Satellite imagery shows the Amazon forest closing over an illegal road that nearly severed the Xingu Socioenvironmental Corridor in 2022. Following a government crackdown sparked by civil society pressure, new illegal road openings across the basin have sharply declined. Rafael Spuldar reports.

After delays since 2021, the UK announced regulations mirroring the EU Deforestation Regulation to streamline trade. Critics note a key gap: the UK framework only bans commodities linked to illegal deforestation, leaving legally cleared land unprotected. @shokes.bsky.social reports for #Mongabay.

Leopard populations showed signs of recovery in Benin between 2017 and 2023, despite regional instability. With only 354 individuals left across West Africa, the transboundary park's success proves conservation works, though armed conflict remains a threat. Ruth Kamnitzer reports for #Mongabay.

[Commentary] Rising sea levels are driving major saltwater intrusion into Bangladesh’s freshwater supplies, triggering health risks and erosion. In a new op-ed, author AL Sharia argues that while frameworks like the Delta Plan 2100 exist, a lack of institutional will stalls emergency action.

Recent satellite images show forest closing over the path of an illegal road that nearly severed the Xingu Socioenvironmental Corridor in 2022. Rafael Spuldar on @mongabay.com news.mongabay.com/2026/07/crac...

Updated global restoration standards push for active ecological recovery and shifting harmful subsidies into biodiversity investments. The framework integrates Indigenous knowledge and a five-star tracking system to meet international 2030 conservation targets. @john-cannon.bsky.social reports.

Ahead of the historic #CaboVerde match against Argentina on Friday during the #worldcup, consider this good news story: “I ate turtle meat and never realized I could make a living for conserving them,” a ranger for Turtle Foundation told @mongabay.com about the 4 species of #seaturtles found there:

Paleontologists have discovered a 212 million-year-old shuvosaurid, Labrujasuchus expectatus, an ancient crocodile relative that walked on two legs. Unearthed at Ghost Ranch, the beaked, small-armed creature highlights the surprising diversity of Triassic ecosystems. David Brown reports.

On July 2, 2024, five activists from Mother Nature Cambodia were jailed after they sounded the alarm about river pollution and land reclamation projects. Two years later, they remain imprisoned.. @mongabay.com’s short THE CLEARING tells their story: substack.com/home/post/p-167357741

The European Commission is poised to exempt leather from its anti-deforestation law. The proposal, expected in the coming weeks, faces a two-month scrutiny period by the European Parliament and Council. Critics say the exemption contradicts data on cattle supply chain impacts. mongabay.cc/t6SiLJ

The Glinoga Integrated Farm in the Philippines' Quezon province offers a model for farming with wetlands. After decades of soil degradation, permaculture techniques successfully restored the ecosystem. A study of farms across 11 provinces found Glinoga had the highest level of crop diversity.

As a nominator for the Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award, I'm glad to share my pick for this year: Zuzana Buřivalová is a #bioacoustics genius at U of Wisconsin: www.ioes.ucla.edu/person/zuzan... She's also a former colleague, as science chief for this series we did at @mongabay.com:

Can coastal engineering protect shorelines and harbor marine life? Ireland's first Living Seawalls installation is tracking how textured panels help nature gain a foothold on urban coastlines. Learn more in this report by @elizabethalberts.bsky.social for #Mongabay. 👉️ mongabay.cc/YshXuM

Research reveals moving toward higher latitudes does not guarantee species fare better as temperatures rise. Multiple ecological factors, rather than temperature alone, govern wildlife shifts, creating deep uncertainty for regional habitat connectivity planning. @gloriadickie.bsky.social reports.

🇵🇫🐠The Daily Dose via @mongabay.com 🐠🇵🇫 The government of French Polynesia announced that 30% of their waters will be protected.

Brazilian authorities detained Czech, German, and Russian nationals attempting to fly to Europe with hundreds of poached cacti & seeds. The critically endangered plants, native to southern Brazil, can take up to 10 years to mature. @nandawenzel.bsky.social reports for #Mongabay. mongabay.cc/1yWvkB

Farmed aquatic food production surpassed 100 million metric tons for the first time, nearly balancing global seafood trade values with terrestrial meat. However, the @fao.org warns that sustainably fished wild stocks have dropped to a new low of 62.4%, urging stricter management.

Bangladesh has unveiled sweeping EV incentives, waiving import tariffs on electric buses and trucks through June 2030 while raising duties on fossil-fuel vehicles. The policy aims to replace 25% of buses and 30% of trucks with electric options to curb lethal urban air pollution. mongabay.cc/9Pf1dB

A plan for global ecological sustainability within planetary boundaries, while incomes rise for 98% of the population, reducing working hours to 2.5 days a week, is possible. I speak with Lucas Chancel, the co-director of the World Inequality Lab about the Global Justice Report @mongabay.com :

Piecemeal retrieval and recycling efforts show promise against India’s ghost gear problem, but researchers warn a lack of permanent infrastructure and short-term funding limit success. Experts argue that addressing the threat requires institutional systems built into the gear's entire lifecycle.

Genomic analysis of 220 museum specimens has confirmed a new marsupial species in Australia: the Arnhem Plateau planigale. Known from only three historical specimens collected within 12 kilometers of each other, researchers urge targeted field surveys to see if the rare carnivore persists.

A new harvesting method allows an undisclosed Amazon plant to provide production of ibogaine, a psychedelic compound known for its largely unregulated and understudied properties in helping chemical addiction. Jenny Gonzales on @mongabay.com news.mongabay.com/2026/06/secr...

Militaries are increasingly being called upon to tackle environmental problems, particularly crimes that affect the environment. This film explores some of the tensions #military deployments can create, especially when they take the symptoms rather than cause.

A new assessment of 299 mining operations exposes a surge in human rights allegations linked to cobalt, lithium, and copper extraction. While investment in transition minerals accelerates, systemic conflicts have nearly doubled year-over-year, heavily impacting South American corridors.

As oil exploration starts at the mouth of the Amazon River, marine scientists warn the nearby Amazon Reef system faces severe ecological threats. Experts state that high-velocity currents risk carrying any potential spills across international borders and into fragile mangrove hubs.

Honduras deployed an 8,000-troop environmental battalion under its "Zero Deforestation by 2029" plan to reclaim protected forests from timber and agricultural cartels. However, experts warn that militarized creates severe risks public policy reforms. Fritz Pinnow reports for #Mongabay.

Mel Sunquist -influential tiger biologist -has died. @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social beautifully describes Mel's legacy for @mongabay.com: "careful observation, sound science, and thoughtful mentorship were as important to conservation as the discoveries themselves." news.mongabay.com/2026/06/mel-...

New LiDAR laser scanning technology is allowing researchers to map forest architecture and calculate carbon storage with high precision. However, policy experts note that estimation accuracy alone cannot fix the fundamental issues of verification and systemic transparency. Shradha Triveni reports.

Women form the backbone of Africa's fisheries value chain, yet coastal developments are pushing many from traditional landing sites. Ugandan entrepreneur Lovin Kobusingye is advocating to visible-ize their economic contributions and address structural challenges. An interview by David Akana.

The Bangladesh Forest Department plans gradual wild releases of peafowls following a pilot project in a forest enclosure. While officials await more chicks from this breeding cycle, wildlife experts urge caution over potential disease transmission and low survival rates. Abu Siddique reports.

A feral population of 200 yellow-crested cockatoos in urban Hong Kong holds unexpectedly high genetic diversity. Representing 10% of the global population, these birds preserve rare lineages now extinct in their native Indonesia, offering a potential "genetic rescue." @npbrao.bsky.social reports.

cientists urge a shift from mapping to management as data reveals just 2.8% of Asia's critical shark and ray habitats fall within fully protected no-take zones. Advocates call for using these targets to guide marine spatial planning ahead of global 30x30 goals. Malaka Rodrigo reports for #Mongabay.

Farmers in Thailand’s Chachoengsao province warn a planned 600-MW LNG plant will worsen regional water scarcity. The plant requires 12,000 cubic meters of water daily, equal to 49,000 residents, in an agricultural hub already facing medium-high drought risks. @geraldrflynn.bsky.social reports.

