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Vaupés River contamination identified near rapidly expanding Amazonian town (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/vaupes-river-contamination-identified-near-rapidly-expanding-amazonian-town/ - Indigenous people who live downstream from a rapidly expanding Amazonian town on the banks of the Vaupés River told Mongabay the river is contaminated by sewage and has made people sick. - To verify this, Mongabay obtained water quality studies from the Corporation for Sustainable Development of the Northern and Eastern Amazon, which confirmed that sewage contamination and organic load are above safe limits and may impact public health and the quality of the aquatic ecosystem. - Traditionally, the Macaquiño community downstream considers the Vaupés River to be a living being with whom they coexist and depend on it for bathing, fishing and human consumption. - Public authorities in Mitú said the contamination stems in part from the municipality’s poorly constructed wastewater treatment plant, which was built on a flood zone and therefore frequently collapses, dumping untreated sewage into the river. | |
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At the U.N., Indigenous leaders tackle how to enforce global climate court rulings (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/at-the-u-n-indigenous-leaders-tackle-how-to-enforce-global-climate-court-rulings/ - In the last year, international courts issued an advisory opinion and ruling calling on state governments to be accountable for the impacts of climate change, to reduce fossil fuel emissions and to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into climate policies. - At the U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Indigenous representatives say that U.N. member states would prefer to ignore their climate obligations, leaving open the question of whether these rulings can be implemented, enforced, and used to protect Indigenous land and rights. - In Latin America and the Caribbean, there exist strong legal frameworks that coexist with persistent failures in implementation, according the the special rapporteur on Indigenous peoples. - The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights is currently considering a case on states’ climate obligations, including how African governments should handle climate-related displacement. | |
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Chinese court cases reveal most trafficked rhino horns come from Southern Africa (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/chinese-court-cases-reveal-most-trafficked-rhino-horns-come-from-southern-africa/ - A new report from the Environmental Investigation Agency analyzed more than 250 rhino horn trafficking cases prosecuted in China between 2013 and 2025 to understand smuggling routes and trends within the country. - Chinese courts have convicted more than 500 traffickers, who received an average of 4.5 years in prison and fines of about 92,322 yuan ($13,540). Most rhino horns smuggled into China came from South Africa and Mozambique, entering by land across the border from Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos. - Rhino horns are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, but most court cases involved sculpted rhino horns and trinkets sold in antique and curio shops. About one-third of consumers were in big cities: Beijing, Jiangsu and Shanghai. - Unrelenting demand for rhino horns, along with attempts by Southern African countries to open legal trade in stockpiled horns, could make it challenging to fight trafficking, as poaching decimates rhino populations across their African and Asian ranges. | |
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We can navigate conservation’s ‘epidemic of suffering’ by building a culture of care (commentary) (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/we-can-navigate-conservations-epidemic-of-suffering-by-building-a-culture-of-care-commentary/ - Several recent features published by Mongabay have shared the emotional strain that conservationists are under from increasing environmental degradation, job losses, moral injury, and a sense of isolation. - Various organizations and initiatives have emerged in response to the need to build an emotionally resilient conservation community, and two conservation professionals who co-founded one of these describe what they’ve learned in a new commentary. - “The emotional toll of conservation is real, and so is our capacity to respond to it. Regardless of your role, we invite you to join any of these movements toward a conservation culture of care,” they write. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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A campaign to protect one of the planet’s only expanding kelp forests takes shape (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-campaign-to-protect-one-of-the-planets-only-expanding-kelp-forests-takes-shape/ - Stretching more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) along the coast of South Africa, the Great African Seaforest is home to thousands of species, many of them endemic, and is one of the few expanding kelp forests in the world. - The Academy Award-winning documentary “My Octopus Teacher” was set in the Great African Seaforest. - Although slivers of the kelp forest fall under marine protected areas, the ecosystem is mostly not conserved. - Marine scientists are working to inventory the species found here in the hopes of raising its profile, both internationally and among the communities that live alongside it on the South African coast. | |
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Fossil fuel subsidies and high costs stall energy transition across rural Indonesia (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/fossil-fuel-subsidies-and-high-costs-stall-energy-transition-across-rural-indonesia/ - Research by the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) and Greenpeace shows the number of villages across Indonesia using solar energy among households declined by more than a quarter between 2021 and 2024. - The authors of the Village Energy Transition Index said adoption of renewable energy in villages may reflect high installation costs and government subsidies for fossil fuels. - Significant regional inequality exists between Java and other wealthier regions compared with the east of Indonesia, where solar potential energy is greater and where more rural communities would benefit from the technology. - Anecdotal testimony indicates installations of basic photovoltaic systems often do not last long due to difficulties and costs associated with repairing units after a component fails, a particular challenge in coastal areas where salt corrosion is a factor. | |
