Species reintroduction programmes, in prioritizing areas for reintroductions, have traditionally used tools that include measures of habitat suitability and evaluations of area requirements for viable populations. Here we add two tools to this approach: evaluation of ecological requirements of species and evaluation of future suitability for species facing changing climates. We demonstrate this approach with two species for which reintroduction programmes are in the planning stages in Mexico: California condor Gymnogyps californianus and Mexican wolf Canis lupus baileyi. For the condor, we identify three areas clustered in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir, Baja California; for the wolf, we identify a string of suitable sites along the Sierra Madre Occidental of western Mexico. We discuss the limitations of this approach, identifying ways in which the models illustrated could be made more realistic and directly useful to reintroduction programmes.

Moratoria on international trade are frequently used to protect threatened species but few studies have examined their effectiveness in allowing populations to recover. We present population data collected before and after a moratorium on trade in the citron-crested cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata, a distinctive subspecies of the yellow-crested cockatoo endemic to Sumba, Indonesia. Before legal trade ceased in 1993 numbers of cockatoos leaving Sumba averaged c. 1,600 per year, and the 1992 population, estimated at 3,200, surely could not sustain such a level of trade. We surveyed cockatoos in four forest patches on Sumba in 1992, and then surveyed these same forest patches 10 years later, using the same field methods. Forest cover within the four patches was similar between years. We recorded a statistically significant increase in overall cockatoo density, from c. 2 birds per km2 in 1992 to >4 per km2 in 2002. Group sizes were also larger in 2002 than in 1992. Densities at two forest sites had increased considerably, at another the population was stable, but at one small forest patch a small population in 1992 had probably decreased. While the population has made a modest recovery, densities remain low compared to cockatoo populations elsewhere. Illegal trade is known to persist and its volume should be monitored closely.

Crop raiding by elephants is widespread across Africa and Asia. Although many traditional and novel methods are used to defend farms there have been few rigorous tests of their efficacy. We provide a comparative quantitative assessment of a range of farm-based mitigation methods implemented during a 4-year project in Transmara District, Kenya. Five experimental trials were established to measure changes in crop raiding after the application of mitigation methods on treatment farms compared with control farms. A combination of early warning to detect elephants before they entered farms, coupled with a front line communal guarding strategy, proved most successful. Non-electrified barriers were expensive and generally ineffective. However, chilli Capsicum spp. grease applied to rope barriers encircling farms completely deterred elephants. Although encouraging, these results require more widespread testing and demonstration to ensure their effectiveness at broader scales.

Mountain gorillas Gorilla beringei beringei are Critically Endangered, with just two small populations: in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-western Uganda and the nearby Virunga Volcanoes on the borders with Rwanda and Uganda. A survey of the Bwindi population was carried out in 2002 and results were compared with the previous census in 1997. Our estimate of total population size increased over that period by c. 7% to 320 individuals and the structure and distribution of the population were largely unchanged. Signs of human disturbance were more common in 2002 than 1997, and gorillas tended to be found in areas of relative low disturbance. This suggested that disturbance could be a constraint on population growth and distribution but demographic stochasticity may also be responsible for the observed level of population change over a short time period. Other potential limiting factors, including habitat availability and disease, are discussed. While conservation activities in Bwindi have probably contributed to the stability of the population, strengthening of law enforcement and continued vigilance are needed to ensure the population's long-term growth and survival.

Madagascar's endemic freshwater crayfish (Parastacidae: Astacoides) are harvested by local people for both subsistence use and small-scale trade. There has been concern that populations, and even species, are threatened by overexploitation but little is known about the harvest or its economic importance. We studied crayfish exploitation in eastern Madagascar over 3 years. The existence of local taboos (fady) preventing commercial crayfish harvesting, as well as access to markets and forest, influenced involvement in the harvest. All four crayfish species found in the region were harvested, but A. granulimanus provided the majority of the catch. In one harvesting village more than 50% of the 47 households were directly involved in the harvest, which contributed USD 2,382 to the village economy in 2003/2004, an important sum in the context of local incomes. Subsistence use was widespread, particularly by children to whom it may provide an important protein source. Community-based conservation (through transfer of harvesting rights and responsibilities for forest management to local communities) is central to a new conservation paradigm in Madagascar. This recognizes communities' long term interest in their natural resources and offers an ideal opportunity for those concerned with the sustainability of the harvest to implement management tools (such as avoiding reproductive females, size limits and no-take zones). We discuss each tool with respect to biological implications and practical constraints. We note that community-based approaches may not be sufficient to conserve rarer species, which make up a small proportion of the value of the harvest.

