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Chile’s plan to protect another 10% of its ocean is stalled by the new government (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/chiles-plan-to-protect-another-10-of-its-ocean-is-stalled-by-the-new-government/ The expansion of two vast Pacific marine parks near Chile have been suspended for six weeks, leaving protections for around 337,000 square kilometers (130,000 square miles) of ocean in limbo. Former President Gabriel Boric signed a decree creating marine parks Juan Fernández II and Nazca-Desventuradas II on March 10, his last day in office. Together […] | |
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Scientists forecast wildfire risk for species survival under climate change (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/scientists-forecast-wildfire-risk-for-species-survival-under-climate-change/ A new study warns climate change could increase the global area susceptible to wildfires in the future, putting many more species at risk than today. Previous research has shown that climate change is increasing the risk of wildfires as precipitation patterns change and vegetation becomes drier in parts of the world. Researchers have now projected […] | |
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Elephants adjust what they eat in altered habitats, signaling growing pressure (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/elephants-adjust-what-they-eat-in-altered-habitats-signaling-growing-pressure/ Asian elephants are adapting to rapidly changing landscapes by diversifying their diets — a sign of resilience, but also a warning about the pressures reshaping their habitats, according to a recent study from Malaysia. Researchers collected feces from wild Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) across two distinct landscapes in Peninsular Malaysia: one with primary and secondary […] | |
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Brazil FOIA confirms Lula & Macron talked before key CITES vote on endangered tree (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/brazil-foia-confirms-lula-macron-talked-before-key-cites-vote-on-endangered-tree/ - Earlier in 2026, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s office denied to Mongabay that he had had a phone call with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, before a decisive vote at the 2025 meeting of CITES, the global wildlife trade treaty to secure the highest trade protections for endangered Brazilwood. - But after Mongabay’s Freedom of Information Act request, Lula’s office confirmed the two leaders had, in fact, been in direct communication during the CITES summit. The confirmation comes after allegations that last-minute political maneuvers by France diluted Brazil’s proposal and resulted in reduced protections. France has not responded to Mongabay’s similar freedom of information request, and has declined to comment about any communications between Lulu and Macron at the CITES summit. - Brazilwood is highly sought-after by the music industry to craft violin bows costing up to $8,200 apiece. The species, endemic to Brazil, has declined by 84% over the last three generations and is now critically endangered. | |
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Disaster impacts in 2025 were ‘typical’ despite no mega-disasters: Report (April 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/disaster-impacts-in-2025-were-typical-despite-no-mega-disasters-report/ More than 110 million people were affected by 358 reported disasters in 2025, according to the annual report by the Emergency Events Database. The year was consistent with a typical year of disaster impacts, with no mega-disasters recorded. The report looked at nine different types of disasters and only found above-average impacts from storms. The […] | |
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Indigenous peoples’ health cannot be separated from the environment, U.N. delegates warn (April 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/indigenous-peoples-health-cannot-be-separated-from-the-environment-un-delegates-warn/ - At the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, experts called attention to the impacts of conflict on Indigenous health, particularly through food systems, water and damage to ecosystems they depend on. - A widely discussed study, published by former permanent forum member Geoffrey Roth, argued that sectoral approaches to health have “consistently failed Indigenous Peoples” by confining health to a “clinical and public health” mandate. - As a public health solution, advocates at the forum pushed for the WHO and member states to focus their attention on land tenure and ecosystem stewardship. | |
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How much does a penguin weigh? (April 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/how-much-does-a-penguin-weigh/ The African penguins are the only species of penguins in Africa. However, they are critically endangered due to shortage of food. Sardines and anchovies form a big part of their diet. Due to rising ocean temperatures, pollution and overfishing, fish stocks have massively declined in recent decades. As a result, African penguins are struggling to […] | |
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Oil spill continues in Gulf of Mexico vulnerable habitats, while Pemex admits fault (April 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/oil-spill-continues-in-gulf-of-mexico-vulnerable-habitats-while-pemex-admits-fault/ - An oil spill has contaminated 933 kilometers (about 580 miles) of shoreline along the western Gulf of Mexico, impacting the Mexican states of Veracruz, Tamaulipas, Campeche and Tabasco in eastern Mexico. - After two months of contradictory theories about what could have caused the spill, Mexico’s national oil company, Pemex, admitted the spill was caused by a leak in one of its pipelines. - Local communities have had to reduce or stop their fishing and ecotourism activities due to a lack of information from authorities about the risks of coming into contact with the water, and despite a government-led cleanup, residents continue to document damages to the environment, such as oil-slicked vegetation and intoxicated or dead fauna. - Conservationists say the containment of the spill is urgent for the protection of more than 1,000 marine species, among them, endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles whose nesting season is underway on the beaches of northern Veracruz and Tamaulipas. | |
