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How burnt coconut helped discover new to science endemic species in Sri Lanka (September 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/how-burnt-coconut-helped-discover-new-to-science-endemic-species-in-sri-lanka/ - Scientists have formally described Mus dumbara, a new species of spiny mouse from Sri Lanka’s Dumbara or Knuckles Mountain Range after years of waiting. - Collected for the first time in 2004, it took more than two decades of morphological and genetic analysis to establish it as a distinct species from the other spiny mouse species found in Sri Lanka. - Subsequent efforts to find fresh specimens of the elusive mouse proved unsuccessful, despite around 1,900 trap nights in the area, leaving scientists with limited information about its current population and distribution. - Found only from a small area of the Knuckles Range so far, the discovery highlights the island’s overlooked biodiversity of small mammals and the need for further surveys to understand the species’ ecology and conservation needs. | |
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The push for a sustainable artisanal mining in the Peruvian Amazon (September 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/video/2026/09/the-push-for-a-sustainable-artisanal-mining-in-the-peruvian-amazon/ MADRE DE DIOS, Peru — In Madre de Dios, in the Peruvian Amazon, thousands of people depend on gold mining, while the spread of mercury and deforestation are transforming the country’s most biodiverse tropical forest. In La Pampa, one of the region’s main gold mining hubs, a formalized artisanal mining operation is trying to prove […] | |
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Ituna/Itatá invasion escalates as Indigenous Land faces fires and illegal clearing (September 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/ituna-itata-invasion-escalates-as-indigenous-land-faces-fires-and-illegal-clearing/ More than 500 people have invaded Brazil’s Ituna/Itatá Indigenous Land in recent weeks, opening illegal roads, setting deliberate fires and threatening federal agents. The area is home to the Igarapé Ipiaçava Indigenous people who live in voluntary isolation with no contact with outsiders. On Aug. 26, a federal court ordered the government to deploy the […] | |
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Angolan communities return to seasonal migration amid severe drought (September 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/angolan-communities-return-to-seasonal-migration-amid-severe-drought/ Several years of severe drought are forcing people to leave their homes in Angola to search for water and food in neighboring Namibia. “There is real hunger and thirst here; that’s why the village has become depopulated,” Nghikembua (not his real name), who lives in Cunene Province in southern Angola, told Amnesty International in 2021. […] | |
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Federal court rejects Trump order keeping Michigan coal plant open (September 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/federal-court-rejects-trump-order-keeping-michigan-coal-plant-open/ WASHINGTON (AP) — In a defeat for the Trump administration, a federal court on Friday ruled that the Energy Department exceeded its authority when it forced a Michigan coal-fired power to stay open past its scheduled retirement date last year. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had said the 64-year-old J.H. Campbell plant was needed to ensure […] | |
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Mozambique protects Mount Mabu ‘butterfly forest’ (September 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/mozambique-protects-mount-mabu-butterfly-forest/ Mozambique has formally protected Mount Mabu, a hotspot of endemic wildlife and home to more than 200 species of butterflies, located in the Lugela district of northern Mozambique. The decree, published on Aug. 24 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, created the 9,341-hectare (23,082-acre) Mount Mabu Community Conservation Area, with stewardship of the […] | |
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Migratory bird species increasingly at risk, report finds, but there is still hope (September 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/migratory-bird-species-increasingly-at-risk-report-finds-but-there-is-still-hope/ - The new State of the World’s Birds report says 45% of migratory bird species are in decline with 11% threatened with extinction. - “This report is about migratory birds, but it also serves as a warning about the state of the planet in general,” the report’s lead author says. - Currently only around 9% of migratory bird species have adequate protection across their full cycle, compared with 45% of non-migratory species, the report states. - The launch of the report coincided with the signing of the Nairobi Flyways Declaration by governments, conservation organizations and others that are committing to protecting vital flyways. | |
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World Dolphin Day: Reporting unusual behavior, threats and increased protections (September 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/world-dolphin-day-reporting-unusual-behavior-threats-and-increased-protections/ Nine dolphin species, and several more subspecies and local populations, are currently critically endangered or endangered, according to the most recent assessment by the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority. September 12 marks World Dolphin Day, an awareness day created in 2022 by marine conservation nonprofit Sea Shepherd to bring attention to the threats that […] | |
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Lack of data hinders fight against environmental crimes in Angola, says environmentalist (September 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/lack-of-data-hinders-fight-against-environmental-crimes-in-angola-says-environmentalist/ - At 29, Érica Tavares represents a new generation of environmentalists in Angola, where she leads the NGO EcoAngola. - She advocates for satellite monitoring, specialized oversight and energy solutions to curb illegal deforestation. - Tavares says the government’s strategies and plans still fall short of what Angolans need to address environmental challenges. | |
