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Nearly three in four marine protected areas undermined by wastewater pollution (April 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/nearly-three-in-four-marine-protected-areas-undermined-by-wastewater-pollution/ - A global modeling study found that 73% of marine protected areas are exposed to nitrogen pollution from wastewater — often at higher levels than in nearby unprotected waters. - The findings indicate that marine conservation planning often fails to adequately account for land-based wastewater pollution or to integrate land-sea management. - Wastewater pollution, largely untreated globally, introduces nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients and other contaminants that degrade marine ecosystems, with impacts on coral reefs, seagrass and water quality, and can undermine the effectiveness of MPAs. - Addressing the issue is considered feasible but constrained by fragmented governance, underfunding and limited monitoring, despite solutions that include existing technologies, various policy proposals and examples of improved wastewater management. | |
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One of the world’s largest deep-sea coral reefs discovered off Argentina (April 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/one-of-the-worlds-largest-deep-sea-coral-reefs-discovered-off-argentina/ - Scientists have discovered what may be one of the world’s largest cold-water coral reef systems, located about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) deep in Argentina’s territorial waters, with much of it remaining unmapped. - The reef, dominated by the rare coral species Bathelia candida, hosts a surprisingly rich ecosystem, including dozens of deep-sea species new to science. - Researchers found signs of human impact, including fishing debris and possible trawling damage, and worry the reef area might also be targeted for oil and gas exploration. - The researchers are testing restoration techniques, including the installation of 3D-printed “artificial corals,” which they hope will encourage the rapid growth of new corals. | |
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A village biogas project tests Zambia’s push to improve rural energy access (April 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-village-biogas-project-tests-zambias-push-to-improve-rural-energy-access/ - A biogas project in Zambia’s Nkhundye village is turning cattle dung into energy for cooking, irrigation, and meeting limited electricity needs. - The system was serving about 100 households as of March this year, with plans to expand cooking gas access to 600 community households using underground pipes and portable gas bags. - Nonprofits and development agencies bore the initial costs of installing the system and providing equipment, but the running of the plant will depend on the Nkhundye Community Cooperative in the future. - While this project is small, Zambian authorities say the country is pursuing a large-scale rural electrification strategy that includes biogas, mini-grids, solar arrays and other decentralized energy technologies. | |
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As Ghana eyes lithium future, affected communities face uncertainty (April 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-ghana-eyes-lithium-future-affected-communities-face-uncertainty/ - After more than two years of delays, Ghana’s parliament has ratified a deal with a subsidiary of Australian miner Atlantic Lithium to develop the country’s first lithium mine. - The company received permission to develop a mining concession in Ewoyaa in 2023, and under Ghanaian laws restrictions were put in place on agricultural and other economic activities in that area. - But delays in parliamentary ratification as a result of renegotiating the deal have meant that around 1,500 farmers are still awaiting compensation for loss of access to their land and livelihoods. - Advocates warn the project could now be fast-tracked at the expense of community rights, citing Ghana’s past experience with industrial mining and the environmental, social and governance challenges associated with lithium mining in other parts of the world. | |
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Species thought extinct for thousands of years ‘rediscovered’ thanks to Indigenous knowledge (April 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/species-thought-extinct-for-thousands-of-years-rediscovered-thanks-to-indigenous-knowledge/ Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. On a remote peninsula in Indonesian Papua, a species long thought extinct by scientists has been confirmed to survive. The evidence did not come from a formal survey. It began with conversations with Tambrauw elders, who described a […] | |
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Angola’s highest mountain and its unique wildlife are now protected (April 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/angolas-highest-mountain-and-its-unique-wildlife-are-now-protected/ Angola has declared its highest mountain, Mount Moco, part of a new conservation area to protect its threatened Afromontane forests. The Serra do Moco Conservation Area, which includes a complex of elevations, slopes and valleys in the municipality of Londuimbali, Huambo province, will now be under “a special regime of environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and […] | |
