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Award-winning nonprofit media outlet publishing global environmental science & news in 6 languages via bureaus in India, Brazil, Africa, Latin America, Indonesia & US: https://mongabay.com
Brazil’s admirable little red-bellied toad—thumb-sized and critically endangered—once stopped a hydroelectric dam that threatened its only habitat.
After the 2024 floods, researchers returned and found it still holding on, but climate change, plantations and trafficking risks loom.
After the 2024 floods, researchers returned and found it still holding on, but climate change, plantations and trafficking risks loom.
The first amphibian to halt a hydroelectric dam now takes on the climate crisis
ARVOREZINHA, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil — The admirable little red-bellied toad is the size of a thumb, but it has achieved giant feats: In 2014, it prevented the construction of a small hydroelectric…
news.mongabay.com
December 26, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Brazil’s admirable little red-bellied toad—thumb-sized and critically endangered—once stopped a hydroelectric dam that threatened its only habitat.
After the 2024 floods, researchers returned and found it still holding on, but climate change, plantations and trafficking risks loom.
After the 2024 floods, researchers returned and found it still holding on, but climate change, plantations and trafficking risks loom.
Across Latin America, police forces lack public trust, & in environmental conflicts this deepens into violence & corruption where the state is scarce. In Peru, Bolivia & Ecuador, collusion with organized crime is assumed; in Brazil, police act as shock forces. Since the 1990s, 773 people have died.
In the Amazon, law enforcement against environmental crime remains controversial
Trust in the criminal justice system varies among countries in the Pan Amazon, but in no country do citizens have an overall positive view of the police. In the Andean Republics, distrust of the…
news.mongabay.com
December 26, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Across Latin America, police forces lack public trust, & in environmental conflicts this deepens into violence & corruption where the state is scarce. In Peru, Bolivia & Ecuador, collusion with organized crime is assumed; in Brazil, police act as shock forces. Since the 1990s, 773 people have died.
Bethany “Bee” Smith bridged research and public understanding, studying sharks where trust and policy mattered as much as data. After years of preparation, she documented a live megamouth shark — evidence over thrill.
She died at 24 in Indonesia, working on shark conservation.
She died at 24 in Indonesia, working on shark conservation.
Bethany “Bee” Smith, researcher who documented a megamouth shark alive, died in a diving accident, aged 24
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. The risks of field science are usually described in abstract terms.…
news.mongabay.com
December 26, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Bethany “Bee” Smith bridged research and public understanding, studying sharks where trust and policy mattered as much as data. After years of preparation, she documented a live megamouth shark — evidence over thrill.
She died at 24 in Indonesia, working on shark conservation.
She died at 24 in Indonesia, working on shark conservation.
Rediscovered in Nepal in 2024 after 185 years, the Asian small-clawed otter has since gone unseen. Its small size, look-alike species and limited survey funding make detection difficult as priorities center on tigers and rhinos.
Still, plans are underway to include it in Nepal’s otter action plan.
Still, plans are underway to include it in Nepal’s otter action plan.
In Nepal, the world’s smallest otter continues to elude researchers
KATHMANDU — A year ago, the appearance of the Asian small-clawed otter in Nepal created a buzz, given that the species hadn’t been seen in the country in 185 years. Since then, however, it’s…
news.mongabay.com
December 26, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Rediscovered in Nepal in 2024 after 185 years, the Asian small-clawed otter has since gone unseen. Its small size, look-alike species and limited survey funding make detection difficult as priorities center on tigers and rhinos.
Still, plans are underway to include it in Nepal’s otter action plan.
Still, plans are underway to include it in Nepal’s otter action plan.
Mongabay founder @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social has written 70+ obituaries this year for people who spent their lives defending the natural world.
These portraits show ordinary people standing between ecosystems and erosion, proving protection happens through imperfect, sustained effort.
These portraits show ordinary people standing between ecosystems and erosion, proving protection happens through imperfect, sustained effort.
Environmental defenders & conservationists who died in 2025
I write short obituaries for people who spent their lives protecting parts of the natural world. I work on them in the margins of other responsibilities, yet they have become a constant. In 2025, I…
news.mongabay.com
December 26, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Mongabay founder @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social has written 70+ obituaries this year for people who spent their lives defending the natural world.
These portraits show ordinary people standing between ecosystems and erosion, proving protection happens through imperfect, sustained effort.
These portraits show ordinary people standing between ecosystems and erosion, proving protection happens through imperfect, sustained effort.