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Indigenous knowledge x tech in the search for a tiny Amazon monkey (September 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/indigenous-knowledge-x-tech-in-the-search-for-a-tiny-amazon-monkey/ - Conservationists are collaborating with Indigenous communities in Ecuador to look for the world’s smallest monkey. - Pygmy marmosets live high up in trees and are hard to monitor visually; they’re also a key indicator of how forests are faring in the face of deforestation and degradation. - Conservationists are using passive acoustic monitoring to find the monkeys; they’re also training the communities on using the technology for the future. | |
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Nigeria’s Rachel Ikemeh wins Rolex Award for efforts to save rare red monkey (September 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/nigerias-rachel-ikemeh-wins-rolex-award-for-efforts-to-save-rare-red-monkey/ Nigerian conservationist Rachel Ikemeh has been named the 2026 Rolex Award laureate, for her work with communities in the Niger Delta to protect the region’s ecology and the critically endangered Niger Delta red colobus monkey. The red colobus (Piliocolobus epieni), a monkey known as epieni by the region’s communities, is listed as one of the […] | |
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Can mining gold be sustainable? (September 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/can-mining-gold-be-sustainable/ In Madre de Dios, Peru, gold mining is deeply intertwined with the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people. But the industry is also leaving a heavy mark on the Amazon, with mercury pollution and deforestation reshaping one of the world’s most biodiverse forests. In La Pampa, an area known for gold mining, a formalized […] | |
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Javan rhinos survive eruption in Indonesia, but single habitat leaves species vulnerable (September 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/javan-rhinos-survive-eruption-in-indonesia-but-single-habitat-leaves-species-vulnerable/ - Indonesia’s critically endangered Javan rhinos appear to have weathered a recent volcanic eruption near their only remaining habitat, highlighting the precarious position of one of the world’s rarest large mammals. - With the entire wild population concentrated in one coastal national park, the species faces risks from natural disasters as well as the challenges of conservation and population management. - Efforts to give the rhinos greater protection have included plans for a second habitat and attempts to move the animals to safer areas. | |
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Court rules residents of a US city don’t have a constitutional right to lead-free water (September 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/court-rules-residents-of-a-us-city-dont-have-a-constitutional-right-to-lead-free-water/ A U.S. federal court recently ruled that residents of Jackson, Mississippi, don’t have a constitutional right to truthful information from public officials, nor the right to municipal drinking water that is free of lead, a neurotoxin. “The Constitution does not provide redress for every governmental wrongdoing,” Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt of the U.S. Court of […] | |
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Japan deploys equipment to Indonesia’s Borneo to help fight wildfires causing toxic haze (September 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/japan-deploys-equipment-to-indonesias-borneo-to-help-fight-wildfires-causing-toxic-haze/ MEMPAWAH, Indonesia (AP) — A Japanese military transport ship docked on the island of Borneo on Thursday as part of a disaster relief mission to help fight wildfires in Indonesia that are causing a toxic haze impacting people’s health in other countries. Japan deployed 300 crew members, landing ship JS Kunisaki and three CH-47 helicopters, […] | |
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Amazon Fund grantees fear a new funding freeze after Brazil’s election (September 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/amazon-fund-grantees-fear-a-new-funding-freeze-after-brazils-election/ - As Brazil approaches a pivotal presidential election, grantees of the Amazon Fund warn that a radical change in administration could derail its recent momentum, which saw annual financing quadruple. - While the fund helped drive Amazonian deforestation to its lowest level in a decade, experts warn a new disruption would have greater impacts amid the growing climate crisis. - International donors are already signaling caution, as widespread anxiety reflects the trauma of 2019, when the previous government dismantled Brazil’s environmental frameworks. | |
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Offshore wind may be good for the climate but can it be good for the ocean, too? (September 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/offshore-wind-may-be-good-for-the-climate-but-can-it-be-good-for-the-ocean-too/ - Offshore wind energy is on the rise. Many experts regard it as pivotal to building renewable energy grids around the globe, while also noting that it affects the marine environment. - On one hand, offshore wind farms can create mini marine protected areas by prohibiting harmful practices like bottom trawling, and could eventually enable restoration of depleted habitats like oyster reefs. - But they also bring notable challenges. Alongside well-documented threats to birds and bats, several issues remain poorly understood, such as how large-scale wind platforms might affect ocean circulation, temperature and the movement of sediment. - Researchers say a host of measures can be taken to address some environmental challenges, while underlining the need for continued investment and innovation in solutions. | |
