Much of the pet trade in amphibians is conducted online, but it’s not well understood. Herpetologist Devin Edmonds with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign recently mapped out the trade in nonnative amphibians sold in the United States in a study published in the journal Biological Conservation.

Edmonds and his colleagues scanned through online classified ads for nonnative amphibians from 2004 to 2024 and compiled a database of 8,500 listings for 301 amphibian species — including frogs and salamanders — for sale in the U.S. and originating from around the world.

The researchers then compared the classified ads database with amphibian import records from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They found there were no import records for 44 of the species in their database, and concluded these species were likely imported illegally.

The authors say some of the animals may have been smuggled into the U.S. by fudging their identity. For example, they suggest that Caatinga horned frogs (Ceratophrys joazeirensis) could have been smuggled from Brazil into neighboring Suriname, which has its own species of horned frog, Ceratophrys cornuta. The Caatinga frogs were likely then imported into the U.S. simply labeled as Ceratophrys, leaving authorities ignorant about exactly which species they were. Once in the U.S., they could be bred in captivity for sale.

The researchers’ database shows that 30 amphibian species were offered for sale more often than computer modeling would suggest. They interpreted this to mean that these species are being successfully bred in captivity and the offspring sold. The researchers suggest that a robust captive-born amphibian trade means that these species will hopefully be spared from overharvesting in the wild.

“I would like people who keep amphibians and participate in it as a hobby to make sure to carefully consider where the animals they keep come from,” Edmonds said, adding that domestically bred amphibians are a better choice than wild-caught ones. “There are many ethical and responsible sources for amphibians if you want to keep them. Just because there is a cool blue and orange frog posted for sale online that you never heard of before does not mean you should rush to buy it.”

Philippe de Vosjoli, president of the Responsible Herpetoculture Foundation, a group of reptile and amphibian owners dedicated to responsible husbandry, welcomed the study’s findings.

“The study is valuable in that it is an accurate broad representation of the amphibian trade, even if it is an incomplete picture,” he told Mongabay by email. “I do agree with the conclusion of the article which offers realistic and practical considerations to address the conservation of amphibians and their captive-breeding to supply the trade.”

Banner image: Red-eyed treefrog in Costa Rica. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.

Five Indigenous Yanomami infants have reportedly died from a preventable respiratory illness called pertussis, or whooping cough. The outbreak began Jan. 7 in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory in Roraima state in northern Brazil. A representative of the Urihi Yanomami Association (UYA) told Mongabay that health authorities have been slow to respond.  

Three of the deaths have been confirmed by the state health agency in Boa Vista, Roraima’s capital city. The UYA told Mongabay that another two infants died in the Parima and Roko villages with similar symptoms but the cause of death has not yet been confirmed by health professionals. At least 59 additional Indigenous infants have been flown out of the Yanomami territory for medical treatment, UYA representatives told Mongabay.

Mongabay reviewed several death certificates and found the infants ranged from 1 month and 17 days to 4 months and 30 days old.

“Some of the children hadn’t even opened their eyes yet and have died,” Waihiri Hekurari Yanomami, the president of the UYA, told Mongabay by phone. At least three babies did not have a name yet; Yanomami mothers typically wait several months to name their children in case they don’t survive.

“Yanomami health has been neglected time and time again. All these children should have already been vaccinated, and their mothers too. If they were vaccinated, this situation would not be happening,” Hekurari said.

According to the Yanomami Special Indigenous Health District authority, full vaccination coverage of children under 1 rose from 29.8% in 2022 to 57.8% in 2025.

The latest health bulletin published by the municipality states that as of Feb. 22, 15 cases of whooping cough have been confirmed so far and another seven are awaiting confirmation. Several Yanomami infants are currently intubated, Hekurari said.

The Yanomami Indigenous Territory, spanning more than 9.6 million hectares (23.7 million acres) in northern Brazil and southern Venezuela, has faced multiple health crises in recent years, particularly during a surge of illegal gold mining between 2019 and 2022.

Mining camps polluted rivers with mercury, and the still pools of water and deforestation led to malaria outbreaks. Many Yanomami communities faced malnutrition and respiratory infections compounded by limited access to medical care.

In early 2023, Brazil’s government declared a public health emergency after federal authorities documented widespread child malnutrition.

Officials have removed thousands of illegal miners and increased the presence of health teams. But Yanomami Indigenous leaders say medical services are insufficient.

“I don’t want my Yanomami people to suffer again because we have not even recovered from the suffering of 2022, 2023, 2021,” Hekurari Yanomami added. “Someone must be held accountable.”

Banner image: A Yanomami infant intubated at the Santo Antônio children’s hospital in Boa Vista, Roraima. Image courtesy of Emmily Melo/Hutukara Associação Yanomami.

