How collecting DNA samples in the wild could transform conservation

MUSANZE, Rwanda (AP) — A guide called out to endangered golden monkeys with grunts and clicks to signal he posed no threat, a familiar sound in the mist-covered forests of Rwanda ’s Volcanoes National Park.

Here in one of Africa's most well-known parks, steep ridges and dense vegetation often obscure even the largest mountain gorillas — also endangered — and scientists are turning to new technology to detect and protect them.

Known as environmental DNA, or eDNA, the technology allows researchers to identify species using genetic material like fur or feces left in soil and water. This reduces the impact of human interaction during wildlife surveys that can leave researchers groping through the mist.

The technology, more often used in marine conservation work, was introduced by the African Wildlife Foundation in partnership with the Rwandan government. It aims to develop a list of all species in the country. That will help protect biodiversity that is threatened by climate change and population growth.

“We selected eDNA as a new technology to bring solutions and to complement existing methods used in ecological monitoring,” said the foundation’s country manager for Rwanda, Patrick Nsabimana.

Biodiversity monitoring for decades has relied on camera traps, which operate when animals trigger their sensors, and ranger observations.

But that is a challenge in rugged terrain such as the Virunga mountains that are central to Volcanoes National Park, which covers part of Rwanda, Uganda and Congo. Insecurity in the border area also can limit ranger movement.

Nsabimana said eDNA is a cost-effective monitoring approach in large ecosystems such as Virunga. Samples are taken from locations like downstream ponds that are likely to have traces of animals on higher ground. Then they are tested.

“With one sample, you can detect multiple species, mammals, birds, amphibians and many others,” said Deogratias Tuyisingize, a Rwanda-based biodiversity researcher with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund that is also involved in the project.

He said a combination of traditional methods and new technology is needed to ensure all species are monitored. Because of steep ravines and mountainsides, “we are sure we were missing some species."

Meanwhile, having a better sense of where endangered species are could help in patrolling against poachers, people with the project said.

The ability to generate a broad snapshot of biodiversity is critical for conservation, especially as Rwanda expands some of its national parks by rehabilitating previously agricultural land.

“We can see how species are colonizing these sites over time,” Tuyisingize said.

That allows conservationists to measure success by the return of rare or threatened species, and offers early warnings of invasive species.

But the eDNA technology is not without limitations. It cannot reliably estimate how many animals are present in an ecosystem. DNA can linger long after a species has left.

Being able to process samples in Rwanda is also a challenge, as the project's initial ones had to be sent to Europe for analysis.

Joshua Newton, who conducted research on eDNA for Curtin University’s Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory, said challenges also include having cold storage to preserve DNA samples and ensuring samples are not contaminated.

Data gaps are another issue. Africa has relatively limited genetic reference libraries, despite decades of conservation work on the continent, making it harder to match DNA samples to known species.

Most genetic reference libraries come from Europe and America, said James Munyawera, a lab specialist with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

Researchers are now building region-specific databases.

The project in Volcanoes National Park has also begun training residents of local communities, along with rangers, to participate in monitoring efforts by collecting samples.

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Deogratias Tuyisingize, a biodiversity researcher with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, speaks during an interview in Volcanoes National Park, Kinigi, Rwanda, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A boy tends livestock near Volcanoes National Park, Kinigi, Rwanda, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Golden monkeys play on a bamboo tree in Volcanoes National Park, Kinigi, Rwanda, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Golden monkeys groom each other, removing debris and parasites from their fur, in Volcanoes National Park, in Kinigi, Rwanda, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A golden monkey is seen in Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi, Rwanda, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly rose Monday and oil prices plunged after U.S. President Donald Trump said talks on ending the war with Iran are progressing.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 surged 2.8% to 65,130.03. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.4% to 8,692.00. The Shanghai Composite gained 0.8% to 4,143.97.

Trading was closed in South Korea and Hong Kong for holidays marking Buddha's birthday. Markets will be closed in the U.S. on Monday for Memorial Day.

Trump said negotiations with Iran were “proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner.” Meanwhile, regional officials told The Associated Press on Sunday that the United States is close to reaching a deal with Iran that would end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium,

Reopening the Strait of Hormuz will help decide the direction of oil prices. The closure has prevented oil tankers from exiting the Persian Gulf and delivering crude to customers worldwide. Japan, for instance, imports almost all its oil, most of it through the strait.

“Markets are rapidly transitioning from pricing geopolitical fear toward pricing a potential peace dividend as Hormuz reopening expectations pressure oil and the dollar lower,” analyst Stephen Innes said in a commentary.

Early Monday, benchmark U.S. crude was down $5.52 at $91.08 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, sank $5.56 to $97.08 a barrel.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar declined to 158.91 Japanese yen from 159.16 yen. The euro cost $1.1639, up from $1.1605.

Friday on Wall Street, stocks finished their eighth straight winning week, the best such streak since 2023. That’s even though a survey showed U.S. consumers are feeling even worse about the economy than before.

The S&P 500 added 0.4% and pulled closer to its all-time high set in the middle of last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.2%.

Recent earnings reports from U.S. companies that topped analysts’ expectations also helped markets. But worries about inflation have pushed bond yields higher worldwide.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.56% Friday from 4.57% late Thursday, but it remains well above its 3.97% level from before the war.

Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

Specialist Michael Pistillo wears pants adorned with American flags as he works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

A board above the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange displays the closing number for the Dow Jones industrial average, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

FILE - A person stands in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index, seen through the glass wall of an office building in Tokyo, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)