Radio-collaring is widely used as a monitoring tool in the conservation of the black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis. We examined rates and causes of radio-transmitter collar failure on black rhino in the Sinamatella Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ), Zimbabwe, between September 1993 and February 2000. Two collar designs, hose and strap, were fitted on immobilized rhinos in four main collaring operations. Eighty nine collars were monitored: 28 hose and 61 strap. Within 12 months of placement, all hose collars had failed. Of the strap collars, 73 per cent of those on males and 44 per cent on females had failed within 12 months. Failure rates were significantly higher in males for both collar types. For strap collars older males had higher failure rates than younger males. There was some evidence of a higher failure rate of strap collars during the wet season. Thirteen per cent of strap and 4 per cent of hose collars were removed because of poor transmission; 15 per cent of strap collars were removed because of injury. The implications of collar failure rates and the use of radio-collaring as a routine protection and /or monitoring strategy are discussed.

The process of community wildlife management in the Izozog area of the Bolivian Chaco began with participatory field research – self-monitoring of hunting activities and research on key game species. On-going discussions in community meetings have elicited seven wildlife management recommendations: (1) establishing hunting zones, (2) hunting only adults, (3) hunting only males during the reproductive season, (4) hunting only for the family's needs, (5) hunting only abundant animals, (6) protecting plants that are important to wildlife, and (7) prohibiting hunting by outsiders. We compare community attitudes towards these management measures. A majority of communities favour, in decreasing order, measures 7, 4, 6 and 1, communities are divided with respect to measures 2 and 3, and most communities oppose measure 5. Two socio-economic characteristics of communities – location and ethnicity – are associated with patterns of attitudes towards wild-life management among communities, whereas religion, economic activity and community size are not. Izoceño communities are currently reinterpreting traditional beliefs both to support and to oppose active wildlife management measures.

Tomistoma schlegelii is a threatened crocodilian whose current range is restricted to Sumatra, Borneo (Kalimantan and Sarawak) and Peninsular Malaysia. During surveys undertaken in eastern Sumatra in 1995–1996, 15 T. schlegelii nests were located in peat swamp forest along a single tributary, the Merang River. No other areas with equivalent nest densities have yet been described. Although much peat swamp forest has been lost to logging and fire, it remains the dominant habitat in most of the current range of T. schlegelii. In the Merang River the peat swamp and T. schlegelii are threatened by a series of ongoing activities and both may be lost unless some form of innovative management programme is introduced. Peat swamp forest supports a range of other rare and threatened species, and would appear to have high conservation value. This paper reviews current information on the role of peat swamp forest in the ecology of T. schlegelii and describes the conservation threats to T. schlegelii in the Merang River.

Kibale National Park (KNP), Uganda, has a number of chimpanzees habituated for tourism. The close genetic relationship between humans and chimpanzees means that there is the potential for disease transmission between the two. The aim of this study was to establish the diseases to which chimpanzees may be exposed by surveying the medical histories of humans in contact with the chimpanzees of KNP. Medical questionnaires were given to tourists visiting KNP and to the population of a village close to the park. The 62 tourist surveys returned indicated a high prevalence of disease symptoms, in particular diarrhoea, as well as ongoing infectious diseases and a lack of current vaccinations. The 50 local surveys returned also indicated a high prevalence of disease symptoms, in particular respiratory disease, along with a low rate of vaccination and a high frequency of visual contact with the chimpanzees both within and outside KNP. This study indicates that humans are a potential source of infection for chimpanzees. The results, which have been communicated to the appropriate authorities, will assist in the devising of proper tourist viewing regulations and provide local health authorities with the information necessary to improve both public health and chimpanzee health. Further recommendations include education of tourists regarding appropriate vaccinations, hand washing prior to the visit, the use of facemasks during the visit, and the provision of latrines. Chimpanzee ecotourism is becoming increasingly popular and protecting the chimpanzees' health will help to ensure that ecotourism is a sustainable activity.

The status of the Seychelles endemic terrapins is reviewed based on field-surveys. Pelusios castanoides intergularis and P. subniger parietalis are confined to a small number of marshes and rivers. All the sites occupied are limited in area (<4.5 ha) and under threat from drainage, predation and invasion by alien water plants. The smallest populations are unlikely to be viable in the long-term. Both species can be categorized as Critically Endangered using the IUCN Red List categories, with highly restricted ranges (2.89 and 6.02 ha for P. castanoides and P. subniger, respectively) that have decreased by over 50 per cent in recent years. Conservation of these species requires both the protection of wetland habitats and the establishment of new populations in protected areas. A captive breeding programme has been established with the aim of reintroducing juveniles into secure reserves. The endemic species P. seychellensis may be extinct.

