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From chemistry to regeneration: Agriculture’s next transformation has begun (commentary) (February 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/from-chemistry-to-regeneration-agricultures-next-transformation-has-begun-commentary/ - Just as the Green Revolution shifted farming from sun and soil to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, we are now seeing a new revolution, one of returning to an agriculture based on biology rather than chemistry. - The current, chemically dependent model has produced a lot of food but at great cost to soil health, biodiversity and livelihoods. - “Society must recognize the truth: we cannot continue to poison our environment in the name of food production, and regeneration is the only viable future,” 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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Kiliii Yüyan puts Indigenous ‘Guardians of Life’ and their planetary stewardship in focus (February 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/02/kiliii-yuyan-puts-indigenous-guardians-of-life-and-their-planetary-stewardship-in-focus/ National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yüyan returns to the Mongabay Newscast to share his experience creating his new book, Guardians of Life: Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Science, and Restoring the Planet from specialty publisher Braided River. This book documents the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of nine Indigenous communities worldwide, featuring contributions and essays from many members of […] | |
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Some forest restoration linked to short-term rise in zoonotic diseases (February 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/some-forest-restoration-linked-to-short-term-rise-in-zoonotic-diseases/ Deforestation and land use change can accelerate the spread of zoonotic diseases — infectious illnesses that can spread from animals to humans — including malaria and COVID-19. While habitat restoration is crucial for addressing biodiversity loss and climate change, new research suggests counterintuitively that it can also temporarily increase the risk of certain zoonotic diseases […] | |
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Amazon deforestation on pace to be the lowest on record, says Brazil (February 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/amazon-deforestation-on-pace-to-be-the-lowest-on-record-says-brazil/ - Near-real-time satellite alerts show Amazon deforestation in Brazil continuing to decline into early 2026, with clearing from August through January falling to its lowest level for that period since 2014. - Over the previous 12 months, detected forest loss also dropped to a 2014 low, reinforcing a broader downward trend that is corroborated by official annual data and independent monitoring. Clearing in the neighboring Cerrado savanna has also fallen - Environment Minister Marina Silva attributed the decline to strengthened enforcement and municipal cooperation, saying Brazil could record the lowest Amazon deforestation rate since record-keeping began in 1988 if current efforts continue. - While the data is positive for conservation advocates, short-term satellite data can fluctuate seasonally, and long-term outcomes will depend on economic pressures, infrastructure expansion, and climate-driven risks such as drought and fire. | |
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Malaria outbreak among Indigenous Pirahã linked to forest loss, satellite data find (February 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/malaria-outbreak-among-indigenous-piraha-linked-to-forest-loss-satellite-data-find/ - According to data from Global Forest Watch, the Pirahã Indigenous Territory in Brazil lost 7,000 hectares of tree cover from 2002-24. - A large spike occurred in 2024, when the territory lost 3,200 hectares of tree cover. - Government officials told Mongabay that the recently contacted Pirahã people are facing a malaria outbreak, and the deforestation is the result of an effort by Brazil’s Indigenous affairs agency to improve food security. - The situation is complex, conservationists say, and although the clearings to plant crops may exacerbate the risk of malaria, the Pirahã people need food to improve their ability to fight the disease. | |
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Scientists can’t agree on where the world’s forests are (February 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/scientists-cant-agree-on-where-the-worlds-forests-are/ - A global comparison of ten satellite-based forest datasets found striking disagreement about where forests are located, with only about a quarter of mapped forest area recognized by all sources. Differences in definitions, resolution, and methodology mean that estimates of forest extent vary widely depending on the map used. - The inconsistencies are greatest in dry forests and fragmented landscapes, where sparse tree cover makes classification difficult. Even small technical choices—such as canopy thresholds or sensor type—can determine whether an area counts as forest at all. - These discrepancies translate into large differences in real-world indicators. Estimates of forest carbon in Kenya, forest-proximate poverty in India, and habitat loss in Brazil varied dramatically across datasets, with potential implications for funding, policy, and conservation priorities. - Because forest maps underpin climate targets, biodiversity planning, and development decisions, the authors urge treating estimates as ranges rather than precise figures and testing results across multiple datasets. Greater standardization and transparency, they argue, will be essential for credible monitoring of global environmental goals. | |
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Kenya launches a carbon registry to boost climate finance and credibility (February 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/kenya-launches-a-carbon-registry-to-boost-climate-finance-and-credibility/ NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya has launched its first national carbon registry, a centralized system to track carbon credit projects, prevent double counting and strengthen transparency in climate markets. The platform positions Kenya to attract global climate financing as demand grows for credible carbon offsets under the Paris Climate agreement. Officials say the registry will […] | |
