The savannah enclaves (i.e. patches) in the southern Brazilian Amazonia are among the most threatened and poorly surveyed sites in Amazonia. As part of an extensive mammal survey, we set camera traps in three of these savannah enclaves. We obtained 23 independent records of pampas deer Ozotoceros bezoarticus, a medium sized Neotropical cervid that is strongly associated with open habitats and categorized as Vulnerable on the Brazilian Red List of threatened species. These savannah enclaves with confirmed populations of pampas deer lie outside the species’ previously presumed historical range and are at least 350 km from any known extant population. Together, these savannah enclaves add c. 4,000 km2 to the pampas deer's currently known range. The small pampas deer populations in these enclaves are probably isolated by a matrix of Amazon forest, raising questions about spatial genetic structure and meta-population dynamics, and making them vulnerable to local extinction. We highlight the need for further studies, particularly genetic, to assess the conservation status of these populations, the results of which could potentially inform management decisions in other areas of the heavily fragmented range of this species.

The small, isolated populations of the Nicobar megapode Megapodius nicobariensis, currently categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, on the Nicobar islands in the Indian Ocean have declined by c. 70% since 1994. The 2004 tsunami is believed to be the major cause of this decline. The populations of megapodes on the islands of Megapode and Trax were wiped out by the tsunami. I estimate from a 2006 survey that 395–790 breeding pairs of the Nicobar megapode now survive on the coasts of the various islands compared to 2,318–4,056 pairs in 1994. The tsunami also adversely influenced nest-site selection and mound-nest ecology: > 50% of mounds were found closer to the shore in 2006 than in 1994, probably because of loss of suitable habitat, and they may become inundated with seawater during high tides. Most of the mound-nests found were constructed after the tsunami and were significantly smaller in volume than those present in 1994. Restoration of suitable habitat is critical for the long-term viability of the Nicobar megapode. However, post-tsunami impacts such as the creation of large-scale plantations in coastal areas, which are encroaching upon megapode habitat, may be severe. Because of the decline in numbers and habitat destruction and hunting the Nicobar megapode probably now qualifies for categorization as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.