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Tropical forest loss falls in 2025, but world still off track on deforestation goals (April 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/tropical-forest-loss-falls-in-2025-but-world-still-off-track-on-deforestation-goals/ - Tropical primary forest loss fell sharply in 2025, down 36% from 2024, but the decline may reflect fewer fires rather than sustained progress. - Despite the drop, the world still lost an area of tropical primary forest larger than Switzerland last year, leaving countries far off track from their 2030 goal of ending deforestation. - Smaller forest-rich countries are losing remaining forests fastest, while major forest nations like Brazil show gains linked to stronger enforcement. - Climate-driven fires, weak governance and commodity pressures continue to drive forest loss, making recent gains fragile and uncertain. | |
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Migration and climate pressures deepen flood risks in Bangladesh’s haors (April 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/migration-and-climate-pressures-deepen-flood-risks-in-bangladeshs-haors/ - In Bangladesh, people are pushed to live in flood-prone areas due to population pressures and poverty. - The impacts of climate change are magnified due to the destruction of natural barriers such as forests and natural wetland vegetation. - Building better houses and agricultural practices with conservation of native vegetation can protect many of these communities. | |
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Indonesia escalates ‘war on waste’ with criminal probe into Jakarta landfill disaster (April 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/indonesia-escalates-war-on-waste-with-criminal-probe-into-jakarta-landfill-disaster/ - On March 8, seven sanitation workers were killed at Southeast Asia’s largest landfill, the Bantargebang dump site east of Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital city. - The country’s environment minister at the time, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, told Mongabay that criminal charges against a former environment agency lead for the capital could be followed by charges against other civil servants. - The criminal investigations into the former environment Jakarta and also in Bali were announced two months after President Prabowo Subianto announced a “war on waste” amid revived plans to build incinerators capable of turning millions of tons of household waste into electricity. | |
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Reciprocity, not extraction: Centering an Indigenous approach to forestry (April 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/04/reciprocity-not-extraction-centering-an-indigenous-approach-to-forestry/ Forester and scientist Suzanne Simard is well known for her landmark 1997 paper, which demonstrated that two distinct species of trees could share resources. At the time, it turned traditional Western forestry thinking on its head. Instead of the Darwinian view of trees as being in competition with each other, it introduced the idea that […] | |
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Young conservationists are building hope & optimism despite challenging times (commentary) (April 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/young-conservationists-are-building-hope-optimism-despite-challenging-times-commentary/ - Several recent Mongabay features have shared the emotional strain that conservationists are under from increasing environmental degradation, job losses, moral injury, and a sense of isolation. - Young people working in conservation face these issues and even more challenges since they’re just beginning their careers, but as young conservationists pushing for optimism in the sector write in a new commentary, there are many avenues for building hope and positivity. - “Conservation Optimism as a philosophy is rooted in celebrating all successes, no matter the size or scope, and sharing stories of hope which are essential in sustaining our minds, bodies and motivations,” they write. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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A search engine for the planet opens to the public (April 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/a-search-engine-for-the-planet-opens-to-the-public/ The idea that the Earth can be “searched” like a database has circulated for several years in academic and technical circles. Earth Index, developed by the nonprofit Earth Genome, brings that idea into practical use. Earth Index allows users to scan satellite imagery by visual similarity. A user can highlight an example—a patch of deforestation, […] | |
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Novel DNA research shows massive native ant decline over hundreds of years in Fiji (April 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/novel-dna-research-shows-massive-native-ant-decline-over-hundreds-of-years-in-fiji/ Scientists conducting a DNA analysis of ant specimens collected from across the Fiji islands in the Pacific have been able to reconstruct how entire ant populations rose and fell over thousands of years. The findings, based on specimens held at museums, showed that nearly 80% of the archipelago’s 88 endemic ant species have been declining […] | |
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Saving crocodiles from extinction (April 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/saving-crocodiles-from-extinction/ Community-led efforts are helping revive and save Siamese crocodiles from the brink of extinction. Siamese crocodiles are native to Southeast Asia and considered guardians of the wetlands by many communities. However, their population declined drastically due to hunting and habitat loss as a result of which they have been declared a critically endangered species. In […] | |