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That “butterfly” you saw? It was probably a moth (February 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/that-butterfly-you-saw-it-was-probably-a-moth/ Most people think moths are dull, nocturnal, and nothing like butterflies. That couldn’t be more wrong. In the Amazon rainforest, moths come in every color, shape, and size — and many are active during the day. In fact, while there are only about 18,000 species of butterflies worldwide, there are over 160,000 species of moths. […] | |
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Helicopter translocation brings isolated banteng to safer grounds in Cambodia (February 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/helicopter-translocation-brings-isolated-banteng-to-safer-grounds-in-cambodia/ - Earlier this month in northeastern Cambodia, conservationists deployed helicopters, trucks and more than 50 personnel to translocate a group of critically endangered banteng into a protected reserve. - Banteng, a type of wild cattle that once roamed widely across Southeast Asia, have suffered crippling population declines due to hunting and deforestation. - The effort is part of wider plans to secure a future for the species in Cambodia while rewilding Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary, a site that experts say is one of Cambodia’s best protected sites. - Against the backdrop of intense forest loss, even within protected areas, experts say translocation of isolated animals away from frontiers of development could offer a viable future for conservation in Cambodia. | |
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UN recognition is latest boost to restoring spekboom across South Africa’s semidesert Karoo (February 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/un-recognition-is-latest-boost-to-restoring-spekboom-across-south-africas-semidesert-karoo/ - Since 2004, the South African government has been working to restore spekboom thickets in a semiarid region of the country. - This biome, anchored by the hardy, carbon-sequestering spekboom plant, has been massively degraded by two centuries of expanding farming and livestock herding. - That long arc of conversion of thicket landscapes to farm and rangeland is now dying, as overgrazing, climate change and shifting markets for agricultural products take their toll. - Dozens of private operators have joined the government in trying to restore this biome’s original thicket cover, attracted by the potential for income from carbon credits. | |
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Indonesia says intervention in notorious Sumatran national park part of new ‘model’ (February 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/indonesia-says-intervention-in-notorious-sumatran-national-park-part-of-new-model/ - Tesso Nilo National Park was established in 2004 and expanded in 2009 in Sumatra’s Riau province, but has since lost more than three-quarters of its old-growth forest, largely to smallholder oil palm farms, according to remote-sensing platform Global Forest Watch. - Last year, officials working under a new nationwide forestry task force began work to relocate hundreds of farming families living inside the park, in a radical attempt to regain control of a protected area that’s been almost entirely destroyed. - The government is framing the Tesso Nilo policy around efforts to save Domang, one of the critically endangered Sumatran elephant calves living within the national park. - The intervention in Tesso Nilo sparked some low-intensity violence last year, including destruction of a shelter in the forest used by national park staff as a base for fieldwork, prompting a surge in military presence to bolster security as the operation proceeds. | |
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Floods linked to climate change hit nearly 1 million in Southern Africa (February 17, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/floods-linked-to-climate-change-hit-nearly-1-million-in-southern-africa/ - A rapid analysis of heavy floods that occurred between December 2025 and January 2026 in Southern Africa finds that climate change has exacerbated extreme rainfall events. - Scientists found that rainfall events in the region seem to be becoming more intense, and the likelihood of extreme precipitation occurring is higher in a warmer world. - Despite limitations of climate models in the African context, scientists say they’re confident that weather patterns are shifting due to climate change. - The study also revealed that the impacts were heightened due to structural and social vulnerabilities in the affected countries, with Mozambique being the hardest hit. | |
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Texas sea turtles have lost a conservation hero (commentary) (February 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/texas-sea-turtles-have-lost-a-conservation-hero-commentary/ - A dedicated sea turtle conservationist on the Texas Gulf Coast has passed away. - Carole Allen — the founder of HEART (Help Endangered Animals Ridley Turtles)— passed away this month at the age of 90. - “Some of Carole’s accomplishments are documented in Edward Humes’ 2009 book “Eco Barons” and the 2011 PBS documentary “The Heartbreak Turtle.” But her true legacy lives on in the countless children and adults she inspired over generations,” a new op-ed says. - This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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Costa Rica’s top court orders action to shield wildlife from power line hazards (February 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/costa-ricas-top-court-orders-action-to-shield-wildlife-from-power-line-hazards/ Costa Rica’s highest court has ruled that government agencies and the national electricity utility failed to adequately protect wildlife from electrocution caused by power lines. The case centers on the Nosara region in northwestern Costa Rica, but conservationists say the landmark ruling could strengthen wildlife protections across the country. The lawsuit was filed with the […] | |
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Study refutes claim that Indonesia’s legal turtle trade supports livelihoods (February 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/study-refutes-claim-that-indonesias-legal-turtle-trade-supports-livelihoods/ - Tens of thousands of freshwater turtles and tortoises are legally harvested each year in Indonesia for their meat and exported primarily to China, while many species teeter on the brink of extinction. - Although this turtle trade is thought to provide livelihoods for harvesters, a study finds that with current market prices, it only supports a few hundred people nationwide with a barely sustainable minimum wage income. - A big proportion of the trade must be illegal to keep it profitable, researchers say. They question whether it should be permitted at all, given that many targeted species are threatened with extinction. - To prevent illegal trade, conservationists urge Indonesian authorities to enforce harvest quotas, ban the trade of threatened species and provide alternative livelihoods for harvesters to save the country’s chelonians. | |
