Shorts

Malawi officials seek to drop bribery case against illegal wildlife trafficking convict

Government officials in Malawi have applied to withdraw bribery charges against wildlife trafficking convict Lin Yunhua, which would pave the way for his release from prison. In July 2025, a presidential pardon set Lin, a Chinese national, free from a 14-year jail sentence he’d received in 2021 connected to illegally trading in wildlife parts such as ivory, rhino horn and pangolin scales. Malawian authorities had arrested Lin, his wife and 13 members of his transnational wildlife crime syndicate in 2019. While pardoned, Lin remained in prison on charges of bribing a prison official and a judge to influence his sentencing; offenses he allegedly committed while on trial for the wildlife crimes. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Fostino Maele, has now instructed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which brought the bribery charges against Lin, to drop those charges. Maele was previously Lin’s lawyer. Environmental and anti-corruption activists demanded that he recuse himself from the case due to a conflict of interest. But Maele did not. At the time of publishing, Maele had not responded to questions from Mongabay about reasons for dropping the bribery charges and concerns of conflict of interest. “We have a serious contradiction here,” environmentalist Charles Mkoka told Mongabay in a phone interview. “We sit in one room and plan what to do to send a strong message to wildlife traffickers that we will not tolerate their crimes. In another room, some offices are scrapping off cases of those that are engaging in wildlife trafficking. This is regrettable.” The hearing on the corruption case started on May 13, and two prison officials had testified as state witnesses. The anti-corruption body’s chief legal and prosecution officer, Peter Sambani, said the DPP, in a letter on May 19, directed the ACB to withdraw the case. The ACB then applied for the case’s discontinuation at the High Court in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, on June 9. According to the Malawi Constitution, while the DPP has sole power over discontinuance of a case, he is required to provide reasons to the Parliament within 10 days. In an online petition, environmental and anti-corruption civil society organisations say discontinuing the case against Lin would lead to questions about Malawi's commitment to combating corruption and organized wildlife crime. Mkoka, who is also the executive director of the Coordination Union for Rehabilitation of the Environment (CURE) in Malawi, told Mongabay that the presidential pardon last year set a tone for the collapse of the bribery case as it undermined the work of law enforcement agencies that had arrested and prosecuted Lin. “Probably, we did not speak out hard enough against that pardon,” he said. “Now, we need to have a serious reflection [on] whether we still need laws that empower certain offices to set free high-profile wildlife offenders and whether those offices are using their powers responsibly.” Banner image: Lin Yunhua in a court appearance in May 2026 answering bribery charges. Image courtesy of Lloyd M’bwana.

Lin Yunhua in a court appearance in May 2026 answering bribery charges. Image courtesy of Lloyd M’bwana.

Mongabay Africa’s most-read stories so far in 2026

From human-elephant coexistence to an alternative conservation model from the Democratic Republic of Congo, from teen innovators in Kenya to Guinea’s complicated experience with mining, the stories that attracted the most readers in the first five months of 2026 reflect the richness of Mongabay’s Africa coverage on World Environment Day, June 5, 2026. They also showcase the talents of a diverse reporting team and a strong and growing network of resident contributors. Electric fences help farmers and elephants coexist in Zambian borderlands: Contributor Ryan Truscott reports from eastern Zambia on an initiative aimed at protecting farmland from elephants, even as the pachyderms are forced into narrower corridors as habitats shrink. A unique clearing in Central Africa draws elephants from the dense forests: Mongabay Africa’s program director David Akana takes readers to the forest clearing of Dzanga Bai in the Central African Republic. A place where the naturally elusive forest elephants gather, sometimes in the hundreds, forming a “village of elephants.” Descendants of people pushed out for DRC national park lead forest conservation efforts: Contributor Jérémie Kyaswekera brings a story of hope from the DRC, where descendants of families that had to leave the forests of what is today an area in and around Maiko National Park are leading efforts to protect biodiversity through local conservation efforts. Teen innovators in Kenya turn farm waste into award-winning vehicle exhaust filter: Kenya-based contributor Mary Mwendwa teamed up with Mongabay Africa editor Malavika Vyawahare to profile young innovators who developed an exhaust filtration system that uses filters made from locally-sourced materials like coconut shells, maize cobs, steel mesh, copper and recycled materials from old batteries. The duo won the Africa edition of the Earth Prize. Hopes and fears as Guinea exports iron ore from Simandou mines: Mongabay Africa features writer Ashoka Mukpo explains what makes the first shipment of iron ore from Guinea’s Simandou mines to China significant. The deep dive foregrounds the perils of extractives in a country with hopes of becoming one of the world’s leading iron ore producers. Banner image: Elephants in Dzanga Bai in the Central African Republic. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.

“For mothers and young elephants, Dzanga Bai becomes something of a playground and a very safe place,” says Ivonne Kienast, project manager and head researcher of the Dzanga Forest Elephant Project. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.