Between 1997 and 2000 a survey of the Arabian subspecies of leopard Panthera pardus nimr was conducted in the little known Jabal Samhan Nature Reserve in southern Oman. Using camera-traps 251 photographic records were obtained of 17 individual leopards; nine females, five males, two adults of unknown sex and one cub. Leopards were usually solitary and trail use and movements suggested large ranges characterized by spatial sharing but little temporal overlap. More active by day than night in undisturbed areas, overall the leopards exhibited two peaks in activity, morning and evening. The survey also provided records of leopard prey species and first records of nine Red List mammal species previously unrecorded in Jabal Samhan. Although people are mostly absent from the Reserve there is some conflict between leopards and shepherds who live outside the Reserve. The numbers and activities of frankincense harvesters in the Reserve need to be managed to safeguard the leopard and its habitat. The main challenge for the future is to find ways whereby local communities can benefit from the presence of the Reserve and from the leopards that the Reserve seeks to safeguard.

The otter civet Cynogale bennettii is a specialized, semi-aquatic viverrid found throughout the forests of South-east Asia. Although described over 160 years ago, little is known of the species' natural history, and questions remain regarding its taxonomy and distribution. We compiled an exhaustive list of museum specimens and observations to reassess the conservation status, taxonomy and distribution of this species. Data were collected from museums, literature, field surveys, and from other field scientists. Although two species of otter civet have been described, C. bennettii and C. lowei, our morphological examinations do not support specific differentiation. The presence of the otter civet was confirmed for peninsular Thailand, Malaysia and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. However, more northerly distributions were not confirmed, including the supposed origin of C. lowei from northern Vietnam. Based on the scarcity of recent observations or carcasses, otter civet populations are probably in decline. Recent increases in the number of wildlife surveys throughout the putative range of the otter civet have rarely documented the species. The reduction in primary forest habitat has probably reduced otter civet populations and threatens the persistence of this unique species.

Mountain gorilla Gorilla beringei beringei tracking tourism generates important revenue for conservation efforts but brings with it the threat of disease transmission into the gorilla population. This study quantifies for the first time aspects of encounters between gorillas and tourists at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park that are likely to contribute to the risk of disease transmission. These include how close tourists get to gorillas, how close encounters are initiated, how long they last, and the age class of gorillas involved. Tourists got significantly closer to gorillas than the park rules allow (a mean of 2.76 m, compared to the rule of 7 m), and remained close for long periods. Contacts with the gorillas most vulnerable to disease, the juveniles, were closer but of shorter duration than those with adults. Contacts initiated by gorillas were closer but shorter than those initiated by tourists. Taken together these results demonstrate that the present rules are failing, and that the risk of disease transmission may be greater than previously believed.

The Critically Endangered Arabian leopard Panthera pardus nimr faces severe reduction in population size and is on the brink of extinction. This situation is, to a large extent, a result of human activity. The small populations of this subspecies are restricted to a few areas in the Arabian Peninsula, Israel and Jordan. Information required for conservation of this subspecies, including reliable population estimates and the range of individuals, is currently unavailable. To estimate population size and assign gender to individuals in the population in Israel we used molecular markers in leopard DNA extracted from scats collected in intensive surveys throughout the Judean Desert and the Negev Highlands. This non-invasive mode of sampling, combined with the availability of high-resolution markers (microsatellites) and sex-specific DNA-sequences, was successful in identifying both individuals and gender. The results indicated the existence of a male and two females in the Judean Desert, and four males and one female in the Negev Highlands. Although the non-invasive procedure we used may underestimate the leopard's true population size, continuous monitoring of population size and sex composition of this small population using scatology is a key component for the management of this species. These data, especially if used in conjunction with similar data from other countries within the subspecies' range, will assist in the establishment of conservation plans for the Arabian leopard.