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India has a wealth of bats, but our knowledge of them is poor: Report (April 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/india-has-a-wealth-of-bats-but-our-knowledge-of-them-is-poor-report/ India is home to 135 known bat species, but their natural history and ecology remain poorly understood, according to the first nationwide assessment of the country’s bats. The report, developed by 36 experts from 27 institutions in India, was released by the nonprofit organizations Bat Conservation International (BCI) and the Nature Conservation Foundation. “Bats […] | |
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On World Tapir Day, data gaps cloud future of Malaysia’s tapirs (April 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/on-world-tapir-day-data-gaps-cloud-future-of-malaysias-tapirs/ Asia’s only tapir species still remains understudied in Malaysia, researchers at the Wildlife Conservation Society say. Recent findings from Thailand suggest that some forest complexes there may hold more Malay, or Asian tapirs (Tapirus indicus) than previously estimated. However, across the border in Malaysia, experts warn that the endangered species faces an uncertain future, complicated […] | |
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Deforestation is surging in Indonesia (April 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/deforestation-is-surging-in-indonesia/ Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. Indonesia’s forests, long held up as a case of tentative progress, are again under pressure. New analysis shows deforestation rose sharply in 2025, reversing several years of decline and returning to levels not seen in nearly a decade, […] | |
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When protest works: Examples where activists have successfully pushed for change (April 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/when-protest-works/ - In their new book, “Protest: Respect It. Defend It. Use It”, Annie Leonard and André Carothers assemble a series of protest movements to show how collective action has shaped political and social change, relying on examples rather than formal theory. - Protest is presented as a varied set of tactics, with internal disagreements acknowledged and treated as part of how movements function. - The book situates current efforts to restrict protest within a longer pattern in which dissent is tolerated when marginal and resisted when effective. - Across its cases, the book underscores that many rights now taken for granted were contested and that the space for protest remains uncertain. | |
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Restoring land with wildlife & earning carbon credits in the Kalahari Desert (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/restoring-land-with-wildlife-earning-carbon-credits-in-the-kalahari-desert/ In northern South Africa, the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in the Kalahari Desert is teeming with life — and carbon credits. Most carbon credit projects are focused on forests, but globally, soils hold roughly three times more terrestrial carbon than forests. Some scientists also say soil is more stable since it can’t be easily removed in […] | |
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As global 30×30 goal lags, Colombia shows how progress can be made (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-global-30x30-goal-lags-colombia-shows-how-progress-can-be-made/ - In 2022, nearly 200 nations pledged to protect and conserve 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030 under Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. - Currently, 18% of land and inland waters, and 10% of marine and coastal areas are protected and conserved. - Colombia, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, has exceeded the global average, protecting and conserving 47% of marine and 26% of terrestrial areas. - This has been achieved through new and expanded public and private protected areas, other area-based effective conservation measures (OECMs), and other means, including Heritage Colombia, an innovative “project for finance permanence” initiative. | |
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Nigeria arrests suspected pangolin trafficking kingpin on the run (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/nigeria-arrests-suspected-pangolin-trafficking-kingpin-on-the-run/ Authorities in Nigeria have arrested the suspected kingpin of a transnational pangolin trafficking network, the latest in a series of high-profile wildlife busts in the country. Shamsideen Abubakar was linked to a September 2021 case in which authorities seized 1,009.5 kilograms (2,226 pounds) of scales in Lagos, estimated to have come from at least 5,451 […] | |
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Rare, high-altitude jaguar sighting in Honduras raises hope for conservation (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/rare-high-altitude-jaguar-sighting-in-honduras-raises-hope-for-conservation/ - For the first time in a decade, camera traps set up high in the Sierra del Merendón mountain range in Honduras captured images of a male jaguar. - The cat was documented at an altitude of 2,200 meters (about 7,200 feet), much higher than their normal range. Jaguars typically live below 1,000 m (3,300 ft). - These mountains can act as a high-elevation corridor for animals to move between landscapes in Honduras, Guatemala and beyond. - Jaguars, like all big cats, continue to lose habitat and are targeted by poachers. But this cat moving back into its former territory shows that conservation efforts, such as anti-poaching patrols, land protection and the introduction of prey species, may be working. | |