New records of ‘lost’ bamboo shark confirmed in Madagascar

For nearly 20 years, the blue-spotted bamboo shark, found only in Madagascar, went scientifically undetected and unrecorded. But researchers have now found four new records of the “lost” shark while surveying fishing villages and a Malagasy university’s fish collection. These recent records, and interviews with fishers, suggest the species may be more common than previously thought, according to a new report in Oryx. The blue-spotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium caeruleopunctatum), so named for the blue-white spots on its brown body, was first described based on a specimen caught off Madagascar in 1914. A second record of the species came 92 years later — a photograph of a shark caught in 2006. Since then, the species largely went unconfirmed, until researchers began surveying fish markets and landing sites in Madagascar in September 2025. Report's lead author Tsarahasina Fanomenzana, a young Malagasy intern from the NGO Madagascar Whale Shark Project, was showing photos of sharks and rays he’d seen at a fishing village on the east coast to shark expert and co-author David Ebert. “One of the photos was of the blue-spotted bamboo shark,” Ebert told Mongabay by email. “He didn’t think too much of it as there were some other images of shark and ray species he thought were more interesting.” However, Ebert said he was “more than excited,” because the pictures confirmed the blue-spotted shark was still around. He was in Madagascar for the Lost Sharks project, supported by the Save Our Seas Foundation, which aims to find and raise awareness about little-known shark and ray species that could be disappearing unnoticed. Ebert and his colleagues eventually confirmed two more individuals of the shark from the fishing village, and a fourth specimen housed in the University of Tulear’s fish collection, on the west coast. “Since these new records were published I have had some more evidence in the forms of photos come out further confirming this species,” Ebert said. The blue-spotted bamboo shark is currently listed as data deficient on the IUCN Red List, meaning not enough is known about the species to determine its conservation status. The lack of information could partly be because the species is sometimes misidentified as the white-spotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum), “so most Malagasy’s do not realize that it is endemic to Madagascar,” Ebert said. He added that interviews with fishers revealed they also mistake it for young leopard sharks, also called zebra sharks (Stegostoma tigrinum). “So, I believe now that [the blue-spotted bamboo shark] is more common than previously thought, but due to its being misidentified it has been underreported,” Ebert said. “Hopefully, now that people in Madagascar are more aware of it, they will start to note its occurrence going forward.” Ebert added that whether these additional new records will prompt the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority, to revisit the shark’s conservation status is unclear, “but hopefully we can build more information for the future such that when the time does come to review it, we might be able to elevate the assessment.” Banner image: A blue-spotted bamboo shark photographed in Madagascar in 2025. Image courtesy of Tsarahasina Fanomenzana.

A blue-spotted bamboo shark photographed in Madagascar in 2025. Image courtesy of Tsarahasina Fanomenzana.

Chimpanzees vs. a mega railway

Western chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) Critically endangered subspecies of the common chimpanzee. Guinea Conakry

White rhinos are back in Uganda

Gunmen kill two rangers in latest deadly attack in DRC’s Virunga National Park

Gunmen have killed two rangers in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the latest deadly attack in a region roiled by militia violence. Park sources said a heavily armed group opened fire on a control post at Kamuhororo, on the southern shore of Lake Edward inside Virunga, early on May 21. Kasereka Valyathire Baraka, 35, and Munguakonkwa Mihigo Jacques, 34, the rangers on duty at the time, were both killed, according to national park officials. The killings underscore the extreme risks facing conservation personnel in the eastern DRC. Instability here stems from overlapping conflicts between rebel groups including M23, Mai-Mai and scores of militias. Virunga has recorded more ranger deaths than any other protected area in the DRC, making it one of the world’s most dangerous conservation posts. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and biodiversity hotspot, home to two species of great apes: eastern gorillas (Gorilla beringei) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Park officials said they haven’t yet identified the attackers. The provincial office of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), the government agency that manages the DRC’s national parks, described the attack as “odious and unacceptable.” “We call for a thorough and urgent investigation to bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice,” Emmanuel de Merode, director of Virunga National Park, said in a statement obtained by Mongabay. More than 200 rangers have been killed in Virunga National Park in the last century. Rangers are often outnumbered by armed groups in the region. There’s also hostility toward the park among some segments of the local population. Officials say Virunga and other protected areas can only be successful if they can create a better conservation-based economy than the war-based economy, which many armed groups depend on. “If conservation creates hardships, it won’t work,” De Merode told Mongabay recently. “We cannot tell people not to use natural resources without offering them an alternative,” he added, referring to efforts by the park to support alternative livelihoods for surrounding communities. Mongabay has been documenting violence in and around Virunga National Park for more than a decade.

Despite the latest deaths, officials have reiterated their determination to continue protecting Virunga. In the statement obtained by Mongabay, officials said the park management “reaffirms its unwavering determination to continue its mission of conserving and preserving the Congolese natural heritage, whatever the threats and trials.” Banner image: Kasereka Valyathire Baraka, left, and Munguakonkwa Mihigo Jacques were the latest Virunga rangers killed in the line of duty. Images courtesy of Virunga National Park.

