most popular – 2017-02

Note: I’m no longer including in-app reads from Facebook Instant Articles (FBIA). Given Facebook’s controversial–some would say fraudulent–reporting practices, I don’t think these numbers can be trusted. In you believe Facebook’s numbers, then FBIA impressions would add on average 30 percent to the pageview counts listed below (although the variance is huge: anywhere from a 1 percent to a 70 percent boost on an individual article basis).

  1. Newly discovered gecko loses scales in ‘really bizarre’ behavior [27534]
  2. Watch video of an electric eel attack [26645]
  3. Temer government set to overthrow Brazil’s environmental agenda [20701]
  4. Terror from above: eagle tackles deer in stunning camera trap photos [12151]
  5. The Philippines declares more than 100,000 acres as critical habitat [8500]
  6. New dolphin discovered in the Amazon surprises scientists [5809]
  7. Proposed Trump policy threatens Critically Endangered Grauer’s gorilla [4862]
  8. New species of dwarf lemur discovered in Madagascar [4535]
  9. Fish kills at Amazon’s Belo Monte dam point up builder’s failures [4392]
  10. Environmental lawyer killed in the Philippines [3783]
  11. It’s World Pangolin Day! [3501]
  12. Hunting, not deforestation, biggest threat to Southeast Asian biodiversity: Study [3451]
  13. What does Nature give us? A special Earth Day article [3197]
  14. Forest protection funds flow to DRC despite ‘illegal’ logging permits [2950]
  15. Loving apes celebrated this Valentine’s Day [2819]
  16. Saving Bangladesh’s last rainforest [2799]
  17. Things you want to know about Mongabay [2704]
  18. Audio: E.O. Wilson talks about Half-Earth, Trump, and more [2661]
  19. Camera traps reveal undiscovered leopard population in Javan forest [2566]
  20. 35 pictures of the sharkfin trade that will shock and dismay you [2480]
  21. Seven ‘most wanted’ elephant poachers arrested in Malaysia [2288]
  22. Resurrected Jeypore ground gecko faces second death sentence [2208]
  23. Latin America palm oil production doubled since 2001 without massive uptick in deforestation [2191]
  24. What happens when the soy and palm oil boom ends? [2137]
  25. E.O. Wilson on Half-Earth, Donald Trump, and hope [2133]
  26. Norway starts $400-million fund to halt deforestation, help farmers [2080]
  27. The top 10 most biodiverse countries [1999]
  28. Amazon tribe creates 500-page traditional medicine encyclopedia [1907]
  29. How many trees are cut down every year? [1864]
  30. ‘Penis snake’ discovered in Brazil is actually a rare species of amphibian [1772]
  31. Honduran politicians, U.S. aid implicated in killings of environmentalists [1734]
  32. Documenting the consequences of palm oil production beyond Southeast Asia [1709]
  33. Fighting rhino poaching in India, CSI-style [1697]
  34. India’s Manas National Park illustrates the human dimension of rhino conservation [1656]
  35. Anger rises over human-elephant conflict in Tanzania [1645]
  36. Will there really be enough sustainable palm oil for the whole market? [1636]
  37. Trophy hunters overstate contribution of big game hunting to African economies: Report [1596]
  38. Soy invasion poses imminent threat to Amazon, say agricultural experts [1551]
  39. There are now just 30 vaquita left in the wild [1543]
  40. Brazil’s ‘river people’ join forces with indigenous communities, offer alternative to deforestation [1534]
  41. Singapore’s wild bird trade threatens exotic species [1532]
  42. Protected areas found to be ‘significant’ sources of carbon emissions [1464]
  43. Wilmar grabbed indigenous lands in Sumatra, RSPO finds [1462]
  44. Trump administration delays listing of rusty patched bumblebee as endangered [1451]
  45. Increasing tree cover threatens world’s most endangered antelope [1449]
  46. Scimitar-horned oryx return to the Sahara nearly two decades after going extinct in the wild [1446]
  47. SpongeBob SquarePants and the ‘last frontier’ of the Philippines [1413]
  48. This new primate is a ‘giant’ among tiny bush babies [1407]
  49. Counterintuitive: Global hydropower boom will add to climate change [1391]

Most “engaged” FB pages [comments+shares+likes]

