With their camouflaged coats, impossibly long tails, and extraordinary tree-climbing skills, clouded leopards are evolutionary marvels. They’re beautifully adapted to a feline life in the trees. But what evolution hadn’t reckoned on was us. A new genetic study indicates that the one-two punch of habitat loss and poaching has dealt the genetic diversity of the […]
Tag: mongabay
Crime analysis sheds light on tiger poaching in Malaysia
Conservationists have for the first time adopted a crime analysis strategy developed for urban policing and applied it to assess the effectiveness of counterpoaching measures to protect the critically endangered Malayan tiger, according to a study published in Frontiers in Conservation Science. A deep-forest ranger patrol was established by conservation NGO Panthera in collaboration with […]
Dominica set to open world’s first reserve centered around sperm whales
The world’s first marine reserve for sperm whales is set to open in the waters off the coast of Dominica, a tiny island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The reserve’s establishment is aimed at safeguarding a local population of a few hundred endangered sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) that are threatened by fishing gear entanglements, […]
Video: A sanctuary for elephants and forests in Cambodia
Captive elephants often lead difficult lives. In tourism, logging and roadbuilding, they put in long hours in hazardous conditions that cause injuries. But since 2006, the Elephant Valley Project has worked to provide a home for retired elephants. On more than 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) in eastern Cambodia, the elephants can roam, socializing, feeding and […]
Meet Japan’s Iriomote and Tsushima cats: Ambassadors for island conservation
Japan is home to two rare subspecies of leopard cat, one found only on Iriomote Island and the other on Tsushima Island. Neither larger than a housecat, each subspecies has an estimated population of only around 100 individuals, and both are listed as critically endangered on the Japanese Red List of Endangered Species. While the […]
In biodiverse Nepal, wildlife crime fighters are underpowered but undeterred
CHITWAN, Nepal — When Hemanta Malla Thakuri, former deputy inspector-general of the Nepal Police, started training the country’s frontline wildlife crime investigators last year, he realized they operated similarly to how the police did when he joined the force nearly four decades ago. “The situation was such that we were given responsibilities, but not adequate […]
Taking the global pulse of biodiversity monitoring: Q&A with Andrew Gonzalez
Conservation technology has witnessed an unprecedented boom in recent years. Drones are soaring higher than ever before. DNA sampled from soil, air and water are revolutionizing biodiversity surveys. Artificial intelligence is making it easier to analyze gargantuan amounts of data. However, despite the dizzying pace of advances in technology, scientists, researchers and tech enthusiasts continue […]
As oceans warm, marine heat waves push deep beneath the surface, study shows
New research shows that marine heat waves last longer in deeper water, increasing the possibility of species displacement or mortality. Marine heat waves, defined as events where ocean temperatures rise to extreme levels and hold steady for at least five days, are becoming increasingly common as human-induced climate change fuels global warming. The ocean absorbs […]