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Conservationists snapped images of two small wildcat species in Pakistan earlier this year: an Asiatic caracal (Caracal caracal schimitzi) and a sand cat (Felis margarita) — both which are incredibly rare in the country. Information on both cats in Pakistan is limited, with the sand cat presumed possibly extinct there, according to the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority. The camera-trap image of the caracal is “very rare visual evidence of the once widespread but now rapidly declining species,” says Zafeer Ahmed Shaikh, director of the Indus Fishing Cat Project. That image — the first camera-trap record of a caracal in Pakistan, according to Shaikh — came from Kirthar National Park, where the Indus Fishing Cat Project, an NGO, has had cameras set for around four years. The team decided to extend its camera trapping after earlier reports of a caracal crossing a road in broad daylight in the area in January this year. The NGO’s local partners, Qalandar Burfat, Zohaib Ahmed and Ramzan Burfat, set up the trap near a watering hole inside the national park. “There was only one singular video of this male cat from about 400 videos at this particular camera station across a two-week-long period,” Shaikh says. Unfortunately, another sighting included one juvenile cat killed in the national park by local people. These images offer firm evidence that caracals are still present in Pakistan, says Jim Sanderson, founder and director of the Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation. “But, as with most places, we have no…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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In the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, local communities are leading the charge against environmental crime — and they’re succeeding. Our new peer-reviewed study published in Conservation Biology has found that community-led patrols reduced illegal activities such as unregulated fishing, hunting and logging by up to 80% in two vast protected areas, even in the near-total absence of formal government enforcement. These findings come from a decade-long analysis of the Voluntary Environmental Agents (VEA) Program, a community-based monitoring initiative in the Mamirauá and Amanã sustainable development reserves in Brazil’s Amazonas state. From 2003 to 2013, more than 200 trained residents carried out nearly 20,000 patrols, totaling around 150,000 hours of activity. When communities are equipped with training, resources and institutional support, they can become powerful guardians of biodiversity. Local participation in environmental protection offers a scalable and cost-effective approach that not only enhances rule enforcement but also strengthens social legitimacy and long-term compliance — especially in remote or underresourced regions. A community patroller in the region studied. Image courtesy of Bruno Kelly/Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá. Patrolling with purpose The study tracked illegal activities across 12 community-managed territories within the two reserves. VEAs, often mobilized through community alerts, responded to environmental infractions including poaching of pirarucu (Arapaima gigas), the world’s largest scaled freshwater fish, and the use of banned fishing gear. Crime detection was higher during informant-led patrols and increased with the number of patrollers and time spent in the field. But what stood out was the overall downward trend:…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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WILLIAMSPORT, Ohio (AP) — As global temperatures rise under climate change, the bees responsible for pollinating many crops are under increasing stress and scientists are trying to understand how they are affected. It’s an important question because the bees are critical to the fruit, vegetables, nuts and other foods that humans need. Scientists have found that bees fly differently during extreme heat and may also cope the same way humans do — by finding a cooler environment. But they aren’t able to do as much as they normally do, and scientists worry that heat makes the bees more vulnerable to disease. By Joshua A. Bickel, Isabella O’Malley and Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press This article was originally published on Mongabay

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In April 2023, fishermen caught a Eurasian otter in their net in the Karnali River, western Nepal, and reported the finding to researchers. A new study now confirms that this marks the northernmost spot in the country where the species has been spotted, Mongabay’s Abhaya Raj Joshi reported in June. The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) occurs widely across Europe and Asia, from as far west as the Iberian Peninsula and British Isles to the eastern borders of Asia, as well as down south to Vietnam to far north as Russia. However, in Nepal, it hadn’t been confirmed for decades until 2021, when there were a number of sightings across the country’s rivers. The latest sighting of the otter in Karnali River is cause