The endemic roofed turtle Kachuga trivittata has been extirpated over most of its former range in the Ayeyarwady River system of Myanmar. Only two small remnant populations are known to survive. In a small stretch of the upper Chindwin River K. trivittata persists because local Shan villages traditionally ban the killing of large adult K. trivittata. The population has nevertheless declined dramatically during the last few years because of the erosion of the ban by migrant fishermen from central Myanmar who do not observe the local regulation, and because of the overexploitation of eggs. The traditional regulation of the Shan villages offers a basis, through its reinforcement and education of migrants, for a species recovery programme. Further actions will include the protection of nests and eggs, and eventually the banning of camps and seasonal settlements on sandbanks used by K. trivittata for nesting. K. trivittata also still persists in the Dokhtawady River in a small area subjected to low exploitation pressure in the recent past because of the dangers of a frontline between the government army and an army of insurgents. The opening of this area following a truce brought this population close to extinction and a hydroelectric dam under construction will alter the ecology of this stretch of river. We propose to assess the potential use of the future impoundment lake for the recovery of this K. trivittata population.

The narrow-striped mongoose Mungotictis decemlineata is a small, endemic carnivore currently known to occur only in the dry deciduous forests of the central and southern Menabe regions of western Madagascar. It is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is threatened by rapid habitat loss from deforestation. From live-trapping and village surveys we found M. decemlineata to be distributed throughout the largest area of connected forest in central Menabe and most of the larger forest fragments in southern Menabe. We estimated there are a minimum of 2,000–3,400 adults in central Menabe and 6,400–8,650 adults in southern Menabe. Although this represents the total known population, the southern limits of the species' range are still unclear. Fifty-four individuals were live-trapped in central Menabe. M. decemlineata abundance was not correlated with forest structure or invertebrate abundance and diversity at the sampled sites. The building of access roads for logging may have a long-lasting effect by increasing the level of human disturbance, predation by domestic dogs, and illegal cutting within the surrounding area. Conservation management efforts to save M. decemlineata need immediate implementation, with emphasis on cooperative efforts with local villages to reduce the rate of slash-and-burn agriculture and logging of the remaining dry deciduous forest of the region. Research to determine population trends and status of M. decemlineata south of the Morondava and Mangoky rivers is required.

We assessed the distribution and status of jaguar Panthera onca in the Argentine Chaco, one of the least known areas within its range. Current jaguar distribution in the Chaco encompasses parts of central and western Formosa, western Chaco, eastern Salta and north-eastern Santiago del Estero Provinces. Jaguar range was reduced following colonization of the semiarid Chaco even though there has been little deforestation. Jaguars have not been observed over the last 15 years in areas where colonization occurred more than 35 years ago, probably reflecting hunting pressure. Livestock predation is lower now than when the area was first settled in the 1920s. This may indicate low jaguar densities as the livestock management system has not changed. Local people, however, continue to hunt jaguars with the intention of exterminating them. Education, enforcing jaguar hunting laws, increasing control of poaching in protected areas, and creating more protected areas may be the most efficient strategies to preserve the jaguar population of the Argentine Chaco.

Density dependence of the Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa) elephants Loxodonta africana was assessed using a long-term data set. Estimated carrying capacity is 0.1–0.5 elephants km−2 but stocking rates have been up to 4 elephants km−2. Population growth rate was found to be positively correlated with increasing density. There was no relationship between birth rate, the age of first calving or calf sex ratio and elephant density but there was a positive relationship between birth rate and rainfall during conception year. Mortality rates, particularly for juveniles, were low, and mean inter-calf interval was 3.3 years. There is no evidence of density dependent regulation in this population, despite the population being consistently above the estimated sustainable carrying capacity and a loss of phytomass and biodiversity. This is interpreted in light of the characteristics of the aseasonal habitat, succulent thicket vegetation and the ability of elephants to utilize accumulated vegetation biomass. These findings indicate that density dependence should not be considered as an option in the control of elephant numbers in this Park, or where elephant resources are not seasonally limited.

We quantified habitat associations and evaluated the conservation status of a recently identified, undescribed species of dwarf chameleon, Bradypodion sp. nov. Dhlinza, endemic to scarp forest remnants in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. At the microhabitat scale the Dhlinza dwarf chameleon was found more often in forest gaps and near paths than highly disturbed edges or forest interior. Chameleon presence was not explained by forest physiognomic variables such as vine cover, shrub and tree density, or canopy cover. Presence near gaps may be better explained by the combined effects of the thermal microenvironment and food availability. The species is moderately common where it occurs, with estimated densities of 4.7, 8.7 and 29.7 individuals per ha within forest interior, edges and gaps respectively. At the landscape scale, the chameleon occurs only in three remnant forests: the Dhlinza, Entumeni and Ongoye Forests. The species' extent of occurrence was estimated to be 88 km2 and its area of occupancy 49 km2. Based on the small area of remaining suitable habitat, this species meets the requirements for categorization as Endangered according to IUCN Red List criteria.

