Why do these monkeys look so weird (September 16, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/why-do-these-monkeys-look-so-weird/
Why do the monkeys in Vietnam look so… odd? “The odd-nosed group” — that’s what scientists have called a group of primates found across Asia that share a common ancestry. Scientists think Vietnam’s monkeys—like the red-shanked douc and the Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys—developed their unique, flat or non-existent noses to adapt to the cold of high-elevation […]
Fishers bear deep costs of plastic pollution in Vietnam, but could help turn the tide (September 16, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/fishers-bear-deep-costs-of-plastic-pollution-in-vietnam-but-could-help-turn-the-tide/
- A new study in Vietnam found coastal plastic pollution costs small-scale fishers thousands of dollars a year in lost earning potential.
- Fishers lose on average $3,421 per vessel per year as a result of lost fishing time, reduced catch efficiency and damaged gear due to plastic waste, the study found, with lower-income fishers in the Mekong Delta the worst affected.
- However, fishers may also have a significant role to play in solutions to tackle the plastic pollution crisis, according to the research.
- The study calculated that a “fishing for litter” scheme, whereby fishers would receive modest payments for returning plastic bycatch to collection facilities on land, would require an investment of around $60 per vessel per year.
Venezuela’s historic oil deal with the US reignites environmental, human rights concerns (September 16, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/venezuelas-historic-oil-deal-with-the-us-reignites-environmental-human-rights-concerns/
- The U.S. announced a historic oil deal in August that gives it access to more than 65 billion barrels of proven reserves in Venezuela, which is structured through a private company, North American Blue Energy Partners.
- It’s part of a U.S. attempt to increase investment in Venezuela’s natural resources, most notably oil and gas.
- The country has one of the largest proven crude oil reserves in the world, at an estimated 300 billion barrels. However, it’s heavier and harder to refine than the oil in other countries.
- Observers expressed concern about increased greenhouse gas emissions and oil spills, as well as the lack of transparency surrounding the deal, which could threaten protected areas and Indigenous territory.
For the first time, Congolese NGO to manage a DRC protected area (September 16, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/for-the-first-time-congolese-ngo-to-manage-a-drc-protected-area/
For the first time in the modern history of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a Congolese nongovernmental organization will co-manage a protected area in the country. “It is an honor,” Dominique Bikaba, founder of the NGO Strong Roots, told Mongabay by phone. Strong Roots has been entrusted with the management of Itombwe Nature Reserve […]
Marine heatwave likely caused sharp decline in Hawaiian humpback whales, study finds (September 15, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/marine-heatwave-likely-caused-sharp-decline-in-hawaiian-humpback-whales-study-finds/
Roughly a decade ago, a marine heatwave in the northeastern Pacific Ocean caused a dramatic decline in populations of forage fish and krill, the base of the marine food chain. A recent study found that the Hawaiian humpback whale population, which feeds on krill and small fish, also declined sharply during the 2013-16 heatwave and […]
Brazil election could put 95% of the Amazon under right-wing governments (September 15, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/right-wing-leaders-could-rule-95-of-the-amazon-by-2027-experts-warn/
- After a cycle of left-wing administrations, four out of nine Amazonian nations are currently under right-wing leadership that favors exploitation of natural resources over conservation.
- Brazil could be next after October’s elections, which could put up to 95% of the Amazon under mining- and agribusiness-friendly administrations.
- According to experts, the Amazon Rainforest’s already challenging environmental situation could reach a dangerous tipping point if regional leaders abandon environmental cooperation.