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Study finds bottom trawling nets 3,000 marine fish species, including threatened ones (April 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/study-finds-bottom-trawling-nets-3000-marine-fish-species-including-threatened-ones/ How many marine fish species do bottom trawls catch? Researchers now have a list, and it’s long, running to some 3,000 species, according to a recent study. Bottom trawling is a commercially popular, and controversial, fishing method in which boats drag weighted nets along the seafloor. Usually they target commercially valuable marine life at the […] | |
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Forest-focused environment laws may be pushing farming into other ecosystems (April 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/forest-focused-environment-laws-may-be-pushing-farming-into-other-ecosystems/ Grasslands, wetlands and other nonforest ecosystems are being converted to agricultural land far faster than forests. However, they remain largely overlooked by Europe’s flagship antideforestation law and other environmental policies, according to a new report by the Rainforest Alliance, World Resources Institute and partner organizations. The report found such ecosystems are being lost to agriculture […] | |
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AI tool listens for endangered orcas in real time to reduce human disturbance (April 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/ai-tool-listens-for-endangered-orcas-in-real-time-to-reduce-human-disturbance/ - An AI initiative is listening to southern resident orcas in real-time to help them steer clear of vessels and noisy coastal construction. - OrcaHello builds on a network of underwater microphones to detect orcas and push out alerts that have helped pause coastal construction and redirect boat traffic as the orcas pass by. - Southern resident orcas are considered an endangered subspecies, with only 76 remaining individuals. - Major threats to the species include a decline in their food sources, primarily Chinook salmon, along with noise pollution and vessel traffic. | |
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New atlas aims to help save Africa’s disappearing wetlands (April 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/new-atlas-aims-to-help-save-africas-disappearing-wetlands/ Since 1970, more than a third of the world’s wetlands have been lost, at a rate three times faster than forest loss. To help governments and funders prioritize wetlands in need of protection or restoration, the global nonprofit Wetlands International has launched the new Wetland Atlas. The interactive atlas integrates spatial information on different wetlands […] | |
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In Nepal, controversial dam threatens endangered pangolins: Study (April 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-nepal-controversial-dam-threatens-endangered-pangolins-study/ - The proposed Nagmati Dam in Nepal’s capital potentially threatens critically endangered Chinese pangolins by flooding their prime habitat. - Researchers warn that pangolins are especially vulnerable due to their small home ranges and specific habitat needs, meaning even limited habitat loss could have severe population impacts. - The dam’s environmental impact assessment is criticized for failing to properly acknowledge or evaluate risks to these threatened species. - Beyond pangolins, other threatened wildlife in the park — including leopards and Himalayan black bear — may face displacement, increasing ecological stress and conflict risks. | |
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Why forest conservation is also public health (April 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/why-forest-conservation-is-also-public-health/ - A new study from Madagascar provides the first complete mitochondrial genomes for two endemic tuft-tailed rats, offering a clearer baseline for identifying and tracking native rodent species. - Fieldwork found these native rodents only in intact forest, while degraded areas were dominated by invasive black rats, suggesting a shift in community composition linked to habitat change. - Understanding which rodent species are present, where they live, and how their populations change is critical not just for biodiversity, but for identifying how pathogen dynamics may shift across landscapes. - The research illustrates how improved ecological monitoring can connect conservation and public health, supporting the view that protecting ecosystems and managing disease risk are closely linked. | |
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How marine flyways could help save the world’s declining seabird population (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/04/how-marine-flyways-could-help-save-the-worlds-declining-seabird-population/ The routes taken by migratory birds, known as flyways, often cross vast expanses of ocean. Six of these marine flyways have now been formally recognized by the U.N.’s Convention on Migratory Species, at the suggestion of scientists who published their findings on these flyways in the British Ecological Society’s Journal of Applied Ecology. Tammy Davies, […] | |
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Appeals court keeps ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ open, rejecting need for federal environmental review (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/appeals-court-keeps-alligator-alcatraz-open-rejecting-need-for-federal-environmental-review/ ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — An immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz” will remain open, an appeals court decided Tuesday, upholding its earlier decision to block a judge’s order for the facility to wind down operations because it didn’t comply with federal environmental law. A majority on the three-judge panel from the Eleventh […] | |
