Our Ocean Conference in Kenya ends with $6.4 billion in pledges, review of past promises (June 26, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/our-ocean-conference-in-kenya-ends-with-6-4-billion-in-pledges-review-of-past-promises/
- Governments, nonprofits, institutions and the private sector made more than 300 voluntary commitments and mobilized $6.4 billion for ocean conservation at the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, which closed June 18. It was the first time the annual gathering took place in Africa.
- The conference host, Kenya, laid out more than 40 commitments backed by more than $1 billion in finance for the expansion of marine protected areas, fisheries monitoring, climate finance and blue economy.
- With less than five years remaining to meet the goal of protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, a lot of attention was on governments to accelerate the process, but experts continued to call for strengthening of existing protections alongside expansions.
- Between 2014 and now, more than 3,200 commitments totaling $176 billion have been made at these conferences, and about 85% of those commitments have been fulfilled or are in the process.
Bangladesh tests a return to the wild for extinct peafowl populations (June 26, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/bangladesh-tests-a-return-to-the-wild-for-extinct-peafowl-populations/
- In 2025, Bangladesh released 20 peafowls from captivity into a forest-based enclosure as part of plans to fully reintroduce the species into the country’s wild.
- The sole chick to hatch from this group is now 6 months old and being considered for full release.
- The Bangladesh Forest Department says it expects more chicks from this year’s breeding and plans to gradually release these into the wild too, specifically into Madhupur National Park, north of Dhaka.
- Conservationists warn that releasing captive peafowl stock into the wild has a high chance of failure and could spread diseases to other wild species.
Asia’s shark and ray hotspots remain poorly protected, study finds (June 26, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/asias-shark-and-ray-hotspots-remain-poorly-protected-study-finds/
- A new regional assessment has identified 122 important shark and ray areas (ISRAs) across Asia, spanning more than 1 million square kilometers (386,102 square miles) and supporting 121 species, many of them threatened with extinction.
- Despite their ecological importance, only 5.4% of these habitats overlap with existing marine protected areas with only 2.8% falling within fully protected no-take zones, highlighting major conservation gaps.
- Sri Lanka has five identified ISRAs, home to nine species with eight of them threatened with extinction, but only Pigeon Island in the island’s east is formally protected, with most areas still functioning as active fishing grounds.
- The new study underscores an urgent need to move from mapping to management, using ISRAs to guide marine spatial planning, fisheries regulation and habitat protection ahead of global 30×30 ocean targets.
Chewing sounds can help decode an animal’s diet using AI, new study finds (June 26, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/chewing-sounds-can-help-decode-an-animals-diet-using-ai-new-study-finds/
- Scientists have developed an AI model that can listen to the chewing sounds of predators and identify what they are eating.
- The tool was trained with audio of whitespotted eagle rays crushing open shells of the mollusks they are preying on.
- It’s crucial to understand predator-prey interactions to figure out the resources the predator depends on and the pressure it puts on prey.
Seizures reveal macabre grey parrot blood trade in Cameroon (June 25, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/seizures-reveal-macabre-grey-parrot-blood-trade-in-cameroon/
- A grim, illicit trade in the blood of endangered African grey parrots is emerging near Cameroon’s Lobéké National Park, a stronghold for the species, according to TRAFFIC, a wildlife trafficking monitoring NGO.
- This trade first came to light in 2025 when forest authorities apprehended individuals caught illegally trapping grey parrots in the park. During interrogation, the poachers said that blood was extracted from trapped birds and likely used for medicine and religious practices.
- These intelligent birds are in demand as pets worldwide; their skulls and colorful feathers are used in belief-based practices, as a cure for speech problems and as decor. Decades of trade has pushed African grey parrots to the brink of extinction.
- Not a lot is known about this blood trade, but conservationists say it points to a general trend where wildlife traffickers are shifting to hard-to-detect products, making it challenging to combat illegal commerce.
Amazon floodplains cocoa offers a climate-resilient and sustainable chocolate (June 25, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/amazon-floodplains-cocoa-offers-a-climate-resilient-and-sustainable-chocolate/
- Traditional communities in Pará, Brazil’s top cocoa-producing state, are managing native species that naturally resist pests and extreme weather.
- The dense forest canopy of the floodplains provides natural irrigation and protection for cocoa trees against extreme droughts, heavy rain and pests.
- Global demand for organic and ethically sourced chocolate is expected to rise, positioning Amazonian states to fill international supply gaps, despite hurdles.
- Experts compare Pará’s emerging artisanal chocolate sector to Burgundy wine or Ethiopian coffee due to the unique “terroir” flavors of its native beans.