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‘Forgotten fauna’: Little known river sharks and rays face increased extinction risk (September 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/forgotten-fauna-little-known-river-sharks-and-rays-face-increased-extinction-risk/ - Dozens of shark and ray species are known to spend some or all of their life cycle in freshwater environments, but they remain among the least studied and least protected. - According to the IUCN, 76% of non-marine sharks and rays in the Indo-Pacific region are threatened with extinction — about twice the rate of their marine relatives. - Rivers and estuaries are heavily impacted by human activities, and many non-marine sharks and rays have already disappeared from parts of their historic range, with some at risk of vanishing before their conservation needs are understood. | |
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As saltwater advances, Gambian farmers rethink how to protect rice fields (September 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-saltwater-advances-gambian-farmers-rethink-how-to-protect-rice-fields/ - Every year, the villagers of Kiang Jifarong in the Gambia contribute their labor and money to building earthen dikes from clay and mud in an effort to keep seawater out of their rice farms along the Bintang Bolong estuary. - Stretches of salt-blighted or barren plots and growing numbers of farmers moving inland to higher ground are a sign that rising sea levels and uncertain rainfall that could flush saline water out of the estuarine landscape are overcoming this defense. - The villagers look enviously at a UNDP-funded concrete dike at a nearby village, but one sustainable development expert says permanent dikes often aggravate the problem. | |
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Children’s health at risk in south Borneo as El Niño intensifies Indonesia wildfires (September 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/childrens-health-at-risk-in-south-borneo-as-el-nino-intensifies-indonesia-wildfires/ - Wildfires across Borneo and Sumatra are raising health risks for local populations, with some health offices reporting rising rates of respiratory disease. - Mothers in Indonesia’s South Kalimantan province report extensive stress from caregiving and domestic responsibilities as family members fall ill amid harmful air quality caused by hinterland fires. - A strong El Niño is expected to prolong Indonesia’s main dry season, possibly beyond October, elevating risks to people and wildlife from wildfires. - Southeasterly trade winds have spread wildfire pollution beyond Indonesia to neighboring Malaysia and Singapore, whose governments have issued health advisories for their citizens. | |
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Huge AI data center project blindsides water-stressed town in Brazil (September 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/huge-ai-data-center-project-blindsides-water-stressed-town-in-brazil/ - Atlas Renewable Energy is planning a 1-gigawatt data center in the Paracatu municipality that exceeds the combined power capacity of all such facilities currently installed in Brazil. - The project risks depleting fragile Cerrado springs in a municipality where around 80% of the territory faces water conflicts and demand already exceeds 100% of available groundwater reserves. - Local authorities and residents say they were never consulted about the multi-billion-dollar investment, which was only revealed to them through inquiries from reporters. - The project reflects a global trend of tech giants seeking out resource-rich countries like Brazil to power an increasingly water and energy intensive AI boom. | |
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Indigenous fisherwoman finds ‘lost’ spinach pipefish, not seen by science in 40 years (September 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/indigenous-fisherwoman-finds-lost-spinach-pipefish-not-seen-by-science-in-40-years/ Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. On the final day of a two-week expedition, where researchers were searching for a “lost” species along Papua New Guinea’s Sepik River, Helen Asu arrived with two small, greenish-brown fish. She had caught them while fishing for prawns […] | |
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Japan wants to plant no-pollen trees to solve its hay fever crisis (September 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/japan-wants-to-plant-no-pollen-trees-to-solve-its-hay-fever-crisis/ Two species of trees helped Japan build millions of homes after World War II. However, pollen from those same trees has also fueled a nationwide hay fever allergy. More than 40% of Japan’s population now suffers from hay fever, locally called kafunsho. That’s nearly double the rate in the U.S., reports contributor Jonathan Vit for […] | |
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The EU approved an antideforestation law. The US paper lobby sought to weaken it (September 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/the-eu-approved-an-antideforestation-law-the-us-paper-lobby-sought-to-weaken-it/ - Industry groups from the U.S. and Canadian forestry sector pressured the European Union to reduce rules facing North American timber and paper goods under the new European Union Deforestation Regulation. - The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has spent nearly $11 million on lobbying efforts since 2023, and its political action committee contributed $272,041.63 in campaign donations since 2025. - Several lawmakers, including U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, got AF&PA campaign donations and have also pressured the EU for looser regulations. - U.S. and Canadian industry and their governments continue to campaign for exceptions to new European traceability requirements. | |
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Two wild Przewalski’s horse foals born in Kazakhstan after 200 years (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/two-wild-przewalskis-horse-foals-born-in-kazakhstan-after-200-years/ Two Przewalski’s horse foals were born in a reintroduction center in the grasslands of central Kazakhstan in late August. They are reportedly the first wild horses born on Kazakh soil in more than 200 years. The first foal, a male, was born Aug. 22 to a 7-year-old mare named Tessa. The second, also male, followed […] | |