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Offshore wind’s clean energy potential remains largely untapped, say experts (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/offshore-winds-clean-energy-potential-remains-largely-untapped-say-experts/ - Offshore wind has enormous clean energy potential across the globe. Though the sector has expanded in recent years that potential remains largely untapped. - Today, China and European nations lead the way in developing offshore wind farms, with the U.S. hampered by the Trump administration, and other nations just beginning to tap into the potential of marine wind. - Currently, about 80 gigawatts of power is generated by existing marine wind farms. According to some estimates, more than 2,000 GW of offshore wind is needed to meet climate goals, requiring a huge expansion including in deeper waters using floating platforms. | |
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Researchers say remote Lake Superior island’s wolves are thriving as packs prey on moose (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/researchers-say-remote-lake-superior-islands-wolves-are-thriving-as-packs-prey-on-moose/ Wolves on a remote island in Lake Superior appear to be thriving, but they’re making deep dents in the moose population that they rely on as a leading food source, according to a report released Monday. Isle Royale is a 134,000-acre (54,200-hectare) national park in far western Lake Superior between Grand Marais, Minnesota, and Thunder Bay, […] | |
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Peru bets on bamboo to restore nature in its main coca-growing region (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/peru-bets-on-bamboo-to-restore-nature-in-its-main-coca-growing-region/ - Since 2023, Peruvian development agency PROVRAEM has spent nearly $5 million planting almost 1,300 hectares (3,200 acres) of bamboo across the VRAEM, the country’s largest coca-producing region, promoting it as a legal, environmentally restorative alternative to illegal coca cultivation. - On one farm in Pichari, growing bamboo as a monoculture has created a self-sustaining microclimate that has attracted more than 50 squirrel monkeys and dozens of bird species to what was once degraded land. - The farm has since expanded into a successful ecotourism venture, and Peruvian authorities are promoting it as a model of success for their program. - But bamboo is no miracle crop, experts say: It takes up to eight years to reach a first mature harvest, doesn’t bring nearly as much income as high-yielding coca, and its biodiversity benefits only hold when plantations are connected to larger forest corridors. | |
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What it takes to make conservation work in Central Africa: Luis Arranz’s 46-year journey (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/what-it-takes-to-make-conservation-work-in-central-africa-luis-arranzs-46-year-journey/ Luis Arranz arrived in Africa in 1980 with little more than a degree in biology and a determination to work in the field. Without contacts or a clear path, he drove south from Spain in a small Citroën 2CV, crossing the Sahara over several weeks and repairing the car as it failed along the way. […] | |
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A blue-nosed chameleon in Madagascar: Photo of the week (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/a-blue-nosed-chameleon-in-madagascar-photo-of-the-week/ Blue-nosed chameleons, a lizard species found only in northern Madagascar, are known for their colorful noses, which brighten when they get excited. For many years, lack of data meant the blue-nosed chameleon was classified as the species Calumma boettgeri, a chameleon whose nose, while also prominently shaped, isn’t blue. It was only in 2015 that […] | |
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Celebrating the ‘gardeners of the forest’ on World Tapir Day (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/celebrating-the-gardeners-of-the-forest-on-world-tapir-day/ Described as “gardeners of the forest,” tapirs help maintain healthy ecosystems by dispersing seeds and landscaping the vegetation. Yet they remain underfunded for research. All four tapir species — the Asian (Malayan) tapir (Tapirus indicus), Baird’s tapir (T. bairdii), the lowland or South American tapir (T. terrestris) and the mountain tapir (T. pinchaque) — are […] | |
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Heat, fires and agribusiness squeeze traditional Amazon açaí harvesters (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/heat-fires-and-agribusiness-squeeze-traditional-amazon-acai-harvesters/ - Intensive farming of the popular açaí berry grew by 70% since 2015, while community cooperatives reported losses of 35% or more during recent heat waves and fires. - Industrial açaí crops often rely on artificial irrigation and nonnative honeybees, adapting the Amazon to intensive methods rather than benefiting from the biome’s own systems. - Market analysis indicates increasing international demand and rising prices, a trend that pushes for high-yield commercial monocultures over forest-based extraction. | |
