Scientists are training the first generation of rats in Tanzania to detect illegal wildlife trafficked products. Their research shows that African giant pouched rats can locate concealed wildlife products such as pangolin scales, rhino horns and ivory in shipments. This innovative approach could reshape antitrafficking efforts and shed new light on the illegal wildlife trade. By Lucía Torres
Conservation news
Meet the giant rats fighting wildlife trafficking
MOROGORO, Tanzania — Often dismissed as pests, rats have long been misunderstood. But the African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys ansorgei), the wo...
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Small-scale fishers in Indonesia face declining catches as illegal trawlers deplete fish stocks in near-shore waters, violating exclusion zone regulations. Trawling, a destructive fishing method banned in certain areas, is widely practiced due to weak law enforcement, with local authorities citing budget constraints for lack of patrols. By Tonggo Simangunsong
Conservation news
Unchecked illegal trawling pushes Indonesia’s small-scale fishers to the brink
TANJUNG LEIDONG, Indonesia — At around 5:30 a.m., after the tide starts to recede, Zulkifli Dalimunthe rushes to the shore a stone’s throw from...
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Indonesia is considering withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, arguing it is unfair for developing nations to comply when a major polluter like the U.S. has pulled out, again. Officials highlight Indonesia’s lower per capita emissions and stress the need for more financial aid to transition away from coal. By Hans Nicholas Jong
Conservation news
Indonesia mulls Paris Agreement exit, citing fairness and energy transition costs
JAKARTA — Indonesia, one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, has signaled it might follow in the footsteps of the U.S. and withdraw...
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Interested in working with a global news organization and growing your career as an environmental journalist? The Mongabay Africa Fellowship Program provides a monthly stipend and the opportunity to publish your work. Don't miss the January 31 application deadline if you are in Africa. This is a French-language program.
Environmental Journalism and Education
Bourses Mongabay Afrique pour le Journalisme Environnemental - Environmental Journalism and Education
Couvrir les lieux-clés de la biodiversité À l’ère où les marques de dégradation de l’environnement sont de plus en plus visibles, le ...
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Researchers, along with Indigenous Awajún community members have described 27 new-to-science species including a squirrel representing an entirely new genus, a semiaquatic mouse with webbed toes, a spiny mouse, short-tailed fruit bat, three new amphibians, eight new fish, a land-walking swamp eel, 10 new butterflies, and two new dung beetles. By Liz Kimbrough
Conservation news
Blob-headed fish and four mammals among 27 newly described species in Peru’s Alto Mayo
Scientists and Indigenous community members documented 27 new-to-science species in Peru’s Alto Mayo region, including four new mammals and a...
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A surge of deforestation for oil palm plantations in a Sumatran orangutan reserve means top consumer brands may be selling products with illegal oil palm in them, a new report says. Rainforest Action Network (RAN) says satellite imagery shows much of the deforestation in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve occurred from 2021 onward. By Hans Nicholas Jong
Conservation news
Coming to a retailer near you: Illegal palm oil from an orangutan haven
JAKARTA — Illegal deforestation has reportedly surged to record levels in a wildlife reserve at the northern tip of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island ...
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Indigenous communities in the Philippines’ Mt. Kalatungan protected area have since 2021 carried out a tree-planting campaign to restore native vegetation lost to decades of commercial logging and agriculture. Known as rainforestation, it aims to rejuvenate vital ecosystem services like flood mitigation, which benefits urban areas downstream, while also providing incentives for the communities driving the restoration. By Keith Anthony Fabro
Conservation news
Philippine Indigenous communities restore a mountain forest to prevent urban flooding
Indigenous communities in the Philippines’ Mt. Kalatungan protected area have since 2015 carried out a tree-planting campaign to restore native v...
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A bauxite mine run by Chinese corporation Chinalco could begin operating next year, endangering a 280,000-hectare (about 692,000 acres) area of western Suriname inhabited by Indigenous communities. The mine will require refurbishing and expanding infrastructure for a harbor and railroad built in the 1970s, and gives the company “priority right” to use the Corantijn river for dredging. By Maxwell Radwin
Conservation news
Plans for bauxite mine in Suriname reignite Indigenous land rights debate
Plans for a major mining project in western Suriname have sounded alarms in nearby Indigenous communities, who say that the project will destroy lo...
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The most extensive global assessment of freshwater animals to date has revealed that a quarter of all freshwater animal species on the IUCN Red List are threatened with extinction. The largest number of these threatened species are found in East Africa’s Lake Victoria, South America’s Lake Titicaca, Sri Lanka’s Wet Zone, and India’s Western Ghats mountain range, the new study found. By Kristine Sabillo
Conservation news
1 in 4 freshwater species worldwide at risk of extinction: Study
The most extensive global assessment of freshwater animals to date has revealed that a quarter of all freshwater animal species on the IUCN Red Lis...
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Indigenous women from Krahô communities in Brazil’s Tocantins state have formed a surveillance group to protect their ancestral territory from invaders. The thirteen Krahô Warriors received training in surveillance and carry out operations for 15 days each month. By Aimee Gabay
Conservation news
Krahô women lead Indigenous guard to protect territory in Brazil
Across South America, Indigenous communities have often considered territorial protection to be the main responsibility of men, while women typical...
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