Nature's resilience against our destructive force is amazing.

Novel research finds unexpected climate resilience in up to 36% of Amazon forest Reports on the health and vitality of the Amazon — often dubbed as Earth’s lungs — have been grim for years. Record drought has stressed large swaths of the world’s largest rainforest. Major Amazon…

New research offers a rare sign of hope for the Amazon rainforest. While drought, heat, and deforestation push the biome toward a tipping point, a study finds that low-water-table wetland forests are showing unexpected climate resilience.

Justin Catanoso reports for #Mongabay.

New mahogany species found in Zanzibar — but fewer than 30 trees remain A small group of mahogany trees were found growing along a 200-meter (650-foot) stretch of shoreline on Pemba Island, Zanzibar. Scientists have recently confirmed the tree is a new species, but with…

Scientists have confirmed a new mahogany species in Zanzibar, but only 27 trees remain.

Found along a beach on Pemba Island, the critically endangered species faces threats from storms and illegal logging.

Conservationists are now racing to raise seedlings to save the species from extinction.

Second progress report shows little action on World Bank redress plan at Liberian plantation A year after the World Bank approved a plan to redress community grievances over inadequate compensation and sexual harassment at Liberia’s Salala Rubber Corporation, a progress report provides…

Communities in Liberia say they are being ignored after a World Bank ombudsman validated their claims of human rights abuses.

While a redress plan was promised in 2023, recent progress reports indicate no contact has been made.

Victoria Schneider reports for #Mongabay.

Indian border town adjacent to Bhutan is reeling from riverbed pollution Jaigaon, a densely populated town on India’s border with Bhutan, is facing a crisis of poor waste disposal, reports contributor Chandrani Sinha for Mongabay India. Much of the town’s plastic,…

In the border town of Jaigaon, India, plastic and medical waste dumped along the Torsa River is fueling a health crisis. Residents report illness from toxic fumes and water pollution.

While local youth lead weekly cleanups, activists say urgent government waste management is needed.

[Photo of the week] New Zealand’s kākāpō population is seeing its biggest breeding season on record. At least 95 rare parrot hatchlings are growing on predator-free islands.

Conservationists hope this milestone marks a step toward a self-sustaining population.

Learn more 👉️ mongabay.cc/N1gImq

Emperor penguins are now endangered amid climate change and melting ice Emperor penguins are native to Antarctica, where record low sea ice over the last decade has dramatically changed their habitat. Populations of the world’s largest penguin have fallen so much that…

The emperor penguin is now officially endangered. Record low sea ice in Antarctica has decimated colonies, with populations projected to fall 50% within 50 years.

This International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List update is a "warning" that climate change is accelerating the extinction.

Chile’s ancient conifers host underground web of life that sustains forests: Study In an isolated valley within Alerce Costero National Park in southern Chile, one tree towers above all others. At 30 meters (100 feet) high, this alerce abuelo or grandpa alerce, is estimated to be…

A 2,400-year-old alerce tree in Chile hosts twice the fungal diversity of its younger peers. This underground "web of life" supports the entire forest floor, but real estate and climate change threaten these endangered conifers.

@sofiamoutinho.bsky.social reports for #Mongabay.

Giant otters, river sentinels, now listed as threatened migratory species With evidence that the giant river otter is in an increasingly perilous state, delegates to the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) listed it as an animal…

Giant otters are now listed under the UN Convention on Migratory Species. With populations down by 50% over 25 years due to pollution and habitat loss, this move encourages the protection of these "river sentinels" across their strongholds in the Amazon.

@gufalei.bsky.social reports for #Mongabay.

EU citizens file complaint for delays in response to anti-shark fin campaign The organizers of a campaign against shark finning in the European Union have filed a formal complaint against the EU Commission, accusing it of mishandling their case and missing deadlines. The…

EU citizens have filed a formal complaint against the European Commission for stalling a ban on the shark fin trade.

Despite 1.1 million signatures, organizers say the commission missed deadlines and stopped communicating, leaving a major loophole in global shark protections.

On the shores of Lake Victoria, a youth-led campaign to revive a wetland KISUMU, Kenya — On a December morning, the early sunshine casts a golden sheen on the waters of Lake Victoria in Kenya’s Kisumu county. The breeze from the lake carries the melody of birds, as a…

On the shores of Lake Victoria, youth-led efforts are reviving the Dunga wetland. After years of clearing plastic waste, the Dunga Ecotourism and Environmental Association is now pushing for official government protection to save this Key Biodiversity Area.

