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In Malaysia, a bridge helps endangered langurs and humans coexist (May 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/custom-story/2026/05/in-malaysia-a-bridge-helps-endangered-langurs-and-humans-coexist/ In Malaysia’s Penang state, conservationists and residents are collaborating to reduce conflict between humans and endangered dusky langurs displaced by urban development and habitat loss. The Langur Project Penang built a canopy bridge to help langurs safely cross a busy road and access more habitat, reducing time spent in residential areas and lowering complaints from […] | |
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Smallholders are not the weak link in forest protection (commentary) (May 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/smallholders-are-not-the-weak-link-in-forest-protection-commentary/ - Smallholders are often treated as risks in deforestation-free supply chains, writes Aida Greenbury, yet many are also among the people with the strongest reason to keep forests standing. - Greenbury argues that standards, traceability rules and buyer requirements can push costs onto farmers who lack the maps, documents, legal recognition and market access needed to comply. - She says forest protection will work only if companies, donors, governments and NGOs make long-term commitments to smallholders, including support for land rights, incentives, better yields and trusted local institutions. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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An Australian icon, the platypus is struggling — and scientists still lack answers (May 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/an-australian-icon-the-platypus-is-struggling-and-scientists-still-lack-answers/ - Australia’s iconic platypus is under threat as climate change hits the country hard. Intense heat and longer droughts are parching waterways that platypuses live in; wildfires are more frequent and heavy rainfall events inundate their burrows. - Platypuses are elusive animals, primarily active at dawn and dusk, making them difficult to locate and count, which hinders conservation efforts. Researchers are working to improve platypus population data. - Without comprehensive information on their whereabouts, conservationists can’t intervene early in natural disasters to save platypuses. - Australia’s intense three-year drought and the following 2019-2020 “Black Summer” bushfires led to new ways to manage wild platypus populations during natural disasters. Now, a new framework outlines ways to save populations in crisis: whether to help animals in situ or deciding to move them. | |
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Texas man convicted of buying eagle parts from a wildlife trafficking ring (May 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/texas-man-convicted-of-buying-eagle-parts-from-a-wildlife-trafficking-ring/ A man from Humble, Texas, U.S., pled guilty to purchasing tails and sets of feathers from illegally killed bald and golden eagles, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana. John Patrick Butler, 71, was sentenced May 5 to five years of probation and ordered to pay $77,500 in restitution. The bald […] | |
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Measures must be taken now to prevent pandemics at the source, says epidemiologist (May 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/05/measures-must-be-taken-now-to-prevent-pandemics-at-the-source-says-epidemiologist/ “[The]cruel irony here [is] that the world cannot get its act together to address these threats … people are dying, animals are suffering, we’re losing rainforest … these are all interconnected threats,” Neil Vora tells me on this week’s episode of the Mongabay Newscast, just a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) reported more […] | |
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Senate confirms Trump’s pick to lead federal land agency as drilling and mining expand (May 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/senate-confirms-trumps-pick-to-lead-federal-land-agency-as-drilling-and-mining-expand/ The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to oversee the management of a quarter-billion acres of public lands on Monday, as the administration pushes ahead with more mining and drilling while reversing conservation plans. Former congressman Steve Pearce will lead the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management following Monday’s 46-43 confirmation vote. Pearce’s background as a Republican Party […] | |
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‘We’ve got bats’: The community bringing New Zealand’s pekapeka into the spotlight (May 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/weve-got-bats-the-community-bringing-new-zealands-pekapeka-into-the-spotlight/ - Aotearoa New Zealand’s only native land mammals are three bat species — one of which is likely extinct and the other two headed in the same direction due to habitat loss and other threats. - A community-led bat research group, one of the first in the country, is working to help save the New Zealand long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) by conducting surveys for bats in and around Franklin county, near Auckland. - Their research project, called Finding Franklin Bats (FFB), is also aiming to spread local awareness of New Zealand’s bats and their plight by working with landowners and community members. - Over the past three years, volunteer numbers have swelled from 50 to more than 180, and in 2026 FFB received enough funding to employ seven people, six of them members of local Indigenous communities. | |
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On Southeast Asia’s largest lake, locals wield tech to defend the flooded forest (May 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/on-southeast-asias-largest-lake-locals-wield-tech-to-defend-the-flooded-forest/ - Communities living around Cambodia’s Tonle Sap are using a combination of natural and technological solutions to help protect the lake and its surrounding forests from fires. - A community savings initiative funds patrol teams, which respond to satellite alerts and have stopped more than 50 wildfires. - Local residents are also restoring the forest by growing native trees in community nurseries. - Threatened wildlife are returning as a result of these efforts: the fishing cat has been spotted for the first time in 10 years in the restoration area. | |