for both excitement and concern, researchers told Mongabay. “The finding is important as we confirm the northernmost documented record of the animal in Nepal,” said Rinzin Phunjok Lama, co-author of the study. “But that the animal was found dead most likely because it got strangled in a net also raises concerns about its conservation.” Estimates for the global population of Eurasian otters, classified as near threatened, range from almost 60,000 to more than 360,000 mature individuals. While widespread, the species’ range is likely underexplored, Joshi writes. Recently, it was photographed by camera traps in Malaysia after not being spotted there for more than a decade. Otters inhabit rivers, wetlands and lakes that are very sensitive to human activities, especially those affecting river flow and bankside vegetation, making…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. Amid the calls of gibbons and the whir of drones scanning forest canopies, a quieter crisis is unfolding within the ranks of those trying to save nature. Conservationists, often seen as tireless stewards of the planet’s dwindling biodiversity, are burning out. In some cases, they are breaking down. And with disturbing regularity, social media feeds are peppered with tragic news of conservation professionals who have taken their own lives. Yet data on suicide within the field is scarce, both due to stigma and the sector’s fragmented structure. A study published in Conservation Biology in 2023 surveyed more than 2,300 conservation professionals across 122 countries, offering one of the first comprehensive glimpses into the sector’s mental health. More than a quarter of respondents scored in the moderate-to-severe range for psychological distress. Women, early-career professionals, those with poor physical health, and those lacking social support were particularly at risk. The study’s authors, led by Thomas Pienkowski of Imperial College London and the University of Oxford in the U.K., emphasize that psychological distress does not equate to mental illness, but high levels can signal serious well-being concerns. Conservation work blends passion with precarity. Many are drawn to the field by a sense of duty or love of nature, but are often greeted by underfunding, job insecurity and poor institutional support. The vocational allure of saving the planet is sometimes exploited through long hours, unpaid labor or…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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A new WWF report is sounding the alarm on Africa’s freshwater fish: one in four fish species it assessed is at risk of extinction. These declines threaten not only biodiversity, but also the food security, livelihoods and cultural identity of millions of people who depend on inland fisheries across the continent. Released in the lead-up to the Ramsar conference on wetlands to be held in Zimbabwe, the report notes there are at least 3,281 freshwater fish species in Africa’s rivers, lakes and wetlands. It also highlights the extraordinary diversity of Africa’s freshwater fish — from air-breathing lungfish to blind, cave-dwelling cichlids — that have remained largely invisible in conservation and development policies despite being essential to ecosystems and economies alike. “Africa is a global hotspot of freshwater fish diversity, home to over 3,200 species, but it’s also a hotspot of risk,” Eric Oyare, WWF’s Africa freshwater lead, said in a statement. “When these fish disappear, we lose much more than species: we lose food and nutrition security, livelihoods, ecosystem balance, and adaptive capacities to climate change.” The report points to habitat destruction, pollution, overfishing, invasive species and climate change as key drivers of freshwater fish decline. Lake Malawi’s iconic chambo tilapia, for example, declined by 94% from 2006-2016. Meanwhile, Lake Victoria has likely seen hundreds of cichlid species vanish since the introduction of the invasive Nile perch and water hyacinth. Africa also accounts for almost 30% of global freshwater fish catch, according to the report. The continent’s freshwater fisheries are…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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From the volcanic fjords of Tufi in Papua New Guinea, researchers have described a new-to-science species of a coral reef fish called a dwarfgoby with an unusual purplish-black color. The tiny fish is the “darkest of all described dwarfgobies,” the researchers say in the study, naming it Eviota vader after the Star Wars villain Darth Vader. Dwarfgobies are miniscule fish that live on reefs across the Indo-Pacific, measuring less than 1.8 centimeters (0.7 inches). Researchers found E. vader, also called black dwarfgoby, during a reef fish biodiversity survey at a depth of 4 meters (13 feet) in Tufi’s volcanic fjords. At the time, there were 134 known species of dwarfgobies globally, and the fish they spotted was unlike any of them. “It stood out to us immediately, as while there are many dwarfgobies in the 1-4m [3.3-13 ft] depth range on coral reefs, none have this unique purplish-black coloration,” Mark V. Erdmann, study co-author and executive director of ReShark and shark conservation director at Re:wild, told Mongabay by email. “So in short, yes, immediately upon seeing this fish we knew it was something special.” The lone black dwarfgoby the researchers spotted had large yellow eyes and was 1.15 cm (0.45 in) in length. They photographed it perched on a section of a large coral colony. The fish was later collected using clove oil, which is used to sedate small fish. The team didn’t encounter any other similar-looking fish during the survey. Erdmann said they sent their only specimen to David…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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TOKYO (AP) — Decontaminated but slightly radioactive soil from Fukushima was delivered Saturday to the Japanese prime minister’s office to be reused in an effort to showcase its safety. This is the first soil to be used, aside from experiments, since the 2011 nuclear disaster when the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered a cataclysmic meltdown following an earthquake and tsunami that left large amounts of radioactive materials spewing out from the facility, polluting surrounding areas. The government is desperate to set people’s minds at ease about recycling the 14 million cubic meters of decontaminated soil, enough to fill 11 baseball stadiums, collected after massive clean-ups and stored at a sprawling outdoor facility near the Fukushima plant. Officials have pledged to find final disposal sites outside of Fukushima by 2045. The Environment Ministry said the 2 cubic meters, now at Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s office complex in Tokyo, will be used as foundation material in one section of the lawn garden, based on the ministry’s safety guidelines endorsed by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The soil does not include any from inside the plant. Despite assurances, there has been much public unease. The government has already been forced to scrap a plan to experiment using some of the soil in flower beds at several public parks in and around Tokyo following protests. Banner image: A bag of soil, slightly radioactive but decontaminated one from Fukushima, is delivered to the Japanese prime minister’s office to be reused in the garden, in Tokyo, Japan, Saturday, July 19, 2025. (Kyodo…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Forestry companies, including pulp and paper producers, have a long history of deforestation and social conflict in tropical countries like Indonesia. In Indonesia, millions of hectares of rainforest and peatland have been cleared to make way for industrial forest plantations, displacing thousands of communities from their customary lands in the process. To help ensure sustainable forestry practices, a voluntary global certification organization, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), was established in 1993 by a coalition of environmentalists, Indigenous groups, human rights advocates and timber industry players. Since then, FSC has grown into the world’s most recognizable ethical wood certifier. Its logo — a green checkmark and stylized tree — is widely used to assure consumers that forestry products are sourced sustainably. In 2022, Mongabay spoke with then-FSC director-general Kim Carstensen, who emphasized the need to strengthen the credibility and accountability of forest certification. Two years later, his successor, Subhra Bhattacharjee, is leading the FSC through one of its most ambitious reforms to date: the remedy framework. Adopted in 2023, the framework allows companies previously disassociated from FSC, including some responsible for major deforestation, to regain certification if they undertake credible efforts to redress past environmental and social harms. Indonesia, home to some of the most protracted and complex forestry conflicts in the tropics, is now the testing ground for this framework. Two of the world’s largest pulp and paper producers, including APRIL, are currently undergoing the remedy process. But a recent report by a coalition of NGOs — including Forest Peoples…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Reforestation has long been viewed as one of the more hopeful climate interventions: a process that can, in theory, restore degraded landscapes, absorb carbon dioxide, and support biodiversity. But as sociologist Thomas Rudel makes clear, the return of forests is rarely a passive process. His decades of research highlight a more complex truth—one in which reforestation is shaped not only by ecological conditions, but by economic shifts, social movements, and, crucially, the actions and choices of people on the ground. Rudel’s interest in forest change dates back to the late 1960s, when he served in the Peace Corps in Ecuador’s Amazon region. There, as a young volunteer assisting with land measurement and community-building efforts, he witnessed firsthand how forests were being cleared to make way for new settlements. The experience would go on to shape the trajectory of his academic career. After earning his doctorate, Rudel began conducting fieldwork with colonists and Indigenous communities in Ecuador, tracing both the causes of deforestation and the conditions that allow forests to regrow. His latest book, Reforesting the Earth: The Human Dimensions of Reforestation, draws on that lifetime of scholarship. It focuses not just on ecological recovery, but on the political and social factors that determine whether reforestation takes root—and lasts. Natural climate solutions, Rudel argues, hold enormous promise, but only if they account for the lived realities of small farmers, Indigenous communities, and the institutions that govern land use. Tree planting effort in India. Photo by Rhett Ayers Butler. In a recent…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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COLOMBO — Bhathiya is a tusker whose towering presence once symbolized the majestic beauty of Sri Lanka’s wild elephants (Elephas maximus). But his life took a tragic turn when he sustained gunshot injuries that led to a slow and painful battle for survival, highlighting the harsh reality of human-elephant conflict in the Indian Ocean island. According to Tharaka Prasad, director of wildlife health with the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), Bhathiya was first reported with a badly swollen front right leg mid-May. The elephant also had difficulties in lifting its trunk, which Prasad considers to be a result of nerve pressure due to another gunshot aimed at its head. Although Bhathiya was initially able to move, his condition steadily deteriorated. As he struggled to maneuver his trunk, the wildlife team had to feed him by placing food directly into his mouth using a long stick. By early June, he collapsed near a small man-made tank, partially submerged in water — too weak to stand. The incident triggered an urgent rescue effort by the DWC, veterinary surgeons and local villagers. Using heavy machinery, the team was able to lift Bhathiya and get him back on his feet. However, just a few days later, he collapsed again. Prasad told Mongabay that the footpad of Bhathiya’s left leg had detached after bearing the full weight of his body. Many saw Bhathiya as a majestic tusker who roamed Sri Lanka’s dry zone. Image courtesy of Dinuka Lakmal. Mobilizing emergency support The sight of Bhathiya…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. In the Peruvian Amazon, a series of curious encounters has left biologists scratching their heads. Camera traps have captured an unexpected partnership: solitary, nocturnal ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) strolling alongside common opossums (Didelphis marsupialis). Not once, but four times, in distinct locations over several years, the feline predator and its potential prey were seen moving together—sometimes even returning along the same path minutes later, still in tandem. The opossum, far from appearing alarmed, showed no signs of distress. An ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and a common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) in the Peruvian Amazonian rainforest (Cocha Cashu Biological Station), recorded through camera trapping. Photo credit: Fortunato Rayan. This behavior is not only puzzling; it is without precedent. Associations between solitary carnivores and omnivores—especially those that occasionally dine on one another—are vanishingly rare. Yet further evidence suggests this pairing is more than happenstance. In field experiments, opossums showed a distinct preference for the scent of ocelots over that of pumas or neutral controls. They lingered, sniffed, and rubbed themselves against the ocelot-scented fabrics, as though seeking some form of chemical communion. Why cozy up to a cat that might eat you? The researchers, writing in the journal Ecosphere, suggest two possibilities: improved foraging efficiency or olfactory camouflage. Opossums may benefit from the ocelot’s hunting prowess, while the ocelot may gain from masking its scent with the opossum’s pungency. There is precedent in the animal kingdom: coyotes and…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Experts warn the indiscriminate use of insecticides by farmers in Bangladesh to protect their crops is harming beneficial honey bees, Mongabay contributor Sadiqur Rahman reported in March. Beekeeper Pavel Hossen, who set up an apiary on land next to a black cumin farm, hoped his honey bees (Apis mellifera) would feed on the flowers of the cumin crops and collect nectar. But Hossen told Rahman his hives didn’t fill up with as much honey he expected. “Bees cannot forage freely across insecticide-treated crop fields. Their population growth is also slowing down,” he said. His neighbor Abdul Hakim, who owns the cumin farm, said he uses chemicals that sellers suggest. Among the popular chemicals being peddled to farmers like Hakim are neonicotinoids that are used on crops such as rice, wheat and black cumin. These pesticides are meant to kill agricultural pests, including brown planthoppers, aphids and mealybugs. In fact, neonicotinoids and other agricultural chemicals are being increasingly used in Bangladesh and are now found in 600 brand products. But Rahman reported that most farmers are unaware of the chemicals’ appropriate doses or the effects of their excessive use on pollinators like honey bees. “Because of food shortages, limited foraging grounds and frequent poisoning from insecticides, the population of honey bees is decreasing alarmingly,” Nurul Islam, executive director of the Bangladesh Institute of Apiculture, told Rahman. There’s been no nationwide bee population survey in Bangladesh, but in 2019, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the U.N. warned of bee populations declining in many parts…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana is officially canceling a $3 billion coastal restoration project funded by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project aimed to rebuild over 20 square miles of land in southeast Louisiana to combat erosion and sea level rise. Conservation groups supported the project as a science-based solution to climate change. However, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry opposed it, citing harm to local oystermen and the fishing industry. On Thursday, a coalition of federal agencies overseeing the settlement funds declared the project “no longer viable” because of litigation and a suspended federal permit after the state halted work. Read the full story by Jack Brook, Associated Press/Report for America Banner image: The nearly $3 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project along the Mississippi River, intended to stave off coastal land loss in southeastern Louisiana, is seen during a flyover with the environmental coalition group Restore the Mississippi River Delta, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jack Brook, File).This article was originally published on Mongabay

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In Bangladesh, disposable tableware, including plates made of areca palm leaves, is gaining popularity as a good alternative to single-use plastic during social gatherings and festival celebrations, Mongabay’s Abu Siddique reported in May. A survey from 2018 estimates that Bangladesh used around 250 metric tons of single-use plastic tableware and straws every month. However, since the first areca palm leaf tableware producer, Bright Areca, set up business in the country in 2017, the industry has grown to about 10 local companies producing biodegradable tableware. The industry is fairly new, though, and areca palm leaf plates are still far from fully replacing single-use plastic ones. Imran Hossain, a partner of Bright Areca, the largest company in the space, told Siddique he estimates the industry produces around 500,000 plates a month. “My company produces about 100,000 plates in a month based on demand,” he said. Bright Areca was inspired from businesses in India that have produced tableware from areca palm leaves at large scale since 2012, Siddique reported. Md Kamal, director of another major areca palm tableware producer, Ecovalley, said the company produces roughly 60,000 plates per month. “We started the production in 2021 with a monthly demand of around 20,000 pieces of plates. In four years, the production [increased] threefold,” he said. The raw material is widely available: areca palm trees (Areca catechu) are common in Bangladesh’s coastal areas, and fruit is commonly consumed in South and Southeast Asia, where it’s used in betel chewing. While the companies in Bangladesh largely…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Heavy rainfall in Colombia and Venezuela caused deadly landslides and widespread flooding in June. A new analysis now points to rapid urbanization, deforestation, mining and overgrazing as having reduced the region’s climate resilience. “The rapid growth of population and informal settlements in areas prone to landslides, particularly in Colombia, puts people and infrastructure at risk,” the World Weather Attribution (WWA), a network of scientists evaluating extreme weather events, said in its latest rapid analysis. It said the informal communities are growing as people seek livelihoods in cities or are displaced due to conflict. Roop Singh, report co-author from the Netherlands-based Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, said at a media briefing that pasture- and agriculture-driven deforestation rose over the past two decades, increasing “the risk of landslides because tree roots are no longer binding and anchoring the soils.” The heavy rains during the last week of June triggered widespread flooding and damage in Colombia; a landslide in Antioquia department killed 27 people. In Venezuela, rivers overflowed, and smaller landslides cut off rural communities. WWA said in its report that rains in these regions had persisted since April, and that the June rain fell on already saturated ground where the deadly landslide occurred, and in rivers with already high levels of water. The scientists examined the total rainfall from April-June this year over the Magdalena River catchment in Colombia and the Falcón and Maracaibo basins in Venezuela. They also studied data on the accumulated rainfall from June 20-24 in the affected…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. In a nation where speaking up can lead to prison, a group of young