In a short and succinct address of welcome at the WWF International Congress in London, hi November 1970, the proceedings of which have now been published, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, President of the British National Appeal, summed up the world situation for wildlife and the task for conservationists.

The James’s or lesser Andean flamingo Phoenicoparrus jamesi is undoubtedly the world’s rarest flamingo. Very little is known of its habits, status or distribution, mainly because of the extreme isolation of its usual haunts in the high semi-desert wilderness region of the southern Bolivian Andes. The birds have never been recorded below 9000 feet.

The author suggests that the leathery turtle, the world’s largest species, is seriously endangered despite the discovery a few years ago of a big new rookery in French Guiana. He urges that part of the only other known large rookery — at Trengganu, in Malaysia — should be declared a national park, where tourists would be encouraged under careful supervision, and a much increased hatchery programme initiated by the government.

Ruthless exploitation of the seals and penguins and destruction by domestic stock of the tussac grass – which provides food and shelter for both wildlife and sheep – have characterised the Falkland Islands in the recent past. Today, however, the outlook is brighter and both the government and private individuals are creating reserves and sanctuaries, including the 14 islands of the Jason group which are one of the richest untouched wildlife areas. The author, a naturalist living in the islands, and responsible for much of the survey work he describes, pleads for a rational use of the wildlife so that a balance can be achieved. Fortunately, tourism is already showing that wildlife has a new commercial value.

Man and mongoose between them have decimated several endemic reptile and mammal species in Jamaica. This paper, the result of a survey early last year, describes the present status of the one land mammal, the hutia, and all the reptiles currently recognised as endangered, and suggests a few more to add to the endangered list.

Until 1963 the main population of the northern square-lipped (white) rhino was in the Garamba National Park, in the Congo (now Zaire) where they had increased to over 1200. That year armed rebels occupied the park, and when three years later they had been driven out, the rhinos had been drastically reduced: numbers were thought to be below 50. Dr. Curry-Iindahl describes what he found in 1966 and 1967.

Exterminated in Finland in the 19th century, a number of wild reindeer crossed the frontier into Russia, and a small population built up there. But after the war development in their new Russian habitat drove the reindeer away; some crossed back into Finland where now there is once again a small population close to the frontier. But forestry operations on both sides of the frontier threaten them with extermination again and only the preservation of their habitat can save them. The animals have a special importance because they are quite uncontaminated by domestic stock.

The James’s or lesser Andean flamingo Phoenicoparrus jamesi is undoubtedly the world’s rarest flamingo. Very little is known of its habits, status or distribution, mainly because of the extreme isolation of its usual haunts in the high semi-desert wilderness region of the southern Bolivian Andes. The birds have never been recorded below 9000 feet.

An interim report on the Abruzzo brown bear survey in Italy (to which the FPSWWF Revolving Fund contributed) estimates a density of one bear for each five square kilometres in an area (Monti della Difesa, near Pescasseroli) that is believed to provide the optimum bear habitat. In the 360 square kms under observation there were at least 70 bears, from which it was calculated that, as the bears' range covers at least 520 square kms, the total population may be not less than 100 animals. The report recommends that both refuge and feeding areas be made strict reserves, with an absolute prohibition against cutting plants favoured by bears (66 per cent of their food was found to be herbaceous or fruit); a planting programme of suitable food plants; indemnity payments for damage to domestic stock (which was done in 1965 and 1970 by the Italian WWF, and is now being done by the National Park authorities for the first time in its history), and the reintroduction of herbivores.

Now that conservation is a word in everyday use, we have the second and more difficult task of explaining what it really means, and a filmstrip such as Dr. D.H. Dalby’s Nature Conservation in the British Isles makes a valuable contribution. His photographs are unemotional statements of fact and the lecture notes full and informative, with background information in italics. The filmstrip is divided into three sections with inevitably some overlap between them. The first ‘Some major threats’ has twelve frames ‘ it seems a pity there was not room for more about such farming techniques as removal of hedges and the effects of coastal development; the second ‘How natural are our habitats?’ discusses the evolution of our countryside and provokes the question, What is it we are trying to conserve? The third is concerned with conservation measures. Aimed principally at secondary schools, naturalists’ trusts and amenity bodies, there is, surprisingly, no mention of Colleges of Education or Teachers’ Centres. The education of future generations of adults is fundamental in conservation, but first we must educate our teachers.

Soldiers in training were able to help with the protection of rare wildlife on Bernier Island in Western Australia, by shooting out feral goats. The author, of the 2nd Keo Goorkhas, suggests that similar projects should be possible in other parts of the world.

The importance of wildlife as a source of meat, as well as tourist revenue, is the most telling argument for its protection in Nigeria, where bushmeat is highly valued. Many species have been seriously overhunted, but populations could be built up again. The creation of a wildlife division in the Forestry Department last year was a major step in the right direction and 29 new reserves are planned. Animal numbers are increasing noticeably in the two major existing reserves, Yankari and Borgu.