Kasereka Valyathire Baraka, left, and Munguakonkwa Mihigo Jacques were the latest Virunga rangers killed in the line of duty. Images courtesy of Virunga National Park.

Wild animal consumption on the rise in Central Africa, study finds

A new study has shed light on the scale of wild meat consumption across Central Africa. According to research led by CIFOR-ICRAF, a roughly 50% increase in the amount of wild meat being consumed is driven largely by growing demand from rapidly expanding urban populations. Published in the journal Nature, the study analyzed data from more than 12,000 households across 252 locations in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo between 2000 and 2022. Meat from wild animals continues to serve as a primary source of food for millions of people in the region, particularly traditional hunter-gatherers. According to the study, population growth in Central Africa — from 25 million to 140 million people — has sharply increased demand for both food and income, placing additional pressure on wildlife populations. The study determined 31% of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in the region are currently at risk of extinction. Researchers found annual wild meat consumption rose from about 730,000 tons in 2000 to 1.1 million tons in 2022. “Wild meat is a fundamental component of diets of rural populations, accounting for 20% of the recommended daily protein intake,” the study noted. The report concluded that ensuring the availability of wild meat in rural areas will require reducing its consumption in large urban centers. The study was co-authored by several researchers affiliated with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). In a press statement obtained by Mongabay, Germain Mavah of WCS said the findings reflect a growing threat to wildlife in both rural and urban areas. With the ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC, the study is also likely to raise renewed questions about the relationship between humans and wild animals, which can cause the spread of zoonotic diseases including COVID and Ebola. The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa was linked to interactions with wild animals. “Wild meat consumption is a major part of Central Africa’s socio-economic fabric,” said the study’s lead author, Mattia Bessone, an ecologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior at the University of Konstanz in Germany. “Measures should be enacted to ensure rural populations can sustainably use this food source.” The report acknowledged that wild meat consumption is deeply rooted in the region’s culture. However, it recommended strengthening alternative protein sectors like poultry and fisheries, while also creating alternative livelihoods and employment opportunities for people currently involved in the wild meat trade. The study further argued that reducing dependence on wild meat within the food system will require greater regional production, importation and distribution of healthy, safe and culturally acceptable alternatives. Banner image: According to WCS, dwarf crocodiles, among the most intensely hunted species in the Congo Basin, are often transported alive from remote rainforest areas to urban wild meat markets to keep the meat fresh during transit. Image courtesy of Thomas Nicolon/WCS

More than a million live birds imported to Asia in 15 years, report finds

Hong Kong and Singapore imported more than 1 million live wild birds between 2006 and 2020, according to a new analysis of customs data published in Conservation Biology. Nearly two-thirds of the birds were from Africa. The study highlights a massive, often under-regulated trade that threatens wild populations and poses significant risks for the spread of invasive species and deadly diseases, Mongabay’s Spoorthy Raman reports. Rowan Martin, director of bird trade at the World Parrot Trust, and his colleagues used U.N. Comtrade data to track the trade of wild birds. They found that Singapore accounted for nearly three-quarters of the imports, and Hong Kong was a second hub. Canaries (Crithagra spp.) topped the list of birds entering Hong Kong, with the yellow-fronted canary (C. mozambica) and white-rumped seedeater (C. leucopygia) making up 84% of African imports between 2015 and 2020. Martin’s team found that about 65% of the birds came from Africa. Mali, Guinea, Tanzania, and Mozambique were the primary exporters. “African birds are prominent because there’s been very little regulation of the exports,” Martin told Mongabay. “There are relatively few large-scale exporters operating in West Africa, and often these family businesses have big holding facilities where they aggregate birds prior to export.” Martin and his colleagues found bird imports to Hong Kong and Singapore increased after 2006. He credits this to rising middle-class wealth in Asia, more flight connectivity, and social media, which facilitates connections between exporters and buyers. Simon Bruslund, a bird trade researcher from the Copenhagen Zoo who was not involved with the study, noted that “exporters quickly adapt to opportunities.” In 2007, Ghana removed 114 bird species from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix III, which regulates and monitors the legal trade. A 2025 study by Bruslund and his colleagues found some U.S. imports of those bird species surged fourteenfold after the CITES change. Transporting birds tightly packed together creates ideal conditions for the spread of pathogens that cause avian influenza, circovirus, and psittacosis, which can transmit to humans. Furthermore, escaped pets can become invasive. For example, the pin-tailed whydah (Vidua macroura) in parts of the U.S. and the Caribbean is outcompeting native birds. Birds collected from across Africa are often brought together in open air markets which create, “perfect conditions for the horizontal transfer of pathogens between different species,” Martin said. “The biosecurity risks are pretty terrifying.” To mitigate these risks, Bruslund suggests adopting a registration and documentation system for all wild animals kept in captivity. South Korea, Singapore, and some EU countries are adopting “positive lists” of animals that are sustainably-sourced and aren’t potentially invasive or a health threat. Read the full story by Spoorthy Raman here. Banner image of a cut-throat finch (Amadina fasciata) for sale in Hong Kong. Image courtesy of Sam Inglis.