Illegal clearing for agriculture caused almost 50 percent of the world's forest loss Nearly 50 percent of tropical deforestation to make room for commercial agriculture between 2000 and 2012 was…
Industrial logging operation in Malaysian Borneo in 2012. Photos by Rhett A. Butler. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a body that sets social and environmental certification criteria for forestry products,…
Cars versus leopards: big cats and other animals face decline due to rising traffic. A big cat crosses the Mysore-Mananthavadi Highway as commercial vehicles look on. Photo credit: Vikram Nanjappa.…
Innovation in Tropical Forest Conservation: Q&A with Dr. Diogo Veríssimo Curious common marmosets in Northeastern Brazil. Photo by: Diogo Veríssimo. In the Biblical tale of David and Goliath, David, the…
CITES has responded to this commentary, refuting certain points: Information on CITES and great apes, including on the outcomes of Standing Committee 65, can be found on the CITES website.…
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere made the biggest jump last year since 1984, according to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, raising alarm bells about…
This is the first part of a two-part series. Part II discusses in more detail the proposal's possible impact on Bolivia's forests. On August 14, the Bolivian Vice President, Alvaro…
WARNING: Graphic photos below. Sabah lost nearly 900,000 hectares of forest from 2001 to 2013, habitat loss upping human-elephant conflicts Best estimates put the number of pygmy elephants in Malaysian…
Forest conversion for oil palm plantations in Malaysian Borneo in 2012. One of Malaysia's top palm oil officials has once again misled the public on the state of forests in…
Last week I received the Parker/Gentry Award for Conservation from the Field Museum. Several people have asked about my award acceptance speech, so I've included the introduction and the conclusion…
Discovery offers 'incredible second chance' at species protection Once plentiful on a tiny coral atoll in the Indian Ocean, the Aldabra banded snail (Rachistia aldabrae) was declared extinct in 1997…
Wild cats will remain protected from hunting for now. After 20 months, Zambia has lifted its ban on hunting, allowing trophy hunters to target numerous species in the wildlife-rich country…
Field Museum President and CEO Dr. Richard Lariviere presenting the Parker/Gentry Award to Rhett Butler during a ceremony on September 3, 2014 Last week I received the Parker/Gentry Award for…
9/9/14 update below Four Ashaninka were killed last week by illegal loggers in the Peruvian Amazon, reports El Comercio. One of those killed was Edwin Chota, the leader of the…
Species declined 90 percent in 20 years Monarch butterflies were once a common sight throughout the North American heartland. In Mexico, where they overwinter, single trees would often be covered…
Norway has its biggest minke whaling season in over 20 years. As of late August, Norway has killed 729 northern minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) during its annual whaling season, the…
Roberto Franco. Photo © The City Paper A conservationist who worked to protect voluntarily isolated tribes in the Amazon rainforest and an indigenous leader were among ten killed in a…
Morelet's tree frog or the Black-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis moreletii) from Central America is Critically Endangered. September 7 is Threatened Species Day, a designation established by the Australian government to…
Forest map in the Peruvian Amazon developed from the Carnegie Airborne Observatory, an airplane-based platform that uses advanced LiDAR to measure forest carbon values and other properties. Photo courtesy of…
California or North Pacific Blue Whales can exceed 100 feet (30m) long and weigh 190 tons. Photo courtesy of Gilpatrick/Lynn/NOAA The population of blue whales in the Eastern Pacific has…
The Bukit Batabuh tiger corridor within the RIMBA Corridor. Courtesy of Tiger in your tank? Major palm oil suppliers may be continuing to buy tainted palm oil despite high-profile commitments…
World lost nearly 10 percent of its untouched forests in just over 10 years, according to new analysis Every day, the world loses about 50,000 hectares of forest to agricultural…
APP supplier concession in Riau Province, Indonesia. Photos by Rhett A. Butler Indonesian forestry giant Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) won't need to clear additional forests to meet pulp requirements…
Rainforest stream near Jantho in Aceh, Indonesia. Photos by Rhett A. Butler Aceh, Indonesia has found a new ally in the struggle to protect the province's remaining natural forests: Sharia…
An interview with Zuzana Burivalova, a part of our on-going Interviews with Young Scientists series. The path to finding a career often involves twists and turns. Serendipity is important —…
The illegal wildlife trade has long been ignored in Peru, but changes are afoot Young bear's feet confiscated from the witchcraft market. Photo credit by Noga Shanee/NPC Illegal wildlife trafficking…
Panama's efforts to gain funding for standing forests roiled by indigenous opposition There isn’t a word or phrase in the Kuna language for "carbon trading,” and much less for something…
Rainforest and smallholder jungle rubber in Sumatra. Photo by Rhett A. Butler The Indonesian government has declared it will verify ownership of 66.3 million hectares of disputed forest land by…
Rhett A. Butler, founder of mongabay.com. The Field Museum has honored Rhett A. Butler, the founder of mongabay.com, with this year's prestigious Parker/Gentry Award. The award is giving annually to…
Ariel view of the Great Barrier Reff. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. A consortium of companies—North Queensland Bulk Ports, GVK Hancock and Adani Group—have announced they are giving up on…