The immense ecological importance of invertebrate animals is discussed in relation to using ecological values in setting priorities for their conservation. The spectrum of values, from taxa that we know perform vital ecological roles to taxa that may be ecologically redundant, is outlined.

Cambodian waters historically supported significant nesting populations of marine turtles up to the early 20th century. However, although fishing and coastal development have intensified, marine turtle conservation has received little recent attention. We collate the available information on Cambodian marine turtles by summarizing NGO and government data from provincial consultations, fisheries surveys and nesting beach surveys, and synthesize our findings into recommendations for the conservation of marine turtles in Cambodia. The available data indicate that a small and highly threatened marine turtle population persists, despite significant declines driven by intense historical harvesting, widespread bycatch, loss of nesting habitat, marine wildlife trade and ongoing poor compliance with wildlife protection regulations. To improve the conservation status of Cambodian turtles, we recommend (1) revising relevant legislation to better protect marine turtle habitats whilst increasing compliance with gear restrictions and threatened species laws in priority sites, (2) trialling alternative fishing gear or gear modifications to reduce bycatch, (3) continuing capacity building for locally driven marine turtle conservation science, (4) identifying and mapping beaches with high nesting potential and protecting them from further coastal development, and (5) investing in transboundary collaborations to improve the monitoring and management of the turtle populations that range between Cambodia and neighbouring countries.

The conservation flagship approach is a valuable tool for raising funds and awareness, but species-based campaigns have been criticized for providing little benefit to wider biodiversity. One possible solution is to use conservation areas as flagships, but we lack data on the types of area that most appeal to potential donors. Here, we used an online choice experiment involving hypothetical overseas conservation areas to investigate how respondents value a series of conservation area attributes. We calculated the average willingness to pay for each attribute and assessed preference heterogeneity. Our results suggest that community ownership is valued the most, followed by the presence of threatened bird species, low current funding in the conservation area, the presence of charismatic mammals, and charity ownership. Respondents could be divided into three groups, based on their education, environmental organization membership and income. The group of respondents who were less wealthy and were members of environmental organizations were not willing to pay for this kind of conservation action, suggesting that flagship area campaigns targeted at them should encourage other types of involvement. The other two groups, which included respondents who were less engaged in conservation (neither group included environmental organization members, with one group less wealthy and less educated, and the other wealthier), found community ownership particularly appealing, suggesting that many potential donors may be driven by social concerns. This is a key finding and suggests flagship conservation areas could attract a new audience of donors, helping to support current global efforts to increase the management effectiveness, connectivity and extent of protected areas and land under other effective area-based conservation measures.

This report of the author's six-week study of the European black vulture in Mallorca suggests that this endangered species has declined still further in the island and now numbers about 40. He believes that disturbance and direct persecution could be having a serious effect on such a small population, but food may be a factor and needs closer study. The FPS aided this study with an Oryx 100% Fund grant.

Captain Keith Caldwell, in his admirable report of a faunal survey in Eastern and Central Africa conducted in 1947, says: “… Were one of the old hunters who operated fifty years ago to visit Eastern Africa to-day, he would find vast districts in which he used to shoot completely denuded of game; in fact, it is probable that the game areas have been reduced by half, and the game within many of those left by 75 per cent.”

That, I think, is a fair estimate: a reduction of the fauna of Eastern and Central Africa to between a half and one-quarter of what it was half a century ago. The same applies more or less, but mostly more, to the whole of Africa south of the Sahara. The question before us now is what will be the state of this unique assemblage of fauna, including many species found nowhere else in the world, at the end of the next half-century?

Habitat specialists are particularly vulnerable to extinction when habitat conditions are altered. Information on the habitat use of such species is thus important because it provides insight into factors that influence distribution and abundance, which is crucial for conservation. Here, we aimed to identify factors that influence the patterns of presence and abundance of the Endangered volcano rabbit Romerolagus diazi, a rare leporid with a patchy distribution. Through exhaustive sampling of its range in the Sierra Chichinautzin and Sierra Nevada volcanic fields, Mexico, and using generalized linear models, we found that the probability of patch occupancy was higher where bunchgrass cover exceeded 75%, rock cover exceeded 5%, no cattle grazing was observed and human settlements were at least 7 km away. Patches with greater relative abundance were those with similar characteristics, but located at elevations > 3,600 m, and with rock cover < 15%. Cattle grazing was identified as a major threat to local populations of the volcano rabbit, particularly in the Sierra Chichinautzin. Because of the significance of bunchgrasses for this species, the protection of the mountain grasslands is required in both volcanic fields.

In 1977£78 the Royal Geographical Society sent one of the largest expeditions it has ever mounted to Sarawak to study and survey the newly gazetted Gunung Mulu National Park. The expedition was carried out with the full cooperation of the Sarawak Government particularly the Forest Department under whose care the National Parks in Sarawak reside. Over a period of 15 months 115 scientists spent 10,000 man-days in this wonderfully rich area: over 2500 plants have been identified, 60 mammals, including the world's smallest, Savi's pygmy shrew, over 260 birds, including all Borneo's eight hornbill species, and 320 fish. Insects may number 12,000 species and fungi over 8000.

The Endangered Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus is one of the most threatened aquatic mammal species in Mexico and the wider Caribbean region. The decline of this subspecies is mainly a result of historical exploitation and the impact of current coastal development. The conservation strategies adopted for the Antillean manatee include habitat protection, reduction of the most severe threats, and the rescue of stranded, orphaned or injured individuals and their management in captivity. This latter strategy has produced positive outcomes in some countries but has been the subject of controversy in others, including Mexico. We analyse the benefits and challenges associated with the management of captive manatees in Mexico, and the consequences of a lack of government policy and strategy for the post-rehabilitation release of individuals. We describe the evolution of this controversy from 1997–2017 in Mexico, analyse the consequences and implications for the conservation of the species, and propose an integrated management strategy that could address the issues raised. Although this strategy has been developed in the context of Mexico, it is applicable to management of this species across the Caribbean region.

In the table accompanying Kai Curry-Lindahl's article, ‘War and the White Rhinos’, in the January 1972 Oryx, page 264, two figures were unfortunately transposed in the printing and not noticed: the number of elephants should be 5594, and of square-lipped rhinos 1202.

The saiga antelope is exploited principally for its horn. Two major factors will influence the manager's decision about the best sustainable hunting strategy for the saiga: the climatic unpredictability of the region in which it lives and the effects of highly selective hunting for males on the population dynamics of the species. This paper discusses these factors and assesses the prospects for sustainable management of the saiga.

Despite its dense population Burundi still has a wildlife remnant that includes hippopotamus, buffalo, waterbuck and bushbuck, crocodiles, monkeys and many birds, especially water birds. But there are no nature reserves, and there is no legal protection. Now the Government has commissioned wildlife surveys, including one by the author, and there are plans to create a 50,000-hectare national park in the Ruvubu Valley, as well as some smaller reserves, and to preserve the surviving forest on the Zaire–Nile watershed.

Malawi has a large number of isolated highland forests on either side of the Rift Valley. While those in the north do not at present suffer from serious degradation, in the south several have been much encroached upon for fuel wood and land for cultivation. As a result localized birds, reptiles, butterflies and plant species are threatened. In a two-year exploration of the evergreen forests of the country conducted for the Forestry Department, the authors surveyed the distribution and status of the flora and fauna, and identified threats to the survival of the rarer taxa.