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New treaty to end the fossil fuel era is needed more than ever (commentary) (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/new-treaty-to-end-the-fossil-fuel-era-is-needed-more-than-ever-commentary/ - As oil prices rise along with the social and environmental tolls of both war and continuing fossil fuel use, delegates from 50 nations are about to gather in Colombia to frame a treaty that moves the world more quickly toward a renewable future. - Policy breakthroughs can occur outside formal U.N. processes like this, and the Santa Marta conference beginning April 24 seeks to add momentum for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. - “The end of fossil fuels is no longer a distant goal; it is an unfolding reality. The task now is to govern it,” a new op-ed argues. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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Vaupés River contamination identified near rapidly expanding Amazonian town (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/vaupes-river-contamination-identified-near-rapidly-expanding-amazonian-town/ - Indigenous people who live downstream from a rapidly expanding Amazonian town on the banks of the Vaupés River told Mongabay the river is contaminated by sewage and has made people sick. - To verify this, Mongabay obtained water quality studies from the Corporation for Sustainable Development of the Northern and Eastern Amazon, which confirmed that sewage contamination and organic load are above safe limits and may impact public health and the quality of the aquatic ecosystem. - Traditionally, the Macaquiño community downstream considers the Vaupés River to be a living being with whom they coexist and depend on it for bathing, fishing and human consumption. - Public authorities in Mitú said the contamination stems in part from the municipality’s poorly constructed wastewater treatment plant, which was built on a flood zone and therefore frequently collapses, dumping untreated sewage into the river. | |
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At the U.N., Indigenous leaders tackle how to enforce global climate court rulings (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/at-the-u-n-indigenous-leaders-tackle-how-to-enforce-global-climate-court-rulings/ - In the last year, international courts issued an advisory opinion and ruling calling on state governments to be accountable for the impacts of climate change, to reduce fossil fuel emissions and to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into climate policies. - At the U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Indigenous representatives say that U.N. member states would prefer to ignore their climate obligations, leaving open the question of whether these rulings can be implemented, enforced, and used to protect Indigenous land and rights. - In Latin America and the Caribbean, there exist strong legal frameworks that coexist with persistent failures in implementation, according the the special rapporteur on Indigenous peoples. - The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights is currently considering a case on states’ climate obligations, including how African governments should handle climate-related displacement. | |
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Chinese court cases reveal most trafficked rhino horns come from Southern Africa (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/chinese-court-cases-reveal-most-trafficked-rhino-horns-come-from-southern-africa/ - A new report from the Environmental Investigation Agency analyzed more than 250 rhino horn trafficking cases prosecuted in China between 2013 and 2025 to understand smuggling routes and trends within the country. - Chinese courts have convicted more than 500 traffickers, who received an average of 4.5 years in prison and fines of about 92,322 yuan ($13,540). Most rhino horns smuggled into China came from South Africa and Mozambique, entering by land across the border from Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos. - Rhino horns are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, but most court cases involved sculpted rhino horns and trinkets sold in antique and curio shops. About one-third of consumers were in big cities: Beijing, Jiangsu and Shanghai. - Unrelenting demand for rhino horns, along with attempts by Southern African countries to open legal trade in stockpiled horns, could make it challenging to fight trafficking, as poaching decimates rhino populations across their African and Asian ranges. | |
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We can navigate conservation’s ‘epidemic of suffering’ by building a culture of care (commentary) (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/we-can-navigate-conservations-epidemic-of-suffering-by-building-a-culture-of-care-commentary/ - Several recent features published by Mongabay have shared the emotional strain that conservationists are under from increasing environmental degradation, job losses, moral injury, and a sense of isolation. - Various organizations and initiatives have emerged in response to the need to build an emotionally resilient conservation community, and two conservation professionals who co-founded one of these describe what they’ve learned in a new commentary. - “The emotional toll of conservation is real, and so is our capacity to respond to it. Regardless of your role, we invite you to join any of these movements toward a conservation culture of care,” they write. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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A campaign to protect one of the planet’s only expanding kelp forests takes shape (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-campaign-to-protect-one-of-the-planets-only-expanding-kelp-forests-takes-shape/ - Stretching more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) along the coast of South Africa, the Great African Seaforest is home to thousands of species, many of them endemic, and is one of the few expanding kelp forests in the world. - The Academy Award-winning documentary “My Octopus Teacher” was set in the Great African Seaforest. - Although slivers of the kelp forest fall under marine protected areas, the ecosystem is mostly not conserved. - Marine scientists are working to inventory the species found here in the hopes of raising its profile, both internationally and among the communities that live alongside it on the South African coast. | |
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Fossil fuel subsidies and high costs stall energy transition across rural Indonesia (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/fossil-fuel-subsidies-and-high-costs-stall-energy-transition-across-rural-indonesia/ - Research by the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) and Greenpeace shows the number of villages across Indonesia using solar energy among households declined by more than a quarter between 2021 and 2024. - The authors of the Village Energy Transition Index said adoption of renewable energy in villages may reflect high installation costs and government subsidies for fossil fuels. - Significant regional inequality exists between Java and other wealthier regions compared with the east of Indonesia, where solar potential energy is greater and where more rural communities would benefit from the technology. - Anecdotal testimony indicates installations of basic photovoltaic systems often do not last long due to difficulties and costs associated with repairing units after a component fails, a particular challenge in coastal areas where salt corrosion is a factor. | |