Cambodians has refused to be silent. One year ago, five members of Mother Nature Cambodia, a conservation NGO, were jailed on charges of plotting against the government. Their real offense, it seems, was speaking out — against the privatization of national parks, the eviction of families to build airports and casinos, and the environmental cost of large-scale conversion of nature. The Clearing, a documentary chronicling their final months of freedom, offers a sobering portrait of activism under authoritarianism. Ly Chandaravuth, among the most outspoken of the activists, is seen calmly filming the stumps of vanished trees and asking villagers about land lost to corporate concessions. “Eighty percent of the park has been handed to private companies,” one local explains. There are no histrionics, only quiet defiance. The group’s impact has been real. It has helped halt sand exports and dam construction. But the cost is steep: 11 members jailed, many more arrested, and its founder in exile. A courtroom summons looms over nearly every scene. And yet, the group endures. Last year, it received the Right Livelihood Award in Stockholm, often dubbed the “Alternative Nobel.” Barred from travel, several activists stayed behind. Those who attended wore borrowed coats, shivered through interviews, and made clear they would return to face trial. The day after the award ceremony, the summons came.…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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The eastern Baltic cod has shrunk dramatically in size in recent decades due to rapid evolution — changes at the genetic level — caused by decades of intensive fishing, a new study says. It’s one of the first studies to show that a marine species has evolved in response to fishing pressure. Sampled Eastern Baltic cod, which are a distinct subpopulation of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), lost nearly half of their length from 1996 until 2019, according to the study, which was published in the journal Science Advances on June 25. The data collected for the study also showed that the fish lost nearly four-fifths of their weight over the same period. “If you just see the data, it’s crazy,” the study’s first author, Kwi Young Han, told Mongabay. Han is a postdoctoral researcher in marine evolutionary ecology at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel in Germany; the study emerged from her Ph.D. work. Han’s Ph.D. supervisor and co-author on this paper, Thorsten Reusch, said the findings had disturbing implications. “When the largest individuals are consistently removed from the population over many years, smaller, faster-maturing fish gain an evolutionary advantage,” Reusch said in a press release. “What we are observing is evolution in action, driven by human activity. This is scientifically fascinating, but ecologically deeply concerning.” (Left) A map of the Baltic Sea showing Bornholm Basin, the main spawning site for eastern Baltic cod. The fish historically also spawned in the Gotland Basin and Gdansk Deep, but no…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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As Africa’s environment ministers meet this week in Nairobi, Kenya, for the 20th African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), the Global Environment Facility (GEF)is touting its decades of support to the continent: more than $7.7 billion in grants across more than 2,000 projects, supplemented by billions in co-financing. Yet despite this scale of investment, the biodiversity curve remains on a downward trajectory. Wetlands are disappearing, forests continue to shrink and wildlife populations are in decline. So, is the GEF still fit for purpose? “Absolutely,” says Fred Boltz, GEF head of programming. “Based on independent evaluations, the GEF has been found to be the most effective multilateral environmental fund.” In an exclusive interview with Mongabay, Boltz defended the GEF’s model, arguing that it is shifting toward integrated approaches that take into account both conservation needs and the human systems driving environmental degradation — such as agriculture, supply chains and urban expansion. But tensions persist. The GEF’s own recent performance review acknowledges gaps. While gender considerations have been better integrated, broader inclusion remains patchy. “The GEF – Civil Society Organization (CSO) Network remains underutilized, and past recommendations for reform have not been fully acted on or implemented,” the evaluation notes. Boltz emphasizes that “by GEF policy, all projects must rigorously engage Indigenous peoples, women and youth,” but concedes that sustainable impact also hinges on breaking cycles of poverty and enabling access to finance, technology and livelihoods. Civil society groups, including Greenpeace, are using the AMCEN platform to call for more direct…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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KHAO LAK, Thailand — Conservationist Ying Pemika Choovanichchanon holds a small basket in her hands, careful not to disturb the leathery brown pouches nestled inside. When she shines a