The Tibetan gazelle Procapra picticaudata is endemic to the Tibetan plateau. In the Ladakh region of northern India its range declined from c. 20,000 km2 in the early 1900s to c. 1,000 km2 in the late 1980s. Here we report the results of our recent (1999–2003) assessments of the gazelle's conservation status in Ladakh. Range-wide surveys indicate that the present population of the Tibetan gazelle in Ladakh is c. 50, restricted to a range of c. 100 km2. Populations in the Tso Kar basin and Dungti have gone extinct within the past decade. Throughout the last century hunting was the primary cause of the gazelle's decline. Although hunting has been brought under control in the last two decades, intensified livestock grazing appears to have prevented the gazelle's recovery and may be precipitating further declines. The species needs immediate, participatory conservation management, as well as a reassessment of its IUCN Red List status.

This paper describes the results of field surveys for two Endangered lemurs, Milne-Edward's sifaka Propithecus diadema edwardsi and the black and white ruffed lemur Varecia variegata variegata, in the unprotected Fandriana-Marolambo forest corridor in south-east Madagascar. Published range maps show P. d. edwardsi and V. v. variegata present in the corridor, although few surveys have been conducted in this area. A total of 292.9 km of surveys were conducted at eight sites in the corridor but P. d. edwardsi and V. v. variegata were each located at only one site. Absence of these species at other sites may be the combined result of altitudinal and anthropogenic effects. Conservation plans for P. d. edwardsi and V. v. variegata are complicated because gaps in forest cover prevent dispersal of conspecifics from nearby protected areas. Conservation authorities should be cautious in using range maps based on the presumed distribution of lemur species.

The crowned eagle Harpyhaliaetus coronatus is a large Neotropical eagle categorized as Endangered throughout its range. However, the threats to this species are poorly understood. We present data on the causes of death of crowned eagles in semi-arid forests of La Pampa province, central Argentina. Data was obtained from field surveys and from interviews with 62 local landowners during 1999–2004. Over this period five eagles were shot, one killed by a car, one was found dead in a cattle water trough, and one was found in captivity. From the interviews information was obtained about a further 10 cases of eagles being shot, disturbed or trapped. Five (13%) of 38 interviewed landowners who positively identified the species admitted having killed or disturbed eagles in the past but only two (5%) mentioned predation of eagles upon livestock as a problem. Persecution seems to be a significant threat to this species in central Argentina and future research and conservation action should be focused not only on gaining a better knowledge of the biology of the species but also on conservation and educational programmes involving local people.

Occupied and potential nesting areas of Near Threatened cinereous vulture Aegypius monachus in the Republic of Georgia were examined to model its nesting habitat. The intention is to support its conservation within the context of the ongoing establishment of a system of protected areas. Data were manipulated and analysed using a geographical information system, univariate statistical analysis and logistic regression. The best model suggested that in Georgia plots were more likely to contain a cinereous vulture nest if the slope was >30° and faced north, was situated in rugged terrain away from unprotected and populated areas, and was relatively dry. North-facing slopes were where suitable nest trees could be found, whereas ruggedness, protected areas and remoteness from populated areas made access to the nest trees by humans difficult. Low annual rainfall provided better soaring and breeding conditions. The model suggested that the breeding range of cinereous vulture in Georgia could expand if seasonal grazing, which is the primary source of disturbance, is properly managed. Because neither nesting places nor food availability appeared to be limiting, human disturbance and climate seem to best explain the current distribution of nesting cinereous vultures in Georgia, and probably elsewhere in the Caucasus.

Co-extinction is the extinction of a species following the extinction of another species that it used as a resource, such as a food plant in the case of insect herbivores. The magnitude of the global co-extinction threat to two herbivorous insect taxa (aphids and scale insects) was estimated by compiling a list of species in these groups that are dependent on globally threatened trees. Eleven species of aphid (0.69%) and thirteen scale insects (1.15%) have a threatened tree as their sole host. This measure is comparable to recent estimates for insect herbivores, but far less than the published overall estimates of extinction risk for invertebrates, and highlights the dependence of insect herbivores on a wide range of habitat features.