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Nepal’s high-altitude wildernesses & wildlife are increasingly under threat (commentary) (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/nepals-high-altitude-wildernesses-wildlife-are-increasingly-under-threat-commentary/ - High-altitude wildernesses like Limi Valley in Nepal are suffering from human encroachment, which is advancing at an unprecedented pace, pushing wildlife into ever-smaller pockets of shrinking habitat. - Creatures ranging from wild yaks to Himalayan wolves, snow leopards, Eurasian lynx, Tibetan brown bears and Pallas’s cats are under pressure from a new wave of herders bringing sheep, goats and dogs into the remotest areas, spreading disease and degrading grazing lands. - “What this high-altitude landscape, its people, and biodiversity need is straightforward: formal legal ecosystem protection from the Nepalese government, led by the stewardship of the Limi community who are best placed to protect it, and supported by conservation organizations,” a new op-ed argues. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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Indigenous land back in Chile brings mixed bag of environmental outcomes: Study (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/indigenous-land-back-in-chile-brings-mixed-bag-of-environmental-outcomes-study/ - A new study found that the restitution of 217,000 hectares (about 538,000 acres) of land to Mapuche communities in Chile did not produce the environmental gains often associated with Indigenous land stewardship. - Researchers found that restitution was associated with an increase in grasslands and a decline in non-native plantation forests, but found no significant changes in natural forest cover, carbon sequestration, biodiversity or erosion control. - The study challenges the assumption that Indigenous land restitution automatically results in environmental restoration, while emphasizing that restitution’s primary goals are historical justice and Indigenous self-determination rather than conservation. - Researchers also pointed out that much of the land that was returned to the Mapuche had already been degraded after decades of intensive agriculture and that Mapuche livelihoods have changed since the 16th century, when they were introduced to livestock by the Spanish. | |
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How to enhance ocean health and resilience with marine rewilding (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/how-to-enhance-ocean-health-and-resilience-with-marine-rewilding/ Ocean ecosystems are under extreme stress on several fronts including overfishing, ocean acidification, climate change and marine warming. While ocean conservation efforts often tend to focus on creating marine protected areas, researchers recently stressed the need to move beyond protection toward active recovery using a different approach: Marine rewilding. In a new perspective paper, the […] | |
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In North Carolina, a race is on to restore critical peatland before it dries up or is destroyed (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/in-north-carolina-a-race-is-on-to-restore-critical-peatland-before-it-dries-up-or-is-destroyed/ BELHAVEN, N.C. (AP) — Scientists and investors are restoring a 23-square-mile tract of peatland in North Carolina to help curb climate-warming emissions and restore native habitat. Ditches have drained water from thousands of years of accumulated peat, leaving the site vulnerable to drought and wildfire and unleashing huge volumes of carbon dioxide. One-third of global […] | |
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Kashmir’s water bodies have declined for decades. Is conservation keeping pace? (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/kashmirs-water-bodies-have-declined-for-decades-is-conservation-keeping-pace/ - A recent study examines 60 years of land use change in Jammu and Kashir and finds a decline in the area’s water bodies while built-up areas expanded markedly. - The research found that socioeconomic factors were more strongly associated with many of the changes than climatic variables examined. - The findings raise a broader question: As development continues to reshape the landscape, are conservation initiatives and land use planning keeping pace with the pressures on the region’s water bodies? - Experts say that while development is necessary for economic growth, it needs to be balanced against ecological conservation, while individual water bodies need to be examined according to their specific pressures. | |
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When climate-related hazards rise, so do barriers for people with disabilities (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/when-climate-related-hazards-rise-so-do-barriers-for-people-with-disabilities/ - A new study from Kerala, India, shows how climate disasters deepen inequalities and increase risk for people with disabilities. - The findings are not unique to India, however; parallels are drawn with Sierra Leone, where more than 9% of the population lives with a disability. - People with disabilities can face physical, social, economic and institutional barriers, including inaccessible early-warning systems, evacuation routes and shelters, limited access to healthcare and much more. - People with disabilities are also finding ways to adapt and support each other when disaster strikes. | |
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Caribbean scientists document uncharted deep-sea waters in Trinidad and Tobago (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/caribbean-scientists-document-uncharted-deep-sea-waters-in-trinidad-and-tobago/ - In a milestone for Caribbean science, researchers recently conducted one of the most comprehensive surveys ever undertaken in the deep-sea waters off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. - It marks the first time a team of predominantly Caribbean scientists have worked on deep-ocean exploration in the region, according to expedition leader Diva Amon, a deep-sea ecologist and Trinidad and Tobago native. - The expedition team collected more than 700 specimens, including many Amon believes will be identified as new species, and found 25 cold seep ecosystems formed by methane and other gases emanating from the ocean floor. - Amon said she hopes the data gathered on the expedition will be used by decision-makers in Trinidad and Tobago to improve stewardship of the country’s waters, which are threatened by oil and gas drilling, plastic pollution and climate change. | |
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New Zealand put fishing boats under camera surveillance. Will it stay the course? (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/new-zealand-put-fishing-boats-under-camera-surveillance-will-it-stay-the-course/ - In recent years, Aotearoa New Zealand has mandated onboard cameras across most of its inshore fleet, alongside other forms of electronic monitoring, covering vessels using six types of fishing gear. - The rollout, aimed at monitoring catch, discards, protected species interactions, and the use of mitigation devices, has put New Zealand near the leading edge internationally in the use of onboard cameras. - Conservation-minded experts say the system is far from perfect but has improved transparency and especially the quality of data on bycatch, or unintended catch. - Shane Jones, the New Zealand government official in charge of fisheries, has expressed skepticism about the onboard camera system and sponsored a bill that would restrict public access to the footage, raising doubts about the program’s future. | |
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Vantara works with lobbyist tied to Trump Jr. and pro-hunting groups (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/vantara-works-with-lobbyist-tied-to-trump-jr-and-pro-hunting-groups/ - Vantara, the controversial billionaire-run Indian zoo, has worked with lobbyists in the U.K. with ties to pro-hunting organizations and the Trump administration, sources told Mongabay. - Tristan Breijer, a U.K.-based lobbyist at Checkmate Government Relations, invited at least one wildlife conservation organization to a roundtable hosted by Vantara on the sidelines of the CITES Animals Committee in July 2026, according to sources. - Checkmate was founded by Charles ‘Ches’ McDowell, a hunting friend of Donald Trump Jr. Its long list of clients includes Reliance Industries, the petrochemical giant owned by the Ambani family, which includes Anant Ambani, who started Vantara. - Conservationists say Vantara’s lobbying efforts at CITES meetings before a key November meeting raises questions about its intentions. India is expected to respond to a CITES report on the origins of some endangered and protected species imported by Vantara. They also question the Indian zoo’s association with lobbyists tied to pro-hunting organizations, when it claims to be rescuing animals from around the world. | |
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Rescuers scramble to save orangutans as El Niño-boosted fires spread across Borneo (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/rescuers-scramble-to-save-orangutans-as-el-nino-boosted-fires-spread-across-borneo/ - Through last month, Indonesian wildlife conservation NGO YIARI and government conservation officials recovered seven critically endangered Bornean orangutans from wildfires raging across the island. - One of the orangutans died from smoke exposure, while others were taken some to YIARI’s rehabilitation center and some released others into a nearby national park. - A strengthening El Niño threatens to fuel major fires across Indonesia’s peatlands and mineral soils during this year’s dry season. - YIARI workers in Ketapang district, a low-lying peatland area in Borneo’s West Kalimantan province, remain on high alert for orangutans stranded or injured by wildfires. | |
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Colombia’s Indigenous guardians adapt as pressures mount on the ‘Heart of the World’ (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/colombias-indigenous-guardians-adapt-as-pressures-mount-on-the-heart-of-the-world/ - Indigenous Wiwa families in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are moving farther downslope in an effort to preserve community cohesion amid climate and security pressures. - The mountain range’s Indigenous nations continue to hold to a “law of origin” that guides their path amid intensifying pressures from armed violence, resource extraction, and climate change. - Wiwa leaders describe sacred sites, rivers and forests as “living curricula,” inseparable from cultural and ecological responsibilities. - Recent protections have expanded the protected parts of the Sierra Nevada and prohibited new bids for mining and fossil fuel extraction. | |
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To save Europe’s raptors, conservationists say, look to West Africa (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/to-save-europes-raptors-conservationists-say-look-to-west-africa/ - The fate of an osprey that was tagged in Scotland and shot in Ghana highlights the dangers migratory raptors face far from their European breeding grounds. - Researchers found strong migratory links between Northern Europe and West Africa by analyzing records from 257 tagged raptors. - Habitat loss, hunting and belief-based trade threaten both migratory and resident raptors across West Africa. - Conservationists say better tracking, monitoring, and collaboration between European and West African institutions could help protect raptors along their entire migratory routes. | |
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Colorful Himalayan pheasants face a less rosy future under human pressure (September 9, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/colorful-himalayan-pheasants-face-a-less-rosy-future-under-human-pressure/ In the Indian Himalayas, numerous species of colorful pheasants roam the understory, pecking at seeds, roots, leaves, berries, and insects. These large, ornate birds are vital to the Himalayan ecosystem. But some species now face increasing pressures from habitat degradation and hunting, reports contributor Hirra Azmat for Mongabay India. Among them is the white-crested kalij […] | |
