The volcano rabbit Romerolagus diazi is endemic to the mountains of central Mexico, where its habitat has been gradually destroyed to make way for agriculture, ranching and logging, and by forest fires. The volcano rabbit is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. We evaluated the relationship between the abundance of the volcano rabbit and vegetation structure at a small scale (0.25 ha). Using a general linear model we generated a set of 21 predictive models and proposed the best model as a habitat quality index. Our results suggest that greater height and cover of bunchgrasses and the presence of a shrub layer offer the volcano rabbit the best refuge from predators. The habitat quality index and the limited available habitat documented in our survey indicate that the populations of volcano rabbits in the study area are more threatened than previously thought. As R. diazi is a habitat specialist it does not have the option of moving to another habitat type.

The woylie Bettongia penicillata is categorized as Critically Endangered, having declined by c. 90% between 1999 and 2006. The decline continues and the cause is not fully understood. Within a decline diagnosis framework we characterized the nature of the decline and identified potential causes, with a focus on the species’ largest populations, located in south-west Western Australia. We described the spatio-temporal pattern of the decline, and several attributes that are common across sites. We categorized the potential causes of the decline as resources, predators, disease and direct human interference. Based on the available evidence the leading hypothesis is that disease may be making woylies more vulnerable to predation but this remains to be tested. No substantial recoveries have been sustained to date, and one of the three remaining indigenous populations now appears to be extinct. Therefore, verifying the factors causing the decline and those limiting recovery is becoming increasingly urgent. Active adaptive management can be used to test putative agents, such as introduced predators. Insurance populations and ecological monitoring should also be included in an integrated conservation and management strategy for the species.

The current status and distribution of the Vulnerable Reeves's pheasant Syrmaticus reevesii, endemic to central China, is poorly known. To obtain updated information on its status we selected 89 candidate sites in six provinces and one municipality in central China and conducted interviews and field surveys from April 2011 to April 2012. Interviews demonstrated the pheasant has disappeared from 46% of the surveyed sites. Our results also revealed a population decline at 46 sites, including protected areas, although population densities in protected areas were higher than those in non-protected areas. Eighty-three, 26 and 20% of the surveyed sites had evidence of poaching, habitat loss and use of poison, respectively, which were the three major threats to this species. To ensure the long-term survival of Reeves's pheasant in China, protection and management need to be enforced in both protected and non-protected areas. We recommend that this species should be upgraded to a national first-level protected species in China and recategorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Conservation efforts use scientific data to provide an adaptive framework wherein habitat and wildlife sustainability can co-exist with human activities. Good science informs decision-makers and facilitates the development of successful conservation approaches. However, conservation concerns for the dugong Dugong dugon in South-east Asia are sufficiently urgent that action must be taken quickly, even though science has not provided complete answers to critical questions. In Johor, Malaysia, aerial surveys were conducted to assess dugong numbers, dugong high-use areas and overlap of dugong sightings with areas of seagrass. Dugong distribution included existing marine parks and locations where known conservation threats exist. We conclude that the Johor islands may represent a significant congregation site for dugongs in Peninsular Malaysia, with as many as 20 dugongs recorded in a single day. The existence of a marine park where the dugong sightings were most prominent is encouraging but only 38% of those sightings fell within the boundaries of the park. Anthropogenic threats need to be assessed and addressed prior to complex development activities such as dredging and coastal reclamation for tourism development in this critical area. We use this case to explore the concept of advancing species conservation through focused research and management, particularly where uncertainties exist because data are scarce.

Reintroduction success depends in part on the release strategy used. Benefits are attributed to particular release strategies but few studies have tