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New global map shows where sharks and rays most need protection (February 3, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/new-global-map-shows-where-sharks-and-rays-most-need-protection/ - A new report delineates 816 areas of the ocean that should be protected to help shark and ray populations recover following decades of overfishing. - The areas, each of which hosts key activities such as reproduction for at least one threatened shark or ray species, are visible on an online atlas open to the public. - The ISRAs don’t take up all that much of the ocean’s surface: less than 3% for the nine regions where research has been completed, which shows how achievable conservation of sharks and rays is, the lead author said. - The report was released ahead of a major meeting of the parties of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), a United Nations treaty, in Brazil in March, where area-based management decisions for marine species are on the agenda. | |
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What’s happening with the global treaty to trace critical minerals? (February 3, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/whats-happening-with-the-global-treaty-to-trace-critical-minerals/ - Colombia has been pushing for a binding global minerals treaty at several key U.N. meetings, including at the seventh U.N. Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) last December. - It hopes to address the socioenvironmental problems caused by minerals and metals mining through the creation of international traceability and due diligence mechanisms across mineral supply chains. - At UNEA-7, a joint proposal put forward by Colombia and Oman encountered resistance from several member states for traceability, political and economic reasons, ending with a nonbinding resolution that was stripped of its original ambition. Traceability, which experts warn is essential to address mining risks, did not make it into the final resolution. - NGOs and certain states say they will continue pushing for a global treaty on traceability at upcoming conferences, while other mineral frameworks emerge — including those seeking to accelerate investment in critical mineral mining. | |
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Why is a Philippine island now the Asia Pacific center for agroecology? Interview with Ramon ‘Chin-Chin’ Uy Jr. (February 3, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/why-is-a-philippine-island-now-the-asia-pacific-center-for-agroecology-interview-with-ramon-chin-chin-uy-jr/ - Ramon “Chin-Chin” Uy Jr., is a sustainable food entrepreneur based on Negros Island in the Philippines, which recently hosted the global “good food” movement Slow Food’s first-ever regional conference in Asia and the Pacific. - The gathering last November brought together farmers, chefs, food artisans and policymakers from across the region to discuss agroecology, biodiversity and climate-resilient food systems. - Mongabay reporter Keith Anthony Fabro sat down with Uy during the event to discuss agroecology in the region and what it means that Negros Island is being heralded as its “capital.” | |
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Writer Megan Mayhew Bergman on science, emotion, and the lasting power of ‘Silent Spring’ (February 3, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/02/writer-megan-mayhew-bergman-on-science-emotion-and-the-lasting-power-of-silent-spring/ It’s been more than half a century since the publication of Silent Spring by the scientist and creative writer Rachel Carson. The seminal volume caught the attention of U.S. presidents, artists and musicians, spurring the environmental movement and leading to the eventual ban of the toxic pesticide DDT. Joining the Mongabay Newscast is environmental writer […] | |
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Lower levels of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in North Atlantic whales show regulations work: Study (February 3, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/lower-levels-of-pfas-forever-chemicals-in-north-atlantic-whales-show-regulations-work-study/ - North Atlantic pilot whales now have 60% lower concentrations of some legacy PFAS (forever chemicals) than they did a decade ago, according to a Harvard University-led study. - This represents roughly a decade-long lag after major manufacturers began phasing out production of the most problematic legacy PFAS in the early 2000s due to toxicity concerns. - The study also reveals a troubling pattern known as “regrettable substitution,” where banned harmful substances are replaced by similar chemicals that cause comparable harm. - The findings contrast with trends in human blood samples, where total organofluorine levels have remained stable or even increased despite declining concentrations of legacy PFAS, suggesting newer replacement PFAS may be accumulating primarily on land. | |
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From above: Aerial Borneo (February 3, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/custom-story/2026/02/from-above-aerial-borneo/ Aerial photography invites a level of uncertainty. The ground offers clues but rarely the full picture. Once the view lifts, certain patterns begin to register: peat-dark water cutting through forest, the abrupt change from canopy to cleared land, the geometry of river bends, or mountains rising in the distance. At times, the colors can be […] | |
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Conservation programs must embrace causal evidence when evaluating impact (commentary) (February 3, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/conservation-programs-must-embrace-causal-evidence-when-evaluating-impact-commentary/ - A couple of seminal studies published almost 20 years ago found that conservationists needed to start examining whether their actions were actually causing the desired effects. - Assessing conservation projects through a causal lens takes more effort but can ultimately be a big piece of the puzzle that helps practitioners identify cause-and-effect relationships between various factors. - “What’s needed now is making causal evaluation standard practice rather than the exception. With biodiversity in crisis, we can’t afford to keep guessing whether our actions work,” a new op-ed argues. - This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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African wild dogs break the carnivore rule in Botswana (February 3, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/african-wild-dogs-break-the-carnivore-rule-in-botswana/ For the first time, “hyper-carnivorous” African wild dogs have been recorded eating fruit, a behavior so far documented only in a small part of Botswana’s wildlife-rich Okavango Delta. The wild dogs were seen picking up jackalberries, the fruit of the African ebony tree (Diospyros mespiliformis), with their teeth and swallowing them almost whole. Jackalberries […] | |
