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Bringing back Bali’s lost fireflies (September 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/bringing-back-balis-lost-fireflies/ Fireflies are disappearing from the Indonesian island of Bali… but local Wayan Wardika is trying to bring them back. Fireflies in Southeast Asia are vanishing due to habitat loss, light pollution, pesticide use, and climate change—and the same is happening on this rapidly developing island. In 2020, he launched Bring Back the Light, Indonesia’s only […] | |
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A plan to save Bali’s lost fireflies (September 26, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/video/2026/09/a-plan-to-save-balis-lost-fireflies/ BALI — Indonesia. Wayan Wardika used to see “clouds of fireflies” as a child growing up among the rice fields of Bali, Indonesia. But 40 years later, he realized that the fireflies in his village had all but disappeared. Fireflies in Southeast Asia are vanishing due to habitat loss, light pollution, pesticide use, and climate […] | |
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How new is the first ‘new-to-science’ cat discovered in more than 100 years? (September 25, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/how-new-is-the-first-new-to-science-cat-discovered-in-more-than-100-years/ Scientists have described a species of tiger cat that was previously unknown to science. From Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests, it is the first discovery of a living novel cat species in more than 100 years. The tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo) takes its species name from the name locals already had for it. Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National […] | |
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NGOs call on Vantara to end all wild animal imports permanently (September 25, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/ngos-call-on-vantara-to-end-all-wild-animal-imports-permanently/ - In a letter, 27 leading global wildlife conservation and animal welfare organizations have urged Vantara, a private zoo in India funded by Reliance Industries’ nonprofit, to permanently end all wild animal imports into its facilities. - The letter comes after Vantara announced a self-imposed one-year moratorium, which runs through June 2027, on all animal imports to its facilities as it improves its “due diligence” by appointing a governing council and stricter oversight. - The announcement came amid allegations of illegal wildlife trade linked to Vantara — and a CITES Secretariat investigation into its 60,000 live animal imports over the past two years. - The coalition of NGOs call for Vantara to address compliance concerns of animals already under its care, be transparent about future acquisitions and prioritize conservation of wildlife in their native habitats. | |
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To tackle environmental crime, track profits through the whole supply chain (commentary) (September 25, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/to-tackle-environmental-crime-track-profits-through-the-whole-supply-chain-commentary/ - The world has spent a decade trying to put a price on nature, yet the criminal economy has been putting a price on it for much longer. - Land grabbing, illegal logging, illicit gold mining and wildlife trafficking are extremely lucrative and have become a serious drag on both sustainable development and climate action, a new op-ed argues, and its drivers must be addressed from where extraction begins all the way to corporate offices. - “The world is still working out how much a standing forest is worth. Criminal markets settled on a price for a felled one long ago,” the authors write. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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Farmers in South Africa’s Limpopo face unpredictable rainfall, uncertain futures (September 25, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/farmers-in-south-africas-limpopo-face-unpredictable-rainfall-uncertain-futures/ - In South Africa’s Malala Drift, near Musina in Limpopo province, farmers say rainfall has become increasingly unreliable, forcing some to abandon their crops. - New research also documents increased rainfall variability in recent years, along with rising temperatures, drought, crop failures, livestock deaths and food insecurity. - Some farmers say that when the river level falls, they hire an excavation company to dig into the riverbed. | |
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Cheetah cubs at Prague Zoo are doing well after a period of strong storms and their mother’s illness (September 25, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/cheetah-cubs-at-prague-zoo-are-doing-well-after-a-period-of-strong-storms-and-their-mothers-illness/ PRAGUE (AP) — Five cheetah cubs had to survive a weather scare and the illness of their mother after their birth at the Prague Zoo. But they are doing well now, the zoo said on Friday. The zoo said the quintuplets — four males and one female — that were born on June 18 had […] | |
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Scientists clone Southern Africa’s wild fruit trees as forests disappear (September 25, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/scientists-clone-southern-africas-wild-fruit-trees-as-forests-disappear/ - Researchers at gene banks scattered across Southern Africa have spent decades collecting and duplicating specimens of valuable wild fruit trees. - Among the species cloned by researchers from the Landscape Alliance is the wild loquat — an evergreen tree that produces large quantities of highly sought-after berries that provide income and nourishment for millions of people. - Alice Muchugi and her colleagues are skilled practitioners of “air layering,” which ingeniously spurs a branch to produce roots, hugely reducing the time needed to establish a new, mature, fruit-bearing tree. - Planting and preserving prolific indigenous fruit trees protects both the biodiversity of miombo woodlands and an important alternative food source for communities who live in them. | |
