The Aïr Mountains of north-central Niger are relatively unspoilt and contain some of the last remaining populations of addax Addax nasomaculatus, ostrich Struthio camelus and dama gazella Gazella dama in in West Africa. The Aïr Mountain are also home for some 5000 Twaregs, half of whom are cultivators and the other half herders. The Aïr and Tùnùrù National Nature Reserve, which was gazetted in 1988, covers more than 77,000 sq km. It was inspired by concern for the region's unique and increasingly threatened wildlife, wcology. The Nigerien Wildlife Service and the IUCN/WWF project that supports the reserve are attempting to reconcile conservation with development through a broadly based programme geared to protection, resoration and sustainable use of the area's natural resources.

The Gunung Halimun Reserve has the largest area of primary rain forest left on Java. The reserve is important for the habitat it provides for two endangered primates, the moloch Hylobates moloch and the grizzled langur Presbytis comata, which are endemic to western Java. The author presents the results of a survey conducted in the reserve in July 1989 and makes suggestions for further survey work and scientific research on the primates there.

Wild elephants currently occur in three populations in the lowlands of Nepal. The eastern and western animals are part of larger populations that extend into India; the central population, estimated to be 21 individuals, is geographically isolated from the other two and confined within Nepal's borders. Tracks of young elephants observed in 1979 and 1989 indicate that reproduction occurs on a regular basis. The present reserve system provides good cover and an excellent food base; the potential for population increase is good. Nepal needs to develop policy to handle human/elephant conflicts so that public support for protection of elephant populations can be maintained.

Of the six species of marine turtle in Papua New Guinea, the green turtle Chelonia mydas and the hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata are the most common and the most utilized in the Port Moresby region. This paper describes a study carried out in 1989, which monitored the trade in green turtles in the country's main market and the sale of tortoiseshell in a major shopping centre. The price of turtle meat was higher than that of some common reef fish, but cost less when fish was abundant. The commercial trade in tortoiseshell appeared to be negligible. As the urban population increases it is likely that demand for turtle meat will also increase. If this food resource is to be managed sustainably the size of the turtle population needs to be determined. The University of Papua New Guinea is supporting marine turtle field studies and a sea turtle education programme, but more needs to be done to ensure the survival of PNG's marine turtles.

The rugged islands where the original Robinson Crusoe was marooned in the south-east Pacific are remarkable for the number and variety of endemic plants, some of which are pollinated by a beautiful endemic hummingbird. They are also the main breeding station of a fur seal, which once numbered millions but was later thought to be extinct, and several widespread seabirds. So far the only losses appear to be the endemic sandalwoods and widespread elephant seal, but the other wildlife is now threatened by deforestation, erosion and competition or predation from introduced species. There is a need for more support for local conservation measures, since the islands may soon start to undergo rapid development.