The  UK’s OECD national contact point (NCP), which oversees complaints related to corporate conduct with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has ruled admissible a complaint from Senegalese fishers alleging wrongdoing by energy companies in Senegal.     

A local NGO and an artisanal fishers’ association assert that the natural gas platform Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) offshore Senegal is polluting their local environment. In a win for civil society, the OECD plans to bring all parties to the negotiating table to find a solution.     

“This decision is a major one,” Mamadou Sarr, spokesperson for Gaadlou Guèrri, the association of artisanal fishers that brought the complaint, told Mongabay in a phone call. “It can later help us seek compensation for the losses we have suffered, for the environmental consequences, and for gas leaks,” he added.

The OECD is an organization of 38 member states, including the U.K., that have committed to respecting guidelines that cover several areas of corporate responsibility, including human rights, the environment and corruption.

GTA is being co-developed by multinational oil company BP, U.S.-based Kosmos Energy and the national oil companies of Senegal and Mauritania. It is located offshore from Saint-Louis, Senegal, near one of the country’s largest fishing communities. The complaint accused the energy companies of denying local artisanal fishers access to the area surrounding GTA, compromising their livelihoods and reducing food availability for local communities. Fish accounts for almost 70% of the animal protein consumed in Senegal. It’s a vital resource for a region facing rising food insecurity.

Civil society representatives are also challenging the validity of an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) created by BP. They argue the ESIA insufficiently analyzed the natural gas project’s impacts on the marine and coastal environment, that it didn’t properly assess the project’s components and didn’t establish adequate mitigation measures.

GTA began producing gas in January 2025, and by February of the same year, a gas leak had been declared. Moreover, while visiting the area offshore Senegal, Mongabay observed flaring operations of gas burning into the atmosphere, a significant contributor to climate change and a waste of energy. Mongabay contacted BP for comment, but received no response.

Sarr said authorities have largely ignored local concerns, adding that the silence may stem from a potential conflict of interest. “The authorities have an interest in this project going ahead. Do not forget that the state-owned oil company of Senegal, Petrosen, is a shareholder in this project. But at least this decision [OECD’s decision], they won’t be able to ignore,” he said.

OECD is not a court of justice; however, the organization plans to act as a mediator, “and if any party to the complaint declines mediation, the U.K.NCP … will conduct a further examination of this complaint,” the decision states.

A negative opinion from the OECD could prompt funders to stop financing the project, an OECD specialist revealed to Mongabay.

Banner image: A small-scale fisherman in front of a buoy marking the boundary of his fishing zone. Image by Elodie Toto/Mongabay.

After half a century of steep declines, North America’s birds are disappearing faster than ever. A new study shows that populations are shrinking across most of the continent, with intensive agriculture playing the largest role in accelerating those losses. Scientists warn the impacts extend well beyond wildlife, undermining ecosystem function and human well-being.

The recent study, published in Science, relied on data collected by the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), a citizen science initiative that has collected annual bird population data since 1966. Thousands of trained amateur birders conduct standardized counts for the BBS along fixed routes across North America, recording species presence and abundance year after year.

Researchers analyzed BBS data collected between 1987 and 2021 from 1,033 of the survey routes. They tracked the change in abundance of 261 bird species across 10 different habitats.

They found population declines across nearly every region, with the most severe declines in hot Southern states.

In fact, already quite-hot states, like Florida and Texas, had the “most pronounced average decline” of bird abundance, the study notes. “Just looking at the decline of abundance … temperature was the main predictor,” François Leroy, the study’s lead author and an Ohio State University postdoctoral researcher, told Mongabay in a video call.

While plenty of other studies have linked warmer temperatures due to climate change with degraded habitat and a shift north by birds to cooler climates, Leroy’s findings suggest that such warming is most impactful in regions that were already quite hot.

However, the scientists discovered that the strongest predictor of accelerating population declines was not temperatures, but agricultural intensity. The U.S. Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and California — all agricultural hubs — also showed the highest rates of accelerating decline.

“Accelerating declines suggest that pressures on bird populations may be intensifying,” Fengyi Guo, a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, not involved with the study, told Mongabay by email.

Agriculture is associated with a trifecta of challenges for birds: pesticides, fertilizers, and large areas of habitat-reducing cropland.

Leroy notes that his team wasn’t looking for this correlation before or during the study, but a subsequent review of the related scientific literature revealed a pattern: “There are so many studies in Europe, in the U.S., everywhere in the world, that actually link some of those [agricultural] practices with a negative impact on biodiversity.”

Birds perform vital ecosystem services that support agriculture and food security, including seed dispersal, pollination, nutrient cycling and pest control. They also keep mosquitoes in check, insects that can transmit diseases including malaria and dengue fever.

“The ecosystem services provided by the birds are really key to the environment,” Leroy said. In light of the study’s findings, he called on governments and farmers to consider implementing safer farming practices to protect birds. Residents can also do their part by planting native plants, reducing pesticide use and keeping domestic cats indoors.