‘Big Cats’ highlights the remarkable power of photojournalism (September 15, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/09/big-cats-highlights-the-remarkable-power-of-photojournalism/
Jeff Sikich, the biologist for the National Park Service in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, thought that Steve Winter “was crazy” for wanting to capture a photograph of a mountain lion in front of the Hollywood sign. “He looked at me like I was crazy because he said, ‘There are no mountain lions in Griffith Park.’ […]
Report links fishmeal production to decline in key species for Guinea-Bissau communities (September 15, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/report-links-fishmeal-production-to-decline-in-key-species-for-guinea-bissau-communities/
Populations of sardinella, an important protein-rich fish, are in rapid decline in the waters off Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. The decline appears to be related to industrial fishing for two species of sardinella used to make fishmeal, according to a report by investigative news organization OCCRP. In Guinea-Bissau, fish like the Madeiran sardinella (Sardinella maderensis) […]
Since US intervention, Venezuela’s illegal mining crisis has only worsened, critics say (September 15, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/since-us-intervention-venezuelas-illegal-mining-crisis-has-only-worsened-critics-say/
- In January, U.S. armed forces removed Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro from office and began opening the mining sector to foreign investment.
- Over the last eight months, officials have passed mining reforms, taken down leaders of criminal groups, and raided illegal mine sites. Nevertheless, observers say the illegal mining crisis is getting worse, not better.
- Illegal mining has expanded this year, in some cases in protected areas, and criminal groups involved in mining have tightened their hold in many parts of the country, experts say.
Dhaka’s waste-to-energy project faces opposition from pollution-weary residents (September 15, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/dhakas-waste-to-energy-project-faces-opposition-from-pollution-weary-residents/
- Bangladesh is building a 42.5-megawatt power plant that will burn waste from the main Dhaka landfill as fuel.
- The so-called waste-to-energy plant will burn up to 3,000 metric tons of municipal waste daily, doubling as a solution to the city’s growing waste problem.
- However, residents living near the landfill say they’re worried about air pollution from the incineration, given that smoke from smaller-scale burning by waste collectors is already a problem.
- Despite their objections, the project is proceeding, with the government even loosening incineration rules to allow it to go ahead.
Indigenous leader Raoni receives palliative care in Brazil after cancer diagnosis (September 15, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/329796/
SAO PAULO (AP) — Renowned Indigenous Chief Raoni Metuktire is receiving palliative care at home in the Brazilian heartland after being diagnosed with cancer at age 94, his institute said Monday. The Raoni Institute said the cancer diagnosis in the chief’s digestive system was confirmed after he was hospitalized in Sao Paulo in June due […]
Wildfires on doorstep of Indonesia’s new capital as environmental and health crisis flares (September 15, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/wildfires-on-doorstep-of-indonesias-new-capital-as-environmental-and-health-crisis-flares/
- The authority overseeing Indonesia’s new capital city, Nusantara, confirmed on Sept. 9 that fires had broken out within the new capital city administrative area; although, the fires were around 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the core government buildings.
- Five days later senior government officials including Indonesia’s forestry minister visited the site of the fires on the outskirts of the area designated for the government buildings.
- A satellite-monitoring platform FireWatch, recorded more possible fires, known as hotspots, through Sept. 8 than during the same period in 2019, one of Indonesia’s most severe wildfire years.
- Across the country, fires have been accompanied by reports of wildlife deaths and rising respiratory illness, as community and state firefighters scramble to contain blazes intensified by El Niño.
10 promising ways to ‘green’ offshore wind (September 15, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/10-promising-ways-to-green-offshore-wind/
- Offshore wind is expanding as an important renewable energy source that many experts say is essential to meeting climate goals.
- Ensuring wind farms limit environmental harm and work with nature is vital, experts say.
- Several measures can be taken to limit negative impacts on the environment throughout the lifespan of turbines and wind farms, from construction to decommissioning. These range from technical solutions to policy interventions.
- Continued innovation and research is important to ensure measures are backed by monitoring data and science, experts say.
‘They should choose their own destinies’: Manish Chandi on India’s isolated tribes (September 15, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/they-should-choose-their-own-destinies-manish-chandi-on-indias-isolated-tribes/
- Mongabay interviewed Manish Chandi, a former research scholar who has spent over two decades working on tribal communities, about the latest threats and activities affecting the lives of isolated and contacted tribal peoples living in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands off the southeastern coast of mainland India.
