Mongabay.org

Mongabay founder Rhett A. Butler was recently interviewed by Rainbow Tours for its blog.

In the interview, conducted by Rainbow Tours’ Madagascar & Alternative Africa product manager and author/conservation writer Derek Schuurman, Rhett talked about his inspiration for starting Mongabay, including the role his visits to Madagascar played in the site’s origin as well as WildMadagascar.org, Mongabay’s sister site.

The strange and unique flora and fauna of Madagascar made it an obsession from the moment I learned about the island. My first visit to Madagascar as a teen was pretty disastrous, but nonetheless I saw so many interesting things that I had to return a few years later. Travel to Madagascar invariably includes highs and lows from amazing wildlife to destroyed landscapes, but I recommend it as a destination for anyone passionate about wildlife who has the ability to weather a bit of adventure.

He also revealed that Mongabay is hiring its first journalist dedicated to covering conservation and issues related to it in Madagascar. Malavika Vyawahare — an award-winning environmental journalist who has reported for Hindustan Times, The New York Times, The Guardian, Al Jazeera and Scientific American — joined the team in April 2019.

Check out the interview at
An Interview with Mongabay CEO Rhett Butler.

Rhett Butler in 2004 on the banks of the Manambolo River.