Substantial pits of Mesolithic date are being recognised with ever greater frequency in lowland Britain and adjacent regions of continental Europe. Often without associated artefactual or faunal assemblages, but containing complex fill sequences, the purpose of these pits has proved difficult to establish. Here, we present the results of excavation on what is to date the largest cluster of substantial Mesolithic pits discovered in the British Isles, at Linmere, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire. An important assemblage of faunal material was recovered from the pits. This, the morphology of the features, their landscape setting adjacent to a spring-fed stream system, and analogy with other large pit systems, are used to support an argument that these were pit-fall traps used in the hunting of the largest herbivores of the time: aurochs (wild cattle). Aggregation and feasting are implied by the character of this activity. Recuts in the partially silted pits, often containing deposits of animal bone, are linked to notions of spiritual reciprocity and commemoration. The creation and subsequent engagement with these pits is seen as tied into the construction and maintenance of social relations at scale (though gathering and consumption), along with matters of place-making, and relationship work with animals and spirits/meta-persons.

The Timor green pigeon Treron psittaceus, endemic to Timor, Rote, and adjacent satellite islands (eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste), is declining because of severe hunting pressure and forest conversion. During 2002–2025, we conducted > 1,400 field days of surveys throughout the species’ range. Prior to 2000, most records were from Indonesian West Timor. Since 2000, most records (93%) and nearly all individuals (98%) have been observed in Timor-Leste, primarily within Lautem District. The scarcity of recent records throughout much of the species’ range, including Camplong (last record 1991), Bipolo forest (last record 1999), elsewhere in West Timor (last record 2005) and Rote (four records of 1–2 birds during 2004–2013), suggests that only a small, declining population persists. The population in Indonesia is possibly nearly extinct (and probably functionally so), and that in Timor-Leste is predicted to be lower than current estimates suggest. We conservatively estimate the global population to be 100–500 individuals distributed across eight sites, and consider it plausible that the population size lies towards the lower end of this estimate. A population of > 50 birds is likely restricted to a single site, Nino Konis Santana National Park, underscoring the species’ precarious status. We advocate for a reassessment as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Effective action plans are required in both Indonesia and Timor-Leste. In Lautem, community-based conservation efforts will be crucial to reduce hunting pressure. Further surveys should focus on Mount Timau (West Timor), and Lautem, Manatuto and Manufahi Districts (Timor-Leste).

The Wildlife Atlas of Sabah was recently published, in English and Malay, presenting information for 31 mammal species living in the dipterocarp forests of Sabah in northern Borneo. The data indicate substantial declines over 40 years, including the extirpation of the Sumatran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis in 2019. This followed a wave of widespread and intensive timber extraction, and then a period of oil palm plantation development. Despite these declines, Sabah still holds viable populations of the remaining forest mammal species, with the majority living in logged forests that are regenerating naturally. Safeguarding these populations depends on keeping the deforestation rate at its current low level, to maintain about half of the state as natural forests. Within these forests, current policy is for 30% of Sabah to be Totally Protected Areas, and the remainder to be under sustainable timber production. All forest areas require management to control hunting, especially to protect larger and commercially valuable species. Oil palm plantations support little forest wildlife, but oil palm companies can still support wildlife conservation through restoring wildlife corridors and controlling hunters’ access to adjacent forests. The Sabah government is seeking to integrate forest protection and palm oil production through a jurisdictional approach to certified sustainable agricultural practices.

Myanmar is globally significant for biodiversity conservation but is facing unique challenges as a result of the current political situation, which has led to unsustainable use of natural resources, withdrawal of conservation funds and a governance vacuum that hinders effective conservation. Given these challenges, there is a need to empower local civil society to implement community-led conservation programmes. We report on locally-led surveys of the Critically Endangered white-bellied heron Ardea insignis in northern Myanmar. We recorded the species’ occurrence along rivers and streams across two river catchments in Kachin state during June 2022–December 2023. We sighted white-bellied herons on 25 occasions and we estimate the local population to be 3–5 individuals. Opportunistic hunting using home-made air-pressured guns is a major threat to wildlife in the region and we documented two white-bellied herons shot in the area since 2019. Threats are exacerbated by a lack of wildlife law enforcement as a result of the country’s political unrest. We describe our initial efforts to implement a community-led approach to foster local stewardship in species and habitat management.