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After nearly a century, Taiwan’s legless lizard gets its own identity (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/after-nearly-a-century-taiwans-legless-lizard-gets-its-own-identity/ A new study has cleared up a century’s worth of identity confusion surrounding a secretive, legless lizard found in Taiwan’s forests. Researchers from National Taiwan Normal University confirmed the Formosan legless lizard (Dopasia formosensis) is a distinct species endemic to the island, separate from the more widespread Hart’s glass lizard (D. harti), under which it […] | |
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Endangered civet faces local extinction in Cambodian sanctuary (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/endangered-civet-faces-local-extinction-in-cambodian-sanctuary/ The large-spotted civet is an endangered small carnivore found in pockets of forest across Southeast Asia. Now, a new study suggests the nocturnal mammals are heading toward local extinction in Cambodia’s Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS), once considered a global stronghold for the species. The study, published in Pacific Conservation Biology, analyzed a decade of camera-trap […] | |
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Peter Raven, botanist and advocate for biodiversity, has died, aged 89 (April 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/peter-raven-botanist-and-advocate-for-biodiversity-has-died-aged-89/ - Peter Raven was one of the most influential botanists of the 20th century, helping to shape modern understanding of biodiversity and coevolution. - As director of the Missouri Botanical Garden for nearly four decades, he transformed it into a global center for research, conservation, and education. - He was an early and persistent voice warning that human activity—through habitat loss, consumption, and population growth—was driving a mass loss of species. - His work combined science and public engagement, emphasizing that understanding the natural world carries an obligation to sustain it. | |
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Don Janssen, wildlife veterinarian who argued that caring for animals begins with people (April 26, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/don-janssen-wildlife-veterinarian-who-argued-that-caring-for-animals-begins-with-people/ - Don Janssen spent more than three decades at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, helping shape modern zoological medicine through clinical work, research, and leadership. - He came to believe that veterinary care depended as much on trust, relationships, and teamwork as on technical expertise. - Drawing on his experience, he developed and taught a model of “servant leadership” that emphasized presence, humility, and clarity in times of stress. - Later in life, a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease reinforced his view that while circumstances cannot be controlled, one’s response to them can. | |
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As Walk for Peace begins in Sri Lanka, activists call for animal rights (April 26, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-walk-for-peace-begins-in-sri-lanka-activists-call-for-animal-rights/ - Aloka, previously a stray dog in India, has become a global symbol of compassion, accompanying Buddhist monks on their intercontinental Walk for Peace, which is now in Sri Lanka. - Concerns were expressed over Aloka’s health and safety due to the prevalence of intense heat in Sri Lanka, with unusually high daytime temperatures and humid conditions prompting special care measures including a trailing ambulance and veterinary support throughout the journey. - With an estimated 2.5 million stray dogs in Sri Lanka, activists critiqued an initial plan to remove street dogs from the walking path to avoid local dogs threatening Aloka’s safety. - Animal rights advocates are using the moment to call for the long-delayed Animal Welfare Bill, urging stronger legal protections and humane treatment, replacing the country’s outdated laws to protect wild, domestic and stray animals. | |
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These tiny houses are designed to stand in extreme floods (April 25, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/video/2026/04/how-bangladesh-builds-houses-that-stand-in-extreme-floods/ JAMUNA RIVER, Bangladesh — Bulbul has just married and moved into a small village in northeast Bangladesh, a region battered year after year by severe flooding. During the rainy season, water routinely invades homes, wipes out crops, and turns daily life into a struggle for survival. For families like Bulbul’s, rebuilding after each monsoon has […] | |
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Nan Schaffer, veterinarian who helped unlock the science of rhino reproduction, has died, aged 72 (April 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/nan-schaffer-veterinarian-who-helped-unlock-the-science-of-rhino-reproduction-has-died-aged-72/ - Nan Schaffer, a veterinarian who pioneered the study of rhinoceros reproduction, devoted her career to understanding and overcoming the biological barriers that kept captive rhinos from breeding as wild populations declined. - Working across zoos and research programs, she developed techniques to manage pregnancies, collect and preserve genetic material, and build the scientific foundation that underpins modern rhino conservation efforts. - Beyond her scientific work, she was a prominent supporter of LGBTQ+ causes in Chicago, a philanthropist, and a civic figure recognized with induction into the Chicago LGBTQ+ Hall of Fame. - Guided by a belief that the loss of species would diminish human understanding of the natural world, she argued that extinction was not only a biological crisis but a cultural and moral one, with consequences that extend beyond conservation itself. | |
