When the authors visited Taiwan in 1988 they discovered that much of the rhino horn on sale there had come from South Africa. Since then action by the South African Government and Taiwanese Customs has stopped these illegal imports. A return visit in 1990 revealed that the same is not true of horn from Asian rhinos; demand for this is increasing and wealthy Taiwanese, aware that prices will rise even higher as rhinoceros numbers decline, are buying it as an investment. Although imports of rhino horn have been prohibited in Taiwan since 1985, the smuggling goes on, encouraged by the fact that domestic sales of horn still continue despite a total ban initiated in 1989.

Rain forests in Central Kalimantan, Borneo, are under increasing pressure from commercial industry, agricultural projects and transmigration programmes. Our knowledge of the hill forests in central Borneo is virtually non-existent, yet they may disappear before we realize their true value as intact forests. These rapid developments prompted the FFPS to launch the Red Alert Project, which, together with Project Barito Ulu, is investigating ways to promote rain-forest conservation in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The European seal epidemic killed approximately 60 per cent of harbour or common seals Phoca vitulina in the colonies of the Wadden Sea, Kattegat–Skagerrak and the Norfolk Wash. High mortality was also observed elsewhere. The die-off peaked in 1988 and few affected seals have been reported subsequently. But what of the future? Is the marine environment still able to support healthy seal populations; is there enough suitable habitat for them; is there enough food; what is the impact of pollution on them; and why has no new legislation been implemented to protect them?

The Lesser Antilles are home to four species of snakes of the genus Alsophis, otherwise known as racers. All four have undergone severe range reductions; at least two subspecies are extinct and another, A. antiguae, now occupies only 0.1 per cent of its historical range. The authors investigated the current distribution of the snakes by field surveys and interviews with the people of the islands.

Every year large numbers of rattlesnakes (Crotalus spp. and Sistrurus spp.) are collected from the wild in several states in North America. Some of these are collected purely for commercial reasons while others are collected for the traditional, although now largely commercial, ‘rattlesnake round-ups’. Together these activities may remove 300,000–500,000 snakes each year. The high level of hunting together with capture procedures that destroy habitat as well as snakes are damaging rattlesnake populations, other species, and habitat quality.

The steppe marmot of European Russia has suffered from hunting pressure and agricultural development in the past. Now it is regaining its former range by colonizing abandoned farming areas and this process is being helped by reintroduction programmes. Once secure these marmots show considerable potential for increase and could form the basis for a useful and substantial harvest in the future.

Large frugivorous forest birds are among the most endangered avian groups in the Neotropics. Despite this fact, there has been little field work on members of these groups or on other large Neotropical forest birds. While current studies of Neotropical forests are beginning to provide data for reserve management at the ecosystem level, we lack information for management of particular species or habitats. Throughout Latin America, large forest frugivores are economically important as food, as pets or in local crafts. They can also be important seed dispersers and can be used as indicator species of habitat disturbance in protected areas. The conservation status of these birds demands more attention and commitment from conservation organizations and the scientific community in general. Further field research should focus on the basic ecology and natural history of endangered and non-endangered species. These studies will aid in developing badly needed long-term management and monitoring plans both for populations of large forest frugivores and their habitats.