Mongabay
banner
mongabay.com
Mongabay
@mongabay.com
Award-winning nonprofit media outlet publishing global environmental science & news in 8 languages via bureaus in India, Brazil, Africa, Latin America, Indonesia & US: https://mongabay.com
[Founder's Briefs] Working with Indigenous communities in Colombia's Guainía region, researchers expanded the known record of dragonflies from 10 species to nearly 120.

Now, leaders are recovering ancestral languages to name and monitor these vital freshwater bioindicators.

By Rhett Ayers Butler.
Nearly forgotten languages are finding new words for Colombia’s dragonflies
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. When researchers began cataloging dragonflies in Guainía, a remote…
mongabay.cc
September 19, 2026 at 7:18 PM
In a milestone for local conservation, Congolese NGO Strong Roots has been chosen to co-manage the Itombwe Nature Reserve.

Founded by an Indigenous leader, the organization aims to center local communities, reduce conflict, and protect endangered Grauer’s gorillas.

Elodie Toto reports.
For the first time, Congolese NGO to manage a DRC protected area
For the first time in the modern history of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a Congolese nongovernmental organization will co-manage a protected area in the country. “It is an honor,”…
mongabay.cc
September 19, 2026 at 2:40 PM
Severe drought and extreme heat in Sri Lanka are shrinking water holes, forcing Yala National Park to temporarily close.

With animals congregating at limited water points, conservationists warn of a rising threat: poachers poisoning water holes to hunt wildlife for meat.

Malaka Rodrigo reports.
As drought shrinks Sri Lanka’s water holes, poisoning poses threat to wildlife
YALA, Sri Lanka – One early morning in July 2016, six wildlife officers waited in a patch of scrubland close to a small pond in southern Sri Lanka. They had received information that poachers had…
mongabay.cc
September 19, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Rescuers in Indonesia are racing to save orangutans as fires sweep through their habitat inside an oil palm concession.

While several animals have been evacuated, others remain trapped. Concession owner First Resources says it enforces a strict zero-burning policy.

Hans Nicholas Jong reports.
Rescuers race against time as fires ravage orangutan habitat inside Indonesian oil palm concession
JAKARTA — Conservationists are racing to rescue orangutans from a fire-ravaged peat-swamp forest inside an RSPO-certified oil palm concession in West Kalimantan, with smoke still rising and the…
mongabay.cc
September 19, 2026 at 11:53 AM
India's growing tiger population is a conservation win, but with 30% living outside reserves, encounters with humans are rising.

Experts say reconnecting wildlife corridors and landscape-scale management are crucial to keeping both communities and big cats safe.

Arathi Menon reports for #Mongabay.
India’s tiger success brings a new challenge: Living alongside the big cats
Forty-five-year-old Mahadeva Gowda was tending to his cotton farm in the village of Badagalapura in the southern Indian state of Karnataka when a tiger lunged at him from behind. He was caught…
mongabay.cc
September 19, 2026 at 2:10 AM
From passenger pigeons to endangered Hawaiian snails, a new orchestral work gives voice to species facing extinction.

"Carnival of the Nearly Extinct Animals" blends music, dance, and puppetry to spotlight the global biodiversity crisis.

Learn more! 👇️ mongabay.cc/awZCbX
‘Carnival of the Nearly Extinct Animals’ celebrates species with song
Once upon a time, flocks of passenger pigeons were so dense they blocked the sun like great gray thunderclouds flying overhead. Composer Stephanie Ann Boyd imagines this with music. “You will feel…
mongabay.cc
September 19, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Eight months after U.S. intervention removed Nicolás Maduro and opened Venezuela's mining sector to foreign investment, illegal mining is expanding.

Experts report that criminal groups have tightened their grip while illegal sites push further into protected areas.

Story by Maxwell Radwin.
Since US intervention, Venezuela’s illegal mining crisis has only worsened, critics say
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum traveled to Venezuela in March with over a dozen mining company executives, holding a meeting in Caracas with local officials to discuss creating a…
mongabay.cc
September 18, 2026 at 11:39 PM
Threats to Indigenous territories, oil spill risks, and soaring emissions top concerns surrounding a new U.S.-Venezuela energy deal.

The opaque agreement grants access to 65 billion barrels of heavy crude across sensitive ecosystems.

Learn more in this report by Maxwell Radwin reports.
Venezuela’s historic oil deal with the US reignites environmental, human rights concerns
In late August, the U.S. announced a historic oil deal that gives it access to more than 65 billion barrels of proven reserves in Venezuela, with investment of up to $100 billion in new oil…
mongabay.cc
September 18, 2026 at 10:21 PM
From exposing tiger trafficking to saving snow leopards, powerful storytelling can trigger major conservation wins.