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PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ are falling in North Atlantic whales after phaseout (February 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/pfas-forever-chemicals-are-falling-in-north-atlantic-whales-after-phaseout/ Levels of some of the most persistent industrial chemicals in the North Atlantic appear to be falling, at least in one unlikely place. Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) now carry markedly lower concentrations of several legacy PFAS compounds than they did a decade ago, according to a new multidecade analysis of tissue samples from the […] | |
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US ocean regulator faces criticism over changes to right whale protection rule (February 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/us-ocean-regulator-faces-criticism-over-changes-to-right-whale-protection-rule/ PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The U.S.’s ocean regulator plans to make industry-friendly changes to a longstanding rule designed to protect vanishing whales, prompting criticism from environmental groups who cite the recent death of an endangered whale. The rules protect the North Atlantic right whale, which numbers less than 400 and lives off the East Coast. The […] | |
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A hundred-year vision: Gary Tabor on the rise of large landscape conservation (February 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/a-hundred-year-vision-gary-tabor-on-the-rise-of-large-landscape-conservation/ - Gary Tabor’s career marks a shift in conservation from protecting isolated “island” parks to designing vast, interconnected ecological networks. - Informed by his early years in the Adirondacks and a decade in East Africa, Tabor’s work emphasizes that wildlife survival depends on the “connective tissue” between protected areas. - Through founding the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, he has moved connectivity into the global mainstream, focusing on practical engineering like wildlife crossings and the human work of community organizing. - Tabor spoke with Mongabay’s Founder and CEO Rhett Ayers Butler in February 2026. | |
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Seven years after Brazil’s worst dam disaster, mining operations bounce back (February 16, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/seven-years-after-brazils-worst-dam-disaster-mining-operations-bounce-back/ - Seven years after a dam holding mining sludge collapsed in Brumadinho, southeastern Brazil, killing 272 people, mining giant Vale and its partner Itaminas are resuming operations at the very same mining complex. - The reopening of the Jangada mining site threatens the local community’s water security by potentially lowering the water table and compromising springs that supply hundreds of families in Brumadinho’s rural area, residents say. - Residents, victims’ relatives and civil society organizations have flagged the lack of information about the environmental risks that persist in a territory scarred by one of the worst mining-related disasters in Brazil. | |
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Snooping on stingrays (February 15, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/snooping-on-stingrays/ Biologging trackers have long been used to track and monitor marine animals like whales, sharks and dolphins. But it has been a challenge to use them on stingrays because of their smooth skin and the lack of a prominent fin. Scientists have now developed a multisensor tag which can be securely attached to sting rays. […] | |
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When environmental reporting has to outlast the news cycle (February 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/when-environmental-reporting-has-to-outlast-the-news-cycle/ In parts of Africa most affected by biodiversity loss and climate stress, the problem is not an absence of events worth reporting. It is the difficulty of translating slow-moving ecological change, fragmented governance and contested evidence into journalism that travels beyond borders. The signals are often local, technical and politically inconvenient. Yet they shape global […] | |
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Storm aftermath leaves 2 dead in France; flood alerts to remain Saturday (February 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/storm-aftermath-leaves-2-dead-in-france-flood-alerts-to-remain-saturday/ PARIS (AP) — The aftermath of a deadly storm continued to disrupt parts of France on Friday, with flooding concerns persisting in the southwest even as wind alerts were lifted, according to weather service Météo-France. Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said on TF1 that France had recorded two deaths linked to Storm Nils: one on Thursday […] | |
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Forests don’t just store carbon. They keep people alive, scientists say (February 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/forests-dont-just-store-carbon-they-keep-people-alive-scientists-say/ - Forests influence climate not only by storing carbon but by cooling the air, moderating extreme temperatures, and regulating water flows in ways that directly affect human well-being, concludes an academic review published this week in the journal Science. - These effects are strongest at the local level: intact forests can make surrounding areas markedly cooler, stabilize rainfall, and create microclimates that support agriculture, health, and daily life. - When forests are cleared, those protections can disappear quickly, often producing hotter, drier conditions and exposing large populations to increased heat stress and associated health risks. - The greatest climate benefits occur where forests are native, underscoring that protecting and restoring natural ecosystems can be as important for adaptation to climate change as for reducing emissions, argues the paper. | |
