KATHMANDU — When researcher Kumar Paudel from the NGO Greenhood Nepal received permission to carry out a genetic study to determine the distribution of the two species of pangolins in Nepal, he submitted some samples sourced from the Chitwan-Parsa landscape to a lab in Nepal. The permission’s condition was that the lab tests needed to […]
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Large birds can boost forest carbon storage — if deforestation doesn’t interfere
Think of a toucan and you’ll probably picture a toco toucan, with its orange bill and white throat. The largest member of the toucan family, the toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) can have a wingspan of more than 1 meter (3 feet) and fly more than 90 meters. On these journeys, it often carries something very […]
Javan rhino poacher gets 12 years in record sentence for wildlife crime in Indonesia
A court in Indonesia has sentenced a man to 12 years in prison for poaching six critically endangered Javan rhinos, in what’s been hailed as the harshest punishment handed down for wildlife crime to date. Poaching carries a maximum sentence of five years under Indonesian law, and prosecutors had sought this figure in the case […]
Australian state fails on koala conservation while relying on faulty offset schemes, experts say
In the leadup to his election as Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns promised the establishment of a Great Koala National Park in the Australian state as part of the Labor government’s agenda to protect the endangered koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). One year later, the park is still not established and native woodland logging is […]
Mysterious, at risk, understudied flat-headed cat lacks conservation focus
Unceremoniously named for its distinctively shaped skull, the flat-headed cat is up for consideration as one of the world’s most endangered and elusive felines. Weighing in at less than the size of a domestic cat, this diminutive species roams semiaquatic and wetland habitat in Sumatra, Borneo, the Malay Peninsula and southern Thailand. To navigate their […]
Rewilding efforts throw a lifeline to Brazil’s most trafficked endangered bird
As the door of the wire enclosure is unlatched, a small coal-black bird hops forward. For a moment, it perches at the threshold and cocks its head quizzically at its newfound liberty, then flits into the undergrowth of the surrounding savanna. Within just a few minutes, its mate, a chestnut-brown female, follows suit. These two […]
Elusive jaguarundi inspires biologists to share data across Latin America
The jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) seems to lack distinction, at least to human eyes. It doesn’t have spots or stripes. It’s not an exceptional climber. It’s not endangered, or endemic to any one region. At 4-7 kilograms (9-16 pounds), it’s neither the biggest cat in the Americas, nor the smallest, nor even the biggest of the […]
Poachers claim to have killed one-third of all Javan rhinos, Indonesian police say
A staggering 26 Javan rhinos may have been killed in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park since 2019, according to local law enforcement. Once roaming much of Southeast Asia, Javan rhinos (Rhinoceros sondaicus) today survive in a single park in Java and are one of the most endangered large mammals on Earth. If the death toll […]