light underneath, signs of life appear: the pouches are bamboo shark  egg cases, and the tiny creatures within them are a key part of a plan to help revive Thailand’s coral reefs. At the forefront of this plan is Oceans for All, a Thai-based nonprofit that’s partnering with luxury hotels to breed and release bamboo sharks. After opening its first shark nursery with Club Med Phuket in March 2022, followed by Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort in November 2022, the program has now expanded to the Thai mainland by opening a shark nursery at the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa on the shores of the Andaman Sea. Twenty years ago, Thai waters were filled with the tan-colored bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium punctatum), famed for their distinctive dark bands. But overfishing and habitat destruction have seen their numbers drop drastically. The sharks, which are listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, play a vital role in the ecosystem, by feeding on small fish and invertebrates that eat corals. As apex predators, bamboo sharks keep in check populations of smaller creatures that might otherwise overgraze the reefs. The Oceans for All team say that when shallow reefs die, it’s often due to the lack of predators rather than pollution. A coral reef in Thailand. Image by Umeed Mistry / Ocean…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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With its long, pendulous nose, characteristic pot belly and large size, the odd-looking, leaf-eating proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) may not feature on the list of the world’s cutest animals. Yet, this endangered primate, a Borneo native living along rivers and swampy mangrove forests, seems to have gained newfound appeal in recent years in the international wildlife trade, according to a study published in the journal Discover Animals. The researchers searched the internet for media reports of seizures, social media ads and legal trade data from CITES — the international wildlife trade agreement — relating to proboscis monkeys between 1999 and 2024. They found about a hundred individuals in the illegal trade, all from Indonesia. There was a marked uptick in the trade in the last decade, with nearly half of the individuals traded listed on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. In addition, zoos in Indonesia were found to have increasingly acquired these monkeys since 2016, possibly from the wild. The researchers say this surge in trade could have repercussions for the conservation of this endangered species. Proboscis monkeys are legally protected in all three countries where they are found: Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. It is illegal to keep, buy or sell them or their parts. The species is also listed on CITES Appendix I, which prohibits all international commercial trade, except for exchanges between zoos and for scientific research. While proboscis monkeys have been on study co-author Vincent Nijman’s radar since his Ph.D. research nearly three decades…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Researchers describe the kultarr as “Australia’s cutest mammal”: It’s eyes are quite large for its mouse-like head, it’s ears are perky and it has long, thin legs that allow it to run so fast that it looks like it’s hopping. A recent study has now confirmed that the insect-eating marsupial is not one, but three distinct species. Previously, scientists considered Antechinomys laniger — referring only to the kultarr — as the sole species under the genus Antechinomys. But in 2023, a genetic study reclassified another marsupial, the long-tailed dunnart (previously Sminthopsis longicaudata), as a second species under Antechinomys (A.  longicaudatus). The study also showed genetic differences between some kultarr specimens. Building on that study, researchers examined kultarr specimens collected in museums in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth over the past century. Genetic analysis of the tissue samples along with the specimens’ body measurements confirmed that the kultarr, A. laniger, was actually three separate species. “The three species of kultarr live in different regions of Australia and have different habitat preferences,” Cameron Dodd, study’s lead author from the University of Western Australia, told Mongabay by email. “Identifying them as different species will allow for more targeted conservation approaches that best suit the unique biology of each species, rather than a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach which might not be optimal for any of the species.” The eastern kultarr (A. laniger) is the smallest of the three species, with an average body length around 7.5 centimeters (3 inches). It is darker, has smaller…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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The Indonesian government is revising a regulation that reopened the export of dredged sea sand, after the country’s Supreme Court annulled key provisions over environmental and legal concerns. In a ruling last month, the court