Achieng’ Otieno reports for #Mongabay.

War on Iran disrupts efforts to save the Asiatic cheetah, world’s rarest big cat Before the war began in February 2026, there was some rare good news for Iran’s imperiled Asiatic cheetahs. Rangers spotted and filmed a female in the North Khorasan province accompanied by five cubs…

Fewer than 30 Asiatic cheetahs remain in the wild, all in Iran.

While the subspecies has been protected since 1959, war and sanctions are now disrupting vital conservation efforts, leaving the world’s rarest big cat on the brink of extinction.

@ayleighk.bsky.social reports for #Mongabay.

In Indonesia, a coastal vine used as medicine now signals ecological decline SUMALATA, Indonesia — Following encounters while diving, Gusnar Ismail has long turned to the morning glory plants growing on sandbanks here on the north of Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island. “When I get…

In Indonesia, beach morning glory is more than a medicinal vine; it’s a natural barrier against coastal erosion. But in Gorontalo province, industrial development is wiping it out.

The loss of this plant threatens both traditional healthcare and the resilience of local sand dunes.

Invasives take over native plant spaces in Nepal’s cities KATHMANDU — Until a few decades ago, botanist Bharat Babu Shrestha observed abundant growth of Indian pennywort (Centella asiatica) across large areas of Kathmandu. But the low-growing herb,…

In Kathmandu, a preference for fast-growing exotic plants is fueling an invasive species crisis. Habitat loss and weak monitoring have allowed non-native plants to displace local ecosystems.

Experts say Nepal needs urgent policy shifts and early control measures to restore urban biodiversity.

The Asiatic cheetah is on the brink of extinction, with just 27 left in Iran. Now, war visits fresh peril on this critically endangered species. news.mongabay.com/2026/04/war-...

How quickly do tropical forests recover? Faster than expected, but slower than it seems A tropical forest can regrow quickly. What is harder to see is how long full ecological recovery takes. A pasture left to regenerate may, within a few decades, resemble a forest again. But…

[Founder's briefs - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social] Tropical forests can regrow in decades, but full recovery is complex. While species diversity can bounce back fast, a regrown forest isn't the one lost.

Experts say allowing natural regeneration near intact habitats is key for conservation.

Loss of prey could drive Atlantic Forest jaguars to extinction Conserving the dwindling jaguar population in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest won’t be possible without protecting its prey. That’s the conclusion of a new study, which found that the absence of deer,…

Hunting is wiping out the prey jaguars need to survive in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Conservationists are calling for stricter enforcement and habitat reconnection. Rewilding the forest may be the only way to save the remaining jaguars.

Sean Mowbray reports for #Mongabay.

24 new species found in ocean zone eyed for battery metals mining Researchers pulled 24 tiny new creatures from a deep abyss in the central Pacific Ocean, some with long, spindly legs and others with more squat, compact bodies. Some appeared to feed on the sediment…

Scientists have discovered 24 new species & an entirely new evolutionary branch in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a deep-sea abyss 4,000 meters below the Pacific.
This region is hotspot for biodiversity, yet it is also one of the most commercially coveted tracts of ocean.

Liz Kimbrough for #Mongabay.

Mennonites from Belize spark deforestation fears with new settlement plans in Suriname SHIPYARD, Belize — Mennonite families in Belize are preparing to move to Suriname to establish massive farming communities in a heavily forested area, multiple sources told Mongabay, raising concerns…

A new settlement plan for 24,000 hectares in Suriname has sparked fears of forest loss.

Mennonite leaders from Belize are analyzing soil for a major relocation, but conservationists worry about the group’s history of expanding into protected forests and bypassing environmental rules.

screenshot of Mongabay article depicting a critically-endangered Asiatic cheetah with the headline "War on Iran disrupts efforts to save the Asiatic cheetah, world's rarest big cat"

only 27 left: we may lose Asiatic cheetahs because of this war. "I doubt that the government has any money left for the conservation of the cheetah” says Jamshid Parchizadeh in @mongabay.com: news.mongabay.com/2026/04/war-... 🧪🌍

Migratory species summit adopts new marine protections amid extinction warnings Dozens of migratory animals, including 33 marine species, gained new protections during the recent summit for the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. The 15th…

At #COP15 in Brazil, delegates adopted protections for 40 migratory species, including 33 marine animals. While conservationists laud the move, the summit issued a stark warning: Extinction and species decline are accelerating globally.