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Sickles, sarees and smoke: Women on the frontlines of Uttarakhand forest fires (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/sickles-sarees-and-smoke-women-on-the-frontlines-of-uttarakhand-forest-fires/ - Uttarakhand is the most fire-prone state in the Indian Western Himalayas, where wildfire seasons are expanding — and women are taking the lead on fighting fires in their communities. - Traditional gender roles assigning household and caregiving work to women is a reason why women are first responders to fire. - In addition, many men have left rural villages in Uttarakhand to search for opportunities elsewhere; women often stay behind for agriculture and feel obliged to protect their land and animals. - Despite a lack of formal employment, equipment and support for their firefighting work, Uttarakhand women successfully work to stop fires at their source, protecting their villages from hazard. | |
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Indigenous peoples near Congo parks propose diverse solutions for the future of conservation (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/indigenous-peoples-near-congo-parks-propose-diverse-solutions-for-the-future-of-conservation/ - Mongabay spoke with Indigenous people and members of local communities living near four national parks in the Congo Basin, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to gather their testimonies and learn about the solutions they envision for reconciling forest conservation with the rights of nearby communities. - Many Indigenous peoples wish to return to their ancestral lands from which they were displaced when the national parks were established; though some still prefer that authorities continue to lead conservation efforts. - Others, however, believe they should remain outside the parks, while calling for better living conditions and greater access to resources and economic opportunities to prevent environmental destruction. - Initiatives such as community forest concessions, local employment and ecotourism programs seek to reconcile conservation, land rights and the needs of communities, but their implementation continues to face tensions and significant challenges. | |
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A health crisis for Peru’s recently contacted people brings planetary health to the fore (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/09/a-health-crisis-for-perus-recently-contacted-people-brings-planetary-health-to-the-fore/ Mongabay staff writer Aimee Gabay joins the Newscast this week to discuss her reporting trip to the Peruvian Amazon, where she spoke with the Indigenous Matsés community. She made the trip initially to examine environmental threats to Matsés territory. Instead, she found them suffering from an epidemic of malaria and hepatitis B, which they have […] | |
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Singkil peat swamp: The embattled orangutan capital of the world (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/singkil-peat-swamp-the-embattled-orangutan-capital-of-the-world/ - The Singkil peat swamp, part of Sumatra’s Leuser ecosystem, is a critical habitat for Sumatran orangutans. - Although legally protected, the Singkil peat swamp is being cleared and drained for oil palm and other crops. - Drained and deforested peat swamps are highly flammable, and Indonesia’s fire season is beginning. - This photo essay highlights the beauty and diversity of Singkil, as well as documenting some of the many threats facing the ecosystem. | |
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Riverside families in the Amazon change meals as mercury poisons staple fish (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/riverside-families-in-the-amazon-change-meals-as-mercury-poisons-staple-fish/ - A database built by Mongabay Latam, based on the analysis of scientific studies that gathered more than 7,000 samples from humans and 5,900 from fish, identified the areas most affected by mercury contamination in the Madeira River, one of the main tributaries of the Amazon. - Mongabay Latam investigated the impact of mercury contamination on the health of the most affected communities: Lake Puruzinho in the state of Amazonas, and the riverside community of Calama and the Karipuna Indigenous Territory, in Rondônia state. - Studies show that mercury concentrations among residents of Lake Puruzinho are among the highest recorded in the Madeira River Basin and well above what the World Health Organization considers safe, prompting residents to change their eating habits. - High levels of mercury in Amazonian communities are related to fish consumption, their main source of protein; the accumulation of mercury in humans can cause serious health damage, such as motor and neurological problems, researchers say. | |
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In Peru, mercury leaves a toxic footprint on those who depend on a river (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/in-peru-mercury-leaves-a-toxic-footprint-on-those-who-depend-on-a-river/ - Mongabay reviewed nearly three decades of scientific research on the impact of heavy metals and traveled to several Amazonian communities to track the course of mercury contamination. - Previous studies reviewed found that one-third of the children evaluated in the Amarakaeri Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon grew up with mercury levels in their hair that exceed the limit established by the World Health Organization (WHO). - The pollution does not remain within mining enclaves: Mercury travels through the river and reaches Indigenous peoples who are unrelated to the mining practice, while pregnant women and newborns show exposure to mercury and lead, with impacts on infant development and birth weight. - Meanwhile, the state budget for caring for those affected is minimal, and Peru lacks laboratories to measure methylmercury levels — the most toxic form of this metal, associated with fish consumption. | |