In the latest Newscast with @mikedigirolamo.bsky.social, Sharon Guynup and Steve Winter discuss their new book "Big Cats" and why photojournalism brings honest hope for wildlife.
‘Big Cats’ highlights the remarkable power of photojournalism
Jeff Sikich, the biologist for the National Park Service in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, thought that Steve Winter “was crazy” for wanting to capture a photograph of a mountain lion in front of the…
mongabay.cc
September 18, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Thousands of vessels cross key whale habitats in the Mediterranean at speeds above 15 knots, a lethal threshold for endangered sperm and fin whales.

This investigation reveals the dense maritime traffic threat and the urgent policy solutions needed to protect them.

Learn more! 👇️ 🧵
Can we stop ships from killing the Mediterranean’s last great whales?
Collisions with ships are a leading anthropogenic killer of the Mediterranean’s two endangered large-bodied cetacean species, sperm and fin whales. In 2025, thousands of vessels traveled through the…
mongabay.cc
September 18, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Electric fences caused 14 of 15 recent giant pangolin deaths near Kenya's Nyekweri Forest.

To protect the country's last remaining 30 individuals, local landowners have modified 134 km of fencing to allow safe passage, though habitat loss continues to threaten progress.

Pauline Kairu reports.
Electric fences that kill and the Maasai trying to save Kenya’s last giant pangolins
Naserian, a giant ground pangolin, lived for about two years in Kenya’s last remaining stronghold for this animal, Nyekweri Forest. When researchers from The Pangolin Project began tracking her in…
mongabay.cc
September 18, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Industrial fishing for fishmeal has devastated sardinella stocks off Guinea-Bissau, threatening local food security.

An @occrp.org report links Chinese factory ships and Turkish fleets to the collapse, prompting the government to ban fishmeal production to safeguard community diets.
Report links fishmeal production to decline in key species for Guinea-Bissau communities
Populations of sardinella, an important protein-rich fish, are in rapid decline in the waters off Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. The decline appears to be related to industrial fishing for two species…
mongabay.cc
September 18, 2026 at 2:40 PM
Reposted by Mongabay
As transboundary haze from Indonesia's wildfires continues to wreak havoc in Southeast Asia, @mongabay.com journalists spoke with those living in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines to find out how their daily lives have been affected.
news.mongabay.com/2026/09/in-s...
In Southeast Asia, residents grapple with life under Indonesia’s wildfire haze
KUALA LUMPUR — Video editor Mohamad Haazim has lost count of how many times he refreshes Malaysia’s Air Pollutant Index (API) website every day to check air quality in the city where he lives. It’s be...
news.mongabay.com
September 18, 2026 at 8:10 AM
Plastic pollution costs small-scale fishers in Vietnam an average of $3,421 per vessel annually in damaged gear and lost catch.

A proposed "fishing for litter" initiative could turn the tide, requiring just $60 per vessel per year to pay fishers for collecting marine waste.

Carolyn Cowan reports.
Fishers bear deep costs of plastic pollution in Vietnam, but could help turn the tide
Plastic bags and bottles, aquaculture feed bags, nylon netting and ropes don’t sound like the makings of a healthy fishing haul. However, nets replete with these items are a near-daily reality for…
mongabay.cc
September 18, 2026 at 2:10 AM
Designed to burn 3,000 metric tons of trash daily, a new 42.5 MW waste-to-energy plant in Dhaka aims to ease landfill pressure.

However, local residents fear severe air pollution, even as officials loosen incineration regulations to allow construction to proceed.
Eyamin Sajid reports for #Mongabay.
Dhaka’s waste-to-energy project faces opposition from pollution-weary residents
At years old, Yeasmin Begum has lived near the Amin Bazar landfill on the outskirts of Dhaka her whole life. She says the stench often triggers allergies, including colds and coughing. “Sometimes it…
mongabay.cc
September 18, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Four Amazonian nations are currently run by right-wing leaders favoring resource exploitation.

With Brazil’s upcoming election, up to 95% of the Amazon could soon be governed by mining and agribusiness-friendly administrations.

@lucas-berti.bsky.social reports for #Mongabay.
Brazil election could put 95% of the Amazon under right-wing governments
With 60% of the rainforest hanging in the balance, Brazil’s upcoming election could seal the Amazon's fate.
mongabay.cc
September 17, 2026 at 10:21 PM
At Mongabay, we aim to deliver fact-based, independent environmental news.

