June 22 marks World Rainforest Day, launched in 2017 by Rainforest Partnership to highlight the critical role of tropical forests. These ecosystems stabilize the climate, regulate rainfall, store vast amounts of carbon, and support most of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Yet despite their importance, 2024 proved to be a devastating year. Fires ravaged millions of hectares, and several regions experienced record levels of primary forest loss.

Here’s a snapshot of the 10 largest tropical rainforest regions:

1. Amazon

The Amazon is Earth’s largest rainforest, essential to continental rainfall patterns and global climate regulation. Renowned for its rich biodiversity and Indigenous cultures, more than half of the tropics’ primary forest lies here. It also accounts for the greatest loss — nearly 44 million hectares (109 million acres) since 2002, an area roughly the size of Iraq. Fires in 2024 hit Brazil and Bolivia especially hard.

2. Congo Basin

Home to gorillas, bonobos and the elusive okapi, the Congo rainforest spans Central Africa, with 60% located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Deforestation remained relatively low until the 2010s, but has surged in recent years.

3. New Guinea & Northern Australia

New Guinea, the world’s second-largest island, is a biodiversity stronghold with species found nowhere else — like tree kangaroos and cassowaries. Though still among the least-disturbed major forest regions, threats from oil palm expansion, mining and logging are rising.

4. Sundaland

Comprising Borneo and Sumatra, this region has seen the highest proportional forest loss since 2000 due to industrial plantations. It’s a critical habitat for rhinos, orangutans and other iconic species.

5. Indo-Burma

Stretching across parts of mainland Southeast Asia, Indo-Burma features diverse forest types and iconic wildlife including tigers and Asian elephants. Human pressure has led to widespread fragmentation and degradation.

6. Mesoamerica

From southern Mexico to Panama, Mesoamerica’s rainforests are hotspots for birds and amphibians. Deforestation, driven by agriculture and fire, is accelerating in some areas.

7. Wallacea

Indonesia’s Sulawesi and nearby islands are home to highly endemic species. Forest loss has increased due to plantations and infrastructure development.

8. Guinean Forests of West Africa

Heavily impacted by agriculture and logging, these forests are fragmented, but the remaining patches are still ecologically rich.

9. Atlantic Forest

Once stretching along Brazil’s coast into Argentina and Paraguay, the Atlantic Forest has lost more cover than any other region listed. Restoration efforts are now underway.

10. Chocó-Darién

Running from Panama to northern Ecuador, this is the world’s wettest rainforest — and the least deforested among the major tropical zones.

The outlook is sobering, but not yet hopeless. Many rainforests can still be saved if immediate action is taken. Political will, sustained funding and strong governance are essential. Indigenous and local communities, proven stewards of these ecosystems, must lead the way. On this World Rainforest Day, the message is urgent: time is short, but there is still a path forward.

Banner image of a squirrel monkey in the Colombian Amazon by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.

Rainforests are among the most critical ecosystems on Earth. Home to roughly half of all terrestrial species, they provide oxygen and habitat, and help regulate regional rain and weather patterns.

In honor of World Rainforest Day on June 22, we look at two recent Mongabay investigations that shed light on the challenges and triumphs in the world’s largest  and most biodiverse rainforest: the Amazon, home to roughly 10% of all known species on Earth.

Despite its ecological importance, parts of the Amazon are hotbeds of violence, illegal deforestation, cattle grazing, mining, and drug smuggling. Mongabay’s reporters traveled to the rainforest, at personal risk, to tell those stories.

Narco airstrips in the Peruvian Amazon

In 2024, Mongabay Latam journalists trekked through the dense Peruvian Amazon to see firsthand a clandestine airstrip used for drug trafficking. Combining AI-analyzed satellite images, official records and on-the-ground reporting, the team uncovered 67 such clandestine airstrips. Many of them were located in or near Indigenous territories.

Their six-part investigation documented deforestation linked to the airstrips and revealed a climate of violence: at least 15 Indigenous leaders have been killed in the region. In two communities, reporters learned that schoolchildren had overdosed on cocaine brought to the community, and residents lived in fear of armed traffickers.

“We know where the airstrips are; they’re not very far from where we live, but we don’t go there for safety reasons,” a source, who asked not be named for fear of their safety, told Mongabay. “They’re armed, and everything is guarded. They’ve even surrounded them with mines.”