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AI is a double-edged sword for Indigenous stewardship, say U.N. experts (April 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/ai-is-a-double-edged-sword-for-indigenous-stewardship-say-u-n-experts/ - At the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 25th session, U.N. experts called attention to the opportunities and dangers of AI-centered conservation efforts. - A study published by former chair of the permanent forum Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim highlighted that AI can positively contribute to the protection of the environment but also impact efforts, due to its high consumption of energy, water and critical minerals. - AI can support the protection and management of Indigenous peoples’ lands and resources, such as by monitoring the environment to detect deforestation, fires, or illegal extraction. - Experts warned that to ensure the protection of Indigenous peoples and their territories, governments must prevent all forms of land-grabbing, water exploitation and mining activities related to data centers and energy sources, and respect Indigenous rights, worldviews and aspirations. | |
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NPFC adopts illegal fishing measures — but no Emperor Seamount protections (April 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/npfc-adopts-illegal-fishing-measures-but-no-emperor-seamount-protections/ - The 10th annual meeting of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NFPC) took place April 14-17 in Osaka, Japan. - While the NPFC members enacted new measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, leading NGOs criticized the commission for failing to act on bottom trawling in the Emperor Seamount Chain, a biodiversity-rich volcanic submarine mountain range in the Northwest Pacific. - Some NPFC members and observers also expressed disappointment about backtracking on stock management and conservation for the Pacific saury, which is targeted by fishing fleets of several member countries. | |
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Investigators eye organized crime links in 3-ton pangolin scale haul at Jakarta port (April 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/investigators-eye-organized-crime-links-in-3-ton-pangolin-scale-haul-at-jakarta-port/ - Customs officers in Jakarta planned to conduct interviews this month in connection with the seizure of more than 3 metric tons of pangolin scales, which inspectors found in a shipping container bound for Cambodia in late February. - Mongabay Indonesia visited the address registered to the company exporting the container, but it appeared to be a shopfront, while its contact numbers registered in a government database were inactive. - Indonesian authorities continue to make more pangolin scale seizures: This month, a Navy vessel intercepted a Vietnam-flagged cargo boat off the northwest coast of Java found to be carrying 780 kg (1,720 lbs) of scales. | |
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AI tool tracks spread of illegal gold mining in Amazon protected areas (April 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/ai-tool-tracks-spread-of-illegal-gold-mining-in-amazon-protected-areas/ - Gold mining presumed to be illegal caused 6,000 hectares (more than 14,800 acres) of deforestation in Amazonian protected areas and Indigenous territories during the last three months of 2025, according to a new quarterly report from the Amazon Mining Watch platform. - New mining scars were identified in all nine Amazonian countries, with Brazil, Peru and Guyana suffering the highest levels of mining-linked deforestation. - Soaring gold prices are driving this destruction, experts say, and call for more monitoring, law enforcement and coordinated action between countries to tackle the issue. - Using an AI algorithm that’s constantly being improved, the Amazon Mining Watch platform aims to serve as an early-warning tool for authorities and civil society to identify and address new incidences of illegal gold mining, especially in border areas. | |
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Photos: A shark meat processing village and market in Indonesia’s Lombok (April 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/custom-story/2026/04/photos-a-shark-meat-processing-village-and-market-in-indonesias-lombok/ Shark meat has quietly surpassed shark fins in international trade volume and value. In East Lombok it sells for as little as 29 cents a skewer. Photojournalist Garry Lotulung documented the shark trade at Lombok’s Tanjung Luar fish market and nearby Rumbuk village, an important shark meat processing center. EAST LOMBOK, Indonesia — Indonesia consistently […] | |
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New ‘cryptic’ gecko species discovered in Vietnam’s imperiled karst forests (April 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/new-cryptic-gecko-species-discovered-in-vietnams-imperiled-karst-forests/ In the rugged karst forests of northern Vietnam, researchers have identified a new gecko species, Vietnam’s 12th known species of gecko. The discovery highlights how much diversity the often-overlooked landscape holds. Ziegler’s Slender Gecko (Hemiphyllodactylus ziegleri) was discovered during surveys in the Copia Nature Reserve, in Son La province. The species was named in honor […] | |
