The Critically Endangered Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is being hunted to extinction for its shell. Colored in hues of gold, amber, and brown, the animal's striking shell is carved…
Global trade has made it easier to buy things. But our consumption habits often fuel threats to biodiversity -- such as deforestation, overhunting and overfishing -- thousands of miles away.…
The world lost yet another celebrity in 2016. On 28 December 2016, Pan Pan, believed to be the world’s oldest male giant panda, died aged 31 at the Dujiangyan base…
Many internationally traded species are on the verge of extinction in their native countries. In some cases, traded animals have managed to escape -- or have been deliberately introduced --…
Last month, poachers slaughtered two elephants for ivory in Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. Wildlife rescuers discovered the remains of the first Borneo elephant on December 27, and those of the second…
On Wednesday, United States President Barrack Obama created two new national monuments: The Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah and the Gold Butte National Monument in southeastern Nevada. Using…
Pangolin — the world’s most trafficked mammal — continues to be killed in huge numbers. On Wednesday, Chinese customs officials announced that they had seized more than three metric tons…
As always, Mongabay covered a mix of environmental stories this year. While some species went extinct, several new species were discovered. Some forests were wiped out, but others were restored. Below, we take a look…
“Casper”, the ghost-like octopod discovered early this year, could be at risk from deep sea mining, scientists say. The octopod was found at a depth of 4,290 meters (2.7 miles) during…
Discovering a new species is always exciting -- it shows that much of our world remains to be explored and described. This year, too, scientists discovered and described several thousand new…
Thousands of hydrothermal vents — chimney-like structures spewing hot water clouds of minerals and nutrients — dot the ocean floor, buzzing with marine life of various kinds. At one such…
On Wednesday, Hong Kong government announced that its three-step plan to phase out domestic ivory trade by the end of 2021 was approved by the Chief Executive in Council. The legislature amendments…
It’s not every day that a wild animal, held captive for years, makes it home. But two Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) — an eight-year-old male called Johnny and a ten-year-old…
In 2015, scientists discovered 163 new species -- nine amphibians, three mammals, 11 fish, 14 reptiles and 126 plants -- in the Greater Mekong region, according to a new report…
Scientists have confirmed the presence of a new population of the rare Myanmar snub-nosed monkey in China. The Myanmar snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri) first came to attention when local hunters…
Scientists have discovered yet another “fantastic beast”. In a forest in central Western Ghats, India, researchers Javed Ahmed, Rajashree Khalap and wildlife photographer Sumukha J.N. have found a new species…
The iconic giraffe is rapidly heading towards extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In the past 30 years, giraffe numbers have plummeted by 40…
In October this year, Indonesian police rescued 34 critically endangered Javan slow lorises (Nycticebus javanicus) from being illegally sold on social media by traffickers. All 34 rescued animals were sent…
More than 50 percent of the sharks and rays native to the Mediterranean Sea are at a high risk of extinction, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced Monday.…
Mexico is set to get its largest-ever protected area. The new Mexican Caribbean Biosphere Reserve, estimated to cover more than 5.7 million hectares, will be spread across several municipalities, including…
In October, last year, the state of California banned the sale of nearly all ivory and rhino horn. The new law makes it illegal to trade almost all ivory, including…
Thailand is failing to control illegal trade in apes because of inadequate legislation, according to two new reports by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network. The numbers of apes in Thailand’s…
Scientists have confirmed that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has suffered its worst-ever coral bleaching event on record due to higher than normal water temperatures in 2015 and 2016. In the…
Scientists have discovered a new species of tiny pea crab within a large date mussel collected in the Solomon Islands. Pea crabs — about the size of peas — are…
On November 24, activists in Bangladesh began a ‘March towards Dhaka’, demanding the cancellation of the proposed Rampal power plant, which is slated to be built very close to the Sundarbans, the world’s…
In 2010, 13 tiger range countries pledged to double the number of wild tigers by 2022 – the next Chinese year of the tiger. But the path to achieving these…
Natives from some parts of the Amazon region have long believed that a deadly pit viper, the bushmaster (Lachesis muta), can sing. But the venomous snake, which can grow up…
Bombs and biodiversity can go hand in hand, a new study has found. Military training areas — used for the training of armed forces — can maintain biodiversity and even…
In 2005, the Vietnamese government made it illegal to extract bile from bears. But the illegal trade in bear bile and gall bladder is still going strong, more than ten…
The greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) in India is set to get two new homes in the state of West Bengal. All of the 250 rhinos in West Bengal occur…