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Push for solar park in Sri Lanka’s elephant terrain raises concern (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/push-for-solar-park-in-sri-lankas-elephant-terrain-raises-concern/ - A state-approved solar energy park in Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka is being developed on the edge of a managed elephant range, or MER, with some land clearances overlapping with elephant ranges. - Local communities are protesting the clearing of shrub forests, which are key elephant habitats, a disruption of which can result in the fragmentation of traditional elephant corridors and intensify human-elephant conflict, driving the animals toward villages and farms. - Conservationists call for adherence to the original MER boundaries, noting that unclear procedures for land-use approval, de-listing and boundary revisions are impacting the intended conservation framework. - While renewable energy expansion is critical for Sri Lanka’s energy security and to reach its climate goals by reducing fossil fuel dependence, the Hambantota solar push highlights growing tension between clean energy development and biodiversity protection in Sri Lanka. | |
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Translucent microsnail discovered in Cambodia: Photo of the week (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/translucent-microsnail-discovered-in-cambodia-photo-of-the-week/ In 2024, scientists found a tiny new-to-science translucent microsnail in a cave of Banan Hill, a limestone hill that is part of the karst ecosystem of Battambang province in western Cambodia. The snail is less than 2 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide and long including its shell, about the size of a pinhead. The scientists behind […] | |
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How do you write the life of someone who avoided the spotlight? Miriam Horn on her biography of George Schaller (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/how-do-you-write-the-life-of-someone-who-avoided-the-spotlight-miriam-horn-on-her-biography-of-george-schaller/ - Miriam Horn’s Homesick for a World Unknown presents George B. Schaller as a figure best understood through accumulation rather than revelation, tracing a life oriented outward toward animals and the field. - Drawing on journals, letters, and archival material, the book moves between landscapes and institutions, emphasizing how Schaller worked and how knowledge was produced under field conditions rather than focusing on personal introspection or narrative drama. - Horn situates Schaller within broader shifts in zoology and conservation, showing how his long-term observational approach both reflected and helped shape changing scientific practices and conservation thinking. - In an April 2026 exchange with Rhett Ayers Butler, Horn discussed the challenges of writing about a subject who resisted interpretation, as well as the practical and structural decisions involved in shaping the biography. | |
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Five ‘lost’ bird species rediscovered in 2025 (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/five-lost-bird-species-rediscovered-in-2025/ In 2025, birders and scientists found five “lost” bird species that had gone undocumented for a decade or more. As Mongabay’s Spoorthy Raman reports, these findings have helped reduce the total number on the global “Lost Birds List” from 163 in 2022 to 120 today. To be classified as “lost,” a species must not have […] | |
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Luis Yanza, campaigner who battled big oil in the Amazon rainforest (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/luis-yanza-campaigner-who-battled-big-oil-in-the-amazon-rainforest/ - Oil development in Ecuador’s Amazon left widespread contamination, prompting a decades-long legal case testing whether affected communities could hold a multinational company to account. - Luis Yanza organized plaintiffs across remote regions, sustaining a coalition of more than 80 villages while legal proceedings moved between Texaco (later Chevron) and courts in the United States and Ecuador. - Working with Pablo Fajardo, he helped build claims around environmental damage and public health, contributing to a 2012 Ecuadorian judgment ordering billions in damages, though enforcement remains unresolved. - Awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2008, Yanza spent his life sustaining a campaign that brought global attention to the case, even as the underlying dispute over responsibility and cleanup continued. | |
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Climate displacement in Africa: Court opinion could define states’ obligations (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/climate-displacement-in-africa-court-opinion-could-define-states-obligations/ The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights is expected to soon issue an advisory opinion on states’ obligations toward internally displaced persons affected by climate change. “Internally displaced people exist on every inhabited continent,” Erica Bower, a researcher on climate displacement with Human Rights Watch, said in a phone interview with Mongabay. “The advisory […] | |
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Goldman Prize winner Alannah Hurley fights Pebble Mine “from a place of love” (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/goldman-prize-winner-alannah-hurley-fights-pebble-mine-from-a-place-of-love/ - Alannah Acaq Hurley, executive director of the United Tribes of Bristol Bay, has been awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for organizing opposition to what would have been the largest open-pit mine in North America, called Pebble Mine. - Proposed in 2001, Pebble Mine was vetoed in 2023 by the Environmental Protection Agency for posing a major threat to the abundant salmon fishery of Bristol Bay, in southeast Alaska. That veto received additional support this year in court by the Department of Justice. - In an interview with Mongabay, Hurley discussed the long path she and the United Tribes of Bristol Bay’s coalition have walked to defeat Pebble, as well as the hurdles that remain ahead as the fight moves to court, and as UTBB pursues more comprehensive protections for the Bristol Bay watershed. | |