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Getting forest restoration right (February 3, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/getting-forest-restoration-right/ Tree planting has become a favored response to environmental loss. Governments, companies, and philanthropies announce large targets with reassuring round numbers. Forests, after all, store carbon, shelter wildlife, and support livelihoods. Yet the details matter. Planting the wrong species, or planting trees where forests did not exist, can undermine both biodiversity and climate goals. That […] | |
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Kenyan woman hugs a tree for 3 days and inspires a movement (February 3, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/kenyan-woman-hugs-a-tree-for-3-days-and-inspires-a-movement/ Young Kenyan environmentalist Truphena Muthoni has set a Guinness World Record (GWR), for the second time, after embracing a tree for 72 hours. She hugged the tree for three days, Dec. 8-11, 2025, to raise awareness about climate change and protest the destruction of Indigenous forests. In doing so, she caught the attention of the […] | |
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Amazon deforestation may rise 30% as major traders exit historic soy pact (February 2, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/amazon-deforestation-may-rise-30-as-major-traders-exit-historic-soy-pact/ - Major soy traders like Cargill, ADM and Bunge announced their withdrawal from the Amazon soy moratorium, a move that could increase deforestation in the biome by 30% by 2045. - Behind the exodus are farmers and ranchers’ associations and local politicians linked to agribusiness. - Their abandonment of the agreement signals a “green light” for land speculators to clear rainforest for new soy crops, observers warn. - Advancing deforestation may lead companies to lose market share and intensify agricultural failures due to the lack of rain. | |
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Inside Mongabay with Isabel Esterman and the long arc of environmental reporting (February 2, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/inside-mongabay-with-isabel-esterman-and-the-long-arc-of-environmental-reporting/ For Isabel Esterman, journalism’s influence is often cumulative. It comes from staying with a subject long enough for the evidence to become harder to ignore. “It’s not one story,” she tells Alejandro Prescott-Cornejo, “but this collective body of reporting, and staying on it has been significant.” That idea runs through her work at Mongabay, […] | |
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Argentina fires ravage pristine Patagonia forests, fueling criticism of Milei’s austerity (February 2, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/argentina-fires-ravage-pristine-patagonia-forests-fueling-criticism-of-mileis-austerity/ LOS ALERCES NATIONAL PARK, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s Patagonia region is battling severe wildfires, with vast areas of Los Alerces National Park ablaze. The fires have destroyed over 45,000 hectares of native forests, forcing thousands to evacuate. Critics blame President Javier Milei’s austerity measures, which have slashed firefighting budgets. On Monday, the fires continued to […] | |
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When nature becomes a security risk (February 2, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/when-nature-becomes-a-security-risk/ Britain’s national security thinking has traditionally been shaped by familiar concerns: hostile states, terrorism, energy supply, and, more recently, cyber threats. A new assessment from the U.K. government adds a different category to that list. Global biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, it argues, now pose a direct and growing risk to national security, with implications […] | |
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The fair costs for forest rehabilitation in Indonesia (commentary) (February 2, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/the-fair-costs-for-forest-rehabilitation-in-indonesia-commentary/ - Aida Greenbury, a sustainability leader and forestry expert, argues that Indonesia’s plan to spend US$9.2 billion in public funds to rehabilitate degraded forests lacks transparency and risks placing the financial burden on taxpayers rather than those most responsible for deforestation. - She points to consistent evidence showing that large corporations in sectors such as palm oil, timber, pulp and paper, and mining are the primary drivers of forest loss, raising questions about why national and regional budgets should pay for restoring landscapes damaged by private industry. - Greenbury calls for clearer disclosure, stronger accountability mechanisms, and a public–private financing model that requires companies linked to deforestation to bear most of the restoration costs, while ensuring reforms are grounded in credible data and community consent. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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Division’s final journey (February 1, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/divisions-final-journey/ - Division, a four-year-old North Atlantic right whale known as Catalog #5217, was found dead off the coast of North Carolina in January after weeks in failing health caused by a severe fishing-gear entanglement that responders were unable to fully remove. - Born in 2021 to a female named Silt, Division had already survived three earlier entanglements, a reminder of how early and repeatedly right whales now encounter life-threatening human hazards. - His death comes amid fragile signs of hope for the species, with fifteen calves recorded this winter in a population of roughly 380 whales, far short of the numbers needed for recovery. - Division’s short life illustrates how the threats facing right whales are not abstract but cumulative and prolonged, shaping lifespans measured in decades and placing the species’ future in the balance of decisions made far from the water. | |