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He survived a deadly attack, now he is calling for better working conditions for rangers in DRC (May 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/he-survived-a-deadly-attack-now-he-is-calling-for-better-working-conditions-for-rangers-in-drc/ - The international community has set ambitious goals to protect nature, the latest aiming to conserve 30% of the planet by 2030. Rangers are at the center of this effort. According to the International Ranger Federation, they play a crucial role in protecting protected areas and achieving global conservation targets. - But in many protected areas, rangers are increasingly exposed to violence, often confronting armed groups with limited support, particularly in unstable regions such as eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. - For Emmanuel Bahati Lukoo, this reality is not abstract — it is deeply personal. In 2018, he narrowly survived an attack by Mai-Mai fighters (an armed group operating in the DRC). Unlike many rangers who have lost their lives protecting nature in eastern DRC, he survived. More than 100 rangers are believed to have been killed in Virunga National Park over the past decade. - Seeking to shed light on the realities and working conditions of rangers in the DRC, Bahati recently published a book titled Conservation at the Cost of My Youth: The Survival of a Ranger, in which he recounts the life of a ranger in eastern DRC. | |
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Study gathers over 4,000 photos to find Bolivia’s rarest Amazonian dog (May 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/study-gathers-over-4000-photos-to-find-bolivias-rarest-amazonian-dog/ - A study conducted for more than 20 years with camera-trap surveys in different parts of the Bolivian Amazon has recorded 594 independent events for the short-eared dog in more than 4,600 images. - This species, popularly known in Bolivia as the ghost dog, is one of the least-known canids in the world. Its survival depends highly on the quality of its natural habitat, according to experts. - In the Bolivian forests, it can generally be found in protected areas or Indigenous territories, which scientists say underscores the importance of these kinds of areas for biodiversity conservation. | |
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Tiremakers ready to roll with EUDR, but repeated delays frustrate industry (May 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/tiremakers-ready-to-roll-with-eudr-but-repeated-delays-frustrate-industry/ - Tire manufacturers, major consumers of natural rubber, say they’re ready for the implementation of the EU’s antideforestation regulation, or EUDR, and lament its repeated delays. - Natural rubber supply chains are notoriously complex, with 85% of natural rubber coming from 6 million smallholders, and the rubber passing through numerous intermediaries before being turned into tires. - Ensuring EUDR compliance throughout natural rubber supply chains remains challenging; European tire industry representatives also point to ongoing problems with the information system and due diligence requirements in downstream supply chains. - The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber, made up of industry, civil society and producers, promotes sustainability within the natural rubber supply chain and supports smallholders. | |
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Rising waters and mounting pressures collide on Kenya’s Lake Turkana (May 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/rising-waters-and-mounting-pressures-collide-on-kenyas-lake-turkana/ - Lake Turkana in northern Kenya has risen by as much as 10 meters (33 feet) over the past 15 years, displacing communities, flooding infrastructure and reshaping fisheries in one of the country’s most climate-vulnerable regions. - Scientists and local residents are still debating the causes of the lake’s expansion, with theories ranging from heavier rainfall linked to climate change, to tectonic and groundwater shifts, while researchers say Ethiopia’s Gibe III Dam upstream has also altered the lake’s ecological dynamics. - Fishers around the lake say catches have declined sharply in recent years as changing water levels alter breeding grounds and fish distribution, while drought drives more pastoralists to rely on fishing for survival. - Researchers and local advocates say Lake Turkana suffers from decades of poorly planned development and limited scientific monitoring, though new efforts are underway to improve data collection and guide more sustainable management of the lake and its fisheries. | |
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‘Turkana has always adapted to change’: Interview with environmentalist Ikal Angelei (May 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/turkana-has-always-adapted-to-change-interview-with-environmentalist-ikal-angelei/ - Local livelihoods around Kenya’s Lake Turkana have long shifted between pastoralism, fishing, farming and trade as people adapted to a landscape defined by fluctuation. - But as the scale and intensity of erratic climate patterns, mounting pressure on its fisheries, and conflict over resources has increased, their space has shrunk. - The lake has long been a place where the poorest could make a living, but as the economic value of resources here increases, there is a risk that they will be pushed out by those better placed to access infrastructure and opportunities. | |
