Although it is a poor country, Nepal has been responsible for one of the greatest rhino conservation success stories. In 1968 its population of greater one-horned rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis was estimated at 81–108 individuals; by 1990 the population had increased to 400, a tremendous achievement for a country with very limited financial resources. However, in 1990 the government collapsed and the enforcement of law and order was not very effective. Rhinos were poached for their horns and tigers for their bones. Poachers started poisoning rhinos, apparently copying the methods used previously for killing nuisance tigers. The author, who visited Nepal in 1991, reports on these new threats and discusses what needs to be done to remedy the situation.

Equatorial Guinea, the only Spanish-speaking country in tropical Africa, is an important enclave for wildlife. Because of its dire economic situation, the outcome of the withdrawal of colonial paternalism and 11 years of ruthless military dictatorship, the country sees the exploitation of its natural resources as the panacea to its financial deficit. The consequences for fauna and flora of the unchecked exploitation and uncontrolled opening of forest land for commercial logging will be enormous. Some protected areas have been decreed, but effective action to enforce new laws needs to be taken and the country lacks trained personnel and infrastructure.

Many, if not all, marine turtle populations world-wide have become seriously depleted by the impact of numerous factors over the years. Populations of marine turtles are now classified as endangered or threatened. National and international legislation designed to protect sea turtles has been unsuccessful and, despite evergrowing interest, there is disturbing evidence of new and increasingly important threats: increased incidence of disease; oil and organochlorine contamination and marine ‘macro-pollution’.

The Liberian mongoose Liberiictis kuhni, the only member of its genus, was described as a new species from skulls in 1958. The first two complete specimens were obtained as recently as 1974. Although several more animals have been captured since then, all in Liberia, the species's status and ecology remain poorly known. In 1988 the FFPS contributed £500 towards a field study of the mongoose in Liberia and while this expedition succeeded in finding only one animal that had been killed by a hunter, a subsequent attempt in 1989 was more successful.

Tanzania's remaining fragments of coastal forests support rich biological communities, but these are extremely vulnerable to exploitation and land-use pressures because of their very limited size. Until recently little attention has been paid to these areas and and it is probable that all the most important forest areas have not yet even been recognized. Conservation measures are needed urgently and while these have been incorporated into the Tanzanian Forestry Action Plan, funding has not been identified.

A small area of forest on Luisenga tea estate has been declared a nature reserve by Brooke Bond Tanzania Limited. Luisenga is at the southern end of the endemic-rich Eastern Arc mountains of Tanzania and contains a number of plant and animal species of restricted distribution and conservation importance.