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Global coral reefs get less time to recover as oceans heat up, report finds (September 25, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/global-coral-reefs-get-less-time-to-recover-as-oceans-heat-up-report-finds/ - The largest global coral reef assessment finds that average hard coral cover has declined 9.5% relative to a three-decade reference period spanning 1980-2009. - A fourth global bleaching event in 2023-2025 drove a record 8.9% one-year loss, though its full effects are not captured in this analysis, which ends in 2024. - Reefs can recover after bleaching events, but increasingly frequent marine heat waves are shortening their recovery window. - Scientists say local management can strengthen reef resilience, but rapid greenhouse gas emission cuts remain essential to prevent further widespread losses. | |
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Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee camps become increasingly vulnerable to landslides (September 25, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/bangladeshs-rohingya-refugee-camps-become-increasingly-vulnerable-to-landslides/ - Amid recurring landslides, a growing number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are being forced to adapt to increasingly limited camp space. - The refugee management authorities warn that expansions of Rohingya camps will accelerate further destruction of forests and biodiversity. - A study recommends protection of the vulnerable hill slopes, but authorities cite fund shortages as a major obstacle. | |
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Plastic and rubber litter found in remote submarine canyon off Argentina’s coast (September 25, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/plastic-and-rubber-litter-found-in-remote-submarine-canyon-off-argentinas-coast/ Plastic waste has been found in the most remote places — including, now, a deep-sea canyon off the coast of Argentina, according to a recent study. “The very first item spotted was a plastic bag entangled on the seafloor,” said Diego Urteaga, study co-author and a marine biologist at Argentina’s Bernardino Rivadavia Museum of Natural […] | |
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Fossil fuel subsidies are the ‘worst energy policy in the world,’ researchers say (September 25, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/fossil-fuel-subsidies-are-the-worst-energy-policy-in-the-world-researchers-say/ In an editorial in Science, U.S.-based energy policy experts Paasha Mahdavi and Michael Ross argue that governments creating consumer fossil fuel subsidies in response to rising energy prices is the “worst energy policy in the world.” Mahdavi, an associate professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in the U.S., and Ross, a professor at […] | |
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Chocolate giant lobbied U.S. and EU officials over deforestation laws, says report (September 25, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/chocolate-giant-lobbied-u-s-and-eu-officials-over-deforestation-laws-says-report/ Food conglomerate Mondelēz International, the owner of chocolate brands Cadbury, Milka, Toblerone and Oreo, has allegedly engaged in an extensive lobbying campaign to weaken and delay enforcement of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), according to new analysis by environmental watchdog Global Witness. Under the EUDR, companies selling to the EU must show their forest […] | |
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Pakistan expands protected habitat for Indus River dolphin as recovery offers hope (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/pakistan-expands-protected-habitat-for-indus-river-dolphin-as-recovery-offers-hope/ - Pakistan has established the Punjnad Indus River Dolphin Sanctuary in Punjab, which connects with an existing reserve in Sindh to form a continuous 400-kilometer protected river corridor. - A 2025 abundance study reveals the endangered Indus River dolphin metapopulation has rebounded to an estimated 1,987 individuals, marking a 19.4% increase between 2011 and 2017. - Despite this encouraging recovery, nearly 99% of the population is confined to a 690-kilometer stretch of the river and remains highly vulnerable to fatal gillnet entanglements and habitat fragmentation from irrigation barrages. - Wildlife officials and conservationists stress that long-term survival for the endemic bhulan, as it is locally known, will require cross-provincial coordination, ecological modifications to barrage operations and community-led sustainable fishing practices. | |
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A new cat species was just discovered. Several more may follow (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-new-cat-species-was-just-discovered-several-more-may-follow/ - The recent description of the tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo) from Bolivia comes amid a broader reassessment of wild cat taxonomy, with genetic research suggesting that several additional species may be waiting to be recognized - Brazilian biologist Tadeu Gomes de Oliveira says the number of recognized tiger-cat species could increase from three to six or even seven, while new research is also raising questions about the taxonomy of margays and other small cats. - These distinctions can have direct conservation consequences: Oliveira estimates that no more than about 200 munoai pampas cats remain and argues that recognizing the population as a distinct species could help unlock targeted protection and funding. - In September 2026, Panthera board chair Jon Ayers interviewed Oliveira about the changing taxonomy of small cats, emerging genetic research, threatened populations, and plans for a global monitoring program for small wild cats. | |