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Indonesia’s nickel boom linked to rising illness and worker harm, reports find (May 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/indonesias-nickel-boom-linked-to-rising-illness-and-worker-harm-reports-find/ - A newly published report by Indonesia’s human rights commission, Komnas HAM, includes new evidence of environmental and public health harms caused by the nickel mining industry in eastern Indonesia. - Mongabay Indonesia has previously reported on increases in respiratory disease recorded by health workers in a community alongside the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park in North Maluku province. - The Komnas HAM human rights report also includes data showing high rates of respiratory disease around the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park in Central Sulawesi province. - A separate report published by a labor nonprofit focusing on interviews with workers showed many knew of colleagues who had died suddenly, while reports of suicide were common. | |
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Timor green pigeon could go extinct without immediate action, study finds (May 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/timor-green-pigeon-could-go-extinct-without-immediate-action-study-finds/ The extremely rare Timor green pigeon has fewer than 500 individuals left in the wild, according to a recent study. Researchers say its extinction risk must be revised from endangered to critically endangered. The fruit-eating Timor green pigeon (Treron psittaceus), known for its distinctive mango-green plumage, is “endemic to Timor, Rote and adjacent satellite islands” […] | |
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Philippine fishing and Indigenous communities wary of clean energy boom in Marcos stronghold (May 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/philippine-fishing-and-indigenous-communities-wary-of-clean-energy-boom-in-marcos-stronghold/ - The Philippines is currently highly dependent on fossil fuels for energy generation, but the government has committed to reaching 50% renewables by 2050. - The resulting energy boom — especially in Ilocos North, the president’s home province — has seen an influx of foreign investment, but also raised questions about who will bear the costs of the country’s energy transition. - Fishers in Ilocos Norte say they worry that wind energy projects in their traditional fishing grounds will disrupt marine life and fishing routes. - Inland, the Masamuyao Isneg Yapayao tribal council is trying to stop the expansion of a solar farm that officials say failed to obtain the tribe’s consent. | |
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Organized crime adds to environmental destruction in the Amazon, report finds (May 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/organized-crime-adds-to-environmental-destruction-in-the-amazon-report-finds/ A new report by the International Crisis Group finds that organized crime has become a “major obstacle” to protecting the Amazon. Criminal groups often operate across borders and are expanding control over huge swathes of land, which undermines state efforts to combat environmental crimes such as drug trafficking, deforestation and illegal mining. “In Colombia, park […] | |
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Who controls Indian Ocean tuna? (May 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/specials/2026/05/who-controls-indian-ocean-tuna/ The Indian Ocean hosts one of the world’s largest tuna fisheries, supplying global seafood markets and sustaining livelihoods across dozens of coastal nations. But scientists warn some stocks are under mounting pressure as foreign-owned industrial fleets continue to overfish tuna and coastal countries expand their fisheries — intensifying disputes over how the resource is managed. […] | |
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19,000 Great Pyramids a year: Report flags unsustainable rate of sand mining (May 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/19000-great-pyramids-a-year-report-flags-unsustainable-rate-of-sand-mining/ - A new analysis of global sand extraction indicates the industry is removing roughly 50 billion metric tons a year, a pace that far outstrips natural replenishment. - Experts say the loss of sand from landscapes, river deltas, and coastal zones threatens ecosystems, livelihoods and many processes on which life depends. - Although the sand mining industry is operating at unsustainable levels, experts say measures exist to lessen its impact. - Solutions include coordinated governance, stronger monitoring and long-term, cross-border planning. | |
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Trump called trophy hunting a “horror show,” but permitted 300-plus elephant trophy imports in 2025 (May 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/trump-called-trophy-hunting-a-horror-show-but-permitted-300-plus-elephant-trophy-imports-in-2025/ - More than 300 elephant trophy import permits were issued in 2025 under Donald Trump’s second presidency, the most ever issued under the Trump administration. - In 2017, after Trump called trophy hunting a “horror show,” his administration convened a pro-hunting board to rework import rules; it dissolved after a lawsuit. Now, Safari Club International has petitioned to dilute protections for elephants in the U.S. to facilitate trophy imports. - Nearly two-thirds of the imported trophies came from Botswana, which renewed elephant hunting in 2018 after a brief pause. - Since trophy hunters selectively target “supertuskers” — older males with the largest tusks — conservationists say they are being killed at a rate that raises concerns for the future of endangered savanna elephants. | |
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Nepal’s plan to release blackbucks into tiger country raises red flags (May 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/nepals-plan-to-release-blackbucks-into-tiger-country-raises-red-flags/ - Nepali authorities will relocate 18 blackbucks to an enclosure near Chitwan National Park to establish a new habitat for the critically endangered animals, which in Nepal are currently found only in Bardiya and Shuklaphanta. - However, Chitwan’s monsoonal climate, competition from other deer species, and the presence of tigers and leopards are likely to increase physiological and behavioral stress for the blackbucks, conservationists warn. - They’ve also flagged the relocation enclosure’s proximity to a municipal waste dump and a carnival ground, and warned of potential disturbances from tourists. - Earlier translocations to Shuklaphanta were considered successful, helping to boost Nepal’s blackbuck population, largely in human-managed landscapes; but ecologists say true success will be achieved only when the animals are released into the wild and can sustain a self-sufficient, breeding population. | |