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Christ Jacob Belseran wins the Oktovianus Pogau Award for courage in journalism (January 31, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/christ-jacob-belseran-wins-the-oktovianus-pogau-award-for-courage-in-journalism/ Today Christ Jacob Belseran received the Oktovianus Pogau Award for courage in journalism from Pantau Foundation. The citation is usually reserved for reporters who continue their work despite adversity and, at times, direct threats. Belseran is a contributor to Mongabay Indonesia and the editor and founder of Titastory, a local outlet he established in […] | |
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Viral hyena incident reveals Nepal’s growing online information disorder (January 31, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/viral-hyena-incident-reveals-nepals-growing-online-information-disorder/ - A false social media claim about hyenas entering an eastern Nepal town highlights how rapidly online misinformation is spreading across the country, as internet and smartphone use rise. - With dozens of complaints lodged over misleading content in recent months, the information disorder is challenging public trust and distorting perceptions of wildlife, experts warn. - Nepal remains divided over how to respond, as debates continue between stricter regulation and greater investment in media and digital literacy, amid concerns that existing laws are being used to curb freedom of expression. | |
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Habitat destruction, illegal trade threaten Sri Lanka’s endangered agamid lizards (January 31, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/habitat-destruction-illegal-trade-threaten-sri-lankas-endangered-agamid-lizards/ - Two of Sri Lanka’s rare lizards, the critically endangered Dumbara agama (Cophotis dumbara) and the endangered Ceylon deaf agama (Cophotis ceylanica) are popular on global trading websites as exotic pets since 2015 with the captive bred lizards and juveniles carrying a price tag ranging between $500 to $1000. - The demand for endemic and exotic lizards as pets is increasing becoming popular, with a spiking demand on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram where Copohotis lizards are among the most popular species to be traded. - Conservationists warn against the consistent demand contributing to exploitation and over-harvesting of these rare species as climate change and habitat loss make their survival difficult. | |
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Peru to invest $7.6 billion to continue critical minerals extraction (January 30, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/peru-to-invest-7-6-billion-to-continue-critical-minerals-extraction/ - Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines announced it will invest $7.6 billion to expand and improve mining operations that extract zinc, lead, tin, silver, copper and gold. - Many of the minerals found in Peru are vital for developing batteries, turbines, solar panels and other technology that will ultimately help lower global carbon emissions. - Most of the investment will go to upgrading infrastructure and operation safety and efficiency at eight mine sites already in operation, in some cases extending their lifespans. | |
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Solar energy gains ground across Africa, but challenges persist (January 30, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/solar-energy-gains-ground-across-africa-but-challenges-persist/ Solar energy is rapidly expanding across Africa, giving hope for electrifying more of the continent with renewable energy. The Central African Republic, for example, generates more than a third of its energy from sunlight, giving it the highest penetration of solar in its electricity mix in Africa. That’s according to the latest report from the […] | |
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A ‘new baseline’: Study captures accelerating sea-level rise in Africa (January 30, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-new-baseline-study-captures-accelerating-sea-level-rise-in-africa/ - Sea-level rise has accelerated across Africa in recent decades, thanks to global warming and, in particular, to the melting of ice sheets and glaciers, according to a recent study. - Sea levels across the continent have risen four times faster since 2010, on average, than they had in the 1990s. About 80% of the sea-level rise is due to added water mass from meltwater. - The impacts include flooding, erosion of coastal land, intrusion of salty seawater into freshwater drinking sources and displacement of coastal communities. - In many coastal areas, sea-level rise occurs even as the land itself is sinking due to groundwater extraction or other factors, exacerbating its impacts. | |
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On Mongabay’s legacy (January 30, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/on-mongabays-legacy/ - Mongabay did not set out to redefine environmental journalism, but grew by filling persistent information gaps around ecosystems and communities far from centers of power, treating those places as inherently consequential. - Its legacy is rooted in persistence: returning to the same regions over years, building institutional memory, and allowing patterns in deforestation, governance, and community adaptation to become visible. - Structurally, Mongabay demonstrated that a distributed network of local journalists could produce rigorous, globally relevant reporting at a time when foreign bureaus and specialist beats were disappearing. - Mongabay Founder and CEO Rhett Ayers Butler reflects on 15 years since he decided to transition Mongabay into a nonprofit, prioritizing influence, reach, and public access to information over traffic, ownership, or easy metrics of success. | |
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New data highlight Peru’s growing oil and gas footprint in the Amazon (January 30, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/new-data-highlight-perus-growing-oil-and-gas-footprint-in-the-amazon/ Peru has the most oil and gas projects heading into production in the Amazon, according to a new data set published by the Stockholm Environment Institute. At 85 blocks in pre-production in the rainforest, that’s more than the 68 in Colombia and 53 in Brazil. Peru has 173 oil and gas lease blocks in total, […] | |
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‘Blew us away’: Researchers find nitrogen boost spurs faster tropical forest growth (January 30, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/blew-us-away-researchers-find-nitrogen-boost-spurs-faster-tropical-forest-growth/ - A new study in Panama finds that nitrogen availability limits forest growth in the early stages of regeneration. - Nitrogen addition to newly cleared land and 10-year-old forests substantially boosted regeneration, though adding nutrients to older forests did not have the same effect - The study also found that phosphorus availability did not limit forest growth at any stage of forest maturity. - The researchers recommend ensuring nitrogen-fixing species are included during reforestation. | |
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Brazil declares açaí a national fruit amid biopiracy concerns (January 30, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/brazil-declares-acai-a-national-fruit-amid-biopiracy-concerns/ Brazil recently passed a law to recognize açaí, a berry endemic to the Amazon, as a national fruit, citing concerns about biopiracy — the commercial exploitation of native species and traditional knowledge without consent or fair compensation. Açaí is a staple food in northern Brazil, where it’s eaten as a savory paste typically served with […] | |
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Cameroon cookstove project looks to slow forest loss (January 30, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/cameroon-cookstove-project-looks-to-slow-forest-loss/ - The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) hopes new cookstoves that require less wood than traditional varieties will slow forest loss in Cameroon. - Mongabay visited one of the villages where CIFOR’s project is taking place to talk to people who are involved in it. - Long-term success rates for similar projects in Africa have often been low. - CIFOR wants to break that trend by encouraging people to adopt the new cookstoves and keep using them. | |
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Australia’s land-use squeeze (January 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/australias-land-use-squeeze/ - Australia’s recent land use change has steadily reduced and degraded native vegetation, shrinking the amount of intact habitat available to wildlife and weakening ecosystem resilience. - Clearing has been concentrated in productive regions, especially along the eastern seaboard and parts of the north, where agriculture, development, and resource extraction continue to reshape landscapes. - The biodiversity impacts are not only about area lost: fragmentation breaks habitats into smaller, drier, more isolated patches, making populations more vulnerable to fire, heat, invasive species, and local collapse. - Conservation tools like protected areas and restoration help, but they struggle to keep pace when habitat loss continues through thousands of incremental decisions across overlapping state and federal systems. | |
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Data show oil and gas blocks cover one-fourth of Ecuador, mostly in the Amazon (January 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/data-show-oil-and-gas-blocks-cover-one-fourth-of-ecuador-mostly-in-the-amazon/ Ecuador has 65 oil and gas lease blocks, 88% of them in the Amazon, covering a quarter of the country’s total area. That’s according to a new data set from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). Many of the lease blocks overlap with several Indigenous territories, including the Cuyabeno-Imuya Intangible Zone, which is home to 11 […] | |
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In the Brazilian Amazon, community conservation success comes with a cost: Study (January 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/in-the-brazilian-amazon-community-conservation-success-comes-with-a-cost-study/ - In Brazil’s western Amazon, community-led efforts to protect the pirarucu, one of the world’s largest freshwater fish, bring conservation benefits that extend into upland ecosystems. - A study in Nature Sustainability found that by patrolling oxbow lakes along the Juruá River, communities effectively protect a mean area 86 times larger than the lakes they directly monitor, making this the largest community-based conservation initiative in the Brazilian Amazon. - Local families bear the full economic burden of conservation efforts; surveillance represents 32% of total costs and reduces community income by 21%. Researchers say that using payments for environmental services would help ease pressure on communities. | |
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More than 87m people impacted by climate-related disasters in 2025 (January 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/more-than-87m-people-impacted-by-climate-related-disasters-in-2025/ In 2025, more than 200 climate-related disasters affected more than 87.8 million people worldwide, according to preliminary figures from the International Disaster Database analyzed by Mongabay. The disasters include flash floods, landslides, severe storms, wildfires and droughts. Drought and food insecurity impacted the largest number of people. In Syria, which faced its worst drought in […] | |
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Worries grow for Sulawesi farmers as nickel mining company plans expansion (January 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/worries-grow-for-sulawesi-farmers-as-nickel-mining-company-plans-expansion/ - PT Vale Indonesia, which runs the longest-operating nickel mining concession in Indonesia, is looking to expand its operations amid an explosion of global demand for nickel used in electric vehicle batteries. - The company’s concession encompasses local farmlands and forestlands rich in plant and animal life found only in Sulawesi. - Farmers worry the company’s expansion plans will mean the annexation and destruction of their forest and farms. | |
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Drone-mounted eDNA hints at richness of life in the rainforest canopy (January 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/drone-mounted-edna-hints-at-richness-of-life-in-the-rainforest-canopy/ - Scientists have used a combination of drone technology and environmental DNA analysis to detect animals that live in the rainforest canopy in the Peruvian Amazon. - Using the technology, researchers were able to draw a contrast between species detected from canopy samples and water samples. - They found that water samples indicated the presence of more species, while canopy samples detected taxonomic groups not found in water samples, highlighting the need to use both methods complementarily. | |
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Indonesia fast-tracks final permit for Papua rice megaproject without Indigenous consent (January 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/indonesia-fast-tracks-final-permit-for-papua-rice-megaproject-without-indigenous-consent/ - Indigenous rights activists in Indonesia’s Papua region are condemning the government’s rapid approval of a massive rice plantation, arguing the government fast-tracked a key land permit without proper consultation or consent from Indigenous landowners. - The activists say the process ignored Indigenous communities’ free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) and reflects a broader pattern under the food estate program that sidelines Indigenous rights and environmental safeguards in the name of national food security. - Critics warn of widespread deforestation, land dispossession and social conflict, echoing past failures of similar schemes elsewhere in Indonesia. - The government claims that procedures were followed, but Indigenous representatives and civil society groups say consultations were minimal, protests were ignored and the project amounts to forced land appropriation. | |
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Five detained over alleged hunting in Javan leopard habitat (January 29, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/five-detained-over-alleged-hunting-in-javan-leopard-habitat/ - Indonesian authorities have detained five people following allegations of illegal hunting inside West Java’s Gunung Sanggabuana conservation forest. - The case drew national attention after camera trap footage revealed an injured Javan leopard and suspected armed hunters operating in the protected area. - Conservationists say the incident exposes deeper weaknesses in wildlife protection and raises urgent questions about how Indonesia safeguards its last remaining big cats. | |
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Brazil sets out its strategy for nature (January 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/brazil-sets-out-its-strategy-for-nature/ Brazil is the world’s most biodiverse country, and the title is not closely contested in absolute numbers: between 10% and 15% of all known species live within its borders. The country contains nearly two-thirds of the Amazon rainforest and supplies about a tenth of the world’s food. That combination of ecological wealth and economic […] | |
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Judge rules Massachusetts offshore wind project halted by Trump administration can continue (January 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/judge-rules-massachusetts-offshore-wind-project-halted-by-trump-administration-can-continue/ BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge said Tuesday that a nearly completed Massachusetts offshore wind project can continue, as the industry successfully challenges the Trump administration in court. At U.S. District Court in Boston, Judge Brian Murphy halted the administration’s stop work order for Vineyard Wind, citing the potential economic losses from the delays and […] | |
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Seminarian-turned-fire-agent preaches new tactics to fight Amazon’s burn crisis (January 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/seminarian-turned-fire-agent-preaches-new-tactics-to-fight-amazons-burn-crisis/ - Lacking trucks and gear, a civil servant once destined for the priesthood now uses WhatsApp groups to direct volunteers who must manually carry river water through dense forest to tackle record blazes deep in an Amazonian town five times the size of New York City. - Once rare, record-breaking wildfires destroyed millions of hectares across the Brazilian Amazon in recent years, leaving surviving forests increasingly fragile and susceptible to recurring blazes. - Only 16% of Amazonian municipalities in Brazil have operational military fire brigades, forcing rural towns to rely on underfunded local offices and unpaid volunteers to defend the rainforest. | |
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Women secure a future with pumas in the Andes (January 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/video/2026/01/women-secure-a-future-with-pumas-in-the-andes/ AYACUCHO, Peru — High in the Peruvian Andes, fear of wildcats once meant survival. Pumas, pampas cats and the elusive Andean cat were seen only as threats to livestock — and were hunted without hesitation. But one woman’s journey has helped transform her community’s story. Through women-led conservation, camera traps and weaving traditions, Ida and […] | |
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The Turtle Bank: The last of these Asian turtle species find refuge in the Carolina pines (January 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/the-turtle-bank-the-last-of-these-asian-turtle-species-find-refuge-in-the-carolina-pines/ - Sixteen turtle enthusiasts from three countries traveled to South Carolina’s Turtle Survival Center in September 2025 for an intensive weeklong course on turtle and tortoise conservation, care and breeding. Mongabay staff writer Liz Kimbrough joined them there. - More than half of the world’s 359 living turtle and tortoise species now face extinction, with 134 classified as endangered or critically endangered — a crisis driven by the wildlife trade, destruction and pollution of wetlands and rivers, and the species’ slow reproductive biology. - The center houses approximately 800 turtles representing some of the world’s most critically endangered species, mostly from Southeast Asia. It serves as a “turtle bank” that maintains genetic diversity for species in hopes that their progeny may return to the wild. - Participants learned hands-on skills ranging from disease prevention to optimal lighting. The course strengthens a global network of turtle conservationists who are bringing their newly honed skills to zoos, aquariums, vet offices and community projects back home. | |