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Push for solar park in Sri Lanka’s elephant terrain raises concern (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/push-for-solar-park-in-sri-lankas-elephant-terrain-raises-concern/ - A state-approved solar energy park in Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka is being developed on the edge of a managed elephant range, or MER, with some land clearances overlapping with elephant ranges. - Local communities are protesting the clearing of shrub forests, which are key elephant habitats, a disruption of which can result in the fragmentation of traditional elephant corridors and intensify human-elephant conflict, driving the animals toward villages and farms. - Conservationists call for adherence to the original MER boundaries, noting that unclear procedures for land-use approval, de-listing and boundary revisions are impacting the intended conservation framework. - While renewable energy expansion is critical for Sri Lanka’s energy security and to reach its climate goals by reducing fossil fuel dependence, the Hambantota solar push highlights growing tension between clean energy development and biodiversity protection in Sri Lanka. | |
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Translucent microsnail discovered in Cambodia: Photo of the week (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/translucent-microsnail-discovered-in-cambodia-photo-of-the-week/ In 2024, scientists found a tiny new-to-science translucent microsnail in a cave of Banan Hill, a limestone hill that is part of the karst ecosystem of Battambang province in western Cambodia. The snail is less than 2 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide and long including its shell, about the size of a pinhead. The scientists behind […] | |
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How do you write the life of someone who avoided the spotlight? Miriam Horn on her biography of George Schaller (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/how-do-you-write-the-life-of-someone-who-avoided-the-spotlight-miriam-horn-on-her-biography-of-george-schaller/ - Miriam Horn’s Homesick for a World Unknown presents George B. Schaller as a figure best understood through accumulation rather than revelation, tracing a life oriented outward toward animals and the field. - Drawing on journals, letters, and archival material, the book moves between landscapes and institutions, emphasizing how Schaller worked and how knowledge was produced under field conditions rather than focusing on personal introspection or narrative drama. - Horn situates Schaller within broader shifts in zoology and conservation, showing how his long-term observational approach both reflected and helped shape changing scientific practices and conservation thinking. - In an April 2026 exchange with Rhett Ayers Butler, Horn discussed the challenges of writing about a subject who resisted interpretation, as well as the practical and structural decisions involved in shaping the biography. | |
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Five ‘lost’ bird species rediscovered in 2025 (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/five-lost-bird-species-rediscovered-in-2025/ In 2025, birders and scientists found five “lost” bird species that had gone undocumented for a decade or more. As Mongabay’s Spoorthy Raman reports, these findings have helped reduce the total number on the global “Lost Birds List” from 163 in 2022 to 120 today. To be classified as “lost,” a species must not have […] | |
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Luis Yanza, campaigner who battled big oil in the Amazon rainforest (April 21, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/luis-yanza-campaigner-who-battled-big-oil-in-the-amazon-rainforest/ - Oil development in Ecuador’s Amazon left widespread contamination, prompting a decades-long legal case testing whether affected communities could hold a multinational company to account. - Luis Yanza organized plaintiffs across remote regions, sustaining a coalition of more than 80 villages while legal proceedings moved between Texaco (later Chevron) and courts in the United States and Ecuador. - Working with Pablo Fajardo, he helped build claims around environmental damage and public health, contributing to a 2012 Ecuadorian judgment ordering billions in damages, though enforcement remains unresolved. - Awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2008, Yanza spent his life sustaining a campaign that brought global attention to the case, even as the underlying dispute over responsibility and cleanup continued. | |
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Climate displacement in Africa: Court opinion could define states’ obligations (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/climate-displacement-in-africa-court-opinion-could-define-states-obligations/ The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights is expected to soon issue an advisory opinion on states’ obligations toward internally displaced persons affected by climate change. “Internally displaced people exist on every inhabited continent,” Erica Bower, a researcher on climate displacement with Human Rights Watch, said in a phone interview with Mongabay. “The advisory […] | |
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Goldman Prize winner Alannah Hurley fights Pebble Mine “from a place of love” (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/goldman-prize-winner-alannah-hurley-fights-pebble-mine-from-a-place-of-love/ - Alannah Acaq Hurley, executive director of the United Tribes of Bristol Bay, has been awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for organizing opposition to what would have been the largest open-pit mine in North America, called Pebble Mine. - Proposed in 2001, Pebble Mine was vetoed in 2023 by the Environmental Protection Agency for posing a major threat to the abundant salmon fishery of Bristol Bay, in southeast Alaska. That veto received additional support this year in court by the Department of Justice. - In an interview with Mongabay, Hurley discussed the long path she and the United Tribes of Bristol Bay’s coalition have walked to defeat Pebble, as well as the hurdles that remain ahead as the fight moves to court, and as UTBB pursues more comprehensive protections for the Bristol Bay watershed. | |