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Anthrax suspected in 46 hippo deaths in Zambia amid potential spillover to humans (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/anthrax-suspected-in-46-hippo-deaths-in-zambia-amid-potential-spillover-to-humans/ Zambia is investigating wildlife deaths and human exposure linked to an anthrax outbreak in the northern province of Muchinga, where several hippos have died since the outbreak was reported on Aug. 31. While other wildlife deaths have also been reported, hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) are the species with the clearest laboratory evidence of anthrax, according to […] | |
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Peru faces hearing over threats to uncontacted Indigenous groups in the Amazon (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/peru-faces-hearing-over-threats-to-uncontacted-indigenous-groups-in-the-amazon/ A public hearing this week by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights will assess claims that the Peruvian state violated the rights of the Indigenous Mashco Piro, Yora, and Amahuaca peoples, who live on ancestral territory in the Amazon Rainforest. The court will hold a hearing on Sept. 24 and 25 in Montevideo, Uruguay, about […] | |
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Ugandans plant trees near national park to keep people out of gorillas’ habitat (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/ugandans-plant-trees-near-national-park-to-keep-people-out-of-gorillas-habitat/ BWINDI, Uganda (AP) — In the tangled greenery of a Ugandan national park, mountain gorillas sit among the leaves, calmly carrying on as tourists trek into their forest home. Many gorilla families are used to people, but while their population grows, the forest available to them does not. Communities have planted trees for medicine, firewood […] | |
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Brazil’s tropical forest fund races to raise $2.7 billion before deadline (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/brazils-tropical-forest-fund-races-to-raise-2-7-billion-before-deadline/ - The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) aims to reach $10 billion in sponsor capital by the end of 2026, a step toward a larger $25 billion fundraising goal. - If the target is not reached, the initiative could lose a $3 billion pledge made by Norway. - Reports state that some countries are waiting for the results of the Brazilian presidential elections in October before pledging funds. | |
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Ebola, twins and women-led conservation: Reporting on gorillas for World Gorilla Day (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/ebola-twins-and-women-led-conservation-reporting-on-gorillas-for-world-gorilla-day/ Gorillas are among humans’ closest relatives, with a common ancestor dating back around 8 to 10 million years. Both species of gorilla alive today are on the edge of extinction: The eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei) is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, while the western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) is critically endangered. In its […] | |
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In Nepal, women seek ownership rights to the lands they tend (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/in-nepal-women-seek-ownership-rights-to-the-lands-they-tend/ - In Nepal, the law has eliminated gender discrimination when it comes to property rights, but cultural norms still interfere with land ownership. - Many of the country’s agricultural workers are women, yet they do not own the land they work. - Research shows that globally, women’s access to secure land tenure is linked to higher agricultural productivity, lower food insecurity, reduced poverty and slower environmental degradation. - While some women in Nepal say the lack of land ownership is not a problem for them, others do not recognize the legal rights they have; experts say education is key. | |
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New report reveals the environmental cost of USAID’s destruction (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/new-report-reveals-the-environmental-cost-of-usaids-destruction/ - The consultancy firm One Earth Partners has published an analysis of the environmental consequences of USAID’s closure. - One Earth Partners was founded by Monica Bansal and Hadas Kushnir, two former senior employees at the U.S. international development agency. - The report is based on interviews with 150 people in five countries who were familiar with USAID’s conservation and environmental work. - It finds that a large number of projects in fragile ecosystems have stalled or collapsed, and is accompanied by a list of 100 that are looking for new funders. | |
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‘Lost’ bird reappears in West Africa’s forests after more than a decade (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/lost-bird-reappears-in-west-africas-forests-after-more-than-a-decade/ - In June, a team of researchers working in Côte d’Ivoire’s Taï National Park spotted a Ghana cuckooshrike, a bird that hadn’t been seen in 13 years. - The bird’s home range in West Africa’s Upper Guinean rainforest has been whittled away by logging and agriculture, leaving a patchwork of disconnected forests. - The ‘rediscovery’ shows the value of conserving places like Taï, where mining and illegal hunting also pose threats. - The finding relied on close collaboration with West African researchers, the experience and knowledge of the team, and the Ghana cuckooshrike’s listing by the Search for Lost Birds partnership. | |