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Indigenous territories maintain Amazon forest just as well as protected areas, study finds (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/indigenous-territories-maintain-amazon-forest-just-as-well-as-protected-areas-study-finds/ A new study has found that in Ecuador’s Amazon, Indigenous territories without formal conservation contracts maintained forest conditions just as well as formal protected areas. Ecuador has three different approaches to forest governance: Forests protected by government institutions, forests managed by local communities under formal conservation agreements and Indigenous territories without formal conservation agreements. To […] | |
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Mercury threatens over 160 communities in Bolivia’s Beni River basin (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/mercury-threatens-over-160-communities-in-bolivias-beni-river-basin/ - Mongabay found that 39 communities in Bolivia are suffering from mercury poisoning and that 125 more face a similar risk. - The findings were part of a scientific and geographic analysis covering 42 investigations published over 27 years. Seven were conducted in Bolivia. - The Indigenous and riverside communities affected consume fish daily. Mongabay’s database showed that the protein is contaminated with mercury in at least 17 communities. - Mongabay reached five Indigenous communities located on the banks of the Beni River (northern Bolivia). In some of them, such as Santa Rosita, mercury levels are nine times higher than the limit permitted by the World Health Organization. | |
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New analysis maps mercury threat to 951 Amazon communities in three countries (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/custom-story/2026/09/new-analysis-maps-mercury-threat-to-951-amazon-communities-in-three-countries/ For the first time, Mongabay Latam analyzed 39 scientific studies published between 1997 and 2024 that confirm that 249 Indigenous and riverside communities in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil have been exposed to mercury contamination. Nearly all of them exceed the limits considered safe by the World Health Organization. The stories reported by three journalistic teams […] | |
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Carbon credit financing emerges as Africa’s biggest bet for expanding clean cooking (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/carbon-credit-financing-emerges-as-africas-biggest-bet-for-expanding-clean-cooking/ NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Carbon credit financing is helping to drive Africa’s clean cooking transition by making cleaner stoves affordable for millions of low-income households. As governments introduce new policies, securing $900 million in fresh financing commitments, companies such as Kenya’s BURN are using carbon credits to subsidize electric and efficient biomass cookstoves across the […] | |
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New-to-science Amazon frog stands out for its slow ‘lazy’ song (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/new-to-science-amazon-frog-stands-out-for-its-slow-lazy-song/ Scientists recently described a new species of a tiny brown frog found in the Amazonian floodplain forests of Ecuador and northwestern Brazil. It looks nearly identical to related species but its slow, widely spaced out call sets it apart, researchers note in a study. “I’ve had to get into arguments because people said the frog […] | |
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Why is Amazonian wildlife turning up at a Bangkok market? (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/why-is-amazonian-wildlife-turning-up-at-a-bangkok-market/ - The sheer numbers and vast array of Latin American wildlife species offered for sale in one of Southeast Asia’s largest wildlife markets, in Thailand, has been steadily rising over the past two years, observers say, alongside animals from across the globe. - The trend points to a broader shift in the global wildlife trade, with more species coming out of the imperiled Amazon and many of them sold as pets. - Trafficked animals are often laundered from other South American countries through Peru, where regulations make it easier to export species abroad. - Many of these species are threatened, plucked from the wild, and then face abhorrent conditions during the journey from the Amazon to Asia, raising further animal welfare concerns; many perish during transit. | |
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‘Plastic pollution hotspots’ spawn a public health crisis across Latin America (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/plastic-pollution-hotspots-spawn-a-public-health-crisis-across-latin-america/ - Since 2018, when China banned the import of plastic waste, many countries in Latin America have been struggling to manage a huge increase in the amount of plastic waste imported into the region, some of them becoming “plastic pollution hotspots,” according to a recent study. - Overstretched waste management infrastructure and a glut of hard-to-recycle plastics mean that thousands of tons of plastic are leaking out into the environment every day, experts say, with major health implications for communities already facing poor sanitary conditions. - With talks for a global plastics treaty set to resume next year, campaigners say only a reduction in plastic production can solve the problem but warn against the influence of the powerful petrochemical lobby. | |
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‘Birds know no borders’: Interview with BirdLife Africa’s Alex Ngari (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/birds-know-no-borders-interview-with-birdlife-africas-alex-ngari/ - “[M]igratory birds do not belong to any one country, but are a shared global heritage, and their survival requires a borderless safety net,” says Alex Ngari, migratory birds and flyways programme manager for BirdLife Africa. - Gaps in scientific knowledge regarding migratory birds’ pathways affect conservation efforts, Ngari explains. - These gaps also prevent us from predicting the safety of bird populations in relation to climate change, he adds in a Q&A with Mongabay ahead of the Global Flyways Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. | |
