Lead Story
Seychelles survey finds Aldabra's giant tortoise population has swelled to a record 183,000
A survey led by the Seychelles Islands Foundation and the University of Exeter, published in Ecology and Evolution in October, estimates roughly 183,000 adult and subadult Aldabra giant tortoises now live on the atoll — far above the widely cited estimate of about 100,000 from the late 1990s, and more than the Seychelles' entire human population of around 123,000-135,000. The species had been hunted down to fewer than 1,000 individuals in the 19th century; researchers credit decades of protection on the atoll, including the removal of feral goats in 2012, for the rebound, while cautioning that removing remaining invasive mammals could push numbers even higher.
Read more →Lead Story
Seychelles survey finds Aldabra's giant tortoise population has swelled to a record 183,000
A survey led by the Seychelles Islands Foundation and the University of Exeter, published in Ecology and Evolution in October, estimates roughly 183,000 adult and subadult Aldabra giant tortoises now live on the atoll — far above the widely cited estimate of about 100,000 from the late 1990s, and more than the Seychelles' entire human population of around 123,000-135,000. The species had been hunted down to fewer than 1,000 individuals in the 19th century; researchers credit decades of protection on the atoll, including the removal of feral goats in 2012, for the rebound, while cautioning that removing remaining invasive mammals could push numbers even higher.
India releases its first captive-bred Great Indian Bustards into the wild in Rajasthan
On October 4, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Wildlife Institute of India scientists released two captive-bred male Great Indian Bustards into Desert National Park near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan — the first releases from a breeding programme that now holds 97 birds at its Sam and Ramdevra facilities, 11 of which are earmarked to follow. Officials call it a turning point from simply breeding one of the world's most endangered birds in captivity to actively rewilding it; a complementary 'jumpstart' technique that places captive-laid eggs in wild nests has already produced eight chicks in Rajasthan and Gujarat, though experts want post-release tracking data before scaling the programme up.
Read more →India releases its first captive-bred Great Indian Bustards into the wild in Rajasthan
On October 4, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Wildlife Institute of India scientists released two captive-bred male Great Indian Bustards into Desert National Park near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan — the first releases from a breeding programme that now holds 97 birds at its Sam and Ramdevra facilities, 11 of which are earmarked to follow. Officials call it a turning point from simply breeding one of the world's most endangered birds in captivity to actively rewilding it; a complementary 'jumpstart' technique that places captive-laid eggs in wild nests has already produced eight chicks in Rajasthan and Gujarat, though experts want post-release tracking data before scaling the programme up.
Five countries and territories across the Americas notch major disease-elimination milestones, PAHO reports
The Pan American Health Organization announced on September 29 that five countries and territories had been validated for disease-elimination achievements over the prior year: Chile for eliminating leprosy (March 2026) and becoming the first South American country validated for ending dog-transmitted rabies (September 2026); El Salvador for eliminating trachoma (July 2026), a first for Central America; Brazil for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV (validated December 2025); the Bahamas for the same HIV milestone (April 2026); and the Turks and Caicos Islands for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and hepatitis B (June 2026).
Read more →Five countries and territories across the Americas notch major disease-elimination milestones, PAHO reports
The Pan American Health Organization announced on September 29 that five countries and territories had been validated for disease-elimination achievements over the prior year: Chile for eliminating leprosy (March 2026) and becoming the first South American country validated for ending dog-transmitted rabies (September 2026); El Salvador for eliminating trachoma (July 2026), a first for Central America; Brazil for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV (validated December 2025); the Bahamas for the same HIV milestone (April 2026); and the Turks and Caicos Islands for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and hepatitis B (June 2026).
Personalized mRNA melanoma vaccine clears major Phase 3 hurdle, cutting recurrence risk
Moderna and Merck's individualized neoantigen therapy, given alongside Merck's Keytruda, met its main goals in a Phase 3 trial of more than 1,100 patients with high-risk melanoma whose tumors had been surgically removed, significantly extending the time patients stayed free of melanoma and lowering the risk of the cancer spreading, compared with Keytruda alone. The results, presented at the 2026 ESMO Congress by Melanoma Institute Australia's Georgina Long, showed no new safety concerns beyond fatigue, sore arm and chills; the trial continues to track overall survival, and an oncologist quoted by ABC News expects the vaccine could reach approval and patients by early 2027.
Read more →Personalized mRNA melanoma vaccine clears major Phase 3 hurdle, cutting recurrence risk
Moderna and Merck's individualized neoantigen therapy, given alongside Merck's Keytruda, met its main goals in a Phase 3 trial of more than 1,100 patients with high-risk melanoma whose tumors had been surgically removed, significantly extending the time patients stayed free of melanoma and lowering the risk of the cancer spreading, compared with Keytruda alone. The results, presented at the 2026 ESMO Congress by Melanoma Institute Australia's Georgina Long, showed no new safety concerns beyond fatigue, sore arm and chills; the trial continues to track overall survival, and an oncologist quoted by ABC News expects the vaccine could reach approval and patients by early 2027.
FDA clears AI-personalized brain-stimulation treatment after strong PTSD trial results
Wave Neuroscience's MeRT system, developed with researchers at the Texas A&M Health Institute of Biosciences and Technology, received FDA clearance in mid-2026 as a non-medication treatment for PTSD. The system pairs EEG readings with transcranial magnetic stimulation, using an AI-derived algorithm to personalize the stimulation pattern to each patient's own brain activity; in the trial of 158 adults underlying the clearance, the company reported an average 52% reduction in PTSD symptoms and said 68% of patients no longer met the clinical criteria for PTSD afterward, with the FDA finding significantly greater improvement than with sham treatment.
Read more →FDA clears AI-personalized brain-stimulation treatment after strong PTSD trial results
Wave Neuroscience's MeRT system, developed with researchers at the Texas A&M Health Institute of Biosciences and Technology, received FDA clearance in mid-2026 as a non-medication treatment for PTSD. The system pairs EEG readings with transcranial magnetic stimulation, using an AI-derived algorithm to personalize the stimulation pattern to each patient's own brain activity; in the trial of 158 adults underlying the clearance, the company reported an average 52% reduction in PTSD symptoms and said 68% of patients no longer met the clinical criteria for PTSD afterward, with the FDA finding significantly greater improvement than with sham treatment.