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Earth life support systems are flashing red, warns 2026 Planetary Health Check (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/earth-life-support-systems-are-flashing-red-warns-2026-planetary-health-check/ - planetary boundaries — vital for preserving the safe operating space for humanity — are transgressed and heading further into the danger zone. - Mounting pressures on land carbon sinks, the seafloor, and escalating releases of novel entities (various forms of synthetic pollution) risk increased destabilization of Earth’s life support systems. - Large-scale and urgent action is needed to return as swiftly as possible to the safe zone, scientists say. | |
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Biodiversity credits shouldn’t copy the carbon market playbook (commentary) (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/biodiversity-credits-shouldnt-copy-the-carbon-market-playbook-commentary/ - The biodiversity credit market should stop trying to copy the carbon market’s method of reducing everything to one tradable unit, a new op-ed argues. - Instead, these credits should be measured by how continuously and independently a claim can be verified, since their benefit cannot be expressed as simply as carbon credits can. - “A hectare of mangrove forest is not interchangeable with a hectare of grassland: pretending otherwise is closer to a category error than a measurement gap, and I suspect it is the real reason estimates of this market vary by a factor of 80,” the author writes. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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Indonesia’s geothermal push runs into local fears at Mount Ungaran (September 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/indonesias-geothermal-push-runs-into-local-fears-at-mount-ungaran/ - Indonesia’s push to expand geothermal power is facing resistance from communities around Mount Ungaran in Central Java province, where a long-running dispute over the proposed project has resurfaced. - The government says further exploration is needed to determine whether the area can support a commercially viable power plant, with electricity generation targeted for 2031. - Residents and civil society groups have raised concerns about potential impacts on water resources, farming livelihoods, the environment, and cultural heritage. - Questions over public consultation and differing estimates of the area’s potential electricity output have added to the debate over the project’s future. | |
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Floating weeds threaten farming and fishing at Malawi’s Chia Lagoon (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/floating-weeds-threaten-farming-and-fishing-at-malawis-chia-lagoon/ A mass of floating weeds at Chia Lagoon, Malawi’s largest, is choking out waterways and livelihoods as farmers and fishers struggle to access fields and fishing areas. Seven months after the rainy season ended in Malawi, fields that once absorbed seasonal water at the lagoon are submerged, frustrating irrigated maize and rice production, according to […] | |
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Planned US tech hub in Philippines hit over environmental and Indigenous land concerns (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/planned-us-tech-hub-in-philippines-hit-over-environmental-and-indigenous-land-concerns/ - The Philippines is a key location for the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative, a global pact to establish a semiconductor and AI supply chain not reliant on China. - Pax Silica, and a related national initiative called the Luzon Economic Corridor, have been met with opposition from civil society and Indigenous groups. - Land for the planned Pax Silica hub overlaps with land thousands of Indigenous Aeta claim as their ancestral domain. - Protesters also cite concerns about water, energy use, and waste management plans for the planned hub. | |
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US contractors reportedly purchase tin from company accused of illegal Amazon mining (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/us-contractors-reportedly-purchase-tin-from-company-accused-of-illegal-amazon-mining/ Brazilian tin-producing company, White Solder, has been accused of acquiring a mineral illegally mined in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory in the Brazilian Amazon. White Solder has supplied hundreds of metric tons of tin to companies with U.S. Department of Defense contracts, according to an investigation by Repórter Brasil. White Solder, which describes itself as one […] | |
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Agency says sea turtle eggs laid on California beaches are a first for the US West Coast (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/agency-says-sea-turtle-eggs-laid-on-california-beaches-are-a-first-for-the-us-west-coast/ HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A reptile believed to be struggling in sand at a Southern California beach was simply making history: a sea turtle laying eggs on the U.S. West Coast. And three days later, there were more. An olive ridley turtle — maybe the same one — laid eggs on Sept. 19, a […] | |
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Logging still threatens Bornean forest once envisioned as an Indigenous-led peace park (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/logging-still-threatens-bornean-forest-once-envisioned-as-an-indigenous-led-peace-park/ - Indigenous communities in Malaysia’s Upper Baram Forest Area say a planned conservation area is being eroded by the existence of an active timber concession within the forest area. - A new report by civil society groups questions the legality of how the concession was granted, and presents evidence of ongoing logging of primary forest. - The Sarawak forest department says the Upper Baram Forest Area was intended from its outset to allow areas for both conservation and timber harvesting, and that the concession was granted legally. | |