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Bringing the world’s rewilders together: Interview with Alister Scott (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/bringing-the-worlds-rewilders-together-interview-with-alister-scott/ - Rewilding — the process of letting nature take over — is gaining momentum across the globe with several grassroots organizations working on efforts to restore landscapes. - Global Rewilding Alliance (GRA), an umbrella organization with nearly 300 partner organizations across six continents, aims to bring these efforts together and help rewilders collaborate and learn from each other. - In an interview with Mongabay, executive director Alister Scott shares what rewilding looks like in practice, challenges it faces and how his organization is helping rewilders take the movement forward. | |
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War, climate change, and AI on the agenda at this year’s U.N. Indigenous forum (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/war-climate-change-and-ai-on-the-agenda-at-this-years-u-n-indigenous-forum/ - From April 20 to May 1, 2026, Indigenous delegates from around the world will gather at the United Nation Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York City to discuss the latest issues Indigenous peoples are facing and provide expert advice and recommendations in the U.N. system. - This year’s forum is focused on the topic of survival in the midst of war, with its official theme “Ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ health, including in the context of conflict.” - Experts emphasize that Indigenous peoples already face health inequities from colonialism and climate change, and these harms are compounded by armed conflicts, unsustainable extraction for the AI boom and biodiversity conservation policies that risk ecological degradation and further displacement of Indigenous peoples from their lands. - Indigenous delegates planning to attend the forum shared their thoughts and plans for the forum. | |
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Chernobyl’s radioactive landscape is a testament to nature’s resilience and survival spirit (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/chernobyls-radioactive-landscape-is-a-testament-to-natures-resilience-and-survival-spirit/ CHERNOBYL, Ukraine (AP) — Wildlife is thriving again four decades after the nuclear disaster at Ukraine’s Chernobyl power plant in what became the exclusion zone created by the forced mass evacuations of the population. Wolves, bears and lynx have rebounded in the radioactive landscape, along with a rare breed of horses native to Mongolia. Scientists […] | |
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Nigerian bat specialist wins Goldman Prize for community conservation work (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/nigerian-bat-specialist-wins-goldman-prize-for-community-conservation-work/ - Between January and April, farmers in Nigeria’s Cross River state use fire to clear land for planting — fires which sometimes burn out of control, destroying standing crops and neighboring forest. - Since 2022, bat specialist Iroro Tanshi’s Small Mammal Conservation Organization (SMACON) has worked with five villages near southern Nigeria’s Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary to prevent dangerous fires. - Tanshi’s work with communities around Afi, which is home to critically endangered bats, gorillas and chimpanzees, has now been recognized with the Goldman Environmental Prize. | |
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To tackle trafficking in gibbons, experts probe what drives demand (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/to-tackle-trafficking-in-gibbons-experts-probe-what-drives-demand/ - As gibbon trafficking reaches record highs, conservationists say reducing demand is critical to tackling the illegal trade. - But motivations for wanting to buy a gibbon vary widely between buyer communities, which means the solutions must be tailored accordingly, experts say. - Surveys of people who voluntarily surrendered gibbons to a sanctuary in Malaysia found that most cited as motivation a love of animals or desire for their children to have an animal to play with. - In India, by contrast, a sanctuary manager says gibbons are coveted as status symbols, and most arrive at the center via confiscation rather than voluntary submission. | |
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Conservation collects more data than ever. What is it for? (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/conservation-collects-more-data-than-ever-what-is-it-for/ Before launching a monitoring program, conservationists are often asked how data will be collected, which indicators will be used, and how results will be analyzed. Less often, they are asked a simpler question: what is the monitoring for? A recent paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, led by Kate J. Helmstedt, argues […] | |
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Brazil taps legal loophole to issue bids for Amazon ‘tipping point’ road (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/brazil-taps-legal-loophole-to-issue-bids-for-amazon-tipping-point-road/ - The government of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has launched renewal works for the BR-319 highway, using a new legal loophole to bypass environmental licensing requirements. - The road cuts through the heart of the Brazilian Amazon; paving it, according to scientists, would push the rainforest closer to tipping point. - The announcement was followed by the resignation of top environmental officials from the administration. - Observers suggest the move by Lula, who came to office on a pro-environmental platform, is a bid to rally regional voters ahead of this year’s elections. | |
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Emmanuel de Merode, director of Virunga National Park: “If conservation creates hardships, it won’t work” (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/emmanuel-de-merode-director-of-virunga-national-park-if-conservation-creates-hardships-it-wont-work/ - Emmanuel de Merode, Director of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, believes that conservation can succeed only—and exclusively—if it improves the living conditions of local communities. Protecting nature without addressing poverty and basic needs often leads to resistance and conflict. - Drawing on the experience of Virunga, he explains how investments in hydroelectricity, access to electricity, and local economic opportunities have helped reduce reliance on charcoal, alleviate pressure on forests, and build trust with neighboring communities. - Despite the progress made, de Merode acknowledges that challenges persist—notably insecurity, poverty, and continued reliance on charcoal—emphasizing that conservation and development must go hand in hand. | |