struck down three articles in a 2023 regulation that had lifted a 20-year ban on sea sand exports. The judges said the provisions violated the country’s 2014 Marine Law and could potentially exacerbate environmental damage, rather than fulfill the government’s obligation to protect marine ecosystems. “By reopening permits for sea sand exports through the regulation, the government instead risks worsening already damaged environmental conditions,” the court said in its decision published June 2. The ruling followed a judicial review request filed by law lecturer Muhammad Taufiq, who argued the regulation conflicted with existing legislation and lacked a strong legal foundation. In response, Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said his office is now working with other ministries to revise the annulled provisions. After the regulation was issued in May 2023, the fisheries and trade ministries introduced additional rules to manage export permits, designate dredging zones, and mitigate environmental impacts. A typical barge used for dredging sand from the seafloor. Image by Yogi Eka Sahputra/Mongabay Indonesia. Supporters of the export policy claimed dredging would benefit ocean health by removing excess sediment and generate foreign exchange. But critics argued that it threatens marine ecosystems and coastal communities in Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelagic nation, where millions rely on fishing for their livelihoods. Indonesia initially banned…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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The Andean nations are unitary republics by history and constitution. Consequently, the push to devolve power to lower jurisdictions is less obvious and its degree of implementation variable. Over the last several decades, Andean countries have, at different times and with different levels of determination, organized efforts to decentralize decision-making and the state’s administrative functions. These reforms have profoundly changed the nature of governance, because they have transferred responsibility for providing key public services to local institutions answerable to individuals elected by their neighbors. Peru started its decentralization process in 2002, when constitutional and legal reforms enacted after the collapse of the Fujimori government led to the first local elections in the nation’s history. The transfer of administrative responsibility was matched by revenues that were earmarked for social programmes, such as teacher salaries and healthcare centers. By 2016, about 8% of GDP and 50% of total government expenditures were executed by regional and local governments, an increase of more than 100% compared to 2002. Most revenues are now distributed according to population; consequently, benefits have accrued to urban areas on the coast and the mid-sized cities in the highlands, with one notable exception: revenues from the exploitation of natural resources. Peru’s economy is highly dependent on mining and hydrocarbons, and the political reforms of the early 2000s included a revenue-sharing mechanism that is among the most generous in the world. Known as the canon, it refers to a series of rules for collection of taxes, fees and royalties generated by…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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In the early hours of July 17, the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies approved a bill to ease environmental licensing, which NGOs and environmentalists have dubbed the “devastation bill” and consider the nation’s most significant environmental setback in nearly 40 years. The final score was 267 in favor and 116 against it. The law changes several rules of the environmental licensing framework, which is mandatory for all enterprises that use natural resources and may cause damage to the environment or local communities. Marina Silva, Brazil’s minister of environment and climate change, wrote on Instagram that the bill “fatally wounds one of the country’s main instruments of environmental protection.” One of the bill’s most controversial points is the License by Adhesion and Commitment, under which projects would be approved by simply filling out an online form. WWF estimates around 80% of all ventures could benefit from the new rule, including major infrastructure projects such as mining dams. “That’s why we say it’s the end of environmental licensing,” Ana Carolina Crisostomo, WWF-Brasil’s conservation expert, told Mongabay. The law also creates a special environmental license for infrastructure projects deemed “strategic” by the federal administration, such as oil exploration on the Amazon coast and renewal of the BR-319 highway, a road connecting the capitals of Rondônia and Amazonas states that would affect 40 conservation areas and 50 Indigenous territories. “It is a project tailored to serve predatory sectors and dismantles decades of progress in Brazilian environmental legislation,” representative Nilto Tatto, the environmental caucus coordinator in…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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