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Study ties same-sex behavior in primates to ecological and social pressures (January 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/study-ties-same-sex-behavior-in-primates-to-ecological-and-social-pressures/ - A recent study into same-sex behavior in primates finds that social organization and ecological factors, including climatic conditions, influence this behavior. - In gorilla groups, same-sex relations can help strengthen social bonds, study lead author Chloë Coxshall told Mongabay, reducing competition and facilitating access to mates and resources. - Gorilla groups typically consist of a dominant adult male, several adult females, and their offspring. If the dominant male has the exclusive right to mate with all females of the same group, sometimes this polygamy pushes the females to leave this family to look for other females with whom they develop intimate relationships, Malagasy primatologist Jonah Henri Ratsimbazafy said. - Same-sex behavior doesn’t appear to have the same place in the lives of different primate species or even at various times for the same population, the study suggests. So species-specific research is needed, according to the study authors. | |
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Wildlife attacks and strange animal behavior — fake images spark conservation concerns (January 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/wildlife-attacks-and-strange-animal-behavior-fake-images-spark-conservation-concerns/ - Conservationists warn that increasingly realistic AI-generated wildlife images and videos are spreading misinformation that can provoke fear, panic and hostility toward wild animals. - Fake footage distorts public understanding of animal behavior, making dangerous encounters seem normal or portraying wildlife as greater threats than they really are. - Authorities and conservation groups are forced to waste time and resources investigating false sightings and responding to public alarm triggered by fabricated content. - Experts say the trend could ultimately undermine conservation efforts by eroding public trust, encouraging wildlife persecution and normalizing the exotic pet trade. | |
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World Bank carbon program risks further infringing upon rights of Indonesian Indigenous community (commentary) (January 28, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/world-bank-carbon-program-risks-further-infringing-upon-rights-of-indonesian-indigenous-community-commentary/ - The Indigenous Dayak Bahau community of Long Isun has long fought for recognition, land rights and justice in Indonesian Borneo, and while those disputes remain unresolved, a new threat to their sovereignty has appeared: the World Bank’s carbon program. - The bank did not create the conflict, but by moving forward with a carbon offset project on this land that is still contested, it would risk reinforcing the status quo that enabled logging companies to operate on their territory without genuine consent. - “A genuine response from the World Bank could set an important precedent: resolving customary land disputes before launching carbon projects,” a new op-ed argues. - This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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Europe’s olive grove crisis affects nature & culture, but has solutions (January 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/01/europes-olive-grove-crisis-affects-nature-culture-but-has-solutions/ Across Mediterranean Europe, olive groves are in decline from a range of factors, from disease to depopulation. In Italy alone, there are roughly 440 million abandoned olive trees, and the ecological, cultural and socioeconomic impacts from the loss are devastating, explains the latest guest on the Mongabay Newscast. Still, solutions exist to help turn the […] | |
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Rio de Janeiro state bans shark meat for school meals (January 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/rio-de-janeiro-state-bans-shark-meat-for-school-meals/ - The government of Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state has banned shark meat for meals in most of the schools it manages, after pressure from conservationists and school meal advisers raising health and environmental concerns. - The shark meat ban applies to all 1,200 schools run by the state education department, but not to the thousands of other schools in the state that are managed by municipalities and private entities. - A Mongabay investigation in July 2025 revealed 1,012 public tenders issued since 2004 to procure more than 5,400 metric tons of shark meat in 10 of Brazil’s 26 states, including Rio de Janeiro. - Industry groups have criticized the Rio de Janeiro government’s decision, dismissing health risks linked to shark meat consumption, and complained of a lack of transparency in the decision-making process, noting that the ban has yet to be published in the state’s official gazette. | |
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Coast-to-coast coral assessment reveals Thailand’s reefs losing complexity (January 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/coast-to-coast-coral-assessment-reveals-thailands-reefs-losing-complexity/ - Marine scientists have documented Thailand’s coral reefs in unprecedented detail, providing a crucial baseline against which reef managers can measure future change. - The surveys indicate that, as in other parts of the world, Thailand’s reefs are losing structural complexity, becoming dominated by simpler boulder-forming corals, while staghorn and branching species die out. - Experts say the new baseline can help steer future strategies to prepare for future bleaching events through reef restoration and assisted reproduction. - The surveys were conducted just before the full effects of the 2024 global bleaching event were felt in Thai waters, which will have inevitably taken an as-yet-unquantified toll on the region’s reefs. | |