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Indigenous knowledge helps identify new, highly threatened skink in Australia (April 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/indigenous-knowledge-helps-identify-new-highly-threatened-skink-in-australia/ Researchers have described a new-to-science species of skink that may be one of Australia’s most threatened reptiles. The small population of the skink, possibly fewer than 20 individuals, lives in a pocket of rocky gorge within the arid Mutawintji National Park in New South Wales state, the researchers report in a new paper. The skink […] | |
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Nepal plans park for ‘problem’ tigers as attacks raise concerns (April 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/nepal-plans-park-for-problem-tigers-as-attacks-raise-concerns/ - Nepal has proposed a 50-hectare tiger park near Chitwan National Park to house “problem” tigers in semi-natural enclosures and fund their upkeep through tourism. - Rising tiger populations and increasing human-tiger encounters have led to fatalities, costly captivity, and overcrowded, often inadequate holding centers. - Research shows only a small fraction of tigers cause conflicts, typically injured or old individuals, while most rely on wild prey. - Critics warn the park may be ethically flawed, financially unstable, and ecologically ineffective, and have suggested alternatives like better conflict management, improved identification protocols, or even euthanasia of high-risk tigers. | |
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Amid conflict and poaching, tech helps boost mountain gorilla numbers (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/amid-conflict-and-poaching-tech-helps-boost-mountain-gorilla-numbers/ - Mountain gorillas face serious threats as they lose habitat and are stalked by poachers, but populations have jumped by 73% since 1989, now numbering an estimated 1,063. - A mobile tool called SMART is helping forest guards and conservationists collect data to better track and protect the apes and other wildlife. - But budgets are tight; more staff, field equipment and data collection devices are needed, conservation experts say. - The current security situation across the transborder region between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo is a significant concern, both for forest rangers and gorillas. | |
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Canada offers mines and more in $730b investment bid slammed as unsustainable (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/canada-offers-mines-and-more-in-730b-investment-bid-slammed-as-unsustainable/ Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has touted his country’s natural resources as the main attraction for securing more than $700 billion in new investments over the next five years — a plan that a mining watchdog has blasted as “robber baron capitalism.” Carney announced in a press release a summit scheduled for Sept. 14-15 in […] | |
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Sweden’s secondhand clothing swaps offer a trendy way to cut environmental waste (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/swedens-secondhand-clothing-swaps-offer-a-trendy-way-to-cut-environmental-waste/ STOCKHOLM (AP) — Alva Palosaari Sundman scoured the racks of secondhand clothes in Stockholm for hours in search of the right pair of preowned jeans. The 24-year-old art student was among hundreds of people attending an annual clothing swap on Sunday at a community center in Sweden’s capital. They exchanged their own clothes to “shop” for others. […] | |
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In Pakistan’s deadly heat, low-cost cooling tools offer a lifeline for pregnant women (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/in-pakistans-deadly-heat-low-cost-cooling-tools-offer-a-lifeline-for-pregnant-women/ Canvas canopies, hand fans, damp cloths and solar reflective paint may not sound like elaborate medical interventions. But in Pakistan’s hottest neighborhoods, they can act as a lifeline for pregnant women and newborns from low-income households. In a recent trial of affordable cooling solutions led by researchers at Pakistan’s Aga Khan University, low-tech interventions were […] | |
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Linking habitats strengthens wildlife microbiomes, helps fight disease: Study (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/linking-habitats-strengthens-wildlife-microbiomes-helps-fight-disease-study/ - It has long been known that when terrestrial and aquatic habitats, vital at various times during a species’ life cycle, become disconnected due to human activities (a process known as habitat split), the impacted species can become more vulnerable to disease and see major population declines. - A new study pinpoints one mechanism contributing to such losses. Researchers analyzed habitat split impacts on the skin microbiomes of frog species in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and detected microbial changes that increased frog susceptibility to the chytrid pathogen, which is devastating amphibians globally. - The scientists stress that their findings could likely apply elsewhere and to many species (such as birds, fish and mammals), which need varied habitats during their life cycles in order to maintain a diverse microbiome that enhances disease defenses. - The researchers say their findings underline the need for conservation projects that protect and connect key habitats, such as forests and streams that are utilized at various life cycle stages, in order to better protect a multitude of species, not only at the macro scale, but also species at the micro scale. | |