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DRC: Can the Kivu–Kinshasa Green Corridor turn a war economy into one of hope? (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/drc-can-the-kivu-kinshasa-green-corridor-transform-a-war-economy-into-an-economy-of-hope/ - Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi aims to leverage the ambitious Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor to transform a war economy into an economy of hope. - The Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor—an idea first publicly announced during the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos—aims to create one of the largest protected areas in the world, connecting Goma in the country’s east to Kinshasa in the west. - Proponents of the project, environmentalists, and other observers have hailed the concept, while acknowledging that many questions remain unanswered—particularly regarding the management of mining, oil, gas, agricultural, and conservation concessions. - On paper, the project could create over 500,000 jobs—particularly for young Congolese people—preserve more than one million hectares of land, and help transport vital food supplies from the east to the massive consumer market of Kinshasa, home to over 20 million inhabitants. | |
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Malawi government suspends coal miner’s license over river pollution (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/malawi-government-suspends-coal-miners-license-over-river-pollution/ - Northern Malawi hosts the country’s largest coalfields, providing energy to various industries, but some of the mines here have been associated with labor violations and environmental damage. - In the latest case, a community in one of the key coal mining districts has demanded the closure of a mine for polluting two rivers from which locals draw water for domestic and agricultural use. - Preliminary investigations by government agencies found evidence of contamination from the mine operated by Coal & Minerals Group Limited, but the company has denied deliberately discharging the waste into the rivers. - Based on regulators’ findings, the company’s mining licensed has been suspended on the grounds that its operations “seriously threaten” the safety and health of the people and environment. | |
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A red flower found nowhere else loses ground as mining expands in Brazil’s Amazon (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/a-red-flower-found-nowhere-else-loses-ground-as-mining-expands-in-brazils-amazon/ In Brazil’s eastern Amazon, a bright red flower found nowhere else on Earth is threatened with extinction from expanding iron ore mining, scientists warn. The flowering plant, Ipomoea cavalcantei, known locally as flor-de-Carajás, only grows in cangas, an island-like ecosystem of metal-rich rocky soils and shallow vegetation in the middle of dense rainforest. There are […] | |
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Meet the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize Winners (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/meet-the-2026-goldman-environmental-prize-winners/ - Each year, the Goldman Environmental Prize honors grassroots activists from each of the six inhabited continental regions. - The 2026 prize winners are Iroro Tanshi from Nigeria, Borim Kim from South Korea, Sarah Finch from the United Kingdom, Theonila Roka Matbob from Papua New Guinea, Alannah Acaq Hurley from the United States, and Yuvelis Morales Blanco from Colombia. | |
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Asia’s longest free-flowing river contaminated by arsenic linked to Myanmar mines (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/asias-longest-free-flowing-river-contaminated-by-arsenic-linked-to-myanmar-mines/ - Independent testing of the Salween River began in September 2025 after researchers found alarming levels of toxic contaminants in the nearby Kok, Sai and Ruak rivers in Thailand, much of it linked to unregulated mining in Myanmar. - Rare earth mines exporting crucial minerals needed for artificial intelligence, mobile phones, electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies and other uses have been blamed, but the mining of gold and various critical minerals also continues largely in secrecy across river basins in Myanmar. - Most suspected mines were found upstream in the Salween’s basin, notably in Shan state, where various factions such as the United Wa State Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, as well as the Myanmar military, are fighting for territory. - A working group was formed to address the growing issue of contamination across Thailand’s rivers, including the Salween, and tests showed arsenic levels at every monitoring point were more than double safety levels; news of the contamination has put local fishers and communities on alert. | |
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Studying the world’s largest gathering of forest elephants with sound and field observation (April 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/studying-the-worlds-largest-gathering-of-forest-elephants-with-sound-and-field-observation/ - At Dzanga Bai in the Central African Republic—one of the few places where forest elephants gather in large numbers—researchers can observe behaviors that are otherwise difficult to document in dense rainforest. - Ivonne Kienast leads long-term research combining direct observation with acoustic monitoring, building a detailed record of elephant behavior, social structure, and change over time. - Her work highlights how sustained presence, local collaboration, and incremental data collection shape understanding of both elephants and the broader forest system they inhabit. - Kienast spoke with Rhett Ayers Butler, Mongabay founder and CEO, and David Akana, director of Mongabay Africa, over two weeks of conversations in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo during March 2026. Her responses have been edited and consolidated. | |
