A nature reserve is being developed at Kuala Selangor on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is important as the core area of a major belt of mangrove forest and intertidal mudflats, an ecosystem poorly represented in South East Asian reserves. The concept, as well as its management by a non-governmental organization, are unique in the region.

The rare plant Primula esquirolii, a karst cave species in the family Primulaceae, endemic to Guizhou, China, and with a presumed extremely small population, had not previously been observed since 1910. It is categorized as Endangered on the China Species Red List. In surveys during 2018–2022, we were unable to locate the species in its type location in Pingba county, but we discovered a previously unrecorded population of 44 mature individuals, 37 of which were long homostylous and seven of which were heterostylous. These individuals were discovered in Xiuwen county in February 2022, in an area of c. 50 m2, c. 40 km from the type location. All seven heterostylous individuals showed the short-styled morph. The almost homostylous P. esquirolii potentially faces the same high genetic load as other homostylous plants, and this may have led to its small population size and potential sensitivity to habitat destruction. Field surveys and informal interviews with local people indicated that the main threats to this species are its small population size and the loss of suitable habitat as a result of human activities. The most urgent requirement for the conservation of this species is to protect the habitat of this single known extant population and to carry out ex situ conservation. Further field surveys and research are also required to improve our understanding of the status of this species.

Near the northern border of Tanganyika lies the Serengeti National Park—an area of 4,480 square miles and one of the most important nature reserves of the world. It may be considered in three parts: the Western Serengeti, a corridor between the Grumeti and Mbalageti rivers which approaches Lake Victoria but does not quite reach it: the Central Plains: the Crater Highlands, including Ngorongoro.

To evaluate and improve the involvement of stakeholders in community-based natural resource management, we developed a stakeholder collaboration index. We compared the stakeholders of five Kenyan conservancies by conducting 10 focus group meetings with conservancy management committees and wildlife game scouts. We used the nominal group technique to identify and rank perceptions of the conservancies’ strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, and any threats. The resulting 455 responses were categorized into ecological, institutional or socio-economic themes of ecosystem management. Collaboration index scores ranged from low (0.33) to high (0.95) collaboration, on a scale of 0–1, with a mean of 0.61. Managers and game scouts had varying perceptions of the conservancies but they agreed about major strengths and threats to conservation. The index highlighted shared perspectives between managers and scouts, which could be used as opportunities for increased stakeholder involvement in collaborative management. The stakeholder collaboration index is a potentially useful tool for improving management of environmental conservation programmes.

Ex situ conservation of species is risky and expensive, but it can prevent extinction when in situ conservation fails. We used the IUCN Guidelines on the Use of Ex Situ Management for Species Conservation to evaluate whether to begin ex situ conservation for the South-east Asian subspecies of Bengal florican Houbaropsis bengalensis blandini, which is predicted to be extinct in the wild within 5 years. To inform our decision, we developed a decision tree, and used a demographic model to evaluate the probability of establishing a captive population under a range of husbandry scenarios and egg harvest regimes, and compared this with the probability of the wild population persisting. The model showed that if ex situ conservation draws on international best practice in bustard husbandry there is a high probability of establishing a captive population, but the wild population is unlikely to persist. We identified and evaluated the practical risks associated with ex situ conservation, and documented our plans to mitigate them. Modelling shows that it is unlikely that birds could be released within 20–30 years, by which time genetic, morphological and behavioural changes in the captive population, combined with habitat loss and extinction of the wild population, make it unlikely that Bengal florican could be released into a situation approximating their current wild state. We considered the philosophical and practical implications through a decision tree so that our decision to begin ex situ management is not held back by our preconceived notions of what it means to be wild.

Unless the trade in rhino horn is stopped, the survival of the world's rhinos is in jeopardy. Thanks to the efforts of conservationists, many countries have now banned exports and imports of rhino products, and most of the trade that occurs is illegal. There is still much to be done, however, as the authors explain.

In August, 1949, the International Union for the Protection of Nature held a conference at Lake Success, U.S.A., under the good offices of UNESCO. The conference was attended by representatives from thirty-two countries and from all the continents. The first subject to be studied was education in nature protection. The second was ecology and this was divided into sections of which Section f, under the chairmanship of Mr. Harold J. Coolidge, was devoted to “Emergency Action for preserving vanishing species of flora and fauna”. The deliberations of this section resulted in Resolution No. 15 of the main conference which reads: “That the International Union for the Protection of Nature should establish a ‘Survival Service’ for the assembling, evaluation, and dissemination of information on and the study of, all species of fauna and flora that appear to be threatened with extinction, in order to assist governments and appropriate agencies in assuring their survival.”

My home was on the edge of Epping Forest and my father, the late Edward North Buxton, was a very active verderer of that forest for practically the whole of his life. He was moreover in the forefront of the fight to save the forest as an open space for the public. From very early days I was constantly in the forest and at once began to take an interest in its deer.

I think at this preliminary stage it would be appropriate if we set out the principles which will govern us in managing the National Parks on behalf of the public of the Protectorate. We, the Trustees, are not a tourist agency nor are we hotel keepers or a bus company. Our duty is to preserve the areas which have been set aside as National Parks as sanctuaries for wild life and as areas which in perpetuity can be preserved for the recreation primarily of the people of Uganda. The facilities which we may grant to tourists who wish to visit the Parks will be secondary to our main function. It should, however, be borne in mind that while these facilities are secondary they are important, as the tourist industry provides directly some of the revenue necessary for running the Parks and also brings money into the country and so provides revenue for the Protectorate Government, thus assisting it in making grants towards the upkeep of the Parks.

Commercial use of wildlife is booming. However, knowledge of trade, price structure and benefit distribution mechanisms remain limited for many endemic, threatened and economically valuable species, impeding efforts to develop conservation intervention schemes in line with sustainable objectives. We illustrate the nature of commercialization of the caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis, collected in a high-altitude Tibetan region. Using the value-chain approach, we document how caterpillar fungus is collected in a remote mountainous region and traded across a wide range of middlemen until it finally reaches high-end markets in urban centres. Mapping the caterpillar fungus value chain helps identify the actors involved and the social institutions (i.e. the rules, norms and arrangements that shape people's behaviours) facilitating access to markets and influencing profit distribution and price structure. We present the complex dynamics of this commercialization process, providing a holistic value-chain analysis that encompasses actors, profits and institutions.

For many seriously endangered animals captive breeding seems to be the last hope of saving them. Many zoos are trying to do this, but, with some exceptions, without great success so far. The author of this article suggests that conservationists are not making use of the highly skilled animal technicians in laboratories and research stations who could certainly achieve good breeding success with many species at comparatively small cost.