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Jane Goodall’s grandson on hope after loss (May 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/jane-goodalls-grandson-on-hope-after-loss/ Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. Five months after Jane Goodall’s death, her grandson Merlin Van Lawick appeared at the ChangeNOW environmental forum in Paris carrying something both public and personal. He was there not as a substitute for his grandmother, but as someone […] | |
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Fire at WCS Makira Natural Park office allegedly linked to patrol efforts (May 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/fire-at-wcs-makira-natural-park-office-allegedly-linked-to-patrol-efforts/ - An angry crowd allegedly set fire to a site office of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Ambinanitelo Maroantsetra, in northeastern Madagascar, on May 4. - Photos circulating on social media show that the office was destroyed; the staff are believed to be safe. - Six men were allegedly caught logging in the core of Makira Natural Park, managed by WCS. An environment ministry official suggested that their capture angered nearby residents. - Local authorities are waiting for tensions to subside before resuming the probe, as they say it might place WCS staff and park personnel at risk. | |
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Elephants return to Mount Elgon side of Uganda after four decades (May 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/elephants-return-to-mount-elgon-side-of-uganda-after-four-decades/ - Monitoring of elephants on Mount Elgon, on the Uganda-Kenya border, shows a herd of elephants have crossed over to the Ugandan side, into areas they had largely abandoned since the 1970s. - The Uganda Wildlife Authority says their return is a positive sign that efforts to restore degraded forest in Mount Elgon National Park is succeeding. - Residents of Bukwo district, which overlaps with the national park, say elephants destroyed crops in 2025 but UWA rangers have so far prevented this in 2026. | |
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War on Iran may threaten conservation of the world’s rarest big cat (May 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/war-on-iran-may-threaten-conservation-of-the-worlds-rarest-big-cat/ The Asiatic cheetah, the world’s most endangered big cat, faces an increasingly precarious future as ongoing conflict in Iran disrupts critical conservation efforts, reports Mongabay contributor Kayleigh Long. Once ranging from the Arabian Peninsula to India, the cheetah subspecies (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is now confined to just 16% of its former territory, with fewer than […] | |
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More than a million live birds imported to Asia in 15 years, report finds (May 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/more-than-a-million-live-birds-imported-to-asia-in-15-years-report-finds/ Hong Kong and Singapore imported more than 1 million live wild birds between 2006 and 2020, according to a new analysis of customs data published in Conservation Biology. Nearly two-thirds of the birds were from Africa. The study highlights a massive, often under-regulated trade that threatens wild populations and poses significant risks for the spread […] | |
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FIFA’s World Cup heat measures may not go far enough, expert warns (May 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/fifas-world-cup-heat-measures-may-not-go-far-enough-expert-warns/ Measures proposed by organizers of the upcoming FIFA World Cup won’t be sufficient to protect players and fans from the significantly higher risk of extreme heat and humidity expected at this year’s tournament, a medical expert warns. In December 2025, FIFA announced there would be three-minute hydration breaks for players in each half of every […] | |
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Monica Montefalcone, leading seagrass scientist, dies in Maldives diving accident, aged 51 (May 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/monica-montefalcone-leading-seagrass-scientist-dies-in-a-maldives-diving-accident-aged-51/ - Monica Montefalcone, a University of Genoa marine ecologist and leading expert on Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica meadows, died in a diving accident in the Maldives at age 51. - Her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal, 23, died with her, along with three other Italians, four of whom were connected to the University of Genoa. - Montefalcone’s work linked field science, conservation practice and public understanding, especially through mapping, monitoring and restoring seagrass meadows and other coastal marine habitats. - Colleagues and students remembered her as a demanding field scientist, generous teacher and clear communicator who helped younger researchers find their place in marine biology. | |
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Tensions rise in DRC mining region as community leaders arrested over protest (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/tensions-rise-in-drc-mining-region-as-community-leaders-arrested-over-protest/ Civil society groups have denounced the “arbitrary” arrests of 11 community leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo following a peaceful protest over the impacts of mining operations on local communities. Authorities made the arrests on May 1 in the country’s southeastern Lualaba province, prompting calls by local and international NGOs for the “immediate and […] | |
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New energy deals for Africa sealed at Nairobi summit (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/new-energy-deals-for-africa-sealed-at-nairobi-summit/ European and African business leaders and heads of state have announced a raft of clean energy and infrastructure investments at the recent Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi. Forty companies announced plans to invest roughly 27 billion euros ($31.5 billion) across about 30 projects in Africa. They aim to generate a combined 100 billion euros ($116.5 […] | |