  1. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/forest-protection-funds-flow-to-drc-despite-illegal-logging-permits/ 12448
  2. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/loving-apes-celebrated-this-valentines-day/ 8642
  3. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/the-philippines-declares-more-than-100000-acres-as-critical-habitat/ 8485
  4. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/anger-rises-over-human-elephant-conflict-in-tanzania/ 7019
  5. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/resurrected-jeypore-ground-gecko-faces-second-death-sentence/ 6857
  6. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/proposed-trump-policy-threatens-critically-endangered-grauers-gorilla/ 6515
  7. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/new-population-of-rare-monkey-videotaped-for-the-first-time/ 6493
  8. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/newly-discovered-gecko-loses-scales-in-really-bizarre-behavior/ 6476
  9. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/latin-america-palm-oil-production-doubled-since-2001-without-massive-uptick-in-deforestation/ 5978
  10. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/fighting-rhino-poaching-in-india-csi-style/ 5421
  11. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/more-than-25000-elephants-were-killed-in-a-gabon-national-park-in-one-decade/ 5180
  12. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/qa-with-director-of-short-film-on-the-black-mambas-anti-poaching-unit-in-south-africa/ 5166
  13. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/saving-jamaica-bays-diamondback-terrapins/ 4540
  14. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/the-republic-of-congo-on-the-cusp-of-forest-conservation/ 4196
  15. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/increasing-tree-cover-threatens-worlds-most-endangered-antelope/ 4158
  16. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/singapores-wild-bird-trade-threatens-exotic-species/ 3793
  17. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/documenting-the-consequences-of-palm-oil-production-beyond-southeast-asia/ 3782
  18. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/this-new-primate-is-a-giant-among-tiny-bushbabies/ 3612
  19. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/the-clouded-leopard-conserving-asias-elusive-arboreal-acrobat/ 3608
  20. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/scanning-the-barcode-of-wildlife/ 3600
  21. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/indias-manas-national-park-illustrates-the-human-dimension-of-rhino-conservation/ 3383
  22. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/study-finds-more-than-350k-trees-illegally-felled-in-madagascars-protected-areas-in-five-year-span/ 3276
  23. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/the-changing-face-of-amazon-development-from-land-grab-to-eco-lodge/ 3263
  24. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/identifying-marine-communities-through-edna/ 3161
  25. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/scrapping-nigerian-superhighway-buffer-isnt-enough-say-conservation-groups/ 3150

Most “engaged” Tweets [comments+shares+likes]