Indigenous Guajajara are killed in record numbers amid surge in illegal cattle

In a year-long investigation, Mongabay’s Karla Mendes found that illegal cattle ranching in the Arariboia Indigenous Territory in the Brazilian Amazon coincided with a record number of killings of Indigenous residents. In 2023, four Guajajara individuals were killed, while another three survived attempts on their lives.

With support from the Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Investigations Network, Mendes visited the Indigenous territory and witnessed illegal cattle ranching firsthand. She then used satellite imagery, data analysis and in-person interviews with the locals and officials to paint a full picture of the illegal activity and violence against forest guardians.

Mendes found that many of the ranches illegally encroaching on Indigenous land were owned by people with a history of criminal activity, including land grabbing, illegal logging and illegal firearm possession.

Following the Mongabay investigation, Brazilian authorities removed thousands of illegal cattle from the region, citing Mendes’s reporting as the reason for their action.

“It was a topic that I would say had gone a bit unnoticed,” Marcos Kaingang, national secretary for Indigenous territorial rights at the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, told Mongabay.

The report has been quoted in a book, podcast, and CBC series. It recieved an honorable mention from a Brazilian journalism prize and is on the shortlist for another top environmental journalism award.

Banner image of the Peruvian Amazon, by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.

The fishing community of Barra do Mamanguape on Brazil’s northeastern coast used to be a hunting site for manatees. But today, the villagers have turned to ecotourism and are now protecting the manatees, Mongabay’s video team reported in May.

The village estuary, where river meets the sea, has warm, calm waters, perfect habitat for manatees. During Brazil’s colonization, manatees were considered a delicacy, with the meat eaten by local fishers and the skin and oil exported to Europe.

“What I heard is that its meat was similar to pork,” Marinalva Brito, a local fisher and business owner, told Mongabay.

Initially scientists knew very little about manatees. By the time they’d assessed their populations, the species was considered critically endangered, prompting conservation efforts, including the founding in 2013 of the nonprofit Viva o Peixe-Boi Marinho (Long Live the Sea Manatee).

The group engaged with local fishers to learn from them and raise awareness about conservation.

“They knew a lot. And from that, we had lectures, there were face-to-face conversations, there were experiences of participating in fishing activities with them,” João Carlos Borges, coordinator of Viva o Peixe-Boi Marinho, told Mongabay.

With this sustained community outreach, local attitudes began to change. Instead of killing stranded manatees for food, villagers were now reporting them for rescue.

“My grandparents were people who ate manatees, and today we have a different experience,” ecologist Sebastião dos Santos told Mongabay. “We learned that, within the communities, the manatee is much more important alive, contributing to generate income, to attract people to come here.”

Today, the manatees are attracting ecotourists, who support the community by spending money on local accommodation, food and services.

The residents have also become advocates of the manatees’ cause, helping monitor and rehabilitate stranded manatees. Since the 1990s, the group has rescued around 60 manatees.

Although manatees are no longer hunted, some are injured by boats strikes, suffering deep cuts from propellers. At least 10 rescued manatees that were returned to the wild have been hit by boats. So the group is working to propose stronger rules on boat travel in the area to prevent such accidents.

It’s also advocating for stricter enforcement of existing regulations: more than 80% of the manatee boat strikes happen within 200 meters (660 feet) of the coastline, which is supposed to be off-limits to boat traffic, meaning the vessels involved are inside a prohibited area.

“So our big challenge is how to get all of society involved in a responsibility that is shared by everyone, which is this mission of conserving manatees,” Borges said. “We need to change, and quickly.”

Watch the video “How manatees won over an entire village” here.

Banner image of a manatee in Barra do Mamanguape, courtesy of Projeto Viva o Peixe Boi-Marinho.

RICHMOND, California (AP) — The California Senate has introduced a landmark resolution to have the state examine its crude imports from the Amazon, following a visit this week by Indigenous leaders from Ecuador who urged lawmakers to help stop oil expansion in their territories. The development comes as the Ecuadorian government plans to auction off 14 new oil sites covering more than 2 million hectares of rainforest — much of it on Indigenous land — in a 2026 bidding round. The Indigenous delegation joined local Californians in Richmond for a kayaking trip on Thursday near a Chevron refinery, sharing stories about the Amazon and perspectives on climate threats. It’s not clear when the resolution will be up for a vote.

Reporting by Steven Grattan and Godofredo Vasques, Associated Press 

Banner image: Juan Bay, president of the Waorani people of Ecuador, foreground, looks at an oil tanker docked at the Chevron Long Wharf, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Richmond, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries.