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In Thailand, burned sugarcane plantations become traps for leopard cat cubs (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/in-thailand-burned-sugarcane-plantations-become-traps-for-leopard-cat-cubs/ - Every crop burning season, dozens of leopard cat cubs are admitted to a wildlife rescue center in northeastern Thailand as fires tear through the sugarcane plantations where the cats shelter and hunt. - Since 2023, admissions have risen sharply, from around 10 per year to between 40 and 65, likely driven by a combination of habitat fragmentation, high fire activity and a higher number of rescues due to a wildlife hotline introduced in 2019. - This season’s survival rate was around 80% — markedly higher than in previous years. Fewer cubs arrived with severe burns, possibly linked to recent government regulations on agricultural burning. - But researchers say fires reflect a deeper problem: Habitat fragmentation and climate change are pushing leopard cats into agricultural landscapes where they face compounding threats, including not just fires but also human-wildlife conflict, disease and the illegal wildlife trade. | |
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Light pollution reshapes predator-prey dynamics at California’s urban edge, study finds (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/light-pollution-reshapes-predator-prey-dynamics-at-californias-urban-edge-study-finds/ - A new study finds that bright lights at night change wildlife behavior at the edge of cities more than noise does, based on more than 35,000 days of camera footage in California’s San Mateo and Orange counties. - Pumas and bobcats showed up less often in brightly lit areas, while mule deer spent more time in those areas at night, using the light as shield from predators. - Artificial light shrinks pumas’ hunting grounds and pushes them into riskier places where they may encounter people, cars or pets, with potential long-term effects on body condition, reproduction and survival. - The authors suggest addressing light pollution through shielded fixtures, motion sensors, dark-sky ordinances and connected, unlit corridors that allow wildlife to move through cities. | |
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2026 FIFA World Cup threatened by extreme heat: Report (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/2026-fifa-world-cup-threatened-by-extreme-heat-report/ In less than a month, the world’s attention will shift to one of the biggest sporting events on the planet: the FIFA World Cup. As fans prepare to travel to stadiums across the United States, Mexico and Canada, scientists are warning that dangerous heat linked to climate change could create unsafe conditions for both athletes […] | |
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Radio and satellite alerts help Zambian farmers live with dangerous wildlife (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/radio-and-satellite-alerts-help-zambian-farmers-live-with-dangerous-wildlife/ - In Zambia’s Eastern Province, a community radio station beams out programs and messages on coping with human-wildlife conflict. - Tuning in are villagers living in a transfrontier conservation area straddling this part of Zambia, and neighboring Malawi. - When Mongabay visited, residents were mostly worried about attacks by hyenas, which officials say have recently claimed the lives of four children. - But cutting-edge satellite technology also provides farmers with an early warning on the approach of potentially destructive elephant herds. | |
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Marine conservation suffers when the ocean is not accessible to all, especially on remote islands (commentary) (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/marine-conservation-suffers-when-the-ocean-is-not-accessible-to-all-especially-on-remote-islands-commentary/ - Coastal and marine systems across much of the world remain structurally inaccessible to persons with disabilities, older populations, and marginalized communities. - If people protect what they value, and they value what they can experience, then marine conservation will be a low priority for these people, a new op-ed argues. - “If the ocean is to be protected, it must first be experienced, but for millions of people, it remains fundamentally out of reach,” the author writes. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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Endangered Persian leopards persist across borders, despite hunters and landmines (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/endangered-persian-leopards-persist-across-borders-despite-hunters-and-landmines/ - There are fewer than 1,100 Persian leopards left in the wild, with 80% — perhaps 732 individuals — concentrated in Iran. A handful remain in Russia, the Caucasus and countries across Central Asia. - This leopard subspecies is endangered and declining, driven to the brink of extinction in habitats across its range across southwestern and Central Asia. - More than half of all recorded leopard deaths are from retaliatory killings by local communities, who poison, trap or shoot leopards in response to livestock predation. They can also be maimed or killed by snares and traps intended for other, smaller prey. - The Persian leopard now occupies around one-quarter of its historical range. Their habitat is fragmented and crisscrossed by dangerous roadways and broken by international borders that are fenced or laced with landmines. | |
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At least 65 dead in latest Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/at-least-65-dead-in-latest-ebola-outbreak-in-eastern-dr-congo/ A new Ebola outbreak has been declared in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to an announcement made by The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on May 15. Sixty-five people have died and around 246 suspected cases have been identified so far, mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health […] | |