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Wetland destruction for mining, oil palm tied to crocodile attacks in Indonesia (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/wetland-destruction-for-mining-oil-palm-tied-to-crocodile-attacks-in-indonesia/ - Bangka-Belitung, an island province located to the north of Sumatra Island, accounted for more than a quarter of the world’s tin production five years ago. - Satellite analysis shows that this globally significant mining industry has come at extensive environmental cost: Bangka-Belitung lost 36% of its old-growth forest between 2002 and 2024, besides the deforestation incurred in the 20th century. - In 2024, Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office announced the country’s largest ever criminal corruption case, after investigators uncovered collusion with the state-owned tin miner, PT Timah, and illegal mining operators on Bangka. - Meanwhile, local wildlife charities say deforestation of the coastal wetland on the west of Bangka Island, which was inhabited by humans at least as far back as the 7th century, may be to blame for the rise in human-wildlife conflicts afflicting local populations. | |
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Open dumping & failed reforms bury Sri Lankan cities in waste problem (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/open-dumping-failed-reforms-bury-sri-lankan-cities-in-waste-problem/ - In a landmark decision, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court recently determined that long-term waste dumping at a site in Meethotamulla violated residents’ fundamental rights and faulted the authorities for allowing the dump to expand beyond permitted limits. - After years of unregulated dumping and ignored warnings, in 2017, the same garbage mound collapsed, killing 32 people, including children, destroyed more than 140 homes and displaced hundreds. - The country generates around 8,000-10,000 metric tons of municipal solid waste daily, with Colombo contributing about 500 metric tons, while more than 260 open dumpsites, including 20 large ones, continue to operate countrywide. - Systems are gradually shifting toward composting, waste-to-energy incineration and engineered sanitary landfill disposal, but weak segregation, limited capacity and continued reliance on open dumping persist. | |
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Singapore to halt sourcing and breeding dolphins (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/singapore-to-halt-sourcing-and-breeding-dolphins/ Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa will stop sourcing wild dolphins for its aquarium and is suspending its captive-breeding program, according to insiders, reports Mongabay contributor Robin Hicks. Anbarasi Boopal, former co-chief executive of Singapore animal welfare charity Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), said this was a positive step. However, she called for transparency about […] | |
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Little-known company targets South African biodiversity hotspot for mining (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/little-known-company-targets-south-african-biodiversity-hotspot-for-mining/ - South Africa’s remote, semiarid Northern Cape province risks environmental damage by an inexperienced mining company that wants to prospect for the minerals critical for the renewable energy sector. - Environmentalists have drawn attention to the “exceptionally poor” impact assessment studies, suggesting a lack of planning and consideration that heightens the risk of impacts on the environment and local communities. - The potential impacts include groundwater contamination in a water-scarce region and the risk of radioactive dust polluting the soil and water sources. - The company that’s applied to prospect seven tracts of land in the province only registered as a business in 2023 and has no public track record as a mining company. | |
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Citizen science helps reconnect Singapore treetops for elusive leaf-eating langurs (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/citizen-science-helps-reconnect-singapore-treetops-for-elusive-leaf-eating-langurs/ - Singapore’s fragmented forests are home to a small population of Raffles’ banded langurs, one of the world’s most threatened primates. - Citizen scientists are helping conservationists protect the arboreal species across the island’s densely urbanized landscape. - By collecting long-term and consistent data in known strongholds, volunteers have identified langur food plants and movement corridors, boosting efforts to enrich and reconnect their habitats. - The citizen science program has also built public awareness of the elusive species, one of only three primates left in Singapore, an outcome experts hope will rouse wider support for biodiversity protection amid intense development pressure. | |
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After 110-kilo ivory bust, familiar questions over Kenya’s follow-through (April 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/after-110-kilo-ivory-bust-familiar-questions-over-kenyas-follow-through/ In late January, Kenyan authorities arrested two men in possession of more than a hundred kilos of ivory in the town of Namanga, on the border with Tanzania. According to Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), police and wildlife officers were on a covert operation at a hotel when they caught three men — identified […] | |
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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 has 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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