Jeff Foott came from a generation that learned the outdoors through work, science and rescue rather than career ambition.
Trained as a marine biologist, he turned to film and photography to show what was at risk. His images favored clarity over spectacle, letting the work speak for change.
Trained as a marine biologist, he turned to film and photography to show what was at risk. His images favored clarity over spectacle, letting the work speak for change.
Jeff Foott, chronicler of ice, rock, and change, has died, aged 80
For much of the second half of the 20th century, the American outdoors attracted a particular kind of devotee. They moved easily between disciplines, took seasonal work without much concern for…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Jeff Foott came from a generation that learned the outdoors through work, science and rescue rather than career ambition.
Trained as a marine biologist, he turned to film and photography to show what was at risk. His images favored clarity over spectacle, letting the work speak for change.
Trained as a marine biologist, he turned to film and photography to show what was at risk. His images favored clarity over spectacle, letting the work speak for change.
A state-funded survey across California has uncovered hundreds of fungi new to science, part of a first-of-its-kind biodiversity effort.
Often overlooked, fungi support plant growth and store carbon — knowledge that could guide conservation and forest restoration as wildfires intensify.
Often overlooked, fungi support plant growth and store carbon — knowledge that could guide conservation and forest restoration as wildfires intensify.
Statewide survey aims to put California’s fungi on the conservation map
Getting to The Cedars, an ecological preserve in California’s Sonoma county, is a slog. Multiple rivers and creeks must be crossed, and it can be tough going on an often storm-destroyed road. But…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 10:21 PM
A state-funded survey across California has uncovered hundreds of fungi new to science, part of a first-of-its-kind biodiversity effort.
Often overlooked, fungi support plant growth and store carbon — knowledge that could guide conservation and forest restoration as wildfires intensify.
Often overlooked, fungi support plant growth and store carbon — knowledge that could guide conservation and forest restoration as wildfires intensify.
Flash floods near Padang swept timber and mud into coastal waters, blocking access to sea routes and cutting off livelihoods.
Fishers report damaged boats and lost income, while scientists warn sediment and debris are harming coastal ecosystems. Groups blame illegal logging upstream.
Fishers report damaged boats and lost income, while scientists warn sediment and debris are harming coastal ecosystems. Groups blame illegal logging upstream.
A flood of logs post-Cyclone Senyar leaves Padang fishers out of work
PADANG, Indonesia — At low tide along Padang’s coastline, fishing boats sit idle, not because of rough seas, but because the water is clogged with timber. In late November, flash floods from Cyclone…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Flash floods near Padang swept timber and mud into coastal waters, blocking access to sea routes and cutting off livelihoods.
Fishers report damaged boats and lost income, while scientists warn sediment and debris are harming coastal ecosystems. Groups blame illegal logging upstream.
Fishers report damaged boats and lost income, while scientists warn sediment and debris are harming coastal ecosystems. Groups blame illegal logging upstream.
Kenya’s 2025 wildlife census shows mixed trends: elephants, rhinos and giraffes are rising after years of anti-poaching and community conservation, while lions, cheetahs, wild dogs and wetland birds are declining.
Officials say the findings must guide policy and land-use planning.
Officials say the findings must guide policy and land-use planning.
Kenyan wildlife census reveals conservation wins and losses
Kenya’s 2025 National Wildlife Census report has revealed a complex trend in wildlife: Populations of some iconic animal species are steadily growing, while other populations are declining or remain…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Kenya’s 2025 wildlife census shows mixed trends: elephants, rhinos and giraffes are rising after years of anti-poaching and community conservation, while lions, cheetahs, wild dogs and wetland birds are declining.
Officials say the findings must guide policy and land-use planning.
Officials say the findings must guide policy and land-use planning.
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
Conservation messaging is shifting from constant crisis to agency & evidence, as alarm fatigue sets in. Practitioners say durable efforts hinge on local leadership, transparency, community benefits & funding that aligns human well-being with nature.
Conservation messaging is shifting from constant crisis to agency & evidence, as alarm fatigue sets in. Practitioners say durable efforts hinge on local leadership, transparency, community benefits & funding that aligns human well-being with nature.
Rethinking how we talk about conservation—and why it matters
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. For a movement so often framed by loss—and confronting a…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 7:18 PM
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
Conservation messaging is shifting from constant crisis to agency & evidence, as alarm fatigue sets in. Practitioners say durable efforts hinge on local leadership, transparency, community benefits & funding that aligns human well-being with nature.