  1. Svein T veitdal: “Norway starts $400-million fund to halt deforestation, help farmers @VidarHelgesen @borgebrende https://news.mongabay.com/2017/01/norway-starts-400-million-fund-to-halt-deforestation-help-farmers/ …pic.twitter.com/hDVOP70IYr” [86]
  2. Mark Gately: Trump administration delays listing of rusty patched bumblebee as endangered. https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/trump-administration-delays-listing-of-rusty-patched-bumblebee-as-endangered/ …pic.twitter.com/jyEmfIh0GV [63]
  3. CECHR: “New species of dwarf lemur discovered in Madagascar https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/new-species-of-dwarf-lemur-discovered-in-madagascar/ … #biodiversity Ankarana or Sheth’s dwarf lemurpic.twitter.com/faIwWpQOi2” [61]
  4. Helping Rhinos: Fighting rhino poaching in India CSI style http://ati.ms/BQwlRM via @asiatimesonline [55]
  5. Iain S Byrne: New species of dwarf lemur discovered in Madagascar https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/new-species-of-dwarf-lemur-discovered-in-madagascar/ … via @mongabaypic.twitter.com/3B5je0xEaV [50]
  6. Blue Planet Society: Protecting Marine Protected Areas https://psmag.com/protecting-marine-protected-areas-ca05b880dce4#.iiyq2ky9o … #overfishing [45]
  7. CECHR: “How ‘jobless men managing the sea’ restored a mangrove forest in Java https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/how-jobless-men-managing-the-sea-restored-a-mangrove-forest-in-java/ … #wetlands #PlantATreepic.twitter.com/zKBWKGlFKt” [45]
  8. Greenpeace PressDesk: Greenpeace slams paper giant over loophole in fire-prevention policy http://act.gp/2kEvJpt [41]
  9. CECHR: “Brazil alters indigenous land demarcation process, sparking conflict https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/brazil-alters-indigenous-land-demarcation-process-sparking-conflict/ … #landrightsnow #Funai #indigenouspic.twitter.com/gkIgSR2hl3” [38]
  10. WildAid: How acoustic monitoring gave us a last chance to save the #vaquita @mongabay @Rachel_Fritts #extinctioncrisis https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/how-acoustic-monitoring-gave-us-a-last-chance-to-save-the-vaquita/ …pic.twitter.com/ulCGSRMjTL [38]
  11. CECHR: “Scimitar-horned oryx return to the Sahara nearly two decades after going extinct in the wild https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/scimitar-horned-oryx-return-to-the-sahara-nearly-two-decades-after-going-extinct-in-the-wild/ / #rewildingpic.twitter.com/9Q6fyALKXy” [34]
  12. WBUR’s The Wild Life: Trophy hunters overstate contribution of big game hunting to African economies: Report http://bit.ly/2kpqDg5 @mongabaypic.twitter.com/vTJDIslvh3 [31]
  13. CECHR: “African bush babies gain a new genus / https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/african-bush-babies-gain-a-new-genus/ … #biodiversity / New word for today #Paragalagopic.twitter.com/hLd3L5FYm7” [31]
  14. ChristopherJGervais: #GoodNews! Seven ‘most wanted’ #elephant #poachers arrested in #Malaysia., believed to have killed at least 15 Asian #elephants over 4 yearspic.twitter.com/kDOp9OOOvG [30]
  15. CECHR: “Environmental lawyer killed in the Philippines / A dangerous profession / https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/environmental-lawyer-killed-in-the-philippines/ / Mia Mascariñas-Green/ Atty. Miapic.twitter.com/1cLHRHolLU” [30]
  16. Alice L Ford: Environmental lawyer killed in the Philippines https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/environmental-lawyer-killed-in-the-philippines/ … via @mongabay [30]
  17. CBD News: Seven ‘most wanted’ elephant poachers arrested in Malaysia http://ow.ly/OzNn3092J0l pic.twitter.com/DmBZiqtDg7 [28]
  18. Truthout: #Trump Administration Delays Listing of Rusty Patched Bumblebee as Endangered http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/39479-trump-administration-delays-listing-of-rusty-patched-bumblebee-as-endangered … #bees [25]
  19. AIDA in English: YES! Judge halts excavation plans for largest-ever Brazilian goldmine: http://buff.ly/2liiCdS #miningpic.twitter.com/wyfMgwO9cd [23]
  20. AMAZON WATCH: Record heat and drought seen in Amazon during 2015-16 El Niño http://bit.ly/2kL64Mf via @mongabaypic.twitter.com/a8ii8u3Y3r [21]
  21. Dr. Alison Kock: Ground-breaking science on why our penguins aren’t doing well. Ecological trap ensnares endangered African penguins https://news.mongabay.com/2017/02/ecological-trap-ensnares-endangered-african-penguins/ … [21]
  22. FAO Forestry: #nowreading Birds wanted: Recovering #forests need avian assist http://bit.ly/2k8L1oZ via @mongabaypic.twitter.com/CEDOZxEAT7 [20]
  23. AMAZON WATCH: Protected areas found to be ‘significant’ sources of carbon emissions — when trees are cut down. http://bit.ly/2ligoOa pic.twitter.com/6w1NcUmWR3 [19]
  24. AMAZON WATCH: Soy invasion poses imminent threat to Amazon, say agricultural experts http://bit.ly/2lsNxnL pic.twitter.com/EYNIFFH5Tp [18]
  25. Gorilla Organization: Indigenous traditional knowledge revival helps conserve great #apes http://ht.ly/kpbq308zqZ4 pic.twitter.com/p7cFK2IA91 [17]
  26. African Conservation: New species of dwarf #lemur discovered in #Madagascar http://fb.me/23RlXIB1M [17]