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Canada aims to double its electric grid by 2050 with clean energy and lower costs for users (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/canada-aims-to-double-its-electric-grid-by-2050-with-clean-energy-and-lower-costs-for-users/ Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled a clean electricity strategy Thursday he says will help double Canada’s electricity grid by 2050 and lower energy costs for the majority of Canadian households. Canada is facing major challenges, including tariffs imposed by the United States, higher energy costs resulting from the war with Iran, plus the effects of climate change, Carney said. […] | |
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Zambian prodigy draws on theoretical physics to improve weather prediction (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/zambian-teen-draws-on-theoretical-physics-to-improve-weather-prediction/ - A weather prediction model by a teen prodigy from Zambian is one of five shortlisted projects from Africa for the Earth Prize this year. - The prize is awarded to youths between 13 and 19 who have come up with innovations that aim to solve pressing environmental challenges. - Recognizing the need for weather prediction models that work in the sub-Saharan African context, Prosper Chanda, now 18, developed a model that aims to complement existing ones built largely with data from the U.S. and Europe. - A scientific paper he authored focusing on the physics behind the model is currently undergoing peer review ahead of publication. | |
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Endangered Species Day highlights wildlife wins — and mounting losses (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/endangered-species-day-highlights-wildlife-wins-and-mounting-losses/ At least 18,000 animal species globally are threatened with extinction: they’re listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered by the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority. Sustained conservation efforts have resulted in rebounding numbers for many species, including populations of some wolves, whales, lizards and parrots. But many others are struggling to survive as they face habitat […] | |
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European bottom trawling costs billions every year in climate impacts, study finds (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/european-bottom-trawling-costs-billions-every-year-in-climate-impacts-study-finds/ Europe’s fishing industry makes around 180 million euros ($210 million) every year in profits from bottom trawling, which involves dragging heavy fishing gear along seabeds. But a new study found when climate costs associated with the practice are calculated, society is paying a price up to 90 times higher than the fishing industry profits. “Bottom […] | |
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How AI could save koalas (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/how-ai-could-save-koalas/ A new AI-powered camera system could make road crossings less of a nightmare for koalas. Koalas face multiple threats to their survival including deforestation, urbanization, diseases and bushfires. As humans encroach into their habitats, they are forced to cross roads to move across fragmented forests. Because of this, vehicle strikes have also become a major […] | |
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Illegal wildlife trade in Himalayan countries threaten mountain ecosystem (May 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/illegal-wildlife-trade-in-himalayan-countries-threaten-mountain-ecosystem/ Illegal wildlife trade across the eight countries of the Hindu Kush Himalaya region has more than doubled since 2019, according to a January 2026 study. This surge in trafficking, which targets species of carnivores, elephants, and pangolins, poses a significant threat to the fragile mountain ecosystem and the 1.8 billion people who depend on its […] | |
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Karajarri celebrate Australia’s first ‘Sea Country’ Indigenous Protected Area (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/karajarri-celebrate-australias-first-sea-country-indigenous-protected-area/ - The Kimberley region of northwestern Australia is a biodiversity hotspot and ancestral home of the Karajarri people, who recently dedicated Karajarri Jurarr Ngurra, Australia’s first “Sea Country” Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), covering around 237,000 hectares (587,000 acres) of marine and coastal ecosystems. - Proponents of IPAs say they can empower Indigenous Australians as decision-makers in land management, combining traditional ecological knowledge with conservation goals. - IPAs now account for 54% of Australia’s progress toward protecting 30% of its territory by 2030. - While research shows every $1 invested in IPAs yields up to $3.40 in social, economic and environmental returns, advocates stress that Indigenous communities still need meaningful, sustained support. | |
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After quinoa’s boom, Bolivian farmers face degraded soils and climate stress (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/after-quinoas-boom-bolivian-farmers-face-degraded-soils-and-climate-stress/ - Quinoa, a pseudocereal, has been grown in the Andes since pre-Hispanic times. The 2010-2014 quinoa boom benefited some farmers in the region, but intensified production also brought soil depletion, increased erosion and social conflicts. - Climate change and shifts in regional weather patterns have also brought more frequent and irregular frosts, rains and heat, making quinoa production more difficult. - Most of the Bolivian quinoa that’s exported is smuggled through Peru and sold as Peruvian, experts say, complicating efforts by Bolivian producers to benefit from using higher-quality seeds. - Growers in Bolivia’s southern Altiplano, the Andean Plateau, are cultivating a premium variant of the crop in an effort to bypass middlemen and benefit from a price premium, but lack governmental support and direct access to markets. | |
