The conservation status of five elephant corridors in different regions of India is discussed. Elephants have not used the 13-km-wide corridor between Ariankavu and Thenmalai, in the southern portion of the Western Ghats for several decades because a rail track and road, both of which are bordered by human habitations, cross it. The future of the Chilla–Motichur and Rajaji–Corbett corridors, which hold the Rajaji–Corbett elephant population in north-west India as one entity, is bleak. It is still possible for elephants to use the Kallar–Jaccanari corridor linking the 4000-strong elephant population of northern and southern Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in southern India. It may be possible to save the Siju–Rewak corridor, which connects the elephant populations on either side of the River Simsang in north-east India. The authors suggest that other Asian countries that have elephant populations and that are capable of establishing large conservation units, should have master plans that should detail possible developmental activities around existing wildlife habitats. Establishing vast protected areas for large mammals, however, would need political will and regular communication among the nations' development planners, wildlife managers and researchers.

The current distribution of endemic partulid snails on Tahiti in French Polynesia reflects the danger of ignoring expert advice and introducing an alien species into a fragile island ecosystem. The endemic tree-snail fauna of the island now faces extinction. Although the extinction of the native species of Partula (Partulidae; Polynesian tree snails) on Moorea in French Polynesia is well known in the world of conservation biology, losses on other Pacific islands are less well described. This paper presents an update on the status of partulid snail populations on Tahiti in the light of fieldwork undertaken between 1995 and 1997. Native snails still exist in good numbers in two areas, at opposite ends of the island. In other areas, sightings of single or a few individuals indicate remnant populations now on the edge of extinction. Efforts to protect these populations and others in French Polynesia are being planned in collaboration with local government authorities.

The Juan Fernandez Islands constitute two distantly separated (182 km) major islands, of which Isla Robinson Crusoe is the closest (667 km) to the Chilean mainland, and a number of smaller surrounding islets. The endemic Juan Fernandez firecrown Sephanoides fernandensis once inhabited both major islands and numbered many thousands. Today it exists only on Isla Robinson Crusoe and numbers just a few hundred. Another hummingbird, the green-backed firecrown S. sephaniodes, inhabits this island but also occurs on the mainland. The islands are in ecological meltdown as a result of the removal of much of the native (largely endemic) biota. This degradation has been exacerbated by introduced herbivorous and carnivorous mammals, which are extirpating all that remains. In a previous investigation the authors assessed the evolutionary relationships and genetic variation in the Juan Fernandez firecrown population. They showed that the species: (i) is a relative of the high Andean hummingbirds; (ii) is a close sister species of the green-backed firecrown; (iii) dispersed to the islands approximately 0.5–1 million years ago, unlike the green-backed firecrown, which is probably a very recent invader; (iv) maintains some genetic variation, although significantly lower than that found in the green-backed firecrown island population. Because of their relatively recent divergence the authors aimed to find out if the two species compete for resources. In addition, they assessed the conservation options for the Juan Fernandez firecrown and provided recommendations for its management. They concluded that the survival of the Juan Fernandez firecrown is inextricably linked to the holistic restoration of ecosystem/ community function of the island. The initial step must involve the removal of introduced mammals, followed by replanting of native flora. Although the authors do not support the use of captive propagation as a general conservation tool, they believe that, because the Juan Fernandez firecrown is composed of only one small population that is under extreme threat of extinction, a captive population should be established.

The threat that the bushmeat trade presents to primates and other taxa was assessed from the literature, including data from markets, village hunting studies and logging concessions in Central and West Africa. In many cases the numbers of both common and protected species of primate being killed throughout the region are thought to be unsustainable. This is also the case for other taxa involved in the bushmeat trade, which crosses geographic, cultural and economic boundaries. A suite of measures must be considered to mitigate the effects of this trade, and these measures will have to recognize the local, regional and national socio-economic importance of the trade if they are to result in long-term conservation success.

Wild Bactrian camels Camelus bactrianus ferus are endangered. Surveys over the past several decades suggest a marked decline in camel numbers and reproductive success. However, most surveys were made using methods that precluded rigorous population estimation. The need for more accurate surveys resulted in an aerial survey of known and suspected camel habitat in Mongolia during March 1997. We estimated density, group density and population size of large mammals in south-western Mongolia using the interactive computer program DISTANCE. We recorded sufficient data for population modelling of wild Bactrian camels, goitred gazelles Gazella subgutturosa, Asian wild asses Equus hemionus and argali sheep Ovis ammon. We observed 277 camels in 27 groups (mean group size = 10.26 ± 2.38 SE camels/group). Modelling yielded a population estimate of 1985 ± 802 SE camels in the survey area. Population modelling for other ungulates yielded estimates of 6046 ± 1398 SE goitred gazelles, 1674 ± 506 SE Asian wild asses and 909 ± 303 SE argalis. Discrepancies between population estimates of ungulates in our survey and previous surveys are discussed with regard to methods used and robustness of results obtained. We also discuss conservation implications for wild Bactrian camels and other Mongolian ungulates.

In terms of the persistence of biodiversity, the siting of conservation areas has traditionally been ad hoc. In the Cape Floristic Region, a hot-spot of plant biodiversity and endemism, past conservation interventions have led to the mountains being over-represented in the reserve network, while the lowlands have remained very poorly conserved. Ongoing threats to the lowlands such as the rampant spread of invasive alien plants, and land transformation for agriculture and resort development, continue to undermine biodiversity in these regions. A new conservation intervention, the Agulhas National Park, is in the process of being implemented on the coastal lowlands at Africa's southernmost tip. A flexible, reserve-selection design tool is being used to guide this process. The practical challenges in implementing a new protected area in a fragmented landscape, which has a high biodiversity and vulnerability, are examined. The role of different institutions, in partic-in particular state-private partnerships, and current investigations into conservation agencies' policies, legislation and funding mechanisms are dealt with. It is imperative that future conservation planning considers the threats to biodiversity first and foremost. Institutions such as South African National Parks and the Cape Nature Conservation Board must act strategically to avoid changes in land use that will compromise the biodiversity goals of retention and persistence. Conservation efforts will only succeed if institutional and socio-economic considerations are integrated with conservation plans aimed at ensuring the long-term persistence of biodiversity.