Tootfinder

"What the platypus can teach us about smarter conservation"
#Platypus #Animals #Conservation

What the platypus can teach us about smarter conservation
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. The platypus offers a useful lesson in conservation: before acting, it helps to know where the animal still lives, and where risks are growing. Australia’s best-known oddity is also difficult to count, reports contributor Paul Harvey for Mongabay. […]

Forests in Liberia are falling to cocoa, in half a year the EU could ban imports https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/07/forests-in-liberia-are-falling-to-cocoa-in-half-a-year-the-eu-could-ban-imports/

Forests in Liberia are falling to cocoa, in half a year the EU could ban imports
On this week’s episode of the Mongabay Newscast, we speak with features writer Ashoka Mukpo, who traveled to southeastern Liberia to investigate what satellite images indicated was a spike in deforestation over a relatively concentrated period. Along with video production coordinator Juan Maza, Mukpo documented illegal cacao plantations in the rainforests in the county of […]

"Study finds 40% of soil-dependent species threatened or data deficient"
#Animals
https://news.mongabay.com/short-articl

Study finds 40% of soil-dependent species threatened or data deficient
Researchers have for the first time assessed the extinction risk of soil-dependent animals, invertebrates and fungi. They found that some 40% of these species are either threatened or data deficient on the IUCN Red List, according to a recent study. Soil hosts nearly 60% of life on Earth. These species are key for biogeochemical cycles, […]

Proposed mine expansion raising pollution concerns in Canada and US https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/proposed-mine-expansion-raising-pollution-concerns-in-canada-and-us/

Proposed mine expansion raising pollution concerns in Canada and US
The Elk Valley in southeast British Columbia is home to Canada’s four largest coal mines. With a proposed mine expansion moving through environmental assessment, people on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border worry the valley’s decades-old pollution problem could get even worse. Industrial coal mining in the Elk Valley goes back more than 50 years. […]

Report: Indonesian authorities weaponize laws to silence environmental and Indigenous defenders https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/report-indonesian-authorities-weaponize-laws-to-silence-en…

Report: Indonesian authorities weaponize laws to silence environmental and Indigenous defenders
Indonesian authorities are wrongfully prosecuting environmental defenders and Indigenous leaders who protest deforestation, pollution and land grabs, says a new report by international nonprofit Human Rights Watch (HRW). In its 70-page report, HRW uses 15 publicly recorded cases from 2015 to 2025 as examples to suggest how police use complaints from companies and politicians to […]

Indonesia busts wildlife trafficking ring targeting Komodo dragons https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/indonesia-busts-wildlife-trafficking-ring-targeting-komodo-dragons/

Indonesia busts wildlife trafficking ring targeting Komodo dragons
Police in Indonesia have announced the dismantling of what they say is a major wildlife trafficking network.

"A banana byproduct transforms farm waste into profits in Bangladesh"
#Bangladesh #FoodWaste

A banana byproduct transforms farm waste into profits in Bangladesh
Bananas make up 20% of all fruit crops grown in Bangladesh, and the country has begun to unlock the hidden potential of the plant’s agricultural byproducts. Banana fiber, extracted from post-harvest stems, is emerging as a versatile biodegradable material that can be used to manufacture textiles, blended yarns and handicrafts. In Bangladesh, banana fiber is […]

Iceland plans to resume whale hunting this summer https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/iceland-plans-to-resume-whale-hunting-this-summer/

Iceland plans to resume whale hunting this summer
Iceland will resume fin whale hunting in 2026 after a two-year pause, despite welfare concerns, declining demand, and plans to phase out the practice.

Gold mining damages dung beetle communities in the Amazon, study finds https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/06/gold-mining-damages-dung-beetle-communities-in-the-amazon-study-finds/

Gold mining damages dung beetle communities in the Amazon, study finds
Small-scale gold mining is a major cause of deforestation in the Amazon, and researchers found that in Guyana it destroys dung beetle communities and prevents their recovery for decades. Gold mining causes 90% of the deforestation in the Guiana Shield, which contains a quarter of the Amazon rainforest as well as large gold deposits, according […]

Facebook is a hub for illegal wildlife trade, and that’s by design, report says https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/facebook-is-a-hub-for-illegal-wildlife-trade-and-thats-by-design-report-says/

Facebook is a hub for illegal wildlife trade, and that’s by design, report says
With just the click of a button or a swipe on a phone, it’s possible to buy almost anything online, including rare or endangered animals. From quirky shark trophies to exotic live birds, contraband rhino horns or ivory, buyers can flock to e-commerce platforms and find them all. Traffickers hide behind their screens while profiting […]