Author: Andrew Rogers

Namibia has sent hundreds of soldiers to battle a wildfire that has scorched more than a third of Etosha national park, one of Africa’s largest game reserves and home to 114 mammal species including the critically endangered black rhino. The blaze, which began on 22 September, has already consumed about 34% of the park and caused “extensive ecological damage”, according to the environment ministry. At least nine antelope have been killed so far. After an emergency cabinet meeting, the government ordered 500 additional soldiers to join ongoing firefighting efforts by police, local residents and park staff. “They are deployed from…

At sunrise on Mount Muhabura, where Uganda meets Rwanda, Dr Benard Ssebide of Gorilla Doctors pushes through thickets of vines and brambles to find the Nyakagezi gorilla family before tourists arrive. Soon, nine of the great apes appear in a forest clearing: a silverback calmly chewing thistle, a youngster swinging on a vine, others picking wild blackberries. It is a sight that seemed impossible in the 1970s and 80s, when fewer than 250 mountain gorillas survived in the wild. Their forests were shrinking fast to agriculture and logging, and extinction seemed inevitable. Thanks to decades of conservation – even through…

The European Union is preparing to double its 2019 climate finance commitments for vulnerable countries at the upcoming COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil, according to a leaked Council document obtained by Euronews. The funding, which targets climate adaptation in the Global South, would represent a major step up from the €23.2bn contributed by the EU and member states in 2019. However, it still falls short of demands from developing nations, many of whom are calling for funding to be tripled. Africa alone requires $25bn (€21bn) annually to adapt to worsening climate impacts, Rwanda’s environment minister Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya said earlier…

A suspected yellow-legged hornet sighting in the Isles of Scilly has prompted an urgent investigation by wildlife and government officials. If confirmed, it would mark the first presence of the invasive species on the islands. Native to parts of Asia, the hornet is known to prey on bees, social wasps, spiders and other insects, raising fears for local ecosystems. A naturalist reported the hornet on Tresco, one of the five inhabited islands. The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust confirmed the report and warned of the potential ecological damage. “If these hornets establish themselves here, it could be a tragedy. Island…

The world’s oceans have crossed a key planetary threshold for the first time, with rising acidity driven by fossil fuel burning threatening marine life, according to the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. The 2025 Planetary Health Check shows ocean surface pH has dropped by 0.1 units since the industrial era, a 30-40% increase in acidity. This change disrupts ecosystems that rely on calcium carbonate, endangering coral reefs, Arctic marine life, oysters and molluscs, while indirectly affecting salmon, whales and other species higher up the food chain. Scientists warn this development risks weakening the oceans’ ability to absorb heat and…

On a summer day off Manhattan, a juvenile humpback whale named NYC0318 breaks the surface to feed – a thrilling sight for tourists, but a growing concern for conservationists. Once a migratory highway, the New York Bight – stretching from southern New Jersey to eastern Long Island – has become a regular foraging ground for humpbacks, putting them directly in the path of cargo vessels, cruise ships, tankers, fishing boats and recreational craft. Since Gotham Whale began tracking them in 2012, the local humpback catalogue has grown from just five whales to 470, mostly juveniles drawn by surface schools of…

A trio of leopard sharks in New Caledonia has been recorded mating in a “threesome,” marking the first documented observation of the species’ mating behavior in the wild. Marine biologist Dr. Hugo Lassauce filmed the 110-second sequence, in which two males mated sequentially with one female before collapsing from exhaustion. Experts say the footage provides valuable insights for conservation, habitat protection, and research into genetic diversity and artificial insemination for the endangered species.

Birdsong is everywhere and incredibly diverse. Songbirds, belonging to the order Passeriformes, make up over half of all bird species—nearly 5,700—and their songs are some of the most complex signals in the animal kingdom. Traditionally, male birds were thought to be the primary singers, using song to mark territory and attract mates. Male song can serve as an honest signal of health, letting females know about the singer’s fitness. But female birds, particularly in species like superb fairywrens, also sing. Female song helps defend their males from rival females and even communicates directly to their eggs. Singing to eggs teaches…

Critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoos have found an unexpected sanctuary among Hong Kong’s skyscrapers, but urban life poses challenges for the birds, which rely on tree cavities for nesting. Native to Indonesia and East Timor, the snow-white cockatoos with yellow crests make up roughly 10 per cent of the species’ global population of around 2,000 mature birds. Research shows the city’s cockatoo population has stagnated as typhoons and government tree trimming reduce natural nesting spaces. To help, conservationists have installed artificial nest boxes across the city. Astrid Andersson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hong Kong, said a pair of…

Red squirrels on the Isle of Wight are flourishing, with enough food and suitable habitat to support a population that could almost double, a new study finds. Researchers using climate models assessed how the population would respond to changes such as temperature shifts and low rainfall, finding no direct threat to their survival and noting “a natural ability to adapt to a range of climatic conditions.” Analysis of fur samples revealed two genetically distinct sub-populations on the island, one in the east and one in the west, with early signs of mixing that support genetic diversity and future population health.…