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Protect this tree. Save Africa’s rainforests. (September 8, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/protect-this-tree-save-africas-rainforests/ Ogbono is one of Africa’s most iconic plants, and its seed is one of African cuisine’s iconic ingredients. Providing both food and shelter for a great many species; this canopy tree is integral to many of the continent’s rainforests! In this 4-part series on NTFPs (non-timber forest products) with The Rainforester and Mongabay, we explore […] | |
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In Panama’s Darién, Indigenous communities test a new way to fund conservation (September 7, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/in-panamas-darien-indigenous-communities-test-a-new-way-to-fund-conservation/ - With illegal logging and agricultural expansion closing in on their lands, four Indigenous Wounaan and Emberá-Wounaan villages in Panama’s Darién forest started a biodiversity monitoring project to document their forests’ conservation status. - Their biodiversity monitoring project recorded more than 200 species across 18,000 hectares (44,500 acres) of threatened forest. - They’re now using the data as a baseline for joining the biodiversity credits market — a nascent arm of the nature finance industry that’s being touted as a way to help pay for conservation. - Although biodiversity credit advocates say this market has learned from the mistakes of the carbon credit markets, observers say it’s still too soon to evaluate if it will deliver on its promises. | |
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Guinea’s Iron Frontier (September 7, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/specials/2026/09/guineas-iron-frontier/ What does it take to turn one of the world’s richest iron deposits into a global export hub? Eastern Guinea has become a focal point in the global race for high-grade iron ore. Mongabay has traced the rapid expansion of two of Guinea’s largest iron ore projects in the Simandou range and the Nimba Mountains, […] | |
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What conservation rumors reveal about climate projects in the Congo Basin (commentary) (September 7, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/what-conservation-rumors-reveal-about-climate-projects-in-the-congo-basin-commentary/ - Conservation rumors should not be dismissed as misinformation: they influence people’s attitudes toward conservation and how they respond to it, a group of researchers argues in a new op-ed. - In the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Yangambi Biosphere Reserve, rumors about a scientific tower became a vehicle for both resistance and demands to benefit from conservation. - These reactions are rooted in a longer history of dispossession and extraction, but also in memories of the jobs and services once associated with conservation, the authors write. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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New nocturnal snake from New Guinea named after Slash of Guns N’ Roses (September 7, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/new-nocturnal-snake-from-new-guinea-named-after-slash-of-guns-n-roses/ Scientists have identified a new-to-science, reddish-brown snake from specimens found in the forests of Papua New Guinea and named it after Slash, the lead guitarist of the rock band Guns N’ Roses. Slash’s groundsnake (Lielaphis slashi) is the twentieth species to be confirmed within the genus Lielaphis, a group of groundsnakes found primarily on the […] | |
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World Heritage status for South Sudan parks will be a boon for the birds (September 7, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/world-heritage-status-for-south-sudan-parks-will-be-a-boon-for-the-birds/ - South Sudan’s Boma and Badingilo national parks are best known for the massive herds of antelope that migrate across them each year. - But the landscape is also a key habitat for birds — resident species like shoebills, and those that migrate between southern and northern parts of Africa. - In July, the parks and surrounding areas were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which conservationists hope will attract support to conserve the region’s rich biodiversity. | |
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Bhutan’s pursuit of happiness takes root on its farms (September 7, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/bhutans-pursuit-of-happiness-takes-root-on-its-farms/ Guided by its national philosophy of Gross National Happiness, the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan aims to achieve food self-sufficiency by 2029 under its 13th five-year plan. However, the rugged, landlocked nation faces challenges in the form of steep terrain and logistical bottlenecks, chef and restaurateur Bleu Tshering Dorji told host Mike DiGirolamo on a recent […] | |
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Indigenous knowledge helps reveal the ties between reefs and mangroves (September 6, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/indigenous-knowledge-helps-reveal-the-ties-between-reefs-and-mangroves/ - A scientific collaboration between Australian scientists and First Nations Bardi Jawi rangers and elders has highlighted how fish species rely on the connectivity of reef and mangrove ecosystems. - The study found that culturally important fish species, which form part of traditional fishery practices in the Kimberley region of northwestern Australia, migrated between the two ecosystems more than other species. - The collaboration enabled Western scientists to draw on millennia of traditional ecological knowledge in carrying out the study and interpreting its findings. - While most of the findings were already part of traditional ecological knowledge, rangers say they learned how certain species may not be able to survive if either reefs or mangroves were threatened by climate change and environmental impacts. | |
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