Turns out imagination is not unique to humans. A series of experiments has shown that a language-trained bonobo was able to distinguish real from fake objects and engage in pretend play. --- The Mongabay Video team would love to hear from you, fill in our quick survey here! mongabay.cc/kEycRv

The Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa closed June 18 with over 300 voluntary commitments and $6.4 billion mobilized for marine conservation. Host nation Kenya led with $1 billion in pledges to expand marine protected areas and fisheries monitoring. Malavika Vyawahare reports for #Mongabay.

Decades of the trade have pushed African grey parrots toward extinction. Now, seizures in Cameroon reveal a macabre shift: poachers are harvesting parrot blood for religious and medicinal practices, complicating enforcement as traffickers pivot to covert, highly fluid products.

Despite a federal court striking down its offshore wind ban, the Trump administration has spent $2.6 billion buying back energy leases to halt development. A recent $765 million buyout cancels four coastal projects, redirecting funds to Midwestern natural gas and Western geothermal.

How do we monitor predator-prey interactions? A study uses AI to decode the acoustic signatures of feeding animals. By analyzing the sounds of rays crushing shells, the model offers a non-invasive way to measure the predatory pressure placed on marine ecosystems. Abhishyant Kidangoor reports.

One of Thailand's most powerful conglomerates is pushing ahead with a new LNG power plant after local communities spent 18 years opposing it due to fears it will exacerbate existing water shortages and air pollution. My latest for @mongabay.com w. photos by @andyball.bsky.social

Vietnamese environmental lawyer Dang Dinh Bach was released on June 24 after serving a full five-year prison sentence. Arrested in 2021 after leading anti-coal protests, Bach’s legal work previously helped shape Vietnam’s $15.5 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership. mongabay.cc/JN6a91

Rewilding efforts in Rio de Janeiro’s Tijuca National Park are reviving an "empty forest" by reintroducing extinct species like howler monkeys and toucans. These animals are vital for seed dispersal, though experts note that adapting species like macaws to the wild remains a complex challenge.

From carbon storage to ecosystem resilience, wildlife plays a vital role in regulating the climate. In a new commentary, Jérôme Pinti argue that governments designing nature-based solutions and climate strategies must bring animals into the policy conversation to ensure effective conservation.

The Amazon lost 736,484 hectares of forest in 2025, according to a new MAAP analysis. While the data shows some positive year-on-year trends, illegal clearing remains a major threat inside protected areas. Driven by El Niño, looming heat waves and dry conditions could worsen the destruction.

🥳 El fundador de @mongabay.com, @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social, dará la charla magistral de cierre del #PumaFest, primer Festival Latinoamericano de Periodismo Ambiental, que Mongabay Latam realizará el 23 de julio en Bogotá, Colombia. 👉🏼 Toda la información en tinyurl.com/PumaFest2026

Intense fires drove a sharp rise in forest loss across Brazilian Indigenous territories. Indigenous leaders warn the destruction threatens food security and health, while climate experts fear an upcoming El Niño could worsen conditions across the Amazon Basin. @aimeegabay.bsky.social reports.

Traditional communities in Pará, Brazil’s top cocoa-producing state, are managing native species that naturally resist pests and extreme weather. @samcowie84.bsky.social and Cícero Pedroso on @mongabay.com news.mongabay.com/2026/06/amaz...

Six marine protected areas have earned Blue Park status for durable and equitable conservation, including four in Africa. Amid global targets to protect 30% of oceans by 2030, experts emphasize that safeguarding marine life requires meaningful co-management with local and Indigenous communities.

Residents in South Africa’s coal belt continue to suffer severe respiratory and health issues from industrial pollution, despite the region being named a priority area nearly 20 years ago. Activists are now pursuing legal action to force the government to strictly enforce emission standards.

In Nigeria, where poaching and habitat loss have devastated vulture populations, some traditional medicine practitioners are switching to plant alternatives to save the birds from extinction. Conservationists are cautiously optimistic but warn that enforcement and public awareness must expand.

The deadly H5N1 bird flu strain has reached Australia for the first time, confirmed in two migratory seabirds. While no mass mortality is reported yet, conservationists warn the virus poses a severe threat to endemic wildlife. "This could be the beginning of a long fight," experts say.