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Two decades on, Nepal’s conservationists search for new ‘dream’ generation (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/two-decades-on-nepals-conservationists-search-for-new-dream-generation/ - In September 2006, a helicopter crash killed 24 people, including then forest minister and senior officials from Nepal’s government and WWF — a day after they handed over a conservation area to resident communities. - Since the crash, some conservationists say individual roles were replaced, but what was lost was never truly recovered, with visionary leadership growing scarcer since the accident. - Nepal’s tiger population has more than tripled and forest cover has grown beyond 46%, built on the community forestry model the “lost generation”, but human-wildlife conflict and the emptying of hill villages remain as unresolved conservation issues. - Devolving control of buffer zones to local communities remains incomplete two decades on, and even the crash’s own commemoration has largely lapsed, leaving current leaders to decide whether to keep running the old conservation model or build a new one. | |
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A mega-dam made this community move (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/a-megadam-made-this-community-move/ The green transition is crucial to tackling climate change. But around the world, the same question keeps cropping up: who pays the price? In Malaysian Borneo, hydroelectric dams are playing an increasingly important role in Sarawak’s renewable energy ambitions, with the state now looking to supply power beyond its borders. One of the biggest projects […] | |
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In Peru’s high Andes, restoring ancient ecosystems could help protect water security (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/in-perus-high-andes-restoring-ancient-ecosystems-could-help-protect-water-security/ - In Peru’s high Andes, water security is under threat as glaciers retreat and changing weather patterns threaten natural reservoirs. - At 3,200 meters (10,500 feet) altitude, in the community of Villa de Arma, Huancavelica, a conservation initiative that started in 2025 aims to secure water resources in the Chincha watershed, helping to supply water to the arid coast below. - The project uses nature-based solutions such as wetland conservation and native forest regeneration to combat water security issues in the region. - Some scientists caution that the benefits of nature-based solutions are hard to predict and that they are “not a panacea”. | |
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New Galápagos Atlas charts the islands’ biodiversity and the mysteries that remain (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/new-galapagos-atlas-charts-the-islands-biodiversity-and-the-mysteries-that-remain/ A new atlas of biodiversity of the Galápagos Islands highlights the unique evolutionary and ecological diversity of life in the famed archipelago that helped Charles Darwin develop the theory of natural selection. The Galapagos Atlas, created by the Darwin Foundation, highlights 68 species and species groups in the island chain. These include the celebrities of […] | |
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4 million lakes in ‘Lost Lakes’ map offer clues to Arctic permafrost (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/4-million-lakes-in-lost-lakes-map-offer-clues-to-arctic-permafrost/ The Arctic is dotted with millions of lakes that sit on persistently frozen soil called permafrost. These lakes are crucial for the region’s wildlife and local communities. However, as temperatures rise, the permafrost thaws, which causes new lakes to form or existing lakes to abruptly disappear as lake water drains away through newly created channels. […] | |
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A ‘devil-like’ flower from Thailand is new to science — and critically endangered (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/a-devil-like-flower-from-thailand-is-new-to-science-and-critically-endangered/ Botanists in Thailand have identified a new-to-science species of “fairy lantern” — plants that live almost entirely buried under leaf litter, emerging aboveground only occasionally to flower. Researchers were surveying evergreen forests in the mountains of Thong Pha Phum National Park when they chanced upon a plant none of them had ever seen before, at […] | |
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As fires spread in Indonesia, Bornean orangutans run out of forest to flee (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/as-fires-spread-in-indonesia-bornean-orangutans-run-out-of-forest-to-flee/ - Fires are spreading across Bornean orangutan habitat in West Kalimantan, including Gunung Palung National Park and the Mendawak Biodiversity Corridor. - Conservationists said losing forest in the national park would be devastating for its large orangutan population and long-running research program. - More than 40 people, including field assistants, staff and local villagers, have been working around the clock to protect a research station from the fires. - Geopix detected 17,865 fire hotspots in mapped orangutan habitat across Kalimantan between June 1 and Aug. 28, while conservationists warn that fires are shrinking the forest available for orangutans to escape. | |