- Isolated tribes, which maintain little to no contact with outsiders, face threats ranging from trawlers entering buffer waters and development projects planned in hunting grounds, to government perspectives that can limit their independence and capacity to decide their future on their own terms.
- Chandi discusses the impact of curious outsiders trying to visit isolated tribes, how contact can affect different tribes differently and how to protect isolated peoples’ autonomy.
- Tribal reserves are large biodiversity hotspots, rivaling protected areas and wildlife sanctuaries in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, says Chandi.
Electric fences that kill and the Maasai trying to save Kenya’s last giant pangolins (September 15, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/electric-fences-that-kill-and-the-maasai-trying-to-save-kenyas-last-giant-pangolins/
- Electric fences were responsible for 14 of the 15 giant ground pangolins found dead near Kenya’s Nyekweri Forest since 2022.
- With fewer than 30 giant ground pangolins believed to remain in the country, all in this one area, landowners are switching off the lowest strands of their electrified fences to create safe passage for these endangered animals.
- This community-led effort has made about 134 kilometers (83 miles) of fencing safer, but habitat loss and continued land subdivision threaten to undermine those gains.
Roads, infrastructure prevent tigers from settling in Indian tiger reserve (September 15, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/roads-infrastructure-prevent-tigers-from-settling-in-indian-tiger-reserve/
A forested tiger reserve in southern India is home to a thriving population of spotted and sambar deer, nilgai antelopes, and wild pigs — all ideal prey for tigers. Yet the reserve has no resident tigers, reports contributor Nivedhika Krishnan for Mongabay India. Kawal Tiger Reserve in the state of Telangana connects key tiger populations […]
EPA eliminates rule that limits planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants (September 14, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/epa-eliminates-rule-that-limits-planet-warming-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-power-plants/
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas, an action the agency said would remove more than $300 billion in costs for the industry and help “unleash” American energy. The rule change, first proposed last year, represents a […]
Kathmandu Resolution calls for Asia-wide leadership on conservation (commentary) (September 14, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/katmandu-resolution-calls-for-asia-wide-leadership-on-conservation-commentary/
- In early June, 500 conservationists largely from Asian countries assembled in Nepal for the 6th Conservation Asia Congress, organized by the regional chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology and other key partners.
- A melting pot for ideas, actions and future collaborations, participants also passed what they called the Kathmandu Resolution 2026.
- The resolution “called for building capacity of the Asian conservation sector through peaceful regional co-operation and trans-Asian collaboration, free movement of knowledge and expertise, mobilizing resources to foster leadership,” and more, a new commentary shares.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Did you know cocoa pulp tastes like lychee?! (September 14, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/did-you-know-cocoa-pulp-tastes-like-lychee/
From a symbol of wealth and the food of the gods, to a sweet treat many of us can’t go too long without; the story of cacao (or cocoa, depending on how it was processed), has been intertwined with humanity’s for millennia! In this 4-part series on NTFPs (non-timber forest products) with The Rainforester and […]
Decline of migratory birds spurs calls for coordinated conservation (September 14, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/decline-of-migratory-birds-spurs-calls-for-coordinated-conservation/
- More than 100 organizations have signed the Nairobi Flyways Declaration, pledging to integrate conservation of migratory birds’ intercontinental routes into development planning and finance.
- The declaration marked the end of the Global Flyways Summit, organized by BirdLife International in Nairobi from Sept. 8-11, with the organization’s CEO saying pledges from multilateral finance institutions signal a shift toward incorporating biodiversity into the mainstream of development decisions.
- BirdLife also presented the latest edition of its quadrennial “State of the World’s Birds” report at the summit, reporting that 45% of migratory bird species are declining, while about one in nine faces the threat of extinction.