Snake soup continues to be an iconic tradition in Cantonese culture. Yet little is known about the relationship between snake soup consumption in Hong Kong, wild snake populations, and the communities depending on this tradition for their livelihoods. We applied an interdisciplinary approach including interviews with shopkeepers and genetic analyses of snake meat samples to determine the species consumed in Hong Kong, their source locations, and shopkeepers’ views on the future of the industry. We genetically identified the common rat snake Ptyas mucosa, widely distributed throughout East and Southeast Asia, and the Javan spitting cobra Naja sputatrix, endemic to Indonesia, as the species most commonly consumed, which was consistent with interview responses. According to interviews, snakes had mostly been imported from mainland China in the past, but now tend to be sourced from Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia. Interviews also revealed a pessimistic outlook on the continuation of this tradition because of various factors, including a lasting yet misinformed association of snakes with the 2002–2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Given the COVID-19 pandemic and China's ensuing ban on the consumption of terrestrial wildlife, Hong Kong's snake soup industry will probably continue to rely on Southeast Asian sources to persist. Given the cultural and conservation issues surrounding this tradition, further research on the economic, ecological and social consequences of snake consumption is needed to examine the broader implications of snake soup and similar industries in the region.

Ten hectares of forest were cleared for cultivation on a steep slope in the Alas Valley in Sumatra, and as a result 13 people were drowned. The authors describe what happened and show why a flood was almost inevitable.

The Rhino Bond is the first financial instrument dedicated to protecting a species. The Bond allows investors to invest in the conservation of the black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis, with the amount of money returned by the investment depending on whether rhinoceros numbers increase (and by how much). In this paper we focus on how the Bond was brought into being. We draw on an analysis of organizational reports along with data collected from interviews with key informants to investigate the roles of the various stakeholders in the Bond, how species and sites were selected, the motivations and experiences of the stakeholders and the involvement of stakeholders in decision-making. We found that although conservation actors are attracted by the potential for new funding, they have experienced challenges navigating complex financial instruments. The needs of financial actors often dictated decision-making, with implications for the species and sites chosen for the Bond. As profits are tied to an increase in population size of a specific species (which needs to be monitored), the instrument has favoured large and easily counted species and populations. Only some sites were able to meet the stringent conditions of financial instruments, including metrics on financial sustainability. We argue that the dominance of financial principles and motives means that not all species or sites will be viable candidates for investment and that conservation finance should not be seen as a panacea.

Flying foxes are keystone species on islands and are threatened worldwide, particularly by forest degradation, hunting and culling. They are often persecuted if they are perceived as agricultural pests, but the extent of crop damage from flying foxes and the factors triggering their visits to crops are not well established. This study aimed to investigate wildlife-caused damage to tankan oranges Citrus tankan on Okinawa Island, Japan, and interactions between the Ryukyu flying fox Pteropus dasymallus and farmers. We compiled data from three sources: official records of wildlife-caused crop damage, questionnaire surveys of 43 farmers and time-lapse camera surveys conducted at 14 locations during January–February 2018. Official records and the questionnaire survey indicated that the large-billed crow Corvus macrorhynchos caused most damage in a typical year (53–56% of the total damage), followed by P. dasymallus (18–28%). However, time-lapse camera surveys suggested negligible damage caused by P. dasymallus (2.1%) in 2018, a typhoon-free year. Farmers perceived a decline in local population size and stated that at least 2,000 P. dasymallus individuals had died in their orchards during 2008–2018. If this is extrapolated to the whole region, fatalities could have reached 6,500–8,500 individuals during that period. Binomial regression performed on official records demonstrated that damage by P. dasymallus was largely explained by interannual cyclonic activity. Prevalent netting practices could be a serious threat to P. dasymallus: 81% of interviewees reported that flying foxes die from entanglement in their nets. Nevertheless, half of these farmers were satisfied with current crop protection measures. These findings call for prompt remediation with particular focus on implementing more bat-friendly crop protection following strong typhoon seasons.

