hunters ranked pangolin meat highly for its palatability, and told researchers they ate most of it themselves, or sold it. Because local demand for scales is limited, nearly 70% of the scales are simply discarded. - Conservationists say understanding the local drivers of demand helps design targeted conservation strategies, such as providing alternative livelihoods and food security. | |
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In Argentina, lithium exploration proceeds amid community disputes (September 10, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/in-argentina-lithium-exploration-proceeds-amid-community-disputes/ - In 2023, the Argentine crude oil exporter Pan American Energy announced its plans to start exploring for lithium in Argentina’s Jujuy and Salta provinces. - Sources told Mongabay that the company did not conduct an adequate free, prior and informed consultation (FPIC) with affected communities before beginning to explore for lithium on their ancestral land. - They also expressed concerns about the lack of public information about the mining projects and the potential impact on the Salinas Grandes and Laguna de Guayatayoc basin, which Indigenous communities in the region depend on for their livelihoods. - Lithium mining here may impact two important flamingo species that inhabit the region and other key wetland bird species, biologists have said. | |
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Brazil’s market-based forest fund gets new endorsers ahead of COP30 debut (September 10, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/brazils-market-based-forest-fund-gets-new-endorsers-ahead-of-cop30-debut/ - The Tropical Forest Finance Facility (TFFF) initiative is expected to be launched at Brazil’s COP30, in November, and has received attention due to potential financial support from China. - In July and August this year, BRICS leaders and Amazonian cooperating countries endorsed a Brazil-led initiative that seeks to reward states and investors in exchange for tropical forest preservation. - Despite bringing a new formula for a much-awaited solution to climate financing, the TFFF was criticized in a recent report as being a market-based approach that could monetize ecosystem services, ignoring the intrinsic value of forests and biodiversity. | |
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Lithium mining leaves severe impacts in Chile, but new methods exist: Report (September 10, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/lithium-mining-leaves-severe-impacts-in-chile-but-new-methods-exist-report/ - A new report on the impact of lithium mining in South America’s lithium triangle finds the rush to extract lithium in Chile’s Salar de Atacama has had a severe impact on the area’s water supplies. - This has impacted the region’s Indigenous peoples, including the Lickanantay (Atacameño) peoples, who have faced a loss of vegetation cover and the disappearance of lagoons they depend on. - Indigenous Colla people, whose land has not yet been exploited, told Mongabay they are concerned about the potential impact on their water supply if mining proceeds without implementing more sustainable mining methods, such as direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies. - Researchers say DLE can reduce the amount of water needed for lithium mining but it still comes with challenges. | |
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Death of activist critical of geothermal project raises alarm in Indonesia (September 10, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/death-of-activist-critical-of-geothermal-project-raises-alarm-in-indonesia/ - Vian Ruma, a 30-year-old opponent of a geothermal project on Flores Island, was found dead under circumstances his family and allies say point to foul play. - His death highlights Indonesia’s long and worsening record of attacks on environmental defenders, with activists saying most violence and killings of activists in the past decade have targeted this group. - Under President Prabowo Subianto, cases of threats and attacks on environmental human rights defenders have more than doubled in early 2025 compared to the same period last year. - Police and companies increasingly use criminal charges to silence critics, deepening fears among civil society of shrinking space to call out environmental violations. | |
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Maluku coconut growers cry crisis as Indonesia land-grabs feed energy transition (September 10, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/maluku-coconut-growers-cry-crisis-as-indonesia-land-grabs-feed-energy-transition/ - Numerous villages in Indonesia’s Halmahera Island face extensive compulsory purchase actions for farming land by mining companies with extraction permits issued by the government. - One farmer said he faced sustained pressure from local authorities to accept offers of $1.22 per square meter of land, which did not account for the recurring revenues earned from multiple coconut harvests per year. - The South Wasile’s police chief sent an emphatic denial to Mongabay Indonesia when asked whether local police were involved in company efforts to persuade farmers to sign contracts of sale. - Mongabay has reported this year from Halmahera on a rise in respiratory disease and high levels of mercury present in blood samples in communities living alongside Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP), the giant nickel smelting center on Halmahera. | |
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Tourism surge and climate change threaten Nepal’s Mustang (September 10, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/tourism-surge-and-climate-change-threaten-nepals-mustang/ Since the completion of an all-weather road eight years ago, Nepal’s remote Mustang region has become a mass tourism destination, reports Mongabay’s Abhaya Raj Joshi. The surge in tourists, combined with the impacts of climate change, could put the fragile Himalayan region at greater risk of future disasters. Previously, Mustang was a destination for foreign […] | |