Twitter retweets

  1. Proposed Trump policy threatens Critically Endangered Grauer’s gorilla ([02/21/2017]) [357]
  2. New species of dwarf lemur discovered in Madagascar ([02/07/2017]) [319]
  3. Survival of nearly 10,000 orangutans in Borneo oil palm estates at stake ([02/27/2017]) [274]
  4. Camera traps reveal undiscovered leopard population in Javan forest ([02/10/2017]) [231]
  5. It’s World Pangolin Day! ([02/18/2017]) [200]
  6. Fighting rhino poaching in India, CSI-style ([02/09/2017]) [190]
  7. Seven ‘most wanted’ elephant poachers arrested in Malaysia ([02/15/2017]) [185]
  8. Will there really be enough sustainable palm oil for the whole market? ([02/07/2017]) [161]
  9. Brazil’s ‘river people’ join forces with indigenous communities, offer alternative to deforestation ([02/10/2017]) [143]
  10. Renowned biologist Edward O. Wilson calls for preserving half of Earth to save biodiversity ([02/22/2017]) [140]
  11. Trump administration delays listing of rusty patched bumblebee as endangered ([02/10/2017]) [133]
  12. Trophy hunters overstate contribution of big game hunting to African economies: Report ([02/10/2017]) [130]
  13. More than 25,000 elephants were killed in a Gabon national park in one decade ([02/24/2017]) [121]
  14. These Indonesian villages are powered by locally sourced sustainable energy ([02/07/2017]) [121]
  15. Protecting Marine Protected Areas ([02/01/2017]) [116]
  16. Environmental lawyer killed in the Philippines ([02/21/2017]) [112]
  17. Battle for the Amazon: As Sinop grew, the Amazon rainforest faded away ([02/01/2017]) [112]
  18. The Philippines declares more than 100,000 acres as critical habitat ([02/02/2017]) [111]
  19. Soy invasion poses imminent threat to Amazon, say agricultural experts ([02/08/2017]) [110]
  20. Documenting the consequences of palm oil production beyond Southeast Asia ([02/06/2017]) [106]
  21. The clouded leopard: conserving Asia’s elusive arboreal acrobat ([02/09/2017]) [99]
  22. Counterintuitive: Global hydropower boom will add to climate change ([02/14/2017]) [97]
  23. How ‘jobless men managing the sea’ restored a mangrove forest in Java ([02/03/2017]) [97]
  24. Scimitar-horned oryx return to the Sahara nearly two decades after going extinct in the wild ([02/20/2017]) [94]
  25. Fish magnet boom creates headaches in Indonesia’s war on overfishing ([02/09/2017]) [94]
  26. Investors learning to pay heed to community land rights ([02/13/2017]) [93]
  27. Brazil alters indigenous land demarcation process, sparking conflict ([02/02/2017]) [92]
  28. Forest protection funds flow to DRC despite ‘illegal’ logging permits ([02/01/2017]) [89]
  29. Protected areas found to be ‘significant’ sources of carbon emissions ([02/17/2017]) [86]

Facebook likes

  1. Proposed Trump policy threatens Critically Endangered Grauer’s gorilla ([02/21/2017]) [37]
  2. The Philippines declares more than 100,000 acres as critical habitat ([02/02/2017]) [22]
  3. Forest protection funds flow to DRC despite ‘illegal’ logging permits ([02/01/2017]) [12]
  4. Seven ‘most wanted’ elephant poachers arrested in Malaysia ([02/15/2017]) [8.9]
  5. Loving apes celebrated this Valentine’s Day ([02/14/2017]) [8.7]
  6. New species of dwarf lemur discovered in Madagascar ([02/07/2017]) [8.6]
  7. Newly discovered gecko loses scales in ‘really bizarre’ behavior ([02/16/2017]) [7.8]
  8. Survival of nearly 10,000 orangutans in Borneo oil palm estates at stake ([02/27/2017]) [7.7]
  9. Resurrected Jeypore ground gecko faces second death sentence ([02/07/2017]) [7.5]
  10. Anger rises over human-elephant conflict in Tanzania ([02/09/2017]) [7.3]
  11. It’s World Pangolin Day! ([02/18/2017]) [7.2]
  12. New population of rare Dryas monkey videotaped for the first time ([02/03/2017]) [6.5]
  13. Latin America palm oil production doubled since 2001 without massive uptick in deforestation ([02/14/2017]) [6.3]
  14. Fighting rhino poaching in India, CSI-style ([02/09/2017]) [6.2]
  15. Environmental lawyer killed in the Philippines ([02/21/2017]) [5.9]
  16. The Republic of Congo: on the cusp of forest conservation ([02/27/2017]) [5.6]
  17. More than 25,000 elephants were killed in a Gabon national park in one decade ([02/24/2017]) [5.4]
  18. Singapore’s wild bird trade threatens exotic species ([02/20/2017]) [5.4]
  19. Camera traps proving to be powerful tool for studying endangered species in remote locations ([02/15/2017]) [5.3]
  20. What happens when the soy and palm oil boom ends? ([02/21/2017]) [5.3]
  21. Q&A with director of short film on The Black Mambas anti-poaching unit in South Africa ([02/03/2017]) [5.3]
  22. Birds wanted: Recovering forests need avian assist ([02/02/2017]) [5.1]
  23. Scrapping Nigerian superhighway buffer isn’t enough, say conservation groups ([02/22/2017]) [5.1]
  24. Wilmar grabbed indigenous lands in Sumatra, RSPO finds ([02/16/2017]) [4.7]
  25. Saving Jamaica Bay’s diamondback terrapins ([02/16/2017]) [4.6]
  26. This new primate is a ‘giant’ among tiny bush babies ([02/22/2017]) [4.4]
  27. Getting there: The rush to turn the Amazon into a soy transport corridor ([02/15/2017]) [4.3]
  28. Increasing tree cover threatens world’s most endangered antelope ([02/13/2017]) [4.3]
  29. Efficient stoves and elephant grass aid primate conservation in northern Vietnam ([02/09/2017]) [4.3]