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Reptiles, gold and money: How Australia is cracking down on wildlife trafficking (September 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/reptiles-gold-and-money-how-australia-is-cracking-down-on-wildlife-trafficking/ - Australian authorities disrupted an alleged wildlife trafficking ring in Sydney, seizing 36 reptiles and about AU$300,000 (more than $215,000) in cash and gold bullion. - The animals included 28 native Australian reptiles, including shingleback lizards, spiny-tailed skinks and lace monitors. - This bust was the first major wildlife crime operation conducted by the National Environmental Protection Agency (National EPA), Australia’s new federal environmental regulator. - The National EPA alleges native reptiles were supplied to foreign nationals for illegal export. | |
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The Home Planet Fund succeeds by giving directly to local communities (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/09/the-home-planet-fund-succeeds-by-giving-directly-to-local-communities/ This week on the Newscast, we’re joined by Dilafruz Khonikboyeva, the founder of the Home Planet Fund, an independent, Indigenous-led nonprofit that provides funding for local and Indigenous communities and conservation projects around the world. Khonikboyeva, who is also the organization’s executive director, speaks about the ethos of the Home Planet Fund and how it […] | |
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Cigarette butts make up 12% of aquatic litter, global review finds (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/cigarette-butts-make-up-12-of-aquatic-litter-global-review-finds/ Cigarette butts account for roughly 12% of the litter found in rivers, lakes and beaches surveyed for a recent global review. Researchers pooled data from 130 studies conducted in 55 countries between 2013 and 2024. Across all ecosystems, including both aquatic and terrestrial, researchers found on average a density of 1 cigarette butt every 4 […] | |
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California Tribes receive beach and ancestral village site back from transportation authority (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/california-tribes-receive-beach-and-ancestral-village-site-back-from-transportation-authority/ - The U.S. state of California has returned 55 hectares (136 acres) of Northern California coastline, including Blues Beach and the village site of K’etim, to three Coastal Yuki tribes. - It is the first land Caltrans, the state transportation department, has ever returned to Indigenous ownership. - Tribes first asked for the site in 2005, after learning looters were digging into archaeological sites and uncovering ancestral remains. - The tribe hopes to use the land for education and gatherings, but the beach will remain open to the public. | |
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A rare slow loris may have a much larger population in China than scientists thought (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-rare-slow-loris-may-have-a-much-larger-population-in-china-than-scientists-thought/ - A recent study documented 98 northern pygmy slow lorises living in the wild in Guangxi, China, roughly doubling the country’s known population of the endangered species. - The species was previously thought to live almost exclusively in Vietnam and Laos. - The northern pygmy slow loris was only identified as a separate species in 2023; physically, it’s plumper, fuzzier, and has a flatter nose than the southern species. - Like all lorises, northern pygmy lorises are threatened by habitat loss and hunting for the wildlife trade and for use in traditional medicine. | |
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Brazil creates four Amazon reserves as plans to pave rainforest highway advance (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/brazil-creates-four-amazon-reserves-as-plans-to-pave-rainforest-highway-advance/ The Brazilian government has created four new sustainable development reserves in the Amazon as part of an effort to mitigate environmental damage from the controversial plan to fully pave the BR-319 highway. The road will pass through one of the most intact parts of the rainforest, which conservationists warn will lead to increased deforestation. President […] | |
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World Rhino Day: What does it take to save a species? (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/world-rhino-day-what-does-it-take-to-save-a-species/ In honor of World Rhino Day, on Sept. 22, here’s a snapshot of Mongabay’s reporting from the past year on the actions being taken to save rhinos from extinction: Reintroduction in Uganda In 1983, the last wild northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) living in Uganda was killed for its horn. But now rhinos are back […] | |
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Critics question oil and gas spending in Mexico’s proposed climate budget (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/critics-question-oil-and-gas-spending-in-mexicos-proposed-climate-budget/ - Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has presented a draft fiscal budget for 2027, outlining the national government’s plans for the coming year for everything from tax rates and health care to infrastructure and education. - When it comes to the budget’s climate policies, Sheinbaum has increased spending for a national energy transition strategy but decreased it for climate change adaptation efforts. - Critics also pointed out that the budget for the national energy transition strategy includes billions of pesos for railroad projects and Petróleos Mexicanos , the state-owned oil company. - Watchdogs called for lawmakers to redistribute resources toward forest conservation, sustainable water management, protected areas and the prevention of natural disasters. | |
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Fat Bear Week opens for Alaska’s heavyweight crown. Can Chunk, the 1,200-pound champ, win again? (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/fat-bear-week-opens-for-alaskas-heavyweight-crown-can-chunk-the-1200-pound-champ-win-again/ ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — After a summer spent packing away sockeye salmon, Alaska’s heftiest brown bears are ready to throw their weight around. Online voting began Tuesday for Fat Bear Week, the annual contest that pits the rotund residents of Katmai National Park and Preserve against each other for the title of most oversized ursine. […] | |