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Salt marsh recovery isn’t enough to offset destroyed older wetlands, study finds (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/salt-marsh-recovery-isnt-enough-to-offset-destroyed-older-wetlands-study-finds/ Along Earth’s coastlines, grassy wetlands flooded by seawater, called salt marshes, trap and store carbon at rates roughly 40 times higher than forests on land. As salt marshes have expanded in some regions, scientists were hopeful their carbon stores might have largely recovered as well, but a new study found that’s not the case. Researchers […] | |
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Scientists mark Attenborough’s 100th birthday with newly named wasp (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/scientists-mark-attenboroughs-100th-birthday-with-newly-named-wasp/ A tiny wasp, collected in the early 1980s in Chile’s Valdivia province, lay inside an unsorted drawer in the Natural History Museum, London, for more than 40 years. After taking a close look, researchers have recently confirmed it’s not only a new-to-science species, but also represents a new genus. The wasp, only 3.5 millimeters (0.14 […] | |
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Honduran authorities seize jaguar kept as pet, put spotlight on local trafficking (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/honduran-authorities-seize-jaguar-kept-as-pet-put-spotlight-on-local-trafficking/ - Honduran authorities seized a live jaguar being kept as a pet, along with other wildlife, from the home of a businessman in the country’s east. - Investigators say the jaguar is a young female, about a year old, likely captured in the Mosquitia region and traded on the black market. - It’s illegal to trap jaguars or keep them as pets under Honduran law. However, with fines only amounting to around $6,500, the practice is common among the powerful, wealthy and those involved in drug and arms trafficking. - The rescued jaguar has been sent to a rehabilitation center for possible release back into the wild, although rewilding a jaguar isn’t always possible or successful. | |
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Egyptian teens use robots for ‘smarter and more responsive’ way to protect Earth (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/egyptian-teens-use-robots-for-smarter-and-more-responsive-way-to-protect-earth/ - A team of Egyptian students was among five from Africa shortlisted for this year’s Earth Prize, which recognizes the efforts of 13- to 19-year-olds offering innovative solutions to pressing environmental challenges. - The “TerraSkipper” robot they designed is inspired by the real mudskipper fish, with a body and feet that “skip” through wet, salty and degraded farmland, collecting data on soil conditions like salinity and pH levels. - The goal is not only to build the prototype, “but to contribute to a smarter and more responsive way of protecting our planet,” 16-year-old Mustafa Mohammed, one of the team members, told Mongabay. | |
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Seabed life triples after bottom trawling ban in Scotland protected area (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/seabed-life-triples-after-bottom-trawling-ban-in-scotland-protected-area/ Nearly a decade since Scotland established the South Arran Marine Protected Area and banned bottom trawling across much of it, life on the seafloor has thrived, a new study has found. Scientists surveying the area found three times more seabed organisms and twice as many species compared to nearby unprotected waters. “What looks like […] | |
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Solar brings power to women entrepreneurs in Borneo, but rural energy inequality remains (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/solar-brings-power-to-women-entrepreneurs-in-borneo-but-rural-energy-inequality-remains/ - In the village of Muara Enggelam, East Kalimantan province, the arrival of affordable and reliable renewable energy has sparked a flurry of new businesses, some started by women who were previously unable to fulfil their economic ambitions. - The remote village in Indonesian Borneo received its first installation of solar energy in 2015 following an allocation from Indonesia’s energy ministry. - The electricity capacity remains limited, but households have been able to start small businesses selling food and drinks, while mobile internet has expanded market access via social media platforms. - However, across the archipelago of 270 million people, the energy transition appears to have stalled in rural villages using solar, which a report authored by civil society organizations Celios and Greenpeace attributes largely to government fossil fuel subsidies. | |
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In Nepal’s capital, invasive flora crowd out native species (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/in-nepals-capital-invasive-flora-crowd-out-native-species/ Native plants are rapidly declining in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, replaced by invasive species historically introduced for ornamental and urban greening purposes, reports Mongabay contributor Bibek Bhandari. Botanist Bharat Babu Shrestha said he has observed traditional medicinal plants like the Indian pennywort (Centella asiatica) slowly vanish from Kathmandu over the past decades, displaced by dense, flowering […] | |