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Insects are moving pharmaceutical pollutants from rivers to land; risks unknown (February 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/insects-are-moving-pharmaceutical-pollutants-from-rivers-to-land-risks-unknown/ - Pharmaceuticals have a wide range of detrimental side effects on people. Scientists also know that pharmaceutical pollution is widespread in aquatic ecosystems, largely due to wastewater outflows and runoff. - Studies now show pharmaceutical waterway contaminants can accumulate in aquatic insects at various life-cycle stages. These pollutants can then be transferred to terrestrial ecosystems as the insects are consumed by other species, including birds and bats. - Research also shows that pharmaceuticals can cause changes in the physiology and behavior of insects, with potential knock-on effects for populations and wider ecosystems. - But the full consequences of the transfer of a wide range of pharmaceutical contaminants to aquatic insects, and then via their predators to terrestrial environments and food webs, is largely unknown. | |
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Baby gorilla seized from traffickers languishes in Turkish zoo (February 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/baby-gorilla-seized-from-traffickers-languishes-in-turkish-zoo/ - Türkiye has refused to return a western lowland gorilla named Zeytin, who was smuggled out of Africa a year ago; Turkish authorities seized him as an infant from the cargo hold of an airplane headed to Bangkok. - The decision marks an about-turn in Türkiye’s plans to return him to Africa, where he’d be in a Nigerian sanctuary with other gorillas, after a DNA test ruled out Nigeria as his country of origin. Turkish authorities announced he will remain in the country permanently. - Gorillas are social animals that live in family groups, and with no other gorillas in the country, conservationists worry Zeytin will be doomed to a life of isolation in a zoo. - Conservationists urge Turkish officials to reconsider their decision and send the baby gorilla to a sanctuary in Africa as soon as possible so he has a better chance of possible release into the wild. | |
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From land acquisitions to local ownership: Alternatives for carbon offsetting (commentary) (February 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/from-land-acquisitions-to-local-ownership-alternatives-for-carbon-offsetting-commentary/ - Land-based carbon offsetting poses serious risks, including inflated climate benefits and harmful livelihood impacts. A recent Land Matrix Initiative report argues that large-scale land acquisitions in the Global South under the auspices of carbon markets are adding substantial risks to global climate policies. - Given these developments, the Land Matrix provides critical, evidence-based scrutiny by documenting the scale and diversity of carbon-related land deals and advancing harm-reduction measures such as transparency, land governance, and accountability. - Among the recommendations, prioritizing community-based projects — while not risk-free — may offer a conditional alternative, provided there is genuine ownership, free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), and strong safeguards, with communities ultimately deciding whether and how to engage. - This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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The bug that makes bubbles with its butt: Froghopper (February 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/the-bug-that-makes-bubbles-with-its-butt-froghopper/ Meet the froghopper: a tiny insect that builds a bubble fortress out of sap, pee and air to protect itself from predators. Fully grown, it’s one of the best jumpers on Earth, leaping to heights nearly 100 times its body length. This is Episode 6 of Stranger Creatures, a series where biologist Romi Castagnino ventures […] | |
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Thousands of peat fires flare across Indonesia despite rainy season (February 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/thousands-of-peat-fires-flare-across-indonesia-despite-rainy-season/ - More than 5,000 fire hotspots were detected across Indonesia’s peatlands in January, according to an independent watchdog — an alarming spike despite peak rainy season conditions and recent severe flooding in parts of Sumatra and Borneo. - About a third of the hotspots were inside company concessions, mostly oil palm, reinforcing long-standing evidence that drained and degraded peatlands are highly flammable even after short dry spells, with fire risk now shaped more by hydrology than by calendar seasons. - Provinces such as West Kalimantan and Aceh were hardest hit, with fires producing thick haze in cities like Pontianak and contributing to respiratory illness, underscoring how degraded peat amplifies both flood and fire risks. - After a presidentially appointed peat restoration agency was allowed to lapse in 2024, watchdogs say fragmented oversight, weak monitoring and uncertainty over responsibility have created setbacks in peat protection, raising concerns ahead of potential future El Niño conditions. | |
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US cuts legal foundation for federal climate regulation (February 13, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/us-cuts-legal-foundation-for-federal-climate-regulation/ On Feb. 12, the United States repealed the so-called endangerment finding, a 2009 cornerstone rule that enabled the federal government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions as a pollutant. Established under former President Barack Obama, the rule codified the long-held scientific consensus that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions “threaten the public health and welfare of current and […] | |
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The business case for biodiversity (February 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/the-business-case-for-biodiversity/ - Biodiversity loss is emerging as a systemic economic risk, affecting supply chains, financial stability and long-term growth across sectors, argues a new assessment from the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). - Despite widespread dependence on nature, an estimated $7.3 trillion in annual finance still flows to activities that harm biodiversity, far outweighing conservation spending, says the report. - Few companies currently disclose biodiversity impacts, and measurement remains uneven, though existing tools can already inform operational and portfolio decisions. - Without changes in incentives, policy and financial systems, what is profitable will often remain misaligned with what sustains the natural systems on which the economy depends, says IPBES. | |
