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Scientists are training the first generation of rats in Tanzania to detect illegal wildlife trafficked products. Their research shows that African giant pouched rats can locate concealed wildlife products such as pangolin scales, rhino horns and ivory in shipments. This innovative approach could reshape antitrafficking efforts and shed new light on the illegal wildlife trade. https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/meet-the-giant-rats-fighting-wildlife-trafficking/
Four lynx were illegally released in Scotland earlier this year by an unknown party, sparking condemnation. One of the cats died shortly after capture. That release comes amid long-running discussions of a possible reintroduction of this wildcat to the United Kingdom. Conservationists are working to reintroduce small cats across the globe. There are about 40 recognized species of wildcats, including a handful of charismatic big cats and at least 33 small wildcat species — with some of the most threatened felid species numbering among them. Read the article by Sean Mowbray https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/getting-rewilding-right-with-the-reintroduction-of-small-wildcats/
Water canals worldwide are causing widespread wildlife drownings, with significant losses recorded in Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Portugal and the U.S., particularly impacting threatened species. Scientists emphasize the lack of awareness and research on this issue, warning that canals act as “wildlife traps,” exacerbating biodiversity loss and habitat fragmentation. https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/silent-killing-machines-how-water-canals-threaten-wildlife-across-the-globe/
In an unprecedented project in the municipality of São Simão, blue-and-yellow macaws born in captivity were trained in free-flight techniques before being introduced into the wild. Traditionally, in psittacine reintroduction projects, captive chicks are only released into the wild at 2 or 3 years of age; with no experience in finding food or defending themselves against predators, many end up dying. Suzana Camargo writes about it here: https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/in-sao-paulo-free-flight-lessons-help-teach-macaws-to-survive-in-the-wild/
In 2024, the United Nations recognized seven landmark projects worldwide as outstanding examples of success under its ongoing Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030). One of them was Acción Andina (Andean Action), an initiative that has launched 23 restoration and conservation projects focused on the high-altitude Polylepis forests of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and Ecuador. https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/in-the-high-andes-a-dream-to-restore-a-special-forest-takes-root/
Just 17% of peatlands worldwide are protected, according to a new study, despite the fact that they hold more carbon than all the world’s forests. Peatlands are waterlogged accumulations of dead, partly decomposed vegetation, and are scattered widely from the northern latitudes through temperate zones to the equatorial tropics. The new maps show that more than 25% of peatlands overlap with Indigenous territories, an area of some 1.1 million square kilometers (about 425,000 square miles); much of that land doesn’t overlap with other forms of protection, providing an opportunity to keep peatlands intact through the strengthening of Indigenous land rights. Read the full article by John Cannon: https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/only-17-of-peatlands-vital-to-curbing-climate-change-are-protected-study-finds/
Despite his climate leadership stance ahead of COP30, Brazilian President Lula da Silva is pushing to approve oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon. Lula argues that oil revenues will fund Brazil’s energy transition. Critics say this is a flawed justification for expanding oil extraction under the guise of financing climate solutions. https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/lula-pushes-oil-drilling-at-mouth-of-amazon-despite-climate-risks/
Randy Borman, a leader of the Cofan people of the Ecuadorian Amazon, died on Feb. 17. Born to American missionaries in the Amazon, he was raised among the Cofán people and became a lifelong advocate for their land and rights. Borman led efforts to gain legal recognition for over a million acres of Cofán territory, ensuring long-term Indigenous control of a vast stretch of rainforest. Obituary by Rhett Butler: https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/randy-borman-1955-2025-an-unlikely-guardian-of-the-amazon-rainforest/
As the effects of climate change become increasingly evident, Latin American countries are facing complex circumstances when it comes to defending themselves against forest fires — and urban fires. In Argentinian Patagonia, fires have destroyed more than 10,100 hectares (24,958 acres) of native forests, including areas of Nahuel Huapi National Park. There are also active fires in Chile that have killed three firefighters. Astrid Arellano writes about it here: https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/after-la-fire-crisis-reaches-latin-america-from-mexico-to-argentina/
An unprecedented study analyzed data from 1991 to 2023 and found that each 0.1°C increase in average global air temperature led to 360 new climate disaster events and damages in Brazil amounting to R$ 5.6 billion ($970 million). The global warming process has accelerated over the current decade, resulting in an average of 4,077 recorded climate-related disasters per year in Brazil, compared to 725 per year during the 1990s — an increase of 460%. https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/brazil-has-seen-a-460-increase-in-climate-related-disasters-since-the-1990s/