The ibex Capra pyrenaica has recently recolonized its former Portuguese range from a contiguous Spanish protected area. The first observations of ibex in Portugal were in Peneda-Gerês National Park in 1998. In 2001 we began a survey to confirm ibex presence in Portuguese territory, and to determine the current status of the species there. There are three ibex nuclei in the general area of the international border, and they are expanding their geographical range with two of the nuclei almost restricted to Portuguese territory. In 2003 the ibex population consisted of a minimum of 75 individuals. Different founder histories have led to distinct age structures in each nucleus, but in general they exhibit the population dynamics typical of a recently reintroduced population with high reproductive potential. Priority conservation actions for this newly established population need to include increased monitoring, and reinforcement of the population with individuals from elsewhere. Effective conservation will require collaboration between staff of both Portuguese and Spanish protected areas and an integrated Spanish-Portuguese conservation plan.

From 2003 to 2005 we carried out surveys in Burkina Faso to investigate the status of primate taxa. In the south-west near the border with Côte d'Ivoire we discovered sooty mangabey Cercocebus atys, a primate species that had not been previously reported in the country. This population is the subspecies C. a. lunulatus, the white-naped mangabey, one of the 25 most threatened primate taxa. As the subspecies occurs in a gallery forest that is next to a wildlife safari hunting area, we recommend that hunting is prohibited near these forests. The recent creation of the Warigué protected area, linking the Comoé-Léraba Reserved Forest and Partial Wildlife Reserve in Burkina Faso where we observed the subspecies, with the Comoé National Park in Côte d'Ivoire, could make an important contribution to the survival of this, the northernmost population, of the subspecies.

The high altitudes of Arunachal Pradesh, India, located in the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, remain zoologically unexplored and unprotected. We report results of recent mammal surveys in the high altitude habitats of western Arunachal Pradesh. A total of 35 mammal species (including 12 carnivores, 10 ungulates and 5 primates) were recorded, of which 13 are categorized as Endangered or Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. One species of primate, the Arunachal macaque Macaca munzala, is new to science and the Chinese goral Nemorhaedus caudatus is a new addition to the ungulate fauna of the Indian subcontinent. We documented peoples' dependence on natural resources for grazing and extraction of timber and medicinal plants. The region's mammals are threatened by widespread hunting. The snow leopard Uncia uncia and dhole Cuon alpinus are also persecuted in retaliation for livestock depredation. The tiger Panthera tigris, earlier reported from the lower valleys, is now apparently extinct there, and range reductions over the last two decades are reported for bharal Pseudois nayaur and musk deer Moschus sp.. Based on mammal species richness, extent of high altitude habitat, and levels of anthropogenic disturbance, we identified a potential site for the creation of Arunachal's first high altitude wildlife reserve (815 km2). Community-based efforts that provide incentives for conservation-friendly practices could work in this area, and conservation awareness programmes are required, not just amongst the local communities and schools but for politicians, bureaucrats and the army.

Uncertainties in species definitions can have important consequences for biodiversity conservation because taxonomic rank is used as a criterion to assess the conservation priorities of threatened organisms. The Vulnerable St Lucia whiptail lizard Cnemidophorus vanzoi, considered a single species, is the sole representative of its genus in the Caribbean region, found on Maria Major and Maria Minor islands off the coast of St Lucia. However, a recent study revealed significant morphological and phylogenetic differences between the two populations and recommended they should be managed as two separate entities. We surveyed the two populations and estimated them to comprise 1,985 and 29 individuals on Maria Major and Minor, respectively. The Maria Minor population is currently at a critically low level and consequently highly susceptible to demographic and genetic stochasticity and catastrophic events, in particular the colonization of invasive mammalian predators. If our goal is to conserve biodiversity and evolutionary potential we face a dilemma in formulating the optimum strategy for the management of these two threatened populations on the species boundary. We discuss some potential management options but also raise this issue for discussion in the conservation biology community.

This paper describes the distribution, population size and conservation needs of the land snail Gulella taitensis (Gastropoda: Streptaxidae) endemic to the Taita Hills, Kenya. The species was investigated using timed searches between July and December 2000. In total 37 snails were recorded from only five of nine forest fragments searched. The snail was generally more abundant in the smaller forest fragments. The species appears to be a forest specialist, exhibiting preference for the least disturbed sections of forest. The small population size, restricted distribution and concentration in the smallest and most fragile forest fragments suggests the species is on the brink of extinction. The species fulfills the requirements for changing its conservation status from Endangered to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Promotion of the Forest Reserves to a conservation category that provides greater legal protection is necessary.