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Fishers denounce plummeting fish stocks following Amazon hydroelectric dam (February 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/fishers-denounce-plummeting-fish-stocks-following-amazon-hydroelectric-dam/ A hydroelectric dam impacting Brazil’s Amazonas and Rondônia states have slashed fished populations by as much as 90% in some locations, according to a new a study based on on-the-ground research in partnership with riverine communities. The 2008 construction of the Santo Antônio hydroelectric dam dramatically reduced the natural flow of the Madeira River, which […] | |
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A 410-pound manatee rescued from a Florida storm drain is recovering at SeaWorld Orlando (February 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/a-410-pound-manatee-rescued-from-a-florida-storm-drain-is-recovering-at-seaworld-orlando/ FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A manatee that got stuck in a Florida storm drain while seeking warmer waters is on the mend at SeaWorld Orlando after a coordinated rescue effort. Multiple fire rescue units and officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the University of Florida and even Jack’s Wrecker Service were brought in […] | |
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Guanacos’ return to Gran Chaco restirs debate around wildlife translocations (February 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/guanacos-return-to-gran-chaco-restirs-debate-around-wildlife-translocations/ - Five guanacos have been translocated from Patagonia to Argentina’s Dry Chaco as part of a reintroduction program. - Rewilding supporters say the animals will help bring the local population back from the brink of extinction as well as help recover a threatened ecosystem. - However, some scientists in Argentina argue that moving animals like this is unethical, can spread disease and lead to genome extinction. - But as conservation budgets are slashed in Argentina, others argue that preserving biodiversity requires more collaboration between the public and private sectors. | |
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Brazil gov’t builds map to help exporters comply with EU anti-deforestation rule (February 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/brazil-govt-builds-map-to-help-exporters-comply-with-eu-anti-deforestation-rule/ - Brazil’s National Space Research Institute, INPE, created a new technology to generate deforestation data in polygons of a half-hectare threshold for the first time, following the European Union’s new regulation on deforestation-free products, or EUDR. - When it comes into effect at the end of 2026 (delayed for the second year in a row), the EUDR will require suppliers to provide geolocalized data and other documentation to prove that their products exported to the EU aren’t sourced from areas illegally deforested after Dec. 31, 2020. - December is the start of the Amazon rainy season, which poses challenges to track deforestation due to the high incidence of clouds; to tackle this, INPE created the Brazil Data Cube, which captures all remote sensing images of a period and radar to get cloud-free images for that month. - The map was built per request of the agriculture ministry, which made it available for rural producers in late December 2025 through a platform aimed at integrating information from public and private databases to generate compliance reports to be used by exporters. | |
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Pilot projects aim to break Indonesia’s habit of burning household waste (February 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/pilot-projects-aim-to-break-indonesias-habit-of-burning-household-waste/ - More than half of Indonesian households still burn their trash, often because bulky or inorganic waste isn’t collected and dumping it creates safety risks in dense neighborhoods. - Burning waste releases fine particles and black carbon that penetrate deep into the body, contributing to respiratory and cardiovascular disease, organ damage and conditions such as anemia. - Black carbon is also a potent climate pollutant, meaning cutting household waste burning could deliver fast benefits for both air quality and global warming if addressed at the source, experts say. - Cultural norms, lack of infrastructure, limited enforcement and financial constraints drive waste burning, prompting pilot projects that combine community engagement, better waste systems and real-time pollution monitoring. | |
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Farmers fear displacement, drought, flooding tied to Cambodia’s Funan Techo Canal (February 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/farmers-fear-displacement-drought-flooding-tied-to-cambodias-funan-techo-canal/ - The Cambodian government is set to begin construction of the Funan Techo Canal, a nearly $1.2 billion, 180-kilometer (112-mile) waterway navigation project that will cut across four provinces to connect the Mekong River to the sea. - The primary rationale for building the canal is to reduce Cambodia’s shipping costs, as well as to generate jobs and economic development. - Mongabay has followed this mega-project’s development for more than a year, speaking with more than 50 people living along the canal’s proposed route. Virtually everyone we spoke with noted that the government has provided very little information about the project, and amid the uncertainty, fear has taken root. - In inland communities in the rich floodplains of the Mekong River, farmers we spoke with said they worried they’d lose their homes or land, and that construction would disrupt the annual months-long inundation of the wetlands they rely on for planting rice as well as for fishing, crabbing and raising livestock. | |
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Scrutiny grows over DRC-US minerals deal, even as other African nations sign up (February 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/scrutiny-grows-over-drc-us-minerals-deal-even-as-other-african-nations-sign-up/ - A minerals summit hosted by the U.S. this month marks an acceleration of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce its dependence on China for critical minerals, including by sealing deals with mineral-rich African countries. - Guinea and Morocco signed separate agreements with the U.S. during the summit in Washington, even as an earlier deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo, signed in December, came under greater scrutiny at home. - The DRC, which holds more than 70% of global cobalt reserves, has emerged as a key strategic partner for the U.S., but civil society group warns that the new mineral deal prioritizes geopolitics over human rights, environmental protection and transparency. - Ongoing insecurity in the eastern DRC raises questions about whether Trump’s approach linking U.S. peace-building efforts to economic gains will bring stability to the region. | |
