Two species of critically endangered tortoises were reintroduced to Bangladesh‘s forests last December. Six captive-bred elongated tortoises (Indotestudo elongata) were first released in Lawachara National Park in northeastern Bangladesh on Dec. 18. This was followed by the release of 10 Asian giant tortoises (Manouria emys phayrei) in Matamuhuri Reserve Forest in the Chittagong Hill Tracts […]
Tag: Mongabay.com
Atlantic puffins are perilously attracted to artificial light, new study shows
As the long summer days of August turn into nights, a few dozen volunteers gather in the small community of Witless Bay, a tiny town on the Atlantic coast about a half-hour’s drive south of St. John’s, capital of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. After a briefing by a coordinator from conservation NGO […]
Warming threatens flies more than bees, raising pollination concerns
Life can’t function without insects. At least, not for long. They pollinate, break down waste, cycle nutrients, and touch every node in the web of life, filling endless niches across the planet. As global temperatures continue to rise, some of Earth’s most important but overlooked pollinators, the flies, may be at greater risk than previously […]
Near-extinct Siberian crane is recovering thanks to habitat protection
Over the past decade, the population of the critically endangered Siberian crane has increased by nearly 50%, according to the International Crane Foundation. The foundation said the boost in the snowy-white Siberian crane‘s (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) numbers is the result of efforts to secure the migratory bird‘s stopover sites along its eastern flyway, or migratory route, […]
Bonobo numbers in DRC park stable, but signs of decline appear
Bonobo populations in the Democratic Republic of Congo‘s Salonga National Park remained steady between 2002 and 2018, but there are worrying signals of decline, a recent study has found. For decades, Salonga has been known to host the largest known population of bonobos (Pan paniscus), an endangered great ape found only in the DRC. However, […]
We need a North Pole Marine Reserve to secure a healthy future for Arctic waters (commentary)
In the 1990s, a single moratorium announcement wiped out an entire industry, leaving 37,000 people unemployed overnight. The ecological collapse of the Canadian Grand Banks Cod Fisheries is the most famous historical example of a collapse in fish stocks due to overfishing. Not only were cod stocks severely depleted, it was the largest layoff of […]
Indonesia’s voracious songbird trade laps up rare and poisonous pitohuis
Among New Guinea’s rainforest inhabitants is a group of birds called pitohuis, chatty songbirds that stand out for their loud, attractive songs. But there’s more to these birds than their songs: their poison. Pitohuis are among the few poisonous birds on the planet. Their skin and feathers contain potent neurotoxins, which help them fight off […]
A deadly parasite turns jaguar conservation into a human health priority
In Brazil‘s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, Paul Raad crouched in the undergrowth, scanning the ground for signs of jaguar activity. He wasn’t looking for the big cats themselves; instead, the veterinarian from São Paulo State University (UNESP) was searching for fresh jaguar feces. Spotting a recent sample, Raad carefully collected it, stored it […]