Carolyn P. Cowan

Staff Writer at Mongabay

Staff writer at @mongabay covering Southeast Asia. Photographer. Martial artist.

Articles

DNA probe links Japan’s otter-themed cafes to poaching hotspots in Thailand

1 week ago | news.mongabay.com | Carolyn P. Cowan

Asian small-clawed otters have long been taken from their wild habitats in Southeast Asia to supply the opaque and often illegal pet trade. Booming demand for captive otters, stoked by social media and TV shows, looks set to worsen amid an emerging trend for exotic animals cafes. A new genetic study links otters found in exotic animal cafes in Japan with wild populations in well-known poaching hotspots in southern Thailand.
Wildlife crime crackdown in jeopardy worldwide after US funding cuts

2 weeks ago | news.mongabay.com | Carolyn P. Cowan

In 2019, Malawi dismantled the Chinese-led Lin-Zhang wildlife trafficking syndicate, a major win in its fight against the illegal wildlife trade, thanks in part to funding from the U.S. government. The Trump administration’s recent slashing of international development funds, however, threatens these gains, leaving frontline enforcers and conservation programs without critical support.
In New Guinea, megadiverse lowland forests are most at risk of deforestation

2 weeks ago | news.mongabay.com | Carolyn P. Cowan

Located at the edge of the western Pacific Ocean, New Guinea is a vast island where the biota of Asia and Australasia meet, making it a melting pot of unique plants and animals that occur nowhere else on the planet. Development pressure is ramping up across the island, however, opening up landscapes to new roads, industrial logging and agricultural conglomerates pushing biofuel agendas.
Agroforestry can reduce deforestation, but supportive policies matter, study finds

1 month ago | news.mongabay.com | Carolyn P. Cowan

Agroforestry is recognized as a way to boost local biodiversity, improve soils and diversify farming incomes. New research suggests it may also benefit nearby forests by reducing pressure to clear them. The study found agroforestry has helped reduce deforestation across Southeast Asia by an estimated 250,319 hectares (618,552 acres) per year between 2015 and 2023, lowering emissions and underscoring its potential as a natural climate solution.
Salvar a los monos langures: un plan vital para detener su alarmante declive en Asia

1 month ago | es.mongabay.com | Carolyn P. Cowan

Un nuevo plan de conservación busca frenar el declive de los langures en el Sudeste Asiático, donde la pérdida de hábitat y la caza furtiva han reducido drásticamente su población. El proyecto se centra en los seis países que forman parte del hotspot de biodiversidad de Sundaland, una región conocida por su asombrosa variedad de hábitats y especies.
Action plan aims to save Asia’s leaf-eating monkeys amid ‘alarming’ declines

1 month ago | news.mongabay.com | Carolyn P. Cowan

A new conservation plan aims to halt the decline of langur monkeys in Southeast Asia, where habitat loss and poaching have severely reduced their numbers. The 10-year Asian Langurs Conservation Action Plan focuses on the six countries in the Sundaland biodiversity hotspot, a region known for its astonishing range of habitats and species. Based on insights from leading primatologists, the plan prioritizes measures needed to safeguard 28 species and subspecies of langurs.
Action plan aims to save Asia’s leaf-eating monkeys amid ‘alarming’ declines

1 month ago | flipboard.com | Carolyn P. Cowan

2 hours ago"Prepare to die, you, Tulsi, and everyone you hold dear," one of the texts read, according to the Justice Department. "America will burn." A man is facing a federal charge after allegedly threatening to kill Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and her husband, the Department of Justice …
Dugong numbers plummet amid seagrass decline in Thailand’s Andaman Sea

1 month ago | news.mongabay.com | Carolyn P. Cowan

Thailand’s dugongs are disappearing fast, reflecting an unfolding crisis in the region’s seagrass ecosystems. Seagrass beds on Thailand’s Andaman Sea coast that support one of the world’s most significant populations of dugongs have died off in recent years, creating an increasingly challenging environment for the charismatic marine mammals. Scientists point to a combination unsustainable coastal practices and climate change as the main factors driving the decline.
Mangrove deforestation for commodities limits conservation funding in SE Asia

Feb 25, 2025 | news.mongabay.com | Carolyn P. Cowan

Southeast Asia’s mangrove forests are still at risk of conversion for oil palm, rice and aquaculture, despite their immense potential for mitigating global biodiversity and climate goals. Commodity-driven deforestation and a range of climate change-related risks threaten the long-term survival of 85% of the region’s mangrove forests that could feasibly host carbon credit projects, a new study finds.
How birds deepen our awareness of nature: Interview with Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok

Feb 23, 2025 | news.mongabay.com | Carolyn P. Cowan

Thailand is home to more than 1,100 species of birds and is a crucial stopover location on global bird migration routes. However, the country’s protected area system focuses on mountainous forests, which risks overlooking the conservation of many other habitats, such as wetlands, mudflats and open farmlands that are nonetheless important for birds. While bird conservation efforts are well underway in many of these habitats, threats from hunting, wildlife trade and rapid development abound.