Trump admin persists in quixotic quest against wind power despite legal defeat (June 25, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/06/trump-admin-persists-in-quixotic-quest-against-wind-power-despite-legal-defeat/
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is continuing its campaign to end wind energy development through a series of executive orders, lawsuits, and lease buybacks. This is despite a recent court defeat and its own Department of Energy estimating the country could be powered by wind alone. Trump has made no secret of his disdain for […]
Nepal’s Central Zoo faces questions over its bird flu response (June 25, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/nepals-central-zoo-faces-questions-over-its-bird-flu-response/
- At least 40 animals have died at Nepal’s Central Zoo since a bird flu outbreak began in mid-June, most of them raptors and carnivores including a common leopard, though the zoo has refused to officially confirm the toll.
- Officials gave conflicting dates for when the first dead birds were found, and the zoo stayed open until June 19 despite a positive rapid test on June 14, a five-day gap that allowed the virus to spread through the facility.
- Investigators suspect feral crows were the likely vector, with a nest found near the barn owl enclosure and droppings possibly contaminating the owl’s water supply; contaminated raw chicken fed to carnivores is also being examined.
- The inquiry into the response is being led by the same spokesperson who has publicly defended the zoo’s handling of the outbreak.
Not all coral reefs are doomed as a result of climate change, study suggests (June 25, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/06/not-all-coral-reefs-are-doomed-as-a-result-of-climate-change-study-suggests/
One third of the world’s coral reefs may be able to withstand the impacts of climate change by 2050, according to a study conducted by the conservation NGO Wildlife Conservation Society and researchers from Macquarie University in Australia. The findings of the study, yet to be peer-reviewed, were presented on June 16 during the Our […]
How leopards and wolves share the same Himalayan valley, study (June 25, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/06/how-leopards-and-wolves-share-the-same-himalayan-valley-study/
Three of Asia’s most formidable predators share territory in a remote Nepal valley by eating different prey, according to a new study. Researchers found that diet, not time or space, is what keeps snow leopards (Panthera uncia), common leopards (Panthera pardus), and Himalayan wolves (Canis lupus chanco) from coming into direct conflict. The study, published […]
As temperatures soar, Paris court set to rule on landmark climate change case (June 25, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/06/as-temperatures-soar-paris-court-set-to-rule-on-landmark-climate-change-case/
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A day after France hit record high temperatures, a court in Paris is set to rule Thursday on a landmark climate change case that could see energy giant TotalEnergies forced to reduce its oil and gas production. The lawsuit, brought by a group of NGOs and the city of Paris, argues […]
Crackdown on snares in Sumatra as elephant, sun bear and tiger rescued (June 25, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/crackdown-on-snares-in-sumatra-as-elephant-sun-bear-and-tiger-rescued/
- In May and June this year, animal rescuers with Indonesia’s state conservation agency, the BKSDA, rescued a Sumatran tiger, a Sumatran elephant and a sun bear in separate incidents after the animals were caught in snares.
- Farmers set snares to catch wild boar, which are regarded as a pest to crops, but tiger poachers are also believed to use them to trap critically endangered Sumatran tigers for the illegal wildlife trade.
- After recent rescues, the conservation agency published a letter stating that authorities consider the snare to be potentially unlawful and telling farmers to remove any existing snares.
In Kenya’s Mida Creek, fishers confront a changing ocean with hope (June 25, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/in-kenyas-mida-creek-fishers-confront-a-changing-ocean-with-hope/
- Scientists say that the oceans are warming and absorbing more than 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These rising temperatures are placing growing stress on marine ecosystems, fueling coral bleaching, disrupting breeding cycles of marine organisms, and reshaping fish habitats.
- In the Western Indian Ocean – including along Kenya’s coast – warming is occurring faster than the global average in some places, raising fresh concerns for communities whose food security and livelihoods depend on the sea.
- Along the shores of Mida Creek in Watamu, one of Kenya’s best-known coastal destinations on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast, fishers say they are already feeling the effects. Many report traveling farther offshore in search of fish and returning with smaller catches than they did a generation ago.
- During a recent reporting trip, Mongabay met fishers and women involved in the fish value chain who spoke about declining catches and fears for the future. At the same time, they pointed to local efforts to restore mangroves, protect fish breeding grounds, and clean beaches as reasons to hold on to hope for Mida Creek’s future.
On the brink of extinction, the Javan green magpie gets a conservation lifeline (June 25, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/on-the-brink-of-extinction-the-javan-green-magpie-gets-a-conservation-lifeline/
- The critically endangered Javan green magpie, an Indonesian songbird with perhaps as few as 50 individuals left in the wild, has become the focus of a new 10-year conservation action plan developed by nearly 50 experts and conservation organizations.
- Once widespread in West Java’s upland forests, the species has been driven to the brink by habitat loss and trapping for the songbird trade, with surveys between 2018 and 2021 failing to find any birds at many former strongholds.
- The plan aims to protect remaining habitat, work with local communities to reduce trapping, strengthen enforcement against illegal trade, and support future conservation translocations using birds bred in captivity.
