A range of endemic and protected vertebrate species from Madagascar are threatened by the demand for bushmeat. We report on the number of discarded carapaces from illegally killed Critically Endangered radiated tortoises Astrochelys radiata in an urban centre in south-west Madagascar. Through covert monitoring of public rubbish dumps we observed 1,913 carapaces during July 2010–January 2014. There was notable spatial and temporal variation, with some evidence of peaks in carapace dumping during May–June and October–December. A single rubbish dump near the artisanal fishery landing beaches accounted for 93% of the observed carapaces.

Jalthal Forest (62.6 km2) is a remnant forest patch of a once continuous, lush and dense area of sal Shorea robusta and mixed deciduous vegetation in eastern lowland Nepal that is now surrounded by a dense human population. The forest is one of the last remnants of suitable habitat for the Critically Endangered yellow-headed tortoise Indotestudo elongata. This study explored the distribution of and conservation threats facing the yellow-headed tortoise in Jalthal Forest through field surveys in 20 community forests and structured interviews with 80 members of 22 community forest user groups and local people during September–November 2021. We surveyed 11.3 km2 of the forest and observed only four individuals of I. elongata, indicating a population density of 0.35/km2. Local people perceived that the species is decreasing mainly because of hunting (42%) and habitat deterioration from incursion of invasive species (30%). Based on the interviews with local people involved in hunting, an annual mean of 6.8 tortoises were killed during 2017–2021. The purposes of hunting were consumption (70%) and ethnomedicinal uses (30%) by the Meche and Sathar communities. Awareness campaigns and networks of communication amongst all stakeholders are required to conserve this species in Jalthal Forest.

The snow leopard Panthera uncia is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It is the least well-known of the large felids because of its shy and elusive nature and the inaccessible terrain it inhabits across the mountains of Central and South Asia. We report the first photographic record of the snow leopard in Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, India. During our camera-trapping surveys, conducted using a grid-based design, we obtained eight photographs of snow leopards, the first at 3,280 m altitude on 19 September 2022 and subsequent photographs over 3,004–3,878 m altitude. We identified at least four different individuals, establishing the species’ occurrence in Kiyar, Nanth and Renai catchments, with a capture rate of 0.123 ± SE 0.072 captures/100 trap-nights. We also recorded the presence of snow leopard prey species, including the Siberian ibex Capra sibirica, Himalayan musk deer Moschus leucogaster, long-tailed marmot Marmota caudata and pika Ochotona sp., identifying the area as potential snow leopard habitat. Given the location of Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, this record is significant for the overall snow leopard conservation landscape in India. We recommend a comprehensive study across the Kishtwar landscape to assess the occupancy, abundance, demography and movement patterns of the snow leopard and its prey. In addition, interactions between the snow leopard and pastoral communities should be assessed to understand the challenges facing the conservation and management of this important high-altitude region.

The author's experience of the damage done by elephants to farms on the edge of a forest reserve in Western Ghana emphasises the point made by Dr. Kai Curry-Lindahl in his recent report to the Ghana government that human settlement should not be allowed close to forest reserves. But where such settlement exists there seems to be no alternative, Mrs Jeffrey suggests, to keeping elephant numbers down by culling.

Covering more than a million and a half acres, Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia has great possibilities as a wildlife sanctuary. But fanning, sport and hunting take precedence over wildlife except in the highest parts that are difficult of access. The author spent a month in the park in 1971, making a film for BBC television.

Some readers may be surprised to find Oryx printing an article on the sika deer. They know the animal so well as an ornament of many British parks, and as an escaped immigrant which has established itself with remarkable success in many English, Scottish, and Irish woodlands. But the animal of which they are thinking is the Japanese sika. This is only one, and that the smallest and least impressive, of a number of deer which, perhaps mistakenly, are usually regarded as local races of a single, very variable species. For China, as well as Japan, is the home of sika. The Chinese sikas range from the forests of tropical Formosa to the northern snows of East Siberia, beyond China's own boundaries. Among them are found by far the finest deer of the sika type and there is not one of them whose present status should not cause anxiety.

Appalled by the continuing decline of manatees everywhere and the hunting and killing that is the chief cause, the author started an investigation of his own on an inland lake in Guatemala where he believed he had a good chance of observing them. He hoped to build up a case for their protection that the authorities would listen to and act on. He found that the manatees were so scared of man that when they had to surface to breathe they came up in the surface vegetation, hoping to escape notice. But the high point of his watching was the day when two manatees allowed him to swim with them in the lagoon.

Our expedition to the Tana was a prelude to five months spent collecting birds and other small vertebrates of various kinds in Kenya and Uganda.

With 44,000 sq km of coral reef surrounding its many islands and an everincreasing population that depends heavily on fish for protein food, the damage being done to the Philippine reefs is of serious concern. Silting of the water (the result of erosion following forest clearing), modern fishing methods and the collecting mania all contribute to this. A long list of suitable areas for marine reserves has been compiled, and thanks to education programmes some communities are taking conservation measures for themselves.

The Vulnerable bumphead parrotfish Bolbometopon muricatum, a highly prized fishery resource worldwide, has experienced population declines throughout its geographical range. There is limited knowledge of the distribution and abundance of, and threats to, this fish in Indian waters, particularly for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. To assess the species’ distribution and conservation status we conducted underwater surveys across 75 sites around 51 islands and interviewed 99 fishers across the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. We recorded a total of 59 individual B. muricatum across nine sites from the northernmost island in the Andamans (Landfall Island) to the southernmost island in the Nicobars (Great Nicobar Island). Interviews revealed that most fishers (100% in Nicobar, 94% in Middle Andaman, 62% in South Andaman) had seen B. muricatum, and knowledge of the species is highest amongst spearfishers. Generalized linear models indicated that presence of marine protected areas and high live coral cover influenced the abundance and distribution of B. muricatum. The species' density seems to be naturally low in the archipelago. We discuss our findings in the light of protecting rare and threatened species, and recommend strengthening the existing marine protected areas in these islands.