From March 2001 to December 2003 eight direct count surveys in an upstream direction were conducted for Ganges river dolphins Platanista gangetica gangetica in the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary, a c. 60 km long segment of the middle Ganges River in Bihar, India. The mean number of dolphins recorded during upstream surveys was 119.4±SD 31.8 (range 88–174), with an encounter rate of 1.8 dolphins km−1 (range 1.4–2.8). During these surveys a rich diversity of other threatened aquatic wildlife was also documented, including the Indian smooth-coated otter Lutrogale perspicillata, gharial Gavialis gangeticus, a variety of freshwater turtles, and 135 water bird species. An assessment of fisheries documented 76 fish species of which 43% were caught exclusively in monofilament gill nets, a gear known to kill dolphins by entanglement. Eight new records of fishes preyed upon by Ganges river dolphins were identified from the stomach contents of two dolphin carcasses (Setipinna brevifilis, Osteobrama cotio cotio, Puntius sophore, Crosochelius latius, Mystus cavasius, Heteropneustus fossilis, Macrognathus pancalus, Sperata seenghala). These fishes and other species previously recorded in the diet of the dolphins composed 33.3% of the total catch sampled in 2001–2003. Interviews of 108 fishing households revealed that literacy rates were low (29.9%) and almost 50% earned less than USD 411 per year. The most important conservation actions that could be taken are for national and state governments to establish civil control and promote the development of community-based fishing cooperatives. These cooperatives could enjoy ownership rights to certain river segments in exchange for employing sustainable fishing techniques that are less injurious to dolphins.

We carried out a nationwide survey of elephant Loxodonta africana in Guinea Bissau, a small West African country for which records of elephant are limited. We also investigated parts of western Guinea along the border with Guinea Bissau likely to harbour a transboundary elephant population. Standardized interviews with hunters were held in 110 villages in Guinea Bissau and 60 villages in Guinea, and field surveys were carried out to validate interviewee responses. Results suggest that elephants are mainly restricted to an area between the Corubal River (Guinea Bissau) and the Kogon River (Guinea) and that elephants occur only seasonally in Guinea. Based on the number, geographical localization and interpretation of observed tracks, our estimate of the minimum number of elephants in Guinea Bissau is 4–10 animals. We did not observe any signs of young elephants. The most immediate threat to elephants is a road scheme between Guinea Bissau and Guinea that cuts through elephant range. The future of elephants in this region depends on the capacity of the two countries to manage their common elephant population jointly. In particular, the creation of a transboundary park is urgently needed.

The distribution of ocelots Leopardus pardalis in the USA is limited to southern Texas. Identification and monitoring of ocelot populations enables biologists to assess population health and status. Use of camera traps has been successfully used to monitor numerous populations of wild felids, including the ocelot. Our objectives were to identify ocelot presence within southern Texas and estimate ocelot population size and density. We used camera traps to survey for ocelots on four study sites in southern Texas. We recorded ocelot presence on one study site with an abundance estimate of three individuals and a density estimate of 0.30±SE 0.03 ocelots km−2. The conservation implications of this study suggest concentrating conservation efforts in and around the study site (Yturria Ranch) found to have ocelots. In addition, this study emphasizes the importance of including private landowners in the ocelot recovery process.

The only microchiropteran endemic to the granitic Seychelles, the sheath-tailed bat Coleura seychellensis, is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Using bat detectors, the islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue were surveyed to establish the current distribution of this species. Although two new roosts were discovered on Mahé, no bats were observed on Praslin and La Digue, and the range of C. seychellensis appears to have further contracted in the last 2 decades. A total of 19 C. seychellensis were counted emerging from or entering three roosts in boulder caves on Mahé during 18 evenings of observations. The bats foraged in open coastal habitat, some of it anthropogenic, and their echolocation calls were also characteristic of bats feeding in open habitat. This study provides no evidence that C. seychellensis is dependent on forest or wetland for foraging. Dietary analysis indicated that C. seychellensis feeds on Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera. A public education programme to highlight the conservation status of the bat and the consequences of roost disturbance is recommended, together with the urgent need for legal protection of the bats and their roosts.