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Brazil mining boss sentenced for illegal gold operation on Indigenous land (February 12, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/brazil-mining-boss-sentenced-for-illegal-gold-operation-on-indigenous-land/ A Brazilian federal court has sentenced a key financier to more than 22 years in prison. He was found guilty of leading an illegal mining operation in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory, a huge protected area in the Amazon Rainforest that has been devastated by pollution, disease and deforestation. Rodrigo Martins de Mello, known as Rodrigo […] | |
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Banks decline to finance LNG project in Papua New Guinea (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/banks-decline-to-finance-lng-project-in-papua-new-guinea/ A total of Twenty-nine international banks and export credit agencies have ruled out financing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Papua New Guinea, citing climate, environmental and human rights concerns. The project is led by French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies, which says the project will go on as planned, nonetheless. Twelve financial institutions […] | |
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Sustainable fisheries can’t be built on exploited labor (commentary) (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/sustainable-fisheries-cant-be-built-on-exploited-labor-commentary/ - The connection between human welfare and ocean conservation is direct and unavoidable, a new op-ed argues, because lawlessness toward people often goes hand in hand with lawlessness toward the ocean. - Although there is an international legal framework governing crew welfare on fishing vessels at sea, these protections remain uneven, weakly enforced, or entirely absent for too many fishing crews, particularly migrant workers deployed on distant-water fleets. - “We cannot reasonably expect crews to comply with complex fisheries regulations including logbooks, bycatch mitigation, finning bans, spatial closures and other requirements when they are overworked, underpaid, isolated and afraid,” the author writes. - This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay. | |
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Snakes on a train: King cobras are hitching rides in India (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/snakes-on-a-train-king-cobras-are-hitching-rides-in-india/ On India’s railways, stowaways are not limited to ticketless passengers. Some arrive without limbs, luggage or much interest in timetables. A paper recently published in Biotropica suggests that king cobras (Ophiophagus kaalinga) may occasionally hitch a ride on trains in western India, turning railways into unexpected dispersal routes. The study, by Dikansh S. Parmar and […] | |
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Study finds climate change set the stage for devastating wildfires in Argentina and Chile (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/study-finds-climate-change-set-the-stage-for-devastating-wildfires-in-argentina-and-chile/ BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A team of researchers say that human-caused climate change had an important impact on the recent ferocious wildfires that engulfed parts of Chile and Argentina’s Patagonia region, making the extremely high-risk conditions that led to widespread burning up to three times more likely than in a world without global warming. […] | |
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In Kenya’s Jomvu Creek, women help restore a vanishing coast through crab farming (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/in-kenyas-jomvu-creek-women-help-restore-a-vanishing-coast-through-crab-farming/ - On the outskirts of the coastal Kenyan city of Mombasa, a women’s organization in Jomvu Creek aims to transform livelihoods and the environment through mud crab farming. - A blue economy grant is allowing the women to establish a crab-fattening enterprise and build a boardwalk through the creek, with hopes of boosting ecotourism. - In a good month, the women’s crab sales amount to $310, meaningful income in an area where many had said they were living hand to mouth. - Beyond income, the Jomvu women see themselves as caretakers of the creek, linking crab farming to mangrove restoration and planting nearly 1 million seedlings; the trees stabilize the shoreline, reduce erosion and create nursery habitats for fish and crabs. | |
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Another controversial land deal in Suriname threatens the Amazon Rainforest (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/another-controversial-land-deal-in-suriname-threatens-the-amazon-rainforest/ - Critics in Suriname are speaking out against plans to develop 113,465 hectares (280,378 acres) of rainforest for industrial agriculture in the district of Nickerie. - The plans come from a 2024 public-private partnership between the agriculture ministry and Suriname Green Energy Agriculture N.V., a private company working in agriculture and bioenergy. - The partnership was inherited from the previous government and allegedly went forward without environmental permits, causing frustration and confusion across several regulatory agencies. - If the entire 113,465-hectare block is cleared, Suriname could lose its negative carbon emission status and fail to qualify for certain carbon credit programs, experts said. | |
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In Peru’s Andes, Quechua women turn human-wildcat conflict into coexistence (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/in-perus-andes-quechua-women-turn-human-wildcat-conflict-into-coexistence/ - In Peru’s Andean highlands, Quechua women who once killed pumas in retaliation for livestock losses are now leading efforts to protect them. - Through a women-led conservation group, communities used camera traps and monitoring to reframe pumas and other wildcats as part of a shared ecosystem. - Practical measures such as improved corrals, nonlethal deterrents and forest protection have sharply reduced conflict and ended retaliatory wildcat killings. - An alpaca wool textile cooperative links conservation with women’s economic empowerment, strengthening both livelihoods and wildlife protection. | |