@francescomda.bsky.social reports for #Mongabay.

At high seas treaty summit, a dispute over fisheries managers’ role in conservation For conservationists, one of the major achievements of the high seas treaty was that it created a means to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) in international waters. High seas MPAs are viewed…

A UN summit in New York recently drafted rules for the new high seas treaty. While the treaty aims to create marine protected areas, observers worry that proposals from fisheries managers could prioritize industry interests and inhibit large-scale conservation.

Edward Carver reports for #Mongabay.

The little-known story of emerging ecotourism in the Central African Republic BAYANGA, Central African Republic — For many outside the country, the Central African Republic remains defined by a set of familiar images: conflict, instability, weak infrastructure and a state that…

Despite past instability, the Central African Republic is seeing a modest rise in ecotourism. From forest elephants to lowland gorillas, wildlife is drawing visitors and revenue to the Congo Basin.

Challenges remain, but local guides report gradual growth and new economic opportunities.

The ‘unfair’ job of being a conservationist in a world working against nature Jessie Panazzolo was given a stuffed gorilla when she was 3, and from then on, she always wanted to be a conservationist. But a reasonable career track of being gainfully employed or on a livable…

Conservationists face grueling conditions, low pay, & a rising mental health crisis.

On the Mongabay Newscast with @mikedigirolamo.bsky.social, Jessie Panazzolo discusses "eco-grief" & why the industry must stop exploiting passion to build a more sustainable future for those protecting the planet.

How saving birds protects the planet: Interview with author Scott Weidensaul Best-selling author Scott Weidensaul’s new book is a celebration of species recovery efforts led by scientists, conservationists, and Indigenous communities around the world, beginning with the…

“We know birds are struggling, which should serve as a warning that the systems on which they depend are breaking down. But birds also serve as a handy, readily apparent barometer for when things are starting to go right,” says author Scott Weidensaul in an interview with @erikhoffner.bsky.social.

A French city cut its marine pollution — and its seagrass bounced back Neptune grass is generally regarded as the most ecologically important seagrass and shallow-water habitat in the Mediterranean Sea. It suffered a severe decline during the 20th century, and there…

After decades of decline, Neptune grass is making a “remarkable” comeback off Marseille, France.

A new study shows that stronger environmental rules introduced in the 1980s allowed these vital Mediterranean habitats to regrow naturally.

Edward Carver reports for #Mongabay.

Wildlife concerns remain after Kenya court ruling over luxury safari camp This is the end of a saga that has stirred nature and tourism enthusiasts in Kenya for the past six months. The Environment and Land Court at Narok dismissed a petition filed in August 2025 by…

While Kenyan authorities say a new luxury camp hasn't affected wildlife yet, Maasai leaders and scientists worry the project threatens the Great Migration and traditional livelihoods.

Experts are calling for long-term data to track the impact on wildlife.

Elodie Toto reports for #Mongabay.

A unique clearing in Central Africa draws elephants from the dense forests BAYANGA, Central African Republic — Throughout most of Central Africa, it’s difficult to spot herds of forest elephants all at once. They move through dense rainforest, remaining elusive, their lives…

In the dense forests of Central Africa, Dzanga Bai serves as a vital sanctuary for forest elephants, bongos, and buffalo.

While infrastructure and security challenges limit tourism, this exceptional clearing remains a world-class site for long-term wildlife research and conservation efforts.

Latin America’s largest hospital complex cancels plan to buy shark meat The University of São Paulo Medical School Hospital said it would cancel a plan to buy more than 17 metric tons of shark meat as part of a 2026 procurement, citing concerns over heavy metals. HCFMUSP…

#Impact: Latin America’s largest hospital complex has canceled plans to buy shark meat following new Brazilian policies that ban finning and impose stricter labeling requirements.

These changes follow an investigation by @philjaco.bsky.social and @bykarlamendes.bsky.social for #Mongabay.