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What the grim outlook for Alpine Ash forests tells us about forestry dogma (commentary) (April 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/what-the-grim-outlook-for-alpine-ash-forests-tell-us-about-forestry-dogma-commentary/ - Australia’s Alpine Ash forests have been listed as an endangered ecological community, with logging, repeated high-severity fires, and increased flammability in regenerating forests driving their decline. - Conventional forestry practices such as mechanical thinning and prescribed burning are presented as solutions, but a growing body of evidence suggests they can increase fire risk and further destabilize these ecosystems. - The evidence points toward a different path—halting logging, avoiding disturbance-based interventions, and investing in fire detection and recovery—argue David Lindenmayer, Phil Zylstra and Chris Taylor from the Fenner School of Environment and Society at The Australian National University. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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World’s fattest parrots have mating frenzy (April 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/worlds-fattest-parrots-have-mating-frenzy/ With an adult population of only 236, the kākāpō—the world’s largest parrot—was teetering on the brink extinction. But this year, they have been mating at a record pace, and hatched almost 100 healthy chicks so far. Watch the video to find out why these fat birds are having such a good year, and to celebrate […] | |
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Energy crisis revives push to drill in Philippines’ largest intact wetland (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/energy-crisis-revives-push-to-drill-in-philippines-largest-intact-wetland/ - Liguasan Marsh is the largest intact wetland in the Philippines, a key area for both resident and migratory birds, and a source of livelihood for the thousands of families who live there. - Since the 1990s, the marsh has been known to hold vast reserves of oil and gas, but decades of armed conflict in the region prevented exploration from progressing. - A 2014 peace deal brought renewed interest to the marsh’s reserves, but little development on the ground. - The global fuel crisis triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has led to renewed calls to extract oil and gas from the marsh, prompting warnings from conservation groups. | |
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Rehab center opens for Brazil’s golden-headed lion tamarins amid urban sprawl threat (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/rehab-center-opens-for-brazils-golden-headed-lion-tamarins-amid-urban-sprawl-threat/ Brazil has opened its first rehabilitation center for golden-headed lion tamarins, an endangered monkey species threatened by urban expansion and the loss of agroforestry farms to monocrop plantations. The tamarins, Leontopithecus chrysomelas, have been filmed in and around Ilhéus, a coastal city in Bahia state, eating fruit inside a supermarket or running across high-voltage electricity […] | |
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In Sri Lanka, animals pay the price for overcrowding and speeding jeeps (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-sri-lanka-animals-pay-the-price-for-overcrowding-and-speeding-jeeps/ - Yala National Park in southern Sri Lanka attracted more than 380,000 visitors in the first half of 2025, generating an income of more than $5 million. - Among the most popular national parks, overcrowding at Yala Block I is a recurring problem, intensified since the social media boom, conservationists say. - Most leopards at Block I have become acclimatized to humans and safari jeeps, creating more interest among visitors. - Despite regular training programs, speeding jeeps have become a serious challenge to animals there, and authorities now plan to limit the number of jeeps and open other blocks to reduce the pressure on Block I. | |
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Virtus Minerals signs first major deal under US-DRC critical minerals partnership (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/virtus-minerals-signs-first-major-deal-under-us-drc-critical-minerals-partnership/ In a major advance for the U.S. push to secure critical minerals and compete with Chinese firms in Central Africa, U.S.-based Virtus Minerals has signed a megadeal for copper and cobalt deposits in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). After lengthy negotiations that reportedly included heavy behind-the-scenes pressure by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on […] | |
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Chimp ‘civil war’ follows rare community split in a Ugandan national park (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/chimp-civil-war-follows-rare-community-split-in-a-ugandan-national-park/ - A 30-year study documents a rare split within a chimpanzee community in Uganda’s Kibale National Park — one that sparked a deadly war. - Two rival chimp groups have staged coordinated raids that killed both adult males and infants. - Researchers recorded at least 24 attacks between 2018 and 2024, suggesting unusually intense violence. - The findings show how shifting social ties can fracture animal societies and trigger collective violence. | |
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Thomas J. Walker studied the songs of crickets and katydids (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/thomas-j-walker-studied-the-songs-of-crickets-and-katydids/ - Thomas J. Walker, who died on April 8th 2026 aged 94, spent his career studying the behavior and acoustics of crickets and katydids, treating their songs as a way to understand species and ecology. - Over more than four decades at the University of Florida, he questioned conventional taxonomy by arguing for the importance of studying living insects rather than relying mainly on preserved specimens. - He was an early advocate of making research freely available, helping to move scientific publishing online and creating the “Singing Insects of North America” website, which allowed both specialists and amateurs to identify species and access data. - His legacy also includes the protection and development of the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory, reflecting a practical commitment to conservation, education, and public engagement with the natural world. | |