The blowgun is a weapon that employs the force of breath for expelling a projectile and has been traditionally used for hunting and (occasionally) war. The use of blowguns extends to ancient times and is advantageous in dense-forest areas of South America and South East Asia. A classification system of blowgun types introduced in 1948 for South America is extended here. We assembled a global database that includes collection data and ethnographic accounts of blowgun types and other related features that were linked to available linguistic information. Our analyses show that geography explains the distribution of blowgun types to some degree, but within regions of the world it is possible to identify cultural connections. Darts are by far the most used projectiles and in combination with toxins (e.g. curare), these weapons reach their highest potential. A case study on the use of blowguns in groups of Austronesian language speakers shows clade-specific preferences across the tree. Our comprehensive database provides a general overview of large-scale patterns and suggests that incorporation of other related data (e.g. sights, mouthpieces, quivers) would enhance the understanding of fine-scale cultural patterns.

The article presents the techno-typological analysis of a large bone arrow point assemblage recovered at different sites from the Late period of Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina (around 1220–330 cal BP). These bone arrow points exhibit a wide range of morphology and sizes. We classified them into typological groups or subgroups according to their morphology. Basic attributes (weight, length, neck width, blade width, thickness, angle of barbs, etc.) were measured to roughly assess the mass, velocity, and capability for tissue damage of bone-tipped projectiles. Bone arrow points were part of a specialized mechanism system designed to severely wound enemies or occasionally finish off prey from a short distance, creating more serious bleeding wounds than the smaller, easy-to-make chipped-stone arrow points that dominated late-period assemblages. Our analysis shows that the adoption of a broad-spectrum foraging and cultivation base around 1220 cal BP was accompanied by the development of new types of weapons for hunting and warfare. The design of the bone projectile points is consistent with a period during which social tensions increased across the Sierras de Córdoba, with clear evidence of physical violence.

The endemic Crow Honeyeater Eugymnomyza aubryana of New Caledonia is classified as “Critically Endangered”. Its rainforest habitat on mainland Grande Terre has been reduced by around 80% and the remaining habitat is highly fragmented. It is likely that by early 1900, anthropogenic changes had split the Crow Honeyeater’s distribution into two populations: one in the north of the island and one in the south separated by over 200 km. From 2011, the species was only known to be present in the south of Grande Terre with its distribution centred on the Blue River Provincial Park. It is essential for the species’ survival to protect its remaining natural habitat and its nests from predators.

The Louisiana black bear Ursus americanus luteolus, a subspecies of the subtropical south-central USA, was protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1992 but removed from coverage in 2016 based on the alleged presence of two viable native populations that had begun to interbreed. However, historical and genetic data show that one population is descended from bears captured in the U.S. state of Minnesota, far to the north, and released on the property of a hunting club in Louisiana. A recent judicial decision ignored those data, deferring to deceptive government claims and effectively dooming the native subspecies to genomic extinction through hybridization with the introduced population.

Illegal hunting of migratory birds across the Mediterranean region is a serious international conservation issue with population-level impacts. We analysed photographs posted on social media platforms to assess the bird species illegally targeted in Lebanon. During 2011–2023 we reviewed 1,844 photographs publicly posted by poachers on Facebook and Instagram. In these images we identified 212 bird species, of which 94% are legally protected. Many are species of conservation concern, with 19 listed as threatened or Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and 33% experiencing population declines in Europe. The five bird species with the most individuals illegally killed were the barn swallow Hirundo rustica, blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, European bee-eater Merops apiaster, Eurasian golden oriole Oriolus oriolus and ortolan bunting Emberiza hortulana. Raptors and other large soaring birds were particularly prevalent, with 35 species of raptor (particularly the European honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus, Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, common kestrel Falco tinnunculus, short-toed snake-eagle Circaetus gallicus and Levant sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes) as well as storks, pelicans and cranes. Protected mammals were also posted as trophies, including the Near Threatened striped hyaena Hyaena hyaena. Poachers were present in 44% of photographs and were clearly identifiable 89% of the time, showing little concern about posting illegal activities on publicly accessible social media platforms. Our study is the first to use social media as a tool for assessing illegal hunting activities in Lebanon. We discuss both the use and limitations of this approach, as well as the ways in which social media can be utilized by law enforcement, to promote legal hunting or hunting alternatives and improve conservation education.