With the heat index hitting 45°C, officials in Sri Lanka are urging safeguards against "extreme" temperatures.
This prolonged heatwave, lasting until mid-May, challenges traditional weather models as experts look beyond El Niño for the cause.
Reports Kamanthi Wickramasinghe for #Mongabay.
Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa is reportedly halting wild dolphin sourcing and suspending its captive breeding program. With 20+ Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins involved, experts are now assessing the potential for rehabilitation and transfer to natural sea pens.
By Robin Hicks for #Mongabay.
Since 2023, Indigenous Machiguenga women in the Peruvian Amazon are working to recover 11 varieties of magona potatoes and 17 types of yuca, a traditional cassava. By reclaiming these crops they are preserving their identity and ancient agricultural knowledge.
Story by Astrid Arellano for #Mongabay
Grasslands hold up to 35% of global carbon, yet 190 million hectares were converted for agriculture in the last 15 years.
A new study shows that nonforest ecosystems are being lost to agriculture four times faster than forests.
Learn more in this report by @shannahl.bsky.social for #Mongabay.
A deadly avian virus detected in Brazil’s open-air markets is threatening the recovery of the Spix’s macaw.
Experts warn that without rigorous monitoring and quarantine at rehab centers, this outbreak could devastate species being prepared to return.
Story by @nandawenzel.bsky.social for #Mongabay
Warming temperatures in Nepal’s alpine rangelands are drying wetlands and reducing grazing areas. Both wild and domestic yaks face habitat shrinkage and altered water cycles, threatening the survival of these high-altitude species.
Story by Sonam Lama Hyolmo for #Mongabay.
Activists warn a new U.S.-Indonesia trade deal could accelerate mining and deforestation. Labeled "extractive colonialism," the agreement lacks binding environmental safeguards, risking increased coal use and land conflicts in regions like Sulawesi.
Story by Hans Nicholas Jong for #Mongabay.
Kenya has launched a new 19-goal strategy to reverse the steep decline of sharks and rays. By involving small-scale fishers in decision-making and offering alternative livelihoods, the plan aims to turn the tide for marine biodiversity through community-led action.
By Anthony Langat for #Mongabay.
Four months after a copper and cobalt spill in the DRC, residents in Lubumbashi are still facing contaminated water and failing crops. While a $6M settlement was announced, human rights groups call it insufficient to cover the long-term health damage.
By Ruth Kutemba and Elodie Toto for #Mongabay.
For the first time, researchers have documented sperm whales assisting in a birth—even when they aren't related to the mother.
Sperm whales are known for "alloparenting," but this observation suggests their coordinated care begins at the very moment of birth.
Story by Bobby Bascomb for #Mongabay.
Palm oil clearing has destroyed over 3,000 hectares (7,500 acres) of forest in a #UNESCO biosphere reserve in Indonesian Borneo.
The loss of this critical wildlife corridor threatens orangutan habitat and risks increasing human-wildlife conflict.
Story by Hans Nicholas Jong for #Mongabay.
From koalas to cheetahs, scientists are exploring how the microbiome can aid conservation. Human activity is altering wildlife gut health, but fecal transplants and microbe studies may boost reintroduction success and animal rehabilitation.
Story by Sean Mowbray for #Mongabay.
"Yanuni" follows Indigenous chief Juma Xipaia and her fight to protect the Amazon from illegal gold mining.
Director Richard Ladkani shares behind-the-scenes insights on the dangerous reality of defending the world’s largest rainforest.
Interview by @aimeegabay.bsky.social for #Mongabay.
Restoring landscapes starts with the next generation. The School Food Forest Initiative in Uganda is one of five new African members of the GLFx network.
By planting trees and growing food on school grounds, they are building a greener, more food-secure future.
Charles Mpaka reports for #Mongabay.
As shifting agriculture yields decline, southeastern Bangladesh is embracing a new model. The machan method, growing vines on bamboo structures, is proving more profitable and environmentally stable than traditional jhum, helping farmers adapt to a changing weather.