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Poaching African lions for black market could pose existential threat (January 27, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/poaching-african-lions-for-black-market-could-pose-existential-threat/ African lions are increasingly targeted for trade in their bones, skin, teeth and claws, according to a newly published study. Without urgent action, the authors warn, poaching may pose an existential threat to Panthera leo, which once numbered in the hundreds of thousands across Africa. Today, about 25,000 are relegated to just 6% of their […] | |
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Tree spirits: The unintended ecology of belief (January 26, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/tree-spirits-the-unintended-ecology-of-belief/ In parts of Indonesian Borneo, forests endure not because they are fenced off or regulated, but because they are feared. Among the Indigenous Iban people of Sungai Utik, large strangler fig trees are believed to house spirits that can mislead, sicken, or even kill those who disturb them. The belief is not abstract. It […] | |
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Vanuatu communities move to protect taro, an ancestral climate-resilient crop (analysis) (January 26, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/vanuatu-communities-move-to-protect-taro-an-ancestral-climate-resilient-crop-analysis/ - Taro is a traditional food of Vanuatu, and its culture over millennia has resulted in several hundred indigenous varieties. But cassava is more commonly grown nowadays, even as communities rely increasingly heavily upon imported food. - A key reason that communities are now fighting to reinvigorate taro cultivation is because it’s more resilient to climate shocks: In recent years, severe storms have led to the tiny nation’s islands being cut off from food shipments, but those with healthy taro crops were able to feed themselves and others. - “To the extent that ancient farming techniques continue to provide resilience in the face of a changing climate, it may also be a taste of the future,” an author who visited Vanuatu last year argues. - This post is an analysis. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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The long struggle of women farmers to halt a zinc mine in North Sumatra (January 26, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/the-long-struggle-of-women-farmers-to-halt-a-zinc-mine-in-north-sumatra/ - Women’s rights groups in Indonesia’s Dairi regency have been at the forefront of a legal challenge against a zinc mining company, which ultimately prevailed in court and set a legal precedent in the country in May 2025. - The women farmers joined a group of 11 villagers who say their successive victories in Indonesia’s courts was due to their unrelenting consistency and not giving up throughout the last two decades. - Developer PT Dairi Prima Mineral, backed by China Nonferrous Metal Industry’s Foreign Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd., is now proposing for a new permit after the environment ministry revoked the old one and is hoping to gain the approval of all community elements, including villagers. - However, according to the local activists who spoke to Mongabay, they will continue to resist the mine. | |
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‘Political will is everything’: Interview with Kenyan Environment Minister Deborah Barasa (January 26, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/political-will-is-everything-interview-with-kenyan-environment-minister-deborah-barasa/ - William Ruto won Kenya’s 2022 presidential election on a campaign that included a pledge to plant 15 billion trees by 2032. As the country approaches another election cycle, observers and environmental experts are questioning how much progress has been made. - Around 1.5 billion trees have been planted so far, Deborah Barasa, the environment minister, said in an interview with Mongabay. Despite concerns over planning, monitoring and funding, she said Kenya can still meet the 15 billion target. - She added that community ownership, long-term care and tree survival matter more than the number of seedlings planted, noting that the tree plantation campaign is “about instilling a culture of protecting and caring for the environment.” - Barasa spoke to Mongabay on the sidelines of an event celebrating the legacy of Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmentalist and winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. Maathai built a landmark women-centric movement to plant trees and combat deforestation and desertification. | |
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More than 5 years after Wakashio oil spill, questions linger in Mauritius (January 26, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/more-than-5-years-after-wakashio-oil-spill-questions-linger-in-mauritius/ - In 2020, amid the chaos of the pandemic, the island nation of Mauritius was hit by one of the worst environmental disasters in its history when the MV Wakashio, owned by Nagashiki Shipping, crashed into the coral reef barrier off the southeastern part of the island. - The ship spilled around 1,000 metric tons of oil into the waters near three sites of ecological importance; more than five years on, conservationists and fishers say the Mauritian government quietly allowed the entire episode to fade from public memory, with little scrutiny. - When Mongabay visited mangroves in 2025 that had been affected by the oil spill, fuel oil still lingered in the water-soaked earth; it could persist for decades, experts warn. - Vikash Tatayah at the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation facilitated the evacuation of animals considered at risk due to the oil spill, including lesser night geckos, to the U.K.; eggs from the geckos and their descendants were returned to Mauritius in 2025. | |