Conservation messaging is shifting from constant crisis to agency & evidence, as alarm fatigue sets in. Practitioners say durable efforts hinge on local leadership, transparency, community benefits & funding that aligns human well-being with nature.
[COMMENTARY]
Protected areas anchor global conservation, but their social impacts remain disputed.
A study in Central Africa and Madagascar finds benefits and harms vary. The authors urge conservation to take these perceptions seriously.
** Views expressed are those of the authors.
Protected areas anchor global conservation, but their social impacts remain disputed.
A study in Central Africa and Madagascar finds benefits and harms vary. The authors urge conservation to take these perceptions seriously.
** Views expressed are those of the authors.
Protected areas in Africa are vital but local perceptions vary (commentary)
Protected areas (PAs) are cornerstones of global biodiversity conservation strategy, yet their social impacts remain contentious. The prevailing narrative often pits global benefits, like biodiversity...
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 6:15 PM
[COMMENTARY]
Protected areas anchor global conservation, but their social impacts remain disputed.
A study in Central Africa and Madagascar finds benefits and harms vary. The authors urge conservation to take these perceptions seriously.
** Views expressed are those of the authors.
Protected areas anchor global conservation, but their social impacts remain disputed.
A study in Central Africa and Madagascar finds benefits and harms vary. The authors urge conservation to take these perceptions seriously.
** Views expressed are those of the authors.
As the EU’s deforestation-free regulation takes effect in 2026, companies will lean on satellite maps to prove their supply chains are compliant.
But a new review warns most maps can’t meet EUDR standards, risking misclassification in places where agroforestry and forests look alike.
But a new review warns most maps can’t meet EUDR standards, risking misclassification in places where agroforestry and forests look alike.
Researchers find concerning gaps in global maps used for EUDR compliance
A recent scientific review of forest maps used to ensure compliance with the European Union’s Regulation on Deforestation-free products, known as the EUDR, suggests that most may over- or…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 5:14 PM
As the EU’s deforestation-free regulation takes effect in 2026, companies will lean on satellite maps to prove their supply chains are compliant.
But a new review warns most maps can’t meet EUDR standards, risking misclassification in places where agroforestry and forests look alike.
But a new review warns most maps can’t meet EUDR standards, risking misclassification in places where agroforestry and forests look alike.
Narcotrafficking gangs in coastal Ecuador are now trafficking shark fins alongside cocaine, per Código Vidrio.
Shark fins move through the Galápagos en route to Asia, exploiting a bycatch loophole. This expansion into illegal fishing is driving violence against local fishers.
Shark fins move through the Galápagos en route to Asia, exploiting a bycatch loophole. This expansion into illegal fishing is driving violence against local fishers.
Drug gangs in Ecuador and Peru also involved in shark fin trafficking: Report
Narcotrafficking gangs operating out of Manabí, a coastal province of Ecuador, are also involved in trafficking shark fins alongside their drug operations, according to a recent investigation by…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Narcotrafficking gangs in coastal Ecuador are now trafficking shark fins alongside cocaine, per Código Vidrio.
Shark fins move through the Galápagos en route to Asia, exploiting a bycatch loophole. This expansion into illegal fishing is driving violence against local fishers.
Shark fins move through the Galápagos en route to Asia, exploiting a bycatch loophole. This expansion into illegal fishing is driving violence against local fishers.
Southern sea otters along California’s coast are struggling as warming seas reshape their world.
Human disturbance limits foraging, sharks expand into otter habitat, and kelp forests collapse into mussel beds.
With no census since 2019, numbers may be dropping. A new estimate is due soon.
Human disturbance limits foraging, sharks expand into otter habitat, and kelp forests collapse into mussel beds.
With no census since 2019, numbers may be dropping. A new estimate is due soon.
Zombie urchins & the Blob: California sea otters face new threats & ecosystem shifts
The sea otter pup was tiny, probably less than 2 weeks old, alone in Morro Bay on an October morning earlier this year. A kayaker scooped it out of the water after listening to it endlessly crying…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Southern sea otters along California’s coast are struggling as warming seas reshape their world.
Human disturbance limits foraging, sharks expand into otter habitat, and kelp forests collapse into mussel beds.
With no census since 2019, numbers may be dropping. A new estimate is due soon.
Human disturbance limits foraging, sharks expand into otter habitat, and kelp forests collapse into mussel beds.
With no census since 2019, numbers may be dropping. A new estimate is due soon.
