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Mozambique has added a new protected area. The government established the 9,341-hectare Mount Mabu Community Conservation Area through a decree on August 24. This action formally protects Mount Mabu.
The population of the kākāpō, a critically endangered flightless parrot, has grown to 325 birds. This is the first time the species has surpassed 300 individuals in 75 years. The increase follows a record breeding season that added 90 chicks, which was triggered by an irregular mass fruiting event.
The South Atlantic humpback whale population has recovered to about 35,000 individuals, with the Abrolhos archipelago off Brazil serving as its largest breeding ground. This regional population represents nearly half of the species' global total. The population estimate is from Brazil's Humpback Whale Institute and has not been reported in an independent scientific publication.
Woolston Eyes in Cheshire, a former dumping ground for Manchester Ship Canal dredgings, restored since 2021 into freshwater pools and reedbeds, now hosts 64% of Britain's breeding black-necked grebes. The finding comes from a single survey by the RSPB and Woolston Eyes Conservation Group. Absolute breeding pair numbers were not provided.
Nepal's wild tiger population has grown to an estimated 429 individuals in 2026, up from 355 in 2022. This national increase is a near four-fold jump from the population 16 years prior. The updated figure is an estimate, and officials note that emerging concerns threaten this progress.
According to satellite data from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), deforestation alerts in the Brazilian Amazon have fallen to their lowest level since 2013. This national-level decline comes from the DETER near-real-time alert system, which is used for rapid detection and not for calculating the official annual deforestation rate.
A new wild population of nearly 200 Sumatran orangutans has been established in Jantho Pine Forest Nature Reserve. The population was built by translocating rescued animals since 2011. The long-term viability of the group is still being monitored, according to a conservation program report covered by Mongabay.
A national survey estimates Nepal's wild tiger population reached 429 individuals. This figure represents a 20% increase over four years. The data comes from wildlife officials and is an estimate rather than a full census. Reports also note a concurrent rise in human-tiger conflict.
Controlled burns saved an estimated 1,900 giant sequoias during the 2020-2021 wildfires in Sequoia National Park. This local finding is based on a single retrospective study using aerial and satellite imagery. While effective here, prescribed burns carry their own risks, as demonstrated by a burn that escaped control in 2022.
Eight artificial canopy bridges installed in Alta Floresta, Brazil enabled 15,000 safe crossings for arboreal wildlife. A 15-month study recorded zero roadkill at these specific sites. This local project shows promise, though the zero roadkill figure applies only to the monitored bridges and not the entire road network.
The Malaysian government has implemented a total ban on the import of electronic waste. The ban is a national policy intended to stop the country from being a destination for the global toxic trade. The long-term enforcement and results of the policy are not yet known.
American oystercatcher populations rose by 45 percent between 2008 and 2023 on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America. The increase is linked to a coordinated conservation effort and is based on data from conservation partners. The absolute population size was not provided and ongoing monitoring is needed to confirm the trend's stability.
A study led by Dr. Zhen Zhang at Tulane University used Landsat satellite imagery to track global mangrove cover and found that gains have outpaced losses since 2010. The researchers attribute the shift to stronger legal protections and natural regeneration. Globally, net mangrove losses since the 1980s now stand at around 849 sq km, down from roughly 12,000 sq km cleared in earlier decades. This is a single study using a new satellite methodology the authors say may detect changes that prior research missed, and it has not yet been independently corroborated.
Government action against land-grabbers in the Piripkura Indigenous Territory in the Brazilian Amazon has produced some reduction in deforestation, according to satellite analysis by Mongabay. The finding covers one Indigenous territory and has not been independently corroborated. A central problem, the removal of cattle illegally introduced by ranchers, is unresolved, and the amount of forest area protected is not quantified.
FOX 13 reports that Utah's School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration sold more than 50,000 acres of Book Cliffs land in Grand County to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources for roughly $30 million. The land is intended to be managed as a wildlife management area and open space. The report describes the sale as complete and as a first-of-its-kind deal, but it relies on a single outlet and quotes from involved parties, with no independent corroboration.