- Conservationists say the effort could also benefit other threatened species and mountain forest ecosystems, but warn that increased attention on the bird could inadvertently stimulate demand from wildlife traffickers and collectors.
Rewilding Rio: Conservationists restock an ‘empty forest,’ one species at a time (June 24, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/rewilding-rio-conservationists-restock-an-empty-forest-one-species-at-a-time/
- Rewilding efforts in Tijuca National Park on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro have been reintroducing species previously extinct in the area, such as agoutis, howler monkeys, toucans, and now, blue‑and‑yellow macaws.
- The return of the animals is aimed at reviving the “empty forest,” since they’re essential for seed dispersal and regeneration of the Atlantic Forest.
- Studies show that toucans introduced in Tijuca 50 years ago have already reprised their ecological role, interacting with plant species from their original diet.
- Despite the progress, challenges persist, such as adaptation of the species to their new home; the latest to be released, the macaws, have had to be recaptured and are now undergoing new training.
New analysis breaks down 2025 Amazon deforestation, with good news and bad news (June 24, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/new-analysis-breaks-down-2025-amazon-deforestation-with-good-news-and-bad-news/
- Amazon Conservation’s Mapping of the Andes Amazon Project (MAAP) published its annual analysis of 2025 forest loss in the Amazon Rainforest, using the data developed by the University of Maryland’s GLAD Lab.
- Last year, there were 736,484 hectares (1,819,891 acres) of deforestation, largely from agriculture, mining, and roads and infrastructure. Nearly 132,000 hectares (326,179 acres) of it was illegal, occurring inside protected areas and Indigenous territories, the analysis found.
- Researchers said this year could be far worse than 2025 as the current El Niño continues to warm up the Pacific Ocean, creating heat waves and dry conditions that lead to more forest fires.
Six marine sanctuaries recognized as Blue Parks, four of them in Africa (June 24, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/six-marine-sanctuaries-recognized-as-blue-parks-four-of-them-in-africa/
- On June 16, the Marine Conservation Institute recognized six marine protected areas, three in Madagascar and one each in Senegal, Chile and Canada, as Blue Parks.
- The awards, announced at the Our Ocean conference in Mombasa, Kenya, recognize MPAs whose management is “durable, equitable and effective” at protecting marine life.
- Under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, countries agreed to protect 30% of the world’s land, freshwater and marine areas by 2030, but experts say that protection must be meaningful, not just symbolic.
- One of the common features of the awardees is the existence of some form of co-management with Indigenous peoples and local communities.
Wildlife helps regulate the climate & this belongs in policy discussions (commentary) (June 24, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/wildlife-helps-regulate-the-climate-this-belongs-in-policy-discussions-commentary/
- Wildlife shapes how ecosystems store carbon, move nutrients, recover from disturbance, and remain resilient as conditions change, yet this is seldom considered during negotiations over climate change policy.
- A new initiative seeks to bring animals into the climate conversation.
- “If governments are designing climate strategies, conservation plans, ecosystem models, or nature-based solutions, they should account for wildlife and the ecological roles animals play,” argues a biologist who helped draft the new Scientific Consensus on Wildlife and Climate.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Fire surge in 2025 threatened isolated peoples in Brazil (June 24, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/fire-surge-threatens-indigenous-livelihoods-and-isolated-peoples-in-brazil/
- In 2025, fires caused a significant spike in forest loss in Indigenous territories in Brazil that are home to peoples living in voluntary isolation: Alto Turiaçu, Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, and Apiaká do Pontal e Isolados.
- According to data from Global Forest Watch, fires were responsible for nearly all of the forest loss in each of the territories, destroying mostly primary forest.
- Indigenous leaders told Mongabay that fires are a threat to their way of life, including those living in voluntary isolation, negatively impacting health, vegetation, biodiversity, and food security.
- A climate expert warns the upcoming El Niño, predicted to be stronger than the 2023-2024 event, will likely lead to warmer temperatures and drier conditions across the Amazon Basin, making it more prone to fires.
Indonesia driver sentenced over organized crime group trafficking live orangutan (June 24, 2026)
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/indonesia-driver-sentenced-over-organized-crime-group-trafficking-live-orangutan/
- A court in Sumatra’s East Aceh district court sentenced a 41-year-old farmer to three years in prison after he was found guilty in a wildlife trafficking case linked to international organized crime.
- Court documents show the farmer from East Aceh district accepted a delivery job driving a consignment in a small truck, and that he helped another individual transfer the protected wildlife at a meeting point in North Aceh district.
- Customs officials said they initiated an investigation following a tip from a member of the public. The customs office later said they believed the perpetrators intended to smuggle the animals to Thailand by boat from a small coastal village in Aceh.
- The presence of hornbills and numerous other species showed the animals were sourced from as far as eastern Indonesia, investigators said.