When Ridzki Sigit first joined Mongabay in 2012, the environmental journalism platform had yet to establish itself in the language of his native Indonesia. The concept was unconventional: a remote, international team with no physical office, focused solely on environmental coverage — a niche area in the Indonesian media landscape at the time. Yet Ridzki saw opportunity rather than uncertainty. Today, as Mongabay Indonesia’s program director, he leads one of the country’s most influential environmental news outlets, recognized widely beyond Indonesia’s borders.

Mongabay Indonesia was launched to improve transparency and accountability in Indonesia’s troubled forest sector. I envisioned journalism driven by local voices, communicating in Indonesian to achieve policy changes and empower communities. Within months, it became essential reading even for policymakers.

Ridzki’s path to journalism was unconventional. Initially trained in forestry and management, he began his career researching natural resources and creating documentary films with Perkumpulan Kaoem Telapak, a prominent Indonesian environmental NGO. His experience at Kaoem Telapak and its production arm, Gekko Studio, shaped his storytelling abilities and deepened his commitment to environmental issues, qualities he brought to Mongabay.

Under Ridzki’s leadership, Mongabay Indonesia has flourished. With a core team and more than 70 contributors nationwide, it has produced more than 25,000 articles, videos, and podcasts. Its investigative reporting has achieved tangible impacts, exposing corrupt land deals involving major agribusinesses in Papua and raising international awareness about threats to species such as the Javan rhino. Ridzki takes pride in Mongabay’s role in supporting Indigenous communities and protecting fragile ecosystems.

Looking ahead, Ridzki emphasizes creativity, passion and collaboration as essential for building a motivated, resilient team prepared to tackle Indonesia’s complex ecological challenges. His approach blends professional rigor with genuine personal relationships, strengthening Mongabay’s growing network of environmental journalists.

Today, Ridzki remains deeply passionate about his work. When not overseeing investigative reports, he dives to document Indonesia’s remarkable marine biodiversity, reflecting his lifelong dedication to nature. For him, Mongabay represents more than journalism — it is a mission, a legacy, and a responsibility to protect Indonesia’s irreplaceable natural heritage for future generations, including his own daughter.

Read the full interview with Ridzki Sigit here

Banner image: Ridzki Sigit in Jambi province in 2022. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.

Sri Lanka’s lesser-known Kumana National Park, on the country’s southeastern coast, has emerged as a leopard stronghold, according to a recent study, contributor Malaka Rodrigo reports for Mongabay.

Using camera traps and statistical models, researchers from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and the Department of Wildlife Conservation estimated there’s a leopard density of around 41 of the big cats per 100 square kilometers, or about 106 leopards per 100 square miles, in the park’s eastern region.

Previous studies have found that the better-known Yala National Park in Sri Lanka’s south, popular for its leopard sightings, has about 54 leopards per 100 km2 (140 per 100 mi2); Wilpattu National Park in the northwest has about 18 per 100 km2 (46 per 100mi2); and Horton Plains National Park has an estimated 12 leopards per 100 km2 (31 per 100 mi2).

Kumana today spans 357 km2 (138 mi2). It was first declared a sanctuary in 1938 for its birdlife, including large colonies of waterbirds. It was designated a national park in 1960, and Sri Lanka’s fifth Ramsar wetland site in 2010. Park warden Dileep Samaranayaka told Mongabay that Kumana has recently gained popularity among visitors for its leopard sightings. With concerns about potential overtourism at Yala, Kumana is emerging as an alternative destination for leopard enthusiasts.

A citizen science initiative called Kumana Leopards, which relies on visitor observations of leopards in the park, has documented 80 individual leopards there since 2019. Led by Shanaka Kalubowila and his team, the initiative offers a field guide for identifying individual leopards and aims to provide evidence-based insights into the conservation of the Sri Lankan leopard, Rodrigo writes.

Kumana’s leopards face several threats, largely from outside the park where they sometimes venture to prey on domestic buffalo calves. Buffalo herders kill the leopards in retaliation, with several leopard deaths recorded recently, Samaranayaka said.

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is categorized as a species vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN Red List, with its populations declining worldwide.

Researchers from the Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT) estimate Sri Lanka may have about 1,000 leopards.

Read the full story by Malaka Rodrigo here.

Banner image: A relaxed leopard family in Kumana. Sightings like this have boosted the popularity of this national park in eastern Sri Lanka among wildlife tourists seeking to spot encounters. Image courtesy of Shanaka Kalubowila.