New film details wrenching impact of illegal rhino horn trade on families
Communities around the world often pay a hidden toll in the global wildlife trade. Across its 17 minutes, Sides of a Horn, a new film released June 25, aims to…
Environmental headlines
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Documentary seeks to tip the scales against illegal pangolin trafficking
If people knew about pangolins and how special they are, says documentary filmmaker Bruce Young, “they might begin to care enough to help save and conserve them, and put an…
Food choice leaves some lemurs more vulnerable to loss of forest habitat
Imagine the plight of a lactose-intolerant person whose neighborhood grocery store started selling only dairy products. This is how Lydia Greene, an ecologist at Duke University in the U.S., describes…
Crackdown after Sri Lanka bombings may help in fight against blast fishing
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A crackdown on unregulated explosives in the aftermath of deadly terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka may help in the fight against illegal blast fishing in the…
Thousands of endangered snails raised in captivity returned to natural habitat in Bermuda
Thousands of captive-bred greater Bermuda land snails are heading home. Due mostly to predation by invasive species of carnivorous snails and flatworms, greater Bermuda land snails (Poecilozonites bermudensis) were driven…
Sponges supply DNA for new method of monitoring aquatic biodiversity
Feeding aquatic sponges could provide biologists with unexpected underwater data collection assistance. Sponges (phylum Porifera) are immobile aquatic animals that eat by filtering out food particles from the water around…
Customary land map, a first for Indonesia, launches to mixed reception
JAKARTA — The Indonesian government has launched an official map of customary forests, the first of its kind in the country, in a bid to protect them from land grabs.…
Keeping stray rhinos safe is a challenge on fringes of Nepal park
SAURAHA, Nepal — Barbecue smoke and soft reggae music fill the air as tourists lounge on the banks of the Rapti River in Sauraha, the eastern gateway to Nepal's Chitwan…
Nigeria plans 8-fold increase in palm oil production
Nigeria plans to invest 180 billion naira ($500 million) to increase its palm oil production from around 600,000 tons a year to 5 million tons a year by 2027, reports…
Satellite data suggests deforestation on the rise in Brazil
Newly released data based on analysis of satellite imagery suggests that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has risen relative to last year. On June 21, the Brazil-based research NGO Imazon…
Audio: New CITES head on next COP, reining in online wildlife trafficking, and more
On this episode of the Mongabay Newscast we speak with Ivonne Higuero, secretary general of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora — better…
Great Indian bustard eggs being collected to kick-start captive breeding
The great Indian bustard has been in deep trouble for a while. Once found across India’s grasslands and dry landscapes, the critically endangered bird is now down to just 160-odd…
Brazil’s Roraima state at mercy of 2019 wildfires as federal funds dry up
Millions in federal budget cuts have reduced the Amazon state’s ability to fight record forest fires in 2019, with many more wildfires expected.
Having taken a toll in Chile, salmon industry arrives in Argentina
In March 2018 Argentina announced a partnership with Norway, the world’s top producer of salmon, to study the feasibility of developing Argentina’s own salmon industry in the Beagle Channel in…
National parks: Serving humanity’s well-being as much as nature’s
This post is part of Saving Life on Earth: Words on the Wild, a monthly column by Jeremy Hance, one of Mongabay’s original staff writers. Imagine, for a moment,…
No environmental permit for Bali bay reclamation plan amid opposition
JAKARTA — Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s administration will withhold a key permit for a plan to build artificial islands in Bali’s Benoa Bay as long as strong opposition to the…
Angola pledges $60m to fund landmine clearance in national parks
The Angolan government has pledged $60 million to clear landmines in two national parks that form part of southern Africa’s highly biodiverse Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. The country’s environment minister,…
In Philippines’ bid to abandon plastic, incentives are needed, experts say
SINGAPORE — The Philippines goes through more than 200 million pieces of single-use plastic each day, lending a real urgency to government efforts to adopt a consumption model that prioritizes…
Belize to protect critical wildlife corridor that’s home to jaguars and more
In a boost to jaguars and other iconic wildlife of Central America, the government of Belize has approved a proposal to protect the Maya Forest Corridor, a key stretch of…
Venezuela’s isolated indigenous groups under siege from miners, disease and guerrillas
This story originally appeared on Mongabay Latam as part of a special series on threats facing isolated indigenous peoples in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. Other stories in the series…
Special series
Endangered environmentalists
- Arson attack in Indonesia leaves activist shaken
- For embattled environmental defenders, a reprieve of sorts in 2018
- 7 convicted of killing Honduran indigenous activist Berta Cáceres
Indonesias forest guardians
- On the island of Java, a social forestry scheme creates jobs at home
- In Indonesia, bigger catches for a fishing village protecting its mangroves
- In Bali, a village hews to unwritten rules to manage its forest
Amazon infrastructure
- Amazon fish kill at Sinop spotlights risk from 80+ Tapajós basin dams
- Leading Amazon dam rights activist, spouse and friend murdered in Brazil
- Madeira River dams may spell doom for Amazon’s marathon catfish: Studies
Asian rhinos
- Keeping stray rhinos safe is a challenge on fringes of Nepal park
- Sumatran rhinos to get a new sanctuary in Leuser Ecosystem
- Homestay programs in Nepal’s rhino hub hold promise and pitfalls for locals