Despite its no-deforestation pledge, Royal Golden Eagle's pulp supply chain has caused 5,565 hectare natural forest loss in Indonesian Borneo, according to a new report.
Timber tied to the clearing flowed to an RGE mill in China, raising doubts over FSC certification and financial backing.
Timber tied to the clearing flowed to an RGE mill in China, raising doubts over FSC certification and financial backing.
Pulp giant RGE admits possible deforestation breach in Bornean wildlife habitat
JAKARTA — One of the world’s biggest pulp and paper companies has acknowledged to Mongabay a potential breach of its no-deforestation commitment in its supply chain, raising questions about the…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Despite its no-deforestation pledge, Royal Golden Eagle's pulp supply chain has caused 5,565 hectare natural forest loss in Indonesian Borneo, according to a new report.
Timber tied to the clearing flowed to an RGE mill in China, raising doubts over FSC certification and financial backing.
Timber tied to the clearing flowed to an RGE mill in China, raising doubts over FSC certification and financial backing.
Fishing cats in Bangladesh are nearing extinction as they struggle to survive alongside expanding human settlements.
Experts say hotspot-based action is needed to stop killings now, but warn that long-term solutions are essential for their future.
Experts say hotspot-based action is needed to stop killings now, but warn that long-term solutions are essential for their future.
Fishing cats need hotspot-based conservation in Bangladesh, research shows
Wildlife researchers have confirmed the presence of endangered fishing cats in 158 subdistricts that cover about 32% of Bangladesh’s territory. At first glance, this may seem like charming news. But…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Fishing cats in Bangladesh are nearing extinction as they struggle to survive alongside expanding human settlements.
Experts say hotspot-based action is needed to stop killings now, but warn that long-term solutions are essential for their future.
Experts say hotspot-based action is needed to stop killings now, but warn that long-term solutions are essential for their future.
s the EU delays its anti-deforestation law yet again, forests remain at risk. The EUDR — meant to ensure beef, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy and other commodities aren’t linked to post-2020 deforestation — is now pushed to 2026, with lobby pressure and IT issues driving the setback.
EU votes to delay EUDR antideforestation law for second year in a row
The European Parliament voted on Dec. 17 to delay a key antideforestation regulation that was adopted in 2023 and originally supposed to be implemented at the end of 2024. The implementation was…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 12:17 PM
s the EU delays its anti-deforestation law yet again, forests remain at risk. The EUDR — meant to ensure beef, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy and other commodities aren’t linked to post-2020 deforestation — is now pushed to 2026, with lobby pressure and IT issues driving the setback.
As forests vanish in Tanzania’s Pare mountains, tree hyraxes are adapting by sheltering in rock crevices on steep cliffs.
A new study found notable vocal differences from other populations. The researchers say this indicates that the Pare hyraxes could be a distinct lineage.
A new study found notable vocal differences from other populations. The researchers say this indicates that the Pare hyraxes could be a distinct lineage.
Tanzania’s tree-climbing hyraxes have adapted to life without trees
Despite their name, tree hyraxes — small, furry, nocturnal African mammals — don’t always live in trees. In Tanzania’s Pare mountains, near the border with Kenya, they’ve adapted to life on steep…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 11:53 AM
As forests vanish in Tanzania’s Pare mountains, tree hyraxes are adapting by sheltering in rock crevices on steep cliffs.
A new study found notable vocal differences from other populations. The researchers say this indicates that the Pare hyraxes could be a distinct lineage.
A new study found notable vocal differences from other populations. The researchers say this indicates that the Pare hyraxes could be a distinct lineage.
In southern Ecuador’s Achuar territory, 62 km of new roads opened since 2022 have driven forest loss and illegal logging, community conflict, and the killing of two Indigenous people — exposing deep tensions over development and protection.
All new roads lead to increased deforestation in Ecuador’s Indigenous territory
Between March and May 2025, at least eight children from the Achuar Indigenous community died of leptospirosis in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon. The disease is preventable with access to safe…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 2:10 AM
In southern Ecuador’s Achuar territory, 62 km of new roads opened since 2022 have driven forest loss and illegal logging, community conflict, and the killing of two Indigenous people — exposing deep tensions over development and protection.
Human–elephant conflict is rising in Southern Africa, fueling calls for culls. Conservation groups instead promote coexistence — using tech to warn farmers and support livelihoods, while both people and elephants adapt to reduce conflict.