By Sifayet Ullah for #Mongabay.
In Costa Rica, informal composting is triggering a deadly cascade. A new study shows that poorly managed organic waste attracts raccoons, which account for 91% of sea turtle nest predation.
Learn more in this report by Bobby Bascomb for #Mongabay.
A new study reveals nanoplastic levels in drinking water are 10-100 times higher than previously thought. Using advanced imaging, researchers at Ohio State found that these tiny particles make up over 50% of the plastic detected in our water.
Story by @shannahl.bsky.social for #Mongabay.
A new study reveals the rampant trade of "master birds" in Indonesia.
This unregulated market has caused serious declines in wild populations, including the Javan green magpie. Researchers are calling for urgent law enforcement to shut down these illegal markets.
By Sean Mowbray for #Mongabay.
Indigenous leaders in Pará are fighting to stop the Belo Sun gold mine, demanding that Brazil block a Canadian company's license.
They warn the project will finish destroying the Xingu River, which is already devastated by the Belo Monte dam.
By @shannahl.bsky.social for #Mongabay.
Why are Chinese state-owned deep-sea mining vessels outside research zones?
#Mongabay and @cnn.com analyzed the routes these ships took for the past five years and found them navigating close to key U.S. military territory.
Experts believed they might be serving a dual-purpose.
Deep-sea mining rules faces delays. While the International Seabed Authority aims for a "mining code," a recent meeting concluded with significant gaps remaining. As the U.S. fast-tracks its own plans, the risk of mining without oversight grows.
@elizabethalberts.bsky.social reports for #Mongabay.
Foreign investors are suing Latin American and Caribbean nations for $36.6 billion, often targeting environmental policies.
These legal battles undermine government efforts to protect ecosystems, transition to clean energy, and human rights.
Story by @aimeegabay.bsky.social for #Mongabay.
Eight suspects were arrested in France and Spain for smuggling 7 million juvenile eels worth nearly $690,000.
This cross-border crackdown highlights the massive scale of illicit trade threatening the critically endangered European eel.
Story by @spoorthyraman.bsky.social for #Mongabay.
Indonesia’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to disclose environmental impact studies for its new capital, Nusantara. Watchdog Jatam says the ruling upholds the Constitution and protects those affected by the Sepaku River projects.
Story by Niken D. Sitoningrum for #Mongabay.
Meta has shuttered nine Facebook groups in Indonesia following a joint investigation by #Mongabay and @bellingcat.com.
The report uncovered evidence of illegal wildlife trade conducted openly on the platform. Achmad Rizki Muazam and @foeke.bsky.social found advertisements for protected species.
For the first time in a century, California condors are nesting in the Pacific Northwest. Reintroduced by the Yurok Tribe, a pair is now incubating an egg in an old-growth redwood. This is a major win for a species that nearly went extinct in the 1980s.
Story by Liz Kimbrough for #Mongabay.
Sudan’s Gezira irrigation scheme, once a state-run lifeline for 890,000 hectares, is collapsing. Decades of privatization followed by civil war have left canals in ruins, many small-scale farmers can no longer afford to grow food.
Story by Albashir Dahab for #Mongabay.
New mapping by #Mongabay reveals that 13% of Venezuela’s oil blocks overlap with protected areas. From mangrove forests to the Amazon, extraction threatens 70,785 km2 of vital ecosystems and could release 33.1 gigatons of CO2 by 2100.
Learn more in this report by Maxwell Radwin.
Agribusiness drives 90% of Brazil’s deforestation. Regenerative farming offers a path to restore pasturelands, but without binding private-sector commitments and forest protections, innovation risks fueling further expansion into the Amazon.
Story by Mie Hoejris Dahl for #Mongabay.
Manufacturers often replace one harmful chemical with a similar, untested substitute—a cycle known as the "toxic treadmill."
To break it, scientists propose a "Six Classes" framework to evaluate entire groups of chemicals like PFAS and phthalates at once.
Story by Liz Kimbrough for #Mongabay.