A review was carried out of the mammalian fauna of the Kilum-Ijim forest in the mountains of northwest Cameroon. The purpose was to examine the loss of species, particularly of larger mammals, and the implications of this for forest ecology. Information was collected by direct observation, hunter interviews and a literature review. The forest is the largest remaining representative fragment of the West African montane forest habitat. Seventy-seven species of mammal have been recorded in the forest over the last 50 years. Most are small, especially rodents, bats and insectivores. Seven species are endemic to the Kilum-Ijim area. The process of species extirpation probably began over 100 years ago with the loss of the mega-fauna, possibly beginning with elephant Loxodonta africana (several generations ago), and certainly with buffalo Syncerus caffer (at least 20 years ago), and other large mammals. Remaining large mammal population densities are very low and many species are close to regional extinction. The long-term consequences of these extinctions is uncertain but, as many tree species are monkey- or ruminant-dispersed, severe ecosystem damage has probably already occurred. Human population density in the area is around 300 people per sq km, and no sustainable offtake of wild animals will ever be possible that would provide more than a few grams of meat per person per year from the forest. The protein requirements of the communities of the area will have to continue to be supplied from domesticated stock. Since 1987 the Kilum-Ijim Forest Project of BirdLife International has been working to conserve the remaining forest, using a community forestry approach in collaboration with traditional and local authorities and the government of Cameroon. The project is investigating ways to improve the production of domestic animals outside the forest boundary.

The Bermudian rock lizard or skink Eumeces longirostris is categorized as Critically Endangered on the 2000 IUCN Red List. Skinks are vulnerable to habitat loss, introduction of non-native species and mortality caused by discarded bottles and cans that act as selfbaiting traps. This study describes the population characteristics of the Bermudian skink on two islands of the Bermudian archipelago: Nonsuch and Southampton islands. Nonsuch Island is a nature reserve but has populations of introduced lizards of the genus Anolis, lizard-eating birds and (a new finding) the cane toad Bufo marinus. Southampton Island is relatively isolated and has no introduced species. The skink population on Nonsuch Island was not investigated in detail, but appears to be small, localized to human habitation (where cover and food scraps are available) and dominated by large, old (some possibly >27 years) animals that exhibit high mutilation rates. Breeding occurs, but survival to adulthood appears poor. All of neighbouring Southampton Island was intensively trapped, with traps placed at the intersections of a 10-m grid. The population was estimated by mark–recapture trials to be c. 400 adults and juveniles; hatchlings are insectivorous and not susceptible to trapping. The population on Southampton Island is currently the largest known on Bermuda and appears to be viable; sustained isolation from predators and people is essential to its maintenance.

We present new data on the size of all the saiga antelope populations; three populations of the subspecies Saiga tatarica tatarica in Kazakhstan, one of S. t. tatarica in Kalmykia, Russia, and two of S. t. mongolica in Mongolia. The data suggest that three populations are under severe threat from poaching and have been declining at an increasing rate for the last 2–3 years. The Ustiurt population in Kazakhstan was relatively secure but is now also under threat. There is evidence of much reduced conception rates in Kalmykia, probably because of selective hunting of adult males. The Mongolian subspecies shows no evidence of recent decline, but is of concern because of the population's small size. The cause of the population declines appears to be poaching for meat and horns, which is a result of economic collapse in the rural areas of Kazakhstan and Kalmykia. We suggest that full aerial surveys be carried out on the Betpak-dala (Kazakhstan) and Mongolian populations, and that funding is urgently required for the control of poaching in all parts of the saiga range.

Madagascar is renowned not only for its high biodiversity and high degree of endemism, but also for ongoing loss of the original primary vegetation. Here we draw attention to the critical degree of vulnerability of Madagascar's littoral forest, western dry deciduous forest, and evergreen forests of the high plateau. Conservation efforts in these forest formations have been low compared to those in the evergreen rainforest of eastern Madagascar. Due to their fragmented nature these ecosystems urgently require reinforced conservation programmes.

In 1990 the population of the red-necked ostrich Struthio camelus camelus in the Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve, Niger, was estimated at c. 1600 individuals. During a 14-day survey carried out in the protected area in October and November 2000 no evidence of recent occurrence of ostriches was found, and it appears that the population size has dramatically declined in its favoured habitat. The species seems to have been severely persecuted during the civil war of 1991–1997. Although a small population had remained in the protected area after the conflict, the occurrence of further poaching suggests that remaining individuals are threatened with extirpation.

For the article Rediscovery of relict populations of the Nile crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus (Laurehti, 1768) in south-eastern Mauritania, with observations on their natural history by Tara Shine, Wolfgang Bohme, Hemmo Nickel, Dirk Thies and Thomas Wilms in Oryx 35(3), 260–262, the following corrigenda apply: (1) correspondence may be addressed to both Tara Shine and Wolfgang Bohme, and the former's current address is School of Environmental Studies, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine, Co. Derry, BT52 ISA, Northern Ireland, UK, E-mail: [email protected], (2) the photograph of Plate 1 is of a tamourt, as correctly stated in the legend but as incorrectly given as a guelta in the text on p. 261, and is to be credited to Tara Shine, and (3) the Biographical Sketches should be prefixed with Tara Shine is a PhD student at the University of Ulster, where she is completing her research on ephemeral wetlands in eastern Mauritania, in which country she worked for Project GIRNEM, a natural resource management project of the GTZ (German Technical Co-operation)'.