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Cambodian irrigation dam construction threatens riverine communities in the Cardamoms (September 10, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/cambodian-irrigation-dam-construction-threatens-riverine-communities-in-the-cardamoms/ - Cambodia has begun clearing more than 7,300 hectares (18,000 acres) of protected rainforest in Kravanh National Park to build an irrigation dam, with nearly 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) to be submerged by its reservoir. - The Cardamom Mountains, where the park is located, are among Cambodia’s last biodiversity hotspots, home to elephants, pangolins and gibbons, but dam projects and illegal logging are accelerating habitat loss. - Villagers upstream of the dam say they’ll lose forest access, water and livelihoods, while downstream rice farmers stand to benefit; residents report they were not properly consulted. - The project overlaps with a REDD+ carbon-offset area and appears to have broken ground without a completed environmental impact assessment, raising legal and transparency questions. | |
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Top court delivers a ‘huge’ climate win for island nations (September 9, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2025/09/top-court-delivers-a-huge-climate-win-for-island-nations/ The recent advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on states’ obligations regarding climate change was celebrated globally for providing clarity on countries’ legal obligation to prevent climate harm, but was also appreciated by island nations for its additional certainty on their maritime boundaries remaining intact regardless of sea level rise. This week […] | |
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African wildlife conservation is local communities’ burden (commentary) (September 9, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/african-wildlife-conservation-is-local-communities-burden-commentary/ - Africa is home to a large portion of the world’s biodiversity, and while much is known about its wildlife, the human dimensions of conservation are still not well understood or appreciated. - In many places, African people have been excluded from their traditional lands by protected areas, often by force, and yet these same people carry the burden of conservation on multiple fronts. - “Instead of investing more money in militarization, we must invest resources into reconciliation with African peoples across time and scale to build new visions of conservation that are anchored in their diversity and knowledge,” a new op-ed argues. - This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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African leaders push for climate investment at Ethiopia summit (September 9, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/african-leaders-push-for-climate-investment-at-ethiopia-summit/ ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — African leaders met Monday in the Ethiopian capital for the second Africa Climate Summit, where they proposed a new way of thinking about climate adaptation funding and called for the continent to be viewed not as a victim, but as an investment opportunity. With a population of more than one billion, African countries […] | |
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Rainwater reveals the hidden life of rainforest canopies, study shows (September 9, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/rainwater-reveals-the-hidden-life-of-rainforest-canopies-study-shows/ - Researchers developed a cost-effective way to collect DNA from species high in the rainforest canopy: they hung umbrellas to collect rainwater that washed through the trees. - The method revealed 562 taxa across French Guiana’s Amazonian forests, capturing genetic signatures from elusive nocturnal mammals, poorly documented reptiles, and countless undescribed insects that traditional survey techniques consistently overlook. - Comparative analysis showed old-growth forests harbored 1.3 to 1.9 times greater species diversity than in nearby managed plantations. - This simple technique provides local communities and conservationists with a practical way to monitor their forests, as each raindrop carries genetic evidence of the species present in the area over time. | |
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Indonesia prioritizes gas over renewables to meet power demand surge (September 9, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesia-prioritizes-gas-over-renewables-to-meet-power-demand-surge/ - Indonesia’s state electricity company PLN is betting big on natural gas as a “bridging fuel” ahead of a big buildup of renewables. - But it is at least half again more expensive than coal, and domestic supplies are running low. - Critics say gas is costly, existing plants are underused, and the policy risks locking Indonesia into fossil fuels while diverting funds from clean energy. - Domestic gas supply is also declining as wells age, raising fears of shortages by the mid-2030s unless new reserves are tapped. | |
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Fear & uncertainty grip Nigerian community after fatal elephant attack (September 9, 2025) https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/fear-uncertainty-grip-nigerian-community-after-fatal-elephant-attack/ - A 50-year-old farmer, Yaya Musa, popularly known as Kala, was attacked and killed by an elephant in the Itasin-Imobi community, in Nigeria’s Ogun state, in late July. - Villagers say they live in constant fear of elephant attacks, with two previous incidents reported in recent years, including an assault on Badmus Kazeem, a chainsaw operator in 2024, who spent seven months in the hospital recovering from injuries. - The Ogun state commissioner for forestry reportedly says the incident occurred in a designated wildlife area, but community members reject this claim, insisting their ancestral lands predate the elephant reserve and that their livelihoods depend on farming and fishing in the area. | |
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