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Brazil’s Atlantic Forest Indigenous lands show strong restoration gains (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/brazils-atlantic-forest-indigenous-lands-show-strong-restoration-gains/ - A recent study comparing different land tenure regimes in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest found that Indigenous lands and agrarian-reform settlements have greater restoration gains than private properties — by 189 hectares on average. - Concurrently, the study also found Indigenous lands and agrarian-reform settlements had 21 hectares and roughly 4.5 hectares more restoration reversals than private properties, respectively. - Farming and agroecological land use practices may be among the reasons for higher restoration reversals, the authors suggested, while strong restoration gains are influenced by different governance structures and Indigenous cosmologies centered around relational connection to forest species. - Indigenous advocates say communities need strong policies, sustained funding and land demarcation to establish environmental preservation areas and continue forest restoration. | |
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Indigenous concerns surface as U.S. agency considers seabed mining in Alaskan waters (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/indigenous-concerns-surface-as-u-s-agency-considers-seabed-mining-in-alaskan-waters/ - The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is initiating the first steps that could lead to a lease of more than 45.7 million hectares (113 million acres) of waters off Alaska to companies for seabed mining. - The waters are off the coast of a state that is home to more than 200 Alaska Native nations and the proposal is raising cultural and environmental concerns. - It’s not yet clear which companies, if any, are interested in mining off Alaska, however some have expressed interest if there are good nodules — mineral-rich rocks. - Deep-sea mining has been slowed by the lack of regulations governing permits in international waters and by concerns about the environmental impact of extracting critical minerals that formed over millions of years to supply renewable technologies and military industries. | |
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‘Free for all’ — Dominican Republic withdraws trade protections, the latest blow to American eels’ future (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/free-for-all-dominican-republic-withdraws-trade-protections-the-latest-blow-to-american-eels-future/ - The Dominican Republic withdrew a proposal to regulate commercial trade of its American eels under CITES, an international wildlife trade treaty. Its decision came on the heels of a failed effort to end unsustainable trade in all freshwater eels at the November meeting of delegates from 184 nations and the European Union in Uzbekistan. - Freshwater eels are in high demand as a culinary delicacy in East Asian cuisine, and juveniles are bought and sold both legally and on the black market for aquaculture. But illegal trade has soared in recent years. - With unrelenting demand, European eels are now critically endangered. Their cousins, the American and Japanese eels, are endangered, with their numbers plummeting. - Conservationists say the Dominican Republic’s failure to enact protections that would monitor trade is disappointing and further threatens the future of an imperiled species. | |
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Citizen science rediscovers rare South African moth (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/citizen-science-rediscovers-rare-south-african-moth/ - Citizen scientists in South Africa have rediscovered an emerald-green moth that’s been missing for nearly one-and-a-half centuries. - A dozen male moths had their photographs posted online from 2020 to 2023, providing proof-of-life for Drepanogynis insciata. - Until now, scientists only knew of the moth from illustrations and two faded specimens, collected around 1875 in the Western Cape town of Swellendam, and kept in London’s Natural History Museum. - Experts say websites like iNaturalist provide many additional eyes and a virtual workforce to produce the treasure trove of information aiding rediscoveries like this one. | |
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Mapping underground fungal networks: Interview with SPUN’s Toby Kiers (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/mapping-underground-fungal-networks-interview-with-spuns-toby-kiers/ - Mycorrhizal fungi are found in every soil system on Earth, and have symbiotic relationships with the plants whose roots they live on. - They receive carbon dioxide from plants in exchange for nutrients, making them major carbon repositories and an important tool for carbon sequestration. - The Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) is deploying a wide range of technologies, from remote sensing to imaging robots, to map these crucial underground networks. - “We think of these networks as one of Earth’s circulatory systems, but people are not paying attention,” SPUN co-founder Toby Kiers tells Mongabay in an interview. | |
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Bangladesh’s political parties share manifestos, leave environmentalists frustrated (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/bangladeshs-political-parties-share-manifestos-leaves-environmentalists-frustrated/ - Ahead of Bangladesh’s first national elections post the uprising of the previous government in 2024, major political parties have proposed environmental protection plans, which experts term “inadequate” and “unrealistic.” - Crucial issues like biodiversity conservation, climate change-driven internal migration and other environmental actions, like taking up appropriate projects and deliberate fund management, are not addressed, experts say. - They also say the election manifestos completely ignore the reforms in environmental laws enacted by the interim government. | |