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Bringing the world’s rewilders together: Interview with Alister Scott (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/bringing-the-worlds-rewilders-together-interview-with-alister-scott/ - Rewilding — the process of letting nature take over — is gaining momentum across the globe with several grassroots organizations working on efforts to restore landscapes. - Global Rewilding Alliance (GRA), an umbrella organization with nearly 300 partner organizations across six continents, aims to bring these efforts together and help rewilders collaborate and learn from each other. - In an interview with Mongabay, executive director Alister Scott shares what rewilding looks like in practice, challenges it faces and how his organization is helping rewilders take the movement forward. | |
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War, climate change, and AI on the agenda at this year’s U.N. Indigenous forum (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/war-climate-change-and-ai-on-the-agenda-at-this-years-u-n-indigenous-forum/ - From April 20 to May 1, 2026, Indigenous delegates from around the world will gather at the United Nation Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York City to discuss the latest issues Indigenous peoples are facing and provide expert advice and recommendations in the U.N. system. - This year’s forum is focused on the topic of survival in the midst of war, with its official theme “Ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ health, including in the context of conflict.” - Experts emphasize that Indigenous peoples already face health inequities from colonialism and climate change, and these harms are compounded by armed conflicts, unsustainable extraction for the AI boom and biodiversity conservation policies that risk ecological degradation and further displacement of Indigenous peoples from their lands. - Indigenous delegates planning to attend the forum shared their thoughts and plans for the forum. | |
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Chernobyl’s radioactive landscape is a testament to nature’s resilience and survival spirit (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/chernobyls-radioactive-landscape-is-a-testament-to-natures-resilience-and-survival-spirit/ CHERNOBYL, Ukraine (AP) — Wildlife is thriving again four decades after the nuclear disaster at Ukraine’s Chernobyl power plant in what became the exclusion zone created by the forced mass evacuations of the population. Wolves, bears and lynx have rebounded in the radioactive landscape, along with a rare breed of horses native to Mongolia. Scientists […] | |
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Nigerian bat specialist wins Goldman Prize for community conservation work (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/nigerian-bat-specialist-wins-goldman-prize-for-community-conservation-work/ - Between January and April, farmers in Nigeria’s Cross River state use fire to clear land for planting — fires which sometimes burn out of control, destroying standing crops and neighboring forest. - Since 2022, bat specialist Iroro Tanshi’s Small Mammal Conservation Organization (SMACON) has worked with five villages near southern Nigeria’s Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary to prevent dangerous fires. - Tanshi’s work with communities around Afi, which is home to critically endangered bats, gorillas and chimpanzees, has now been recognized with the Goldman Environmental Prize. | |
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To tackle trafficking in gibbons, experts probe what drives demand (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/to-tackle-trafficking-in-gibbons-experts-probe-what-drives-demand/ - As gibbon trafficking reaches record highs, conservationists say reducing demand is critical to tackling the illegal trade. - But motivations for wanting to buy a gibbon vary widely between buyer communities, which means the solutions must be tailored accordingly, experts say. - Surveys of people who voluntarily surrendered gibbons to a sanctuary in Malaysia found that most cited as motivation a love of animals or desire for their children to have an animal to play with. - In India, by contrast, a sanctuary manager says gibbons are coveted as status symbols, and most arrive at the center via confiscation rather than voluntary submission. | |
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Conservation collects more data than ever. What is it for? (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/conservation-collects-more-data-than-ever-what-is-it-for/ Before launching a monitoring program, conservationists are often asked how data will be collected, which indicators will be used, and how results will be analyzed. Less often, they are asked a simpler question: what is the monitoring for? A recent paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, led by Kate J. Helmstedt, argues […] | |
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Brazil taps legal loophole to issue bids for Amazon ‘tipping point’ road (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/brazil-taps-legal-loophole-to-issue-bids-for-amazon-tipping-point-road/ - The government of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has launched renewal works for the BR-319 highway, using a new legal loophole to bypass environmental licensing requirements. - The road cuts through the heart of the Brazilian Amazon; paving it, according to scientists, would push the rainforest closer to tipping point. - The announcement was followed by the resignation of top environmental officials from the administration. - Observers suggest the move by Lula, who came to office on a pro-environmental platform, is a bid to rally regional voters ahead of this year’s elections. | |
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Emmanuel de Merode, director of Virunga National Park: “If conservation creates hardships, it won’t work” (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/emmanuel-de-merode-director-of-virunga-national-park-if-conservation-creates-hardships-it-wont-work/ - Emmanuel de Merode, Director of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, believes that conservation can succeed only—and exclusively—if it improves the living conditions of local communities. Protecting nature without addressing poverty and basic needs often leads to resistance and conflict. - Drawing on the experience of Virunga, he explains how investments in hydroelectricity, access to electricity, and local economic opportunities have helped reduce reliance on charcoal, alleviate pressure on forests, and build trust with neighboring communities. - Despite the progress made, de Merode acknowledges that challenges persist—notably insecurity, poverty, and continued reliance on charcoal—emphasizing that conservation and development must go hand in hand. | |