How Southern African farmers & elephants can both adapt to coexist
Elephants are considered a sacred totem by many in northwestern Zimbabwe, but they also frequently raid villagers’ crops near harvest time, says Agripa Ngorima, who has studied attitudes toward…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Human–elephant conflict is rising in Southern Africa, fueling calls for culls. Conservation groups instead promote coexistence — using tech to warn farmers and support livelihoods, while both people and elephants adapt to reduce conflict.
After Cyclone Senyar killed 1,059 people in Sumatra, Aceh deployed trained rescue elephants to clear massive flood debris where machines couldn’t reach.
Officials stressed animal welfare, though at least one Sumatran elephant was lost in the floods.
Officials stressed animal welfare, though at least one Sumatran elephant was lost in the floods.
Tsunami veteran rescue elephants mobilized for Indonesia cyclone disaster relief
PIDIE JAYA, Indonesia — A group of specialist Sumatran elephants have joined recovery operations in Aceh following the catastrophic landfall of Cyclone Senyar in late November — two decades after the…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 12:10 AM
After Cyclone Senyar killed 1,059 people in Sumatra, Aceh deployed trained rescue elephants to clear massive flood debris where machines couldn’t reach.
Officials stressed animal welfare, though at least one Sumatran elephant was lost in the floods.
Officials stressed animal welfare, though at least one Sumatran elephant was lost in the floods.
New conservation tech is helping counter increasingly sophisticated poachers. A new alliance between open-source platforms combines real-time monitoring with long-term analysis, lowering barriers to adoption, especially in the Global South.
Tech alone won’t stop poaching, but it’s changing how rangers work
As anti-poaching techniques have improved over the years, poachers have increasingly used technology to evade detection by patrols and park rangers. Now, conservationists are rising to the challenge…
news.mongabay.com
December 24, 2025 at 11:15 PM
New conservation tech is helping counter increasingly sophisticated poachers. A new alliance between open-source platforms combines real-time monitoring with long-term analysis, lowering barriers to adoption, especially in the Global South.
AI is reshaping journalism, but Mongabay is seeing deeper engagement as readers value verified, accountable reporting. As synthetic content floods feeds, trust, transparency, and original journalism matter more than ever.
A reflection by Mongabay Founder and CEO @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social:
A reflection by Mongabay Founder and CEO @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social:
The value of journalism in the AI era
The arrival of generative artificial intelligence has unsettled journalism in familiar ways. Traffic models look fragile. Copyright is contested. The marginal cost of producing words has collapsed.…
news.mongabay.com
December 24, 2025 at 10:21 PM
AI is reshaping journalism, but Mongabay is seeing deeper engagement as readers value verified, accountable reporting. As synthetic content floods feeds, trust, transparency, and original journalism matter more than ever.
A reflection by Mongabay Founder and CEO @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social:
A reflection by Mongabay Founder and CEO @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social:
An NGO is building a 1M-hectare wildlife corridor in eastern DRC by securing community forest lands between two reserves.
Nearly 600,000 ha are protected so far, linking conservation with community rights despite conflict challenges.
Nearly 600,000 ha are protected so far, linking conservation with community rights despite conflict challenges.
Congo’s communities are creating a 1-million-hectare biodiversity corridor
Dominique Bikaba’s family was once displaced from vibrant rainforests in the Congo Basin to make way for a sweeping national park. Today, a conservationist who also champions the protection of…
news.mongabay.com
December 24, 2025 at 9:01 PM
An NGO is building a 1M-hectare wildlife corridor in eastern DRC by securing community forest lands between two reserves.
Nearly 600,000 ha are protected so far, linking conservation with community rights despite conflict challenges.
Nearly 600,000 ha are protected so far, linking conservation with community rights despite conflict challenges.
Rare galaxy frogs vanished from India’s Western Ghats after harmful photography tourism, a study finds.
Researchers urge stricter rules to protect this uniquely endangered species and its fragile habitat.
Researchers urge stricter rules to protect this uniquely endangered species and its fragile habitat.
Photo tourism threatens rare galaxy frog population in India’s Western Ghats
Seven threatened galaxy frogs (Melanobatrachus indicus) are gone from a research site in India’s Western Ghats after photographers seeking images of the rare, star-patterned amphibians destroyed…
news.mongabay.com
December 24, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Rare galaxy frogs vanished from India’s Western Ghats after harmful photography tourism, a study finds.
Researchers urge stricter rules to protect this uniquely endangered species and its fragile habitat.
Researchers urge stricter rules to protect this uniquely endangered species and its fragile habitat.