Indonesia, a land of forests, is still rich in wildlife, with tigers, rhinos, orang-utans and even elephants still surviving despite the enormous pressures of human population. But saving the wildlife means preserving large areas of forest, and timber is Indonesia's second largest export. However, the Government has now committed itself to a conservation programme that includes the promise of 100,000 sq km of nature reserves by 1984. Since 1974 John Blower has been in charge of a UNDP/FAO Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Project, selecting areas for conservation in national parks and other reserves, and drafting legislation and management plans. WWF has promised $1 million to support the schemes. The author has high hopes that Indonesia/s foresters are coming to realise that conservation and sustained-yield timber production can be combined to the benefit of both.