Share your feedback in our annual reader survey to help us improve our work.
👉️ mongabay.cc/iPMUuD
September 17, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Reposted by Mongabay
Glad to share that this project by @mongabay.com's video team has won a 🏆 Covering Climate Now Award 🏆 for its "tender, gracefully filmed short doc" about Mexico's first #climatechange -displaced community

The government has resettled them far inland, but their livelihoods are still on the water:
This village was swallowed by the sea. What happened after?
YouTube video by Mongabay
www.youtube.com
September 17, 2026 at 6:54 PM
As offshore wind expands to meet climate goals, mitigating its impact on marine ecosystems is vital.

From technical fixes during construction to policy changes at decommissioning, experts outline 10 ways to ensure offshore wind works with nature.

A reporting series by Sean Mowbray for #Mongabay.
10 promising ways to ‘green’ offshore wind
Read the stories in Mongabay’s series on offshore wind energy: Part One, Part Two and Part Three. Offshore wind has enormous potential as a source of renewable energy and is tipped to greatly expand…
mongabay.cc
September 17, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Reposted by Mongabay
Are we trading one environmental catastrophe for another under the disguise of #EnergySecurity? Why do #Japan’s biomass plants include dangerous explosions and heavy pollution?

For @mongabay.com, my latest piece unpacks the risks of wood pellets for power news.mongabay.com/2026/08/conc...
Concerns grow over ‘green’ biomass power in Japan after spate of accidents
For the past decade, Japan has been expanding the use of woody biomass for power generation to replace or be mixed and burned with coal. The country is now the second-largest wood pellet consumer in t...
news.mongabay.com
September 17, 2026 at 3:08 PM
With 45% of migratory bird species in decline and 1 in 9 facing extinction, over 100 organizations signed the Nairobi Flyways Declaration.

The landmark agreement aims to integrate bird flyway conservation directly into global development planning and finance.

Wilson Odhiambo reports for #Mongabay.
Decline of migratory birds spurs calls for coordinated conservation
NAIROBI — The decline of many migratory bird populations is a red flag that ecosystems around the world are under increasing pressure, conservation experts warn, adding it’s time for governments to…
mongabay.cc
September 17, 2026 at 5:14 PM
In search of territory and mates, three wild dog brothers in Zambia logged 4,126 km (2,564 mi) across nine months.

The record-setting trek shows wild dog populations remain connected, reinforcing the need for large-scale landscape conservation.

Ryan Truscott reports for #Mongabay.
Longest African mammal movement recorded by Zambian wild dogs
Three male African wild dogs in Zambia have travelled more than 4,000 kilometers, about 2,500 miles, in search of new territory and mates, according to a new study. This nine-month odyssey, about…
mongabay.cc
September 17, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Severe drought in southern Angola is forcing pastoral communities to cross into Namibia for survival.

Experts say reviving historical, Indigenous seasonal migration routes could serve as a vital climate adaptation strategy as extreme weather intensifies in the region.

Elodie Toto reports.
Angolan communities return to seasonal migration amid severe drought
Several years of severe drought are forcing people to leave their homes in Angola to search for water and food in neighboring Namibia. “There is real hunger and thirst here; that’s why the village…
mongabay.cc
September 17, 2026 at 2:40 PM
[Commentary] 500 conservation experts gathered in Nepal to adopt the Kathmandu Resolution 2026.

In this op-ed researcher Sayan Banerjee details the pact’s push for trans-Asian collaboration, resource mobilization, and regional leadership to drive future conservation efforts across the continent.
Kathmandu Resolution calls for Asia-wide leadership on conservation (commentary)
There is perhaps no other continent on earth that possesses as diverse an ecosystem, biodiversity and cultural diversity as Asia. Yet, biodiversity conservation in Asia is in constant crisis, due to…
mongabay.cc
September 17, 2026 at 12:17 PM
For over two decades, Manish Chandi has studied tribal communities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In an interview with Latoya Abulu, he details the ecological importance of tribal reserves and why isolated communities must be granted full autonomy to determine their own destinies.
‘They should choose their own destinies’: Manish Chandi on India’s isolated tribes
From above, the North Sentinel Island tribal reserve in India’s Andaman and Nicobar archipelago is a thick, unbroken patch of dark green — starkly surrounded by the shimmering coastal blue waters of…
mongabay.cc
September 17, 2026 at 11:53 AM