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Indonesia’s steel expansion risks a surge in greenhouse gas emissions (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/indonesias-steel-expansion-risks-a-surge-in-greenhouse-gas-emissions/ - As global demand for steel is rising, Indonesia’s steel industry is one of the country’s largest industrial greenhouse gas emitters and is set to become far more polluting if current trends continue, according to a nonprofit report. - Indonesia’s high emissions stem largely from its reliance on coal-based blast furnace steelmaking, which uses coal both as a chemical input and as a source of the extremely high heat required to smelt iron ore. - The climate footprint of Indonesia’s steel industry is closely tied to public health risks for communities living near major production hubs; steelmaking releases hazardous air pollutants that are linked to respiratory and cardiovascular disease and reduced productivity. - The Ministry of Industry has introduced policies intended to promote more sustainable practices across industrial sectors, including steel, but the recent report found that these policies lack binding sector-specific emissions targets, clear transition timelines and enforcement mechanisms. | |
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The man who risked everything to steal bird eggs | Wild Targets (February 11, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/video/2026/02/the-man-who-risked-everything-to-steal-bird-eggs/ Jeffrey Lendrum spent nearly four decades traveling the world in search of rare bird eggs, becoming one of the most notorious wildlife smugglers on the planet. Operating across multiple continents, he targeted nesting sites from the African savanna to the Arctic Circle, dangling from helicopters and scaling cliffs to collect eggs from birds of prey […] | |
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Trump opens only US marine national monument in Atlantic to fishing — again (February 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/trump-opens-only-us-marine-national-monument-in-atlantic-to-fishing-again/ - U.S. President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on Feb. 6 to open the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a marine protected area off the northeastern U.S., to commercial fishing. - Trump wrote that reopening the area will not endanger marine species and will help the fishing business, and industry groups praised the proclamation. - Conservationists decried the move, saying the monument is a critical sanctuary for marine life and the food webs that serve the interest of the U.S. public. - The Trump administration has also moved to deregulate the other U.S. marine national monuments, which are in the Pacific Ocean. | |
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60 years of buried lessons on conservation projects from USAID have been saved (February 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/02/60-years-of-buried-lessons-on-conservation-projects-from-usaid-have-been-saved/ A year ago, U.S. President Donald Trump shut down public access to the Development Experience Clearinghouse, a $30 billion database holding 60 years’ worth of institutional knowledge from more than 150,000 projects administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development. But before the closure, former USAID employee and artificial intelligence scientist Lindsey Moore used a […] | |
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Mexico considers shrinking protected areas for endangered vaquita porpoise (February 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/mexico-considers-shrinking-protected-areas-for-endangered-vaquita-porpoise/ - Officials in Mexico are considering shrinking a protected area in the Gulf of California, the stretch of water between Baja California and mainland Mexico where the vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is endemic. - The vaquita is the world’s smallest porpoise and the most endangered marine mammal, with only an estimated 10 individuals remaining. - The proposal, not yet public but reviewed by Mongabay, would reduce a gillnet prohibition zone and allow traffic through a zero-tolerance area where all vessel activity is currently banned. - The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and other agencies are developing the new regulations, but it’s unclear when they will be implemented. | |
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Scientists call for ethics rules as AI fuels animal communication research (February 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/scientists-call-for-ethics-rules-as-ai-fuels-animal-communication-research/ Researchers have proposed a new ethical framework to regulate emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, used to decode animal communication, Ana Cristina Alvarado reports for Mongabay Latam. The proposed guidelines, known as the PEPP Framework, which stands for Prepare, Engage, Prevent and Protect, lay out the principles for studying animal communication responsibly. […] | |
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Biodiversity bonds can work, but their design flaws must be fixed (commentary) (February 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/biodiversity-bonds-can-work-but-their-design-flaws-must-be-fixed-commentary/ - While development aid is falling globally, many megadiverse countries are juggling debt stress that pushes conservation to the margins. - Numerous financial instruments have arisen to fund conservation, with an equally diverse set of outcomes and an array of opaque metrics. Meanwhile, biodiversity bonds are clear about what success looks like, and how it will be proven. - “Done right, these instruments can fund conservation at meaningful scale; done wrong, they financialize nature and entrench inequity,” 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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Why a healthy information ecosystem matters (February 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/why-information-matters-before-decisions-do/ When people think about change, they often look for a central actor. A donor whose gift unlocked progress. An organization whose strategy made the difference. An individual whose decision shifted events. These figures are easy to name and easier to photograph. They offer clarity in systems that are otherwise diffuse. What shapes outcomes often sits […] | |
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Indigenous protests force Brazil to suspend Tapajós River dredging plan (February 10, 2026) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/indigenous-protests-force-brazil-to-suspend-tapajos-river-dredging-plan/ Brazil has suspended a decree on dredging and privatizing the Tapajós River, a major tributary of the Amazon, after protests shut down a grain terminal — but Indigenous groups are pressing for its full revocation. Hundreds of Indigenous protesters have since Jan. 22 blockaded the Cargill grain facility in the Amazonian city of Santarém over […] | |
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