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DRC plans to export 100,000 metric tons of copper to the US (January 26, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/drc-plans-to-export-100000-metric-tons-of-copper-to-the-us/ - DRC’s state-owned Gécamines SA announced the sale of copper and cobalt to the U.S. following an agreement signed between the two countries at the end of 2025. - The minerals agreement was signed alongside a U.S.-mediated peace deal between Rwanda and the DRC; the former gives the U.S. preferential access to critical minerals mined in the DRC, which are currently mainly exported to China. - The U.S.-DRC export arrangement could strengthen the DRC’s control over its mineral resources and boost revenues. Still, it is unclear whether a new export partner would signify a change in how minerals are extracted in the DRC. - NGOs warn of persistent risks related to the governance of the state-owned Gécamines and to unresolved environmental and health impacts around the Tenke Fungurume mine, from which the copper slated for export to the U.S. originates. | |
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Patagonia fires reignite debate over Argentina’s underfunded environmental agencies (January 26, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/patagonia-fires-reignite-debate-over-argentinas-underfunded-environmental-agencies/ - Two major fires broke out in early January in Argentina’s southern Chubut province, threatening parts of Los Alerces National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. - The fires have destroyed at least 21,000 hectares (52,000 acres) of forest and grassland in and around the park, home to the alerce tree (Fitzroya cupressoides), a cypress that can live for more than 3,600 years. - Critics pointed to recent budget cuts and staff shortages for environmental programs, which make it difficult to both prevent fires and put them out when they start. | |
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José Zanardini, the priest who tried to reconcile faith and Indigenous autonomy (January 26, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/jose-zanardini-the-priest-who-tried-to-reconcile-faith-and-indigenous-autonomy/ - Missionaries in South America have often brought schooling and support alongside coercion, acculturation, and lasting harm, especially in Indigenous communities where the legacy of “contact” remains contested. - Father José (Giuseppe) Zanardini, an Italian-born Salesian priest and anthropologist, arrived in Paraguay in 1978 and spent decades working among Indigenous peoples, particularly the Ayoreo of the Gran Chaco. - He combined pastoral work with scholarship and education initiatives, including support for Indigenous schooling and documentation of language and culture, while advocating for a more open church approach to Indigenous spirituality. - His story sits uneasily within a wider history of mission-driven disruption and abuse, raising the enduring question of whether a single life of listening can meaningfully offset the institutions that sent him | |
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Many Amazon climate disasters are missing from official records, study finds (January 24, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/many-amazon-climate-disasters-are-missing-from-official-records-study-finds/ More than 12,500 extreme climate events were registered in the Amazon biome between 2013 and 2023, according to a recent study. But many more events were never recorded, as some Amazonian countries provided no or limited information, Gonzalo Ortuño López reported for Mongabay Latam. The study aggregated available national data but found that the national […] | |
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Honeyguide birds learn local human dialects (January 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/honeyguide-birds-learn-local-human-dialects/ In northern Mozambique, local honey-hunters use vocal signals to communicate with wild honeyguide birds to locate and harvest honey. New research finds that human calls used across the region vary, but the birds learn these subtle differences and continue to cooperate with their human partners, guiding them to wild bees’ nests. The study focused on […] | |
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Staying with the story: Isabel Esterman on long-term nature reporting in Southeast Asia (January 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/staying-with-the-story-isabel-esterman-on-long-term-nature-reporting-in-southeast-asia/ - Isabel Esterman is Mongabay’s managing editor for Southeast Asia, overseeing reporting across one of the world’s most complex environmental and political regions. - Her work is defined by long-term coverage of critical issues, including Sumatran rhinos, carbon credit land deals in Malaysia, and the illegal ape trade in both Asia and Africa. - Esterman values collaboration across bureaus, particularly with Mongabay Indonesia, and sees supporting freelance journalists and building sustainable career paths as a meaningful part of her role. - This interview is part of Inside Mongabay, a series that spotlights the people who bring environmental and conservation stories to life across our newsroom. | |
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Kirtida Mekani, Singapore’s tree lady, has died, aged 66 (January 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/kirtida-mekani-singapores-tree-lady-has-died-aged-66/ Singapore sells itself as an engineered miracle: a dense city that works, where heat, rain, and scarcity are managed rather than endured. Greenery is part of that bargain. Trees soften the concrete and help make the place livable, but they are also a kind of civic language. They signal order, foresight, and the idea that […] | |
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In Brazil, planting forests for carbon credits could help ecosystem restoration (January 23, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/in-brazil-planting-forests-for-carbon-credits-could-help-ecosystem-restoration/ - The sale of carbon credits from forest restoration is taking off in Brazil, but the sector still needs to tackle mistrust, the complexity of ecosystem restoration and the long-term nature of the projects. - Founded in 2021, Brazilian firm re.green commercially restores forests by selling carbon credits and has projects spanning 34,000 hectares (84,000 acres) in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest. - The company aims to restore 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) of tropical forests across Brazil. Its work so far has been recognized through an EarthShot Prize in 2025. - As well as restoring ecosystems to sell high-integrity carbon credits, the company also works with the community and produces data and knowledge on forest restoration. | |
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