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Photographing Sri Lanka’s human-elephant conflict — Interview with Federico Borella (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/photographing-sri-lankas-human-elephant-conflict-interview-with-federico-borella/ - For internationally acclaimed photographer Federico Borella, documenting Sri Lanka’s human-elephant conflict goes beyond the gory story often depicted globally and instead offers an opportunity to learn about a complex web of experiences and responses, and a window for coexistence. - Borella has been documenting human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka for four years and has found intense conflict intertwined with genuine affection for the animals, despite the scale of human suffering. - As a professional documentary photographer, Borella insists his role is to document the reality as he encounters it and not to sit in judgement as to whose suffering matters more. - He intends to convert his body of work into a book, then hold exhibitions and work with schools to bring the complex story directly to the affected communities and the next generation. | |
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Copper boom fueling energy transition puts Earth’s wildlands at risk (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/copper-boom-fueling-energy-transition-puts-earths-wildlands-at-risk/ - A vast multi-nation mining project, named Vicuña, is being developed in the Andes to help satisfy the world’s rocketing demand for copper, largely stemming from society’s demand for renewables, such as electric cars, and AI data centers. - But experts worry that even gigantic projects like Vicuña will be unable to satisfy global copper demand, expected to reach 50 million metric tons by 2040, almost double this year’s consumption of 28 million metric tons. - To meet that astronomical need, mining companies will have to move deep into untapped wildlands, requiring ever larger amounts of energy and water, leading to regional water stress. Indigenous areas will likely be targeted, making this an environmental justice issue. Biodiversity loss is also likely. - The global explosion in copper mining underlines a troublesome conundrum faced by the environmental movement: Even green projects can have serious environmental downsides. | |
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Honoring Jane Goodall’s conservation legacy and combatting misinformation (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/honoring-jane-goodalls-conservation-legacy-and-combatting-misinformation/ Former United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres has been named the recipient of the inaugural Jane Goodall Earth Medal, which honors those who “unite science, courage and responsibility.” Goodall, a primatologist, conservationist and a persistent voice of hope, died in October 2025 at the age of 91. She also served on Mongabay’s advisory council. The […] | |
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Drought and state neglect deepen health crisis for Peru’s recently contacted Matsés (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/drought-and-state-neglect-deepen-health-crisis-for-perus-recently-contacted-matses/ A worsening convergence of drought driven by climate change, epidemic disease, and state neglect is creating a severe health emergency for the Indigenous Matsés people in the Peruvian Amazon. Mongabay staff writer Aimee Gabay traveled to Matsés territory to investigate the environmental threats to the region. Instead, she found Matsés communities suffering from severe outbreaks […] | |
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Tourism has the potential to reverse coral decline at Bali travel hotspot: Study (September 22, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/tourism-has-potential-to-slow-coral-decline-at-bali-travel-hotspot-study/ - A new study in Bali found that coral reefs continue to decline at one of the island’s major tourism hubs, despite multiple efforts to rehabilitate them. - Reef restoration initiatives often take place without first addressing the underlying drivers of coral decline such as sediment runoff and wastewater discharge, the study found. - The study points to uncoordinated governance systems that result in overlapping responsibilities, slow and bureaucratic decision-making and wasted resources as driving the problems. - The researchers recommend a more coherent and collaborative approach to reef protection, and underscore the paradoxical role of tourism: While it exacerbates threats to reefs, it also offers a viable way of promoting, implementing and funding potential solutions. | |
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For wild rivers like the Karnali, Nepal’s disaster is a warning and an answer (commentary) (September 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/for-wild-rivers-like-the-karnali-nepals-disaster-is-a-warning-and-an-answer-commentary/ - The recent disaster that sent a wall of water and debris roaring down rivers of the Tibetan Plateau serves as a warning for future hydropower development on Nepal’s rivers, especially the Karnali, the nation’s last undammed watershed. - Two proposals have targeted the Karnali — which is home to Indigenous communities and provides habitat for endangered fish and reptiles — seeking to bore tunnels through its mountains, drain miles of riverbed, and turn whitewater into megawatts. - “A free-flowing Karnali River is an insurance policy — ecological, cultural, and now, unmistakably, physical — against the very disaster that just killed hundreds of people and buried hundreds more alive in hydropower tunnels. Nepal does not need to dam its last wild river; it needs to save it,” 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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How freediving helps Indonesia’s Bajau preserve traditions and conserve marine life (September 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/how-freediving-helps-indonesias-bajau-preserve-traditions-and-conserve-marine-life/ - The Bajau people of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have traditionally harvested the sea through freediving. - A recent ban on compressor-assisted diving in Indonesia’s West Nusa Tenggara province has made traditional freediving skills more valuable than ever. - On Sumbawa, one of the province’s largest islands, traditional fishers and a local NGO are working together to preserve Bajau diving techniques and to manage local marine and fisheries resources in harmony with traditional management practices. | |
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Sperm whales blow bubbles to stay afloat while resting, research shows (September 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/sperm-whales-blow-bubbles-to-stay-afloat-while-resting-research-shows/ Sperm whales are the only whales known to rest vertically, floating steadily just below the ocean’s surface. Scientists have hypothesized that the whales release air bubbles to help them stay neutrally buoyant but the mechanism for how they do so has not previously been demonstrated — until now. “We already knew that sperm whales rest […] | |
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These dolphins are shouting (September 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/these-dolphins-are-shouting/ Pilot whales now need to shout to be heard over the rumble of ship traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar, the narrow strip of water between Morocco and Spain. Researchers looked at near and long-distance communication between long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas), which are actually a species of large dolphin. They found the mammals were […] | |
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46% of wild-caught fish could be fed to farmed fish and shrimp by 2040, says report (September 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/45-of-wild-caught-fish-could-be-fed-to-farmed-fish-and-shrimp-by-2040-says-report/ - A new report from U.K.-based NGO the Changing Markets Foundation lays out several scenarios for the aquaculture sector’s expansion between now and 2040. - The scenarios assess projected increases in demand for wild-caught fish to feed farmed fish, from 13% of global catches, if production of aquaculture species requiring little or no wild fish were to expand; to 46%, if production of species such as salmon and shrimp, which largely rely on feed made from wild-caught fish, expands. - In response to the report, a senior U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that a 75% growth “milestone” for the aquaculture industry published by the organization in 2023 is not a real goal of the FAO, which instead aims to grow the sector by 35% by 2030. - The report was published on the eve of the Committee on Fisheries meeting, an FAO forum where policymakers set the direction for developing the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, and intensified an already heated debate at the meeting between the FAO and representatives of small-scale fisheries. | |
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Illegal mines threaten biodiversity and drinking water in Ghana’s Atewa Forest (September 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/illegal-mines-threaten-biodiversity-and-drinking-water-in-ghanas-atewa-forest/ - Forestry officials charged with protecting the Atewa Forest Reserve in eastern Ghana have been overrun by illegal miners whose operations are putting the water supply of millions of Ghanaians in jeopardy, according to conservation groups. - Atewa is a biodiversity hotspot, with more than 80 threatened and endangered species found in its 26,300 hectares (65,000 acres). - Environment group A Rocha Ghana and others have called on the government to provide greater resources to counter illegal mining in Atewa and elsewhere. | |
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New study reveals the genetic history – and possible future – of four Asian hornbills (September 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/new-study-reveals-the-genetic-history-and-possible-future-of-four-asian-hornbills/ Researchers from India have generated reference genomes for four threatened species of Asian hornbills, reports contributor Nikhil Sreekandan for Mongabay India. The scientists from the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) in Mysore and the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad assembled high-quality genomes for threatened Asian hornbill species including the great hornbill (Buceros […] | |
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Tight Brazil election challenges fragile gains for Amazon conservation (September 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/tight-brazil-election-challenges-fragile-gains-for-amazon-conservation/ - Under President Lula, Amazon deforestation dropped to a 10-year low, but experts say a victory by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro could reinstate policies favoring agribusiness and mining. - Enforcement rollbacks could have tangible effects on deforestation spikes, Indigenous land invasions, new illegal roads in reclaimed forests, and expanded river dredging that spreads mercury contamination. - As neighboring right-wing governments reshape regional dynamics, the election will also determine Brazil’s stance in international climate diplomacy and its adherence to global environmental targets. | |
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