Banner image: A flock of birds flying over a field. Image by Dariusz Grosa via Pexels.

Brazil has revoked a presidential decree that placed sections of three Amazonian rivers — the Tapajós, Madeira and Tocantins — under a state-led privatization program. Indigenous groups had protested the plan for 33 days by blockading a Cargill grain port in Santarém in the western Brazilian Amazon.

The decree was a part of a larger infrastructure initiative to create an industrial export route for freight barges carrying soy, corn and other grains from Brazil’s agricultural states in the Cerrado and the Amazon to ports on the Atlantic coast.

For more than a month, hundreds of Indigenous protesters demanded that the government halt the initiative. They raised concerns that the project would damage the rivers and threaten at least 17 Indigenous territories and many more riverine communities.

The protesters occupied Cargill’s terminal in Santarém. Archaeologists say it was built in 2003 on top of a precolonial archaeological site called Porto, a claim Cargill denies. Today, the site is the biggest export terminal on the Tapajós River, with an annual export capacity of 4.9 million metric tons.  

According to a 2013 study, bone fragments were identified in a ceramic urn excavated from the Porto site. Records also show the Santarém area was once one of the most densely populated regions in the Amazon, and that many Indigenous people were killed there by European colonists.

“We have to protect this river, we have to protect this forest,” Indigenous leader Alessandra Korap Munduruku said from the port, in a video published after the government’s announcement. “This place is sacred. This place is the cemetery of our ancestors, who were massacred here. And now, they have witnessed our victory.”

The decision to revoke the decree, first approved in August 2025, was published in the Official Gazette, the federal government’s daily legal bulletin, on Feb. 23. The move came after a meeting between the protesters, Marina Silva, Brazil’s environment minister, and Guilherme Boulos, the secretary of the presidency.

“The decision to revoke Decree 12.600 was finalized today. This is a government committed to listening to the people, to workers, to Indigenous peoples,” Boulos said at a Feb. 23 press conference in Brasília.

Banner image: Demonstrators in Santarém, Pará state, Brazil. Image courtesy of Amazon Watch.

Six young journalists, scattered across three continents and connected largely by screens, recently attempted an unusual exercise: writing letters addressed to the future instead of to editors. All six were members of the 2025 cohort of the English-language Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellowship. The results read like field notes from a generation that has come of age amid overlapping ecological and informational strain. Their concerns differ in detail, yet converge on a single question: Wwhat kind of journalism will be needed when crisis becomes a daily condition?

For Shradha Triveni (India), environmental change permeates daily life. She describes working in cities where pollution is a lived reality and where trust in media is eroding as audiences migrate to video platforms and social feeds. Reinventing storytelling, she suggests, has become essential to journalism’s survival. Lee Kwai Han (Malaysia), arrives at a similar destination by tracing her journey from skepticism about sensational coverage to confidence in rigorous editing and verification as journalism’s distinguishing features. Ethics, in her telling, serves as the discipline that keeps reporting coherent and credible.

Elsewhere, the letters dwell on what conventional coverage often overlooks. Manuel Fonseca (Colombia) reflects on the tendency to reduce assassinated environmental defenders to statistics, arguing that numbers alone cannot explain why individuals remain in dangerous places to protect land and water. Blaise Kasereka Makuta (Democratic Republic of Congo) offers a meditation on traditional medicine, treating it as a knowledge system threatened by displacement, climate change and institutional neglect. The future, he implies, will judge whether such knowledge was documented in time to survive.

Hope appears in the collection, though it is measured and grounded. Fernanda Biasoli (Brazil) locates it in networks of young reporters sharing ideas across borders, likening environmental journalism to a river basin in which many tributaries sustain a larger flow. Samuel Ogunsona (Nigeria), writing ahead of last year’s climate summit, sees potential for regions often cast as victims to shape solutions, provided global commitments materialize.

Taken together, the letters offer a view of journalism as infrastructure that supports public understanding and accountability. Training programs that cultivate local expertise, their mentor Karen Coates notes, can ripple outward as alumni launch new desks or influence public debates in their home countries.

The implication is pragmatic. In places where environmental decisions determine livelihoods and stability, credible information guides choices and public oversight.

There is also an implicit rebuke to extractive reporting, the practice of parachuting into communities and leaving little behind. Ethical coverage requires collaboration, accessibility and sustained engagement so that those whose stories are told can benefit from them.

None of the fellows claim that journalism can avert the crises they describe. Their letters are more modest, and perhaps more durable, in their ambition. They suggest that the future will depend partly on whether societies maintain the capacity to observe carefully, verify honestly and tell complex stories without turning them into spectacle. In that sense, the letters function as commitments as much as reflections: a promise that someone, somewhere, intends to keep paying attention.