Managers of threatened species in remote protected areas play a pivotal role in shaping the outcomes of management and conservation programmes. The island of Java supports the last remaining population of the Javan rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondaicus, a Critically Endangered megaherbivore with only 72 individuals persisting in the wild, in Ujung Kulon National Park. Substantial resources are being invested to manage the Javan rhinoceros and it is difficult to monitor it in the rainforest to assess whether management actions have been successful. Insights from frontline staff into the outcomes of past conservation actions and the future actions required may be key to enhancing the outcomes of conservation actions for threatened species. To study the perceptions of frontline staff towards the conservation of the Javan rhinoceros, management actions and their outcomes, we surveyed all 36-frontline staff in Ujung Kulon National Park. Although staff perceptions of conservation outcomes were generally positive, they noted key anthropogenic threats and challenges to rhinoceros protection inherent to the survival of the last Javan rhinoceros population. Staff identified increased threat of disease transfer from domestic stock to the rhinoceros, in spite of protective fencing, and the combined effects of illegal firewood collection and agricultural encroachment on rhinoceros habitat. Systematically recording and incorporating the perceptions of frontline staff in remote and often inaccessible protected areas can help identify important areas for future conservation and threat mitigation that can facilitate better protection for the Javan rhinoceros and other iconic species.

The Critically Endangered African wild ass Equus africanus is one of the most threatened equids, with fewer than 400 individuals persisting in the Danakil Desert (Eritrea), and fewer than 600 globally. To effectively conserve the species, it is essential to determine the extent of available suitable habitats and understand the environmental factors that most influence its current distribution. During 2016–2019 we observed African wild asses, recorded their locations during both the wet and dry seasons and analysed the bioclimatic data and topography using the maximum entropy species distribution model. Distance from water sources and precipitation of the driest month were the top predictors of suitable habitat for the dry season, whereas seasonal temperature variability and precipitation during the warmest quarter were the top predictors for the wet season. Model performances were high, with area under the curve values of 0.97 and 0.98 for the dry and wet seasons, respectively. In the Danakil Desert of Eritrea, the extent of optimal habitat for African wild asses is estimated to be 130 km2 in the dry season and 739 km2 in the wet season, with a potential range of 11,000 km2 for both seasons. Our model results also indicate that in the dry season 89 km2 of the Messir Plateau is optimal habitat, and the entire plateau area of 124 km2 provides optimal habitat during the wet season. These findings provide wildlife management authorities with substantive information and rationale for the establishment of a protected area on the Messir Plateau for African wild asses in Eritrea.

The Chitawan Wildlife Sanctuary in the Rapti River valley in Nepal together with the Mahendra National Park are the home of die great Indian rhinoceros, one of the world's endangered species. In 1959 and 1963 Mr. E. P. Gee, noted Indian conservationist, made surveys of the area, the second one at the request of the FPS; his reports published in ORYX (1959, V, 57, and 1963, VII, 67) drew attention to the decrease in the number of rhinos, due to poaching, from about 300 animals in 1959 to 160 in 1961, and the large amount of illegal settlement in the National Park. Mr. Willan, who is Chief Conservator of Forests in Nepal, continues the story since then with the encouraging news of the clearing of all illegal settlement from the park and also from the extension, the latter on the orders of HM King Mahendra, and the proper demarcation and accurate mapping of the sanctuary, which it is hoped will be created a National Park. Rhinos are now quite frequently seen, and between January and September this year 35 rhino calves were reported.

Information on the present population and status of the Indian Wild Ass Equus hemionus khur Lesson, 1827, is scanty. For this reason I was prompted to undertake this brief fact-finding survey, especially as South African Horse Sickness had been reported in that part of India recently. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources sponsored my expedition, and the World Wildlife Fund very kindly paid my travelling expenses from the eastern part of India to the furthest western tip of the country.

Just before Christmas 1985 wolf researchers in Sweden made a particularly ugly discovery: the ritually mutilated corpse of an 18-month-old pup. It had been shot and scalped, its ears removed and a hind leg cut off. Then, in February 1986, another young wolf was chased along a forest track by a car, which smashed its back legs and killed it. These are merely the latest incidents in an irrational anti-wolf campaign, which is threatening the species's tentative come-back in Scandinavia. The author, who has worked extensively with Scandinavian conservationists since 1971, describes the plight of Sweden's wolves and explains why it is important to protect them.