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FPC at a crossroads: clarity, credibility, and the cost of ambiguity (commentary) (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/fpc-at-a-crossroads-clarity-credibility-and-the-cost-of-ambiguity-commentary/ - Three years after its launch, the Forests, People, Climate initiative (FPC) still struggles to define what it is, how it differs from the earlier Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA), and what practical value it adds beyond donor coordination, argues Chip Fay, Independent Analyst and former Indonesia Country Director, Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA). - Fay contends that the problem is structural rather than communicative: FPC overlays a new coordination framework onto an existing one while retaining donor-centric governance, diffuse accountability, and limited mechanisms for truly integrated grant-making or meaningful Indigenous and local community participation in decision-making. - Fay says FPC risks becoming “CLUA with broader framing” unless it develops a clearer operational identity, shifts more resources and authority closer to local actors, and adopts a public Common Statement of Purpose that defines its commitments, governance principles, and accountability to Indigenous Peoples and local communities. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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At world’s largest shark conference, scientists warn of a grim outlook across the board (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/at-worlds-largest-shark-conference-scientists-warn-of-a-grim-outlook-across-the-board/ - Hundreds of researchers and conservationists met in Colombo from May 4-8 for Sharks International, held once every four years. - Major topics at the conference included the trade in shark and ray meat, reducing shark bycatch, and the use of new technologies in conservation. - Participants also highlighted innovative programs that encourage community-based conservation, and grappled with the contentious topic of closing fisheries to aid recovery of threatened species. | |
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‘Time stamps’ in shrubs show when beavers began invading Canadian Arctic (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/time-stamps-in-shrubs-show-when-beavers-began-invading-canadian-arctic/ Beavers are expanding their range into Canada’s western Arctic, and a recent study has reconstructed when these ecosystem engineers first became active in the area — sometime around 2008. Historically, North American beavers (Castor canadensis) have been associated with boreal and temperate waterways. However, they’re increasingly being observed moving northward in the Arctic tundra. This […] | |
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China and Norway push to increase krill harvests around Antarctica (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/china-and-norway-push-to-increase-krill-harvests-around-antarctica/ - In Antarctic waters, an international fishery targets krill, shrimp-like crustaceans that form massive schools and support the continent’s iconic wildlife. Krill meal and oil is used primarily in the production of aquaculture feed, followed by pet food and human dietary supplements. - China and Norway are working to expand the Southern Ocean krill fishery, promoting a new management system for the fishery that would increase harvests while also establishing a long-sought marine protected area. - The two countries are also continuing to support their krill fleets politically and financially, while adding vessels to increase harvest capacity. - Meanwhile, several NGOs have recently stepped up their campaigns against krill fishing, arguing that the krill fleet competes for food with Antarctic wildlife species already struggling with climate change and reduced food availability such as emperor penguins and Antarctic fur seals that have both recently been declared endangered. | |
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From caws to code: AI helps decrypt animal communication (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/from-caws-to-code-ai-helps-decrypt-animal-communication/ - Scientists are increasingly using artificial intelligence models to decode the communications of other species. - The Earth Species Project has built a generalizable model that could be used across species; the team also works with scientists around the world to develop custom models for specific species. - In northern Spain, ESP’s AI tools are helping scientists understand how a population of cooperative-breeding crows communicate with one another. - The technology is also being deployed to understand how orcas communicate with each other, and how underwater noise affects their communication. | |
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Whose map counts in conservation? The rise of participatory mapping (May 14, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/whose-map-counts-in-conservation/ - Participatory mapping is increasingly used in conservation to bring local knowledge, land use, cultural values and community priorities into spatial planning. - A new review of 398 studies finds that the field has grown quickly, especially over the past decade, but still lacks consistent standards for methods, ethics, data ownership and evaluation. - Cases such as Massaha in Gabon show how community maps can challenge global or official datasets that make lived-in forests appear empty or unclaimed. - The approach is most useful when maps are tied to real decisions, clear governance processes and safeguards for the people and places being mapped. | |
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Popular Miyawaki reforestation method lacks evidence, study finds (May 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/popular-miyawaki-reforestation-method-lacks-evidence-study-finds/ - Devised in the 1970s, the Miyawaki method has been a popular reforestation approach in urban areas worldwide. - The method involves densely planting seedlings, which proponents say makes them grow more quickly as they compete for light. - Proponents of the method claim that it enhances biodiversity, boosts carbon storage and results in rapid tree growth, among other benefits. - However, a recently published review of scientific literature indicates the Miyawaki method may not be as effective as claimed. | |
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Liberia’s carbon market policy nears completion amid pushback (May 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/liberias-carbon-market-policy-nears-completion-amid-pushback/ Liberian policymakers have almost completed a framework for selling carbon credits to international buyers. But local environmental groups say they’re being shut out of a fast-tracked final review of the policy. According to Jeanine Cooper, chief executive officer of Liberia’s Carbon Market Authority, the “penultimate” draft of the policy was nearing completion last week. In […] | |
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