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Colombia announces plan to cull Pablo Escobar’s feral hippos (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/colombia-announces-plan-to-cull-pablo-escobars-feral-hippos/ The Colombian government has authorized a plan to euthanize dozens of hippos descended from animals smuggled into the country by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in the 1980s. There are an estimated 200 hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) scattered throughout Colombia, according to a 2022 census, which could exceed 1,000 by 2035. The animals are not native to […] | |
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EU deforestation law nudges timber trade, Indonesia probe shows, but risks persist (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/eu-deforestation-law-nudges-timber-trade-indonesia-probe-shows-but-risks-persist/ - An investigation tracing Indonesian timber to recently cleared forests shows EU-bound supply chains still carry deforestation risks, even as the bloc prepares to enforce stricter rules. - The upcoming EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is already shifting behavior, with some European buyers and Indonesian suppliers cutting ties and tightening traceability. - But trade data from 2025 show high-risk imports continue, highlighting uneven progress and persistent loopholes in complex, opaque supply chains. - Researchers and advocates say only full, consistent enforcement of the EUDR, alongside stronger due diligence and reforms in Indonesia, will meaningfully curb deforestation-linked timber trade. | |
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Community-led ecotourism protects rebounding wild cattle in Thailand (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/community-led-ecotourism-protects-rebounding-wild-cattle-in-thailand/ The critically endangered banteng is making a comeback in Thailand’s Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, and has become a unique community-led conservation icon, reports Mongabay’s Carolyn Cowan. Thailand’s population of banteng (Bos javanicus), one of the world’s rarest wild cattle species, was once reduced to just a few hundred individuals due to decades of deforestation, […] | |
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Landmark US Magnuson-Stevens fisheries law turns 50 amid budget cut concerns (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/landmark-us-magnuson-stevens-fisheries-law-turns-50-amid-budget-cut-concerns/ April 13 marked the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), a landmark conservation law credited with saving numerous U.S. fisheries from collapse and protecting vital ocean habitats. Despite decades of success, conservationists warn that recent federal funding cuts could undermine those gains. The MSA was passed in 1976, in the same decade the […] | |
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In Tasmania, the mines have closed but the rivers remember (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-tasmania-the-mines-have-closed-but-the-rivers-remember/ - Legacy copper mining in Tasmania, carried out for more than 100 years, has left parts of the King River ecosystem severely degraded, with scientists describing sections as “biologically dead” due to acid mine drainage and metal contamination. - Globally, legacy mine waste has polluted hundreds of thousands of miles of rivers, exposing an estimated 23 million people to toxic metals, mostly through long-term sediment contamination rather than major disasters. - Long-closed mines, which often operated with minimal or no environmental oversight, continue to leach waste from quarry and mine sites and tailings piles, causing long-term and ongoing contamination of rivers, streambeds and floodplains. Remediation across widely polluted landscapes is difficult and costly to carry out. - Tasmania’s rivers are now a test case for the world: Despite decades of research and mitigation efforts, legacy pollution persists there, offering a warning as demand for critical minerals accelerates globally, with large amounts of copper and other metals required for electric vehicles, AI data center servers and other uses. | |
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BP sued in Kenya over alleged toxic waste from 1980s oil exploration (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/bp-sued-in-kenya-over-alleged-toxic-waste-from-1980s-oil-exploration/ NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The High Court in Kenya ruled Thursday that a class action lawsuit can move forward against multinational oil and gas company BP alleging that decades-long toxic waste disposal contaminated drinking water in northern Kenya. The lawsuit, filed by 299 petitioners in February at the Land and Environment Court in Isiolo, alleged […] | |
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From the Atlantic Forest to the Amazon: Alexandre de Santi on camaraderie and uncovering hidden truths in Brazil (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/from-the-atlantic-forest-to-the-amazon-alexandre-de-santi-on-camaraderie-and-uncovering-hidden-truths-in-brazil/ - Alexandre de Santi is Mongabay’s managing editor for Brazil, where he leads coverage of the Amazon and other national environmental issues. - His career spans more than two decades, from founding the investigative studio Fronteira to serving as deputy editor at The Intercept Brazil, where he helped lead landmark investigations. - Since joining Mongabay in 2022, Santi has brought a collaborative approach to investigative reporting, including editing a 2024 story that exposed links between Amazon carbon credits and timber laundering. - This interview is part of Inside Mongabay, a series that spotlights the people who bring environmental and conservation stories to life across our global newsroom. | |
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Drones aid dugong conservation as threats mount across their range (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/drones-aid-dugong-conservation-as-threats-mount-across-their-range/ - Drone technology is revealing new information about the elusive dugong, a marine herbivore classified as globally vulnerable but already extinct in parts of its range. - Scientists are using drones to improve estimates of dugong numbers and conduct noninvasive health checks. - Dugongs feed exclusively on seagrass meadows, where their foraging helps to maintain these important carbon sinks. - Researchers are highlighting the need to link efforts to conserve seagrass meadows with protecting dugongs. | |
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