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DRC: Can the Kivu–Kinshasa Green Corridor turn a war economy into one of hope? (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/drc-can-the-kivu-kinshasa-green-corridor-transform-a-war-economy-into-an-economy-of-hope/ - Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi aims to leverage the ambitious Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor to transform a war economy into an economy of hope. - The Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor—an idea first publicly announced during the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos—aims to create one of the largest protected areas in the world, connecting Goma in the country’s east to Kinshasa in the west. - Proponents of the project, environmentalists, and other observers have hailed the concept, while acknowledging that many questions remain unanswered—particularly regarding the management of mining, oil, gas, agricultural, and conservation concessions. - On paper, the project could create over 500,000 jobs—particularly for young Congolese people—preserve more than one million hectares of land, and help transport vital food supplies from the east to the massive consumer market of Kinshasa, home to over 20 million inhabitants. | |
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Malawi government suspends coal miner’s license over river pollution (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/malawi-government-suspends-coal-miners-license-over-river-pollution/ - Northern Malawi hosts the country’s largest coalfields, providing energy to various industries, but some of the mines here have been associated with labor violations and environmental damage. - In the latest case, a community in one of the key coal mining districts has demanded the closure of a mine for polluting two rivers from which locals draw water for domestic and agricultural use. - Preliminary investigations by government agencies found evidence of contamination from the mine operated by Coal & Minerals Group Limited, but the company has denied deliberately discharging the waste into the rivers. - Based on regulators’ findings, the company’s mining licensed has been suspended on the grounds that its operations “seriously threaten” the safety and health of the people and environment. | |
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A red flower found nowhere else loses ground as mining expands in Brazil’s Amazon (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/a-red-flower-found-nowhere-else-loses-ground-as-mining-expands-in-brazils-amazon/ In Brazil’s eastern Amazon, a bright red flower found nowhere else on Earth is threatened with extinction from expanding iron ore mining, scientists warn. The flowering plant, Ipomoea cavalcantei, known locally as flor-de-Carajás, only grows in cangas, an island-like ecosystem of metal-rich rocky soils and shallow vegetation in the middle of dense rainforest. There are […] | |
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Meet the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize Winners (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/meet-the-2026-goldman-environmental-prize-winners/ - Each year, the Goldman Environmental Prize honors grassroots activists from each of the six inhabited continental regions. - The 2026 prize winners are Iroro Tanshi from Nigeria, Borim Kim from South Korea, Sarah Finch from the United Kingdom, Theonila Roka Matbob from Papua New Guinea, Alannah Acaq Hurley from the United States, and Yuvelis Morales Blanco from Colombia. | |
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Asia’s longest free-flowing river contaminated by arsenic linked to Myanmar mines (April 20, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/asias-longest-free-flowing-river-contaminated-by-arsenic-linked-to-myanmar-mines/ - Independent testing of the Salween River began in September 2025 after researchers found alarming levels of toxic contaminants in the nearby Kok, Sai and Ruak rivers in Thailand, much of it linked to unregulated mining in Myanmar. - Rare earth mines exporting crucial minerals needed for artificial intelligence, mobile phones, electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies and other uses have been blamed, but the mining of gold and various critical minerals also continues largely in secrecy across river basins in Myanmar. - Most suspected mines were found upstream in the Salween’s basin, notably in Shan state, where various factions such as the United Wa State Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, as well as the Myanmar military, are fighting for territory. - A working group was formed to address the growing issue of contamination across Thailand’s rivers, including the Salween, and tests showed arsenic levels at every monitoring point were more than double safety levels; news of the contamination has put local fishers and communities on alert. | |
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Studying the world’s largest gathering of forest elephants with sound and field observation (April 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/studying-the-worlds-largest-gathering-of-forest-elephants-with-sound-and-field-observation/ - At Dzanga Bai in the Central African Republic—one of the few places where forest elephants gather in large numbers—researchers can observe behaviors that are otherwise difficult to document in dense rainforest. - Ivonne Kienast leads long-term research combining direct observation with acoustic monitoring, building a detailed record of elephant behavior, social structure, and change over time. - Her work highlights how sustained presence, local collaboration, and incremental data collection shape understanding of both elephants and the broader forest system they inhabit. - Kienast spoke with Rhett Ayers Butler, Mongabay founder and CEO, and David Akana, director of Mongabay Africa, over two weeks of conversations in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo during March 2026. Her responses have been edited and consolidated. | |
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What the grim outlook for Alpine Ash forests tells us about forestry dogma (commentary) (April 19, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/what-the-grim-outlook-for-alpine-ash-forests-tell-us-about-forestry-dogma-commentary/ - Australia’s Alpine Ash forests have been listed as an endangered ecological community, with logging, repeated high-severity fires, and increased flammability in regenerating forests driving their decline. - Conventional forestry practices such as mechanical thinning and prescribed burning are presented as solutions, but a growing body of evidence suggests they can increase fire risk and further destabilize these ecosystems. - The evidence points toward a different path—halting logging, avoiding disturbance-based interventions, and investing in fire detection and recovery—argue David Lindenmayer, Phil Zylstra and Chris Taylor from the Fenner School of Environment and Society at The Australian National University. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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World’s fattest parrots have mating frenzy (April 18, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/worlds-fattest-parrots-have-mating-frenzy/ With an adult population of only 236, the kākāpō—the world’s largest parrot—was teetering on the brink extinction. But this year, they have been mating at a record pace, and hatched almost 100 healthy chicks so far. Watch the video to find out why these fat birds are having such a good year, and to celebrate […] | |
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Energy crisis revives push to drill in Philippines’ largest intact wetland (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/energy-crisis-revives-push-to-drill-in-philippines-largest-intact-wetland/ - Liguasan Marsh is the largest intact wetland in the Philippines, a key area for both resident and migratory birds, and a source of livelihood for the thousands of families who live there. - Since the 1990s, the marsh has been known to hold vast reserves of oil and gas, but decades of armed conflict in the region prevented exploration from progressing. - A 2014 peace deal brought renewed interest to the marsh’s reserves, but little development on the ground. - The global fuel crisis triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has led to renewed calls to extract oil and gas from the marsh, prompting warnings from conservation groups. | |
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Rehab center opens for Brazil’s golden-headed lion tamarins amid urban sprawl threat (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/rehab-center-opens-for-brazils-golden-headed-lion-tamarins-amid-urban-sprawl-threat/ Brazil has opened its first rehabilitation center for golden-headed lion tamarins, an endangered monkey species threatened by urban expansion and the loss of agroforestry farms to monocrop plantations. The tamarins, Leontopithecus chrysomelas, have been filmed in and around Ilhéus, a coastal city in Bahia state, eating fruit inside a supermarket or running across high-voltage electricity […] | |
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In Sri Lanka, animals pay the price for overcrowding and speeding jeeps (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-sri-lanka-animals-pay-the-price-for-overcrowding-and-speeding-jeeps/ - Yala National Park in southern Sri Lanka attracted more than 380,000 visitors in the first half of 2025, generating an income of more than $5 million. - Among the most popular national parks, overcrowding at Yala Block I is a recurring problem, intensified since the social media boom, conservationists say. - Most leopards at Block I have become acclimatized to humans and safari jeeps, creating more interest among visitors. - Despite regular training programs, speeding jeeps have become a serious challenge to animals there, and authorities now plan to limit the number of jeeps and open other blocks to reduce the pressure on Block I. | |
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Virtus Minerals signs first major deal under US-DRC critical minerals partnership (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/virtus-minerals-signs-first-major-deal-under-us-drc-critical-minerals-partnership/ In a major advance for the U.S. push to secure critical minerals and compete with Chinese firms in Central Africa, U.S.-based Virtus Minerals has signed a megadeal for copper and cobalt deposits in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). After lengthy negotiations that reportedly included heavy behind-the-scenes pressure by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on […] | |
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Chimp ‘civil war’ follows rare community split in a Ugandan national park (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/chimp-civil-war-follows-rare-community-split-in-a-ugandan-national-park/ - A 30-year study documents a rare split within a chimpanzee community in Uganda’s Kibale National Park — one that sparked a deadly war. - Two rival chimp groups have staged coordinated raids that killed both adult males and infants. - Researchers recorded at least 24 attacks between 2018 and 2024, suggesting unusually intense violence. - The findings show how shifting social ties can fracture animal societies and trigger collective violence. | |
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Thomas J. Walker studied the songs of crickets and katydids (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/thomas-j-walker-studied-the-songs-of-crickets-and-katydids/ - Thomas J. Walker, who died on April 8th 2026 aged 94, spent his career studying the behavior and acoustics of crickets and katydids, treating their songs as a way to understand species and ecology. - Over more than four decades at the University of Florida, he questioned conventional taxonomy by arguing for the importance of studying living insects rather than relying mainly on preserved specimens. - He was an early advocate of making research freely available, helping to move scientific publishing online and creating the “Singing Insects of North America” website, which allowed both specialists and amateurs to identify species and access data. - His legacy also includes the protection and development of the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory, reflecting a practical commitment to conservation, education, and public engagement with the natural world. | |
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Colombia announces plan to cull Pablo Escobar’s feral hippos (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/colombia-announces-plan-to-cull-pablo-escobars-feral-hippos/ The Colombian government has authorized a plan to euthanize dozens of hippos descended from animals smuggled into the country by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in the 1980s. There are an estimated 200 hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) scattered throughout Colombia, according to a 2022 census, which could exceed 1,000 by 2035. The animals are not native to […] | |
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EU deforestation law nudges timber trade, Indonesia probe shows, but risks persist (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/eu-deforestation-law-nudges-timber-trade-indonesia-probe-shows-but-risks-persist/ - An investigation tracing Indonesian timber to recently cleared forests shows EU-bound supply chains still carry deforestation risks, even as the bloc prepares to enforce stricter rules. - The upcoming EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is already shifting behavior, with some European buyers and Indonesian suppliers cutting ties and tightening traceability. - But trade data from 2025 show high-risk imports continue, highlighting uneven progress and persistent loopholes in complex, opaque supply chains. - Researchers and advocates say only full, consistent enforcement of the EUDR, alongside stronger due diligence and reforms in Indonesia, will meaningfully curb deforestation-linked timber trade. | |
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Community-led ecotourism protects rebounding wild cattle in Thailand (April 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/community-led-ecotourism-protects-rebounding-wild-cattle-in-thailand/ The critically endangered banteng is making a comeback in Thailand’s Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, and has become a unique community-led conservation icon, reports Mongabay’s Carolyn Cowan. Thailand’s population of banteng (Bos javanicus), one of the world’s rarest wild cattle species, was once reduced to just a few hundred individuals due to decades of deforestation, […] | |
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Landmark US Magnuson-Stevens fisheries law turns 50 amid budget cut concerns (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/landmark-us-magnuson-stevens-fisheries-law-turns-50-amid-budget-cut-concerns/ April 13 marked the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), a landmark conservation law credited with saving numerous U.S. fisheries from collapse and protecting vital ocean habitats. Despite decades of success, conservationists warn that recent federal funding cuts could undermine those gains. The MSA was passed in 1976, in the same decade the […] | |
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In Tasmania, the mines have closed but the rivers remember (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-tasmania-the-mines-have-closed-but-the-rivers-remember/ - Legacy copper mining in Tasmania, carried out for more than 100 years, has left parts of the King River ecosystem severely degraded, with scientists describing sections as “biologically dead” due to acid mine drainage and metal contamination. - Globally, legacy mine waste has polluted hundreds of thousands of miles of rivers, exposing an estimated 23 million people to toxic metals, mostly through long-term sediment contamination rather than major disasters. - Long-closed mines, which often operated with minimal or no environmental oversight, continue to leach waste from quarry and mine sites and tailings piles, causing long-term and ongoing contamination of rivers, streambeds and floodplains. Remediation across widely polluted landscapes is difficult and costly to carry out. - Tasmania’s rivers are now a test case for the world: Despite decades of research and mitigation efforts, legacy pollution persists there, offering a warning as demand for critical minerals accelerates globally, with large amounts of copper and other metals required for electric vehicles, AI data center servers and other uses. | |
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BP sued in Kenya over alleged toxic waste from 1980s oil exploration (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/bp-sued-in-kenya-over-alleged-toxic-waste-from-1980s-oil-exploration/ NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The High Court in Kenya ruled Thursday that a class action lawsuit can move forward against multinational oil and gas company BP alleging that decades-long toxic waste disposal contaminated drinking water in northern Kenya. The lawsuit, filed by 299 petitioners in February at the Land and Environment Court in Isiolo, alleged […] | |
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From the Atlantic Forest to the Amazon: Alexandre de Santi on camaraderie and uncovering hidden truths in Brazil (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/from-the-atlantic-forest-to-the-amazon-alexandre-de-santi-on-camaraderie-and-uncovering-hidden-truths-in-brazil/ - Alexandre de Santi is Mongabay’s managing editor for Brazil, where he leads coverage of the Amazon and other national environmental issues. - His career spans more than two decades, from founding the investigative studio Fronteira to serving as deputy editor at The Intercept Brazil, where he helped lead landmark investigations. - Since joining Mongabay in 2022, Santi has brought a collaborative approach to investigative reporting, including editing a 2024 story that exposed links between Amazon carbon credits and timber laundering. - This interview is part of Inside Mongabay, a series that spotlights the people who bring environmental and conservation stories to life across our global newsroom. | |
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Drones aid dugong conservation as threats mount across their range (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/drones-aid-dugong-conservation-as-threats-mount-across-their-range/ - Drone technology is revealing new information about the elusive dugong, a marine herbivore classified as globally vulnerable but already extinct in parts of its range. - Scientists are using drones to improve estimates of dugong numbers and conduct noninvasive health checks. - Dugongs feed exclusively on seagrass meadows, where their foraging helps to maintain these important carbon sinks. - Researchers are highlighting the need to link efforts to conserve seagrass meadows with protecting dugongs. | |
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Americas flyways atlas maps the routes of 89 at-risk migratory bird species (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/americas-flyways-atlas-maps-the-routes-of-89-at-risk-migratory-bird-species/ - A newly released “Atlas for the Americas Flyways” tracks the high concentrations of 89 migratory bird species that are at risk of major population decline throughout the western hemisphere. It identifies their breeding grounds, wintering areas and stopover locations. - This marks the first time these hemispheric migratory routes have been mapped in such extreme detail. Hyper-specific location data aim to provide policymakers, conservationists and others with the necessary tools to make informed decisions about protecting migratory bird species all along their flyways. - The atlas highlights migratory connectivity — identifying key locations in North, Central and South America. Maintaining the environmental integrity of these places is critical to supporting migratory species and includes many tropical hotspots such as Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and the Pantanal wetland in Brazil and Paraguay. - The atlas will also be of use to researchers trying to understand why a species’ population is declining. It can also help planners mitigate perilous threats by providing geographical data as to where, and where not, to build infrastructure. | |
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Listening to forests reveals signs of recovery beyond tree cover (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/listening-to-forests-reveals-signs-of-recovery-beyond-tree-cover/ - Scientists have deployed acoustic monitoring techniques to measure the success of a forest protection mechanism in Costa Rica. - Using more than 16,000 hours of audio data, scientists found that the payments for ecosystem services (PES) initiative in Costa Rica has helped recover biodiversity in naturally regenerated forests. - On comparing the soundscapes, scientists found that naturally regenerated forests sound more similar to protected forests than to pastures. | |
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From carp to hippos, 43% of large freshwater animal species spread far beyond native ranges (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/from-carp-to-hippos-43-of-large-freshwater-animal-species-spread-far-beyond-native-ranges/ From fish and turtles, to hippos and crocodiles, about 43% of all known large freshwater animal species have been deliberately introduced into ecosystems outside their native ranges, a recent study finds. Most species were introduced to boost fisheries, food security or tourism, but many have had unintended consequences for local wildlife, habitats and people. Fengzhi […] | |
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Australia declares mainland alpine ash forests endangered (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/australia-declares-mainland-alpine-ash-forests-endangered/ The Australian government recently listed the iconic alpine ash forests of mainland Australia as an endangered ecological community, citing ongoing threats from increasingly severe, frequent bushfires and climate change. While conservationists supported this decision, members of the timber and forestry industry questioned the move. Alpine ash forests occur on high country slopes in the states […] | |
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A chimpanzee’s rhythmic drumming with floorboards hints at origins of instruments (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/a-chimpanzees-rhythmic-drumming-with-floorboards-hints-at-origins-of-instruments/ - A captive chimpanzee in Japan spontaneously ripped floorboards from a walkway and used them as instruments to perform structured, rhythmic drumming displays while vocalizing - Researchers recorded 89 performances and found the drumming wasn’t random and followed a structured, rhythmic pattern similar to chimpanzee vocal calls. - The chimp displayed play faces and what appeared to be laughter while drumming, suggesting the behavior was emotionally rewarding, not just a social display. - The findings support the hypothesis that instrumental music may have evolved from vocal emotional expression, though the study is limited to a single individual in a captive setting. | |
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10 forces that could reshape the future of the world’s forests (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/10-forces-that-could-reshape-the-future-of-the-worlds-forests/ - A new horizon scan identifies ten emerging forces—spanning politics, finance and technology—that are likely to shape forests over the next decade, increasing uncertainty for ecosystems and the people who depend on them. - Traditional funding for conservation is weakening as public aid declines, while new mechanisms—from carbon markets to direct financing for Indigenous and local communities—are expanding unevenly. - Advances in remote sensing, AI and connectivity are improving monitoring and accountability, but are also enabling illegal activities and accelerating pressures in some regions. - Growing demand for critical minerals, shifting trade rules and tighter political control over civil society are reshaping forest governance, fragmenting authority and redistributing risks and benefits. | |
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Strait of Hormuz crisis should catalyze African biofertilizer production (commentary) (April 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/strait-of-hormuz-crisis-should-catalyze-african-biofertilizer-production-commentary/ - As tensions disrupt food, fuel and fertilizers flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, Africa’s dependence on imported synthetic inputs is once again exposed, since up to 50% of its fertilizer supplies originate in Persian Gulf nations. - While Africa’s largest chemical fertilizer manufacturer ramps up production to meet the continent’s acute need, a key question becomes whether biologically derived fertilizers created by small to medium enterprises — and by farmers themselves — can help fill the gap. - “For the farmer standing in her field at dawn, the question is immediate: will she have what she needs to plant? The answer must be equally immediate and rooted in the strength and potential of our own solutions and soils,” a new op-ed argues. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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San Francisco Bay emerges as high-risk area for migrating gray whales (April 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/san-francisco-bay-emerges-as-high-risk-area-for-migrating-gray-whales/ Gray whales have one of the longest known migrations of any mammal — from the Arctic near Alaska, to the lagoons of Baja Mexico, where they mate and give birth. This annual migration, longer than 19,000 kilometers (12,000 miles), has been altered by climate change, with profound consequences for the 15-meter (50-foot) mammals. Since 2016, […] | |
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See an orangutan, take a photo, earn some money: A viable conservation model? (April 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/see-an-orangutan-take-a-photo-earn-some-money-a-viable-conservation-model/ - KehatiKu, a conservation program in Indonesian Borneo, pays citizen observers to document wildlife sightings and upload them via an app. - Payments vary by species, with the highest rate, around $6, paid for verified orangutan sightings. Dedicated observers can make more than they would be paid at a full-time job. - By paying citizen observers directly, the program aims to gather data on wildlife and incentivize conservation while spending much less than conventional conservation projects. - The program has collected around 175,000 records in its first year of operations, but one expert notes that it has historically proven challenging to keep people engaged in long-term conservation initiatives. | |
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Aaron Longton, fisherman who tied sustainability to survival (April 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/aaron-longton-fisherman-who-tied-sustainability-to-survival/ - Aaron Longton was a commercial fisherman in Port Orford, Oregon, who built his career through persistence and a deep understanding of the marine environment. - He helped pioneer a model that connected fishermen directly with consumers, improving prices while increasing transparency around how seafood is caught. - Longton argued that conservation and economic survival were inseparable, supporting science-based management and habitat protection to sustain fisheries over time. - His work reflected the challenges facing small-boat fishing communities and offered a practical approach to maintaining both livelihoods and fish stocks. | |
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Brazil: Satellites expose rampant gold mining expansion on Indigenous Kayapó land (April 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/brazil-satellites-expose-rampant-gold-mining-expansion-on-indigenous-kayapo-land/ The Kayapó Indigenous Territory has emerged as a major hotspot for illegal gold mining in the Brazilian Amazon’s Xingu River Basin, a major Amazon tributary. That’s according to a new report from the watchdog Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Program (MAAP). At least 7,940 hectares (19,620 acres) of forest on Kayapó land were cut down […] | |
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The Amazon’s silent crime crisis (commentary) (April 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-amazons-silent-crime-crisis-commentary/ - The Amazon is approaching a critical tipping point, where deforestation, degradation, fire, and climate change together risk pushing large areas toward irreversible ecological collapse. - A growing nexus between organized crime and environmental crime is accelerating forest loss, distorting economies, and undermining governance across the basin. - Addressing the crisis requires more than conservation alone: stronger enforcement, institutional reform, and investment in a sustainable socio-bioeconomy are essential, argue Carlos Nobre, Robert Muggah and Ilona Szabo. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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Nearly a million birds shipped from Africa to Asia in 15 years; canaries top the list (April 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/nearly-a-million-birds-shipped-from-africa-to-asia-in-15-years-canaries-top-the-list/ - Hong Kong and Singapore, two Asian wildlife trade hubs, imported more than a million live wild birds, nearly two-thirds from Africa between 2006 and 2020, according to a new analysis of customs data. Canaries, including species declining in the wild, topped the list. - More than two-thirds of the birds came from African countries where export regulations are weak, including Mali, Guinea, Tanzania and Mozambique. - This massive live bird trade depletes wild populations and may spread dangerous diseases or invasive species, researchers say. - Experts urge countries to restrict imports of live birds, implement stricter quarantine measures and adopt an approved list of pets that don’t pose risks to biodiversity or human health. | |
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Primate Planet (April 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/specials/2026/04/primate-planet/ Across the tropics, a growing movement is working to secure a future for primates in the face of disease, deforestation and wildlife trade. Reporting from across the planet, this video series highlights how scientists, conservationists and local communities are rebuilding populations and reconnecting fragmented forests. Along the way, it reveals the innovation, collaboration and resilience […] | |
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Invasive ferrets removed from an island in a world-first (April 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/invasive-ferrets-removed-from-an-island-in-a-world-first/ Rathlin Island off the north of Northern Ireland is now free from feral ferrets that were harming its native seabirds. Conservationists say this is the first time these nonnative animals, which were domesticated from polecats some 2,000 years ago, have been completely eradicated from any island. Ferrets (Mustela furo) were introduced to Rathlin in the […] | |
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Indonesia braces for possible ‘Godzilla El Niño’ as fire season escalates early (April 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/indonesia-braces-for-possible-godzilla-el-nino-as-fire-season-escalates-early/ - The 2026 fire season in Indonesia is already showing early signs of escalation, as burned areas reached 32,637 hectares by February, 20 times higher than the same period in 2025. - Some global forecasts suggest this year’s predicted El Niño could become one of the strongest in at least a decade, raising the risk of prolonged drought and widespread fires, although significant uncertainty remains over how intense it will ultimately be. - Fire monitoring by the watchdog Pantau Gambut show that many hotspots are in oil palm and timber concession areas, which the group says suggests that legal permits alone do not guarantee fire-safe land management and highlights gaps in oversight and enforcement. | |
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‘Rediscovered’ species in Papua spotlight importance of Indigenous knowledge (April 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/rediscovered-species-in-papua-spotlights-importance-of-indigenous-knowledge/ - Two species of marsupial thought by scientists to be extinct for thousands of years still live in the forests of Indonesian Papua on the island of New Guinea, according to recently published research. - One of the animals, the ring-tailed glider, is sacred to the Tambrauw people, and it’s part of a newly proposed genus, Tous, borrowing the Tambrauw name for the glider. - The other animal, a pygmy long-fingered possum, was discovered during a mammal-watching trip on the Bird’s Head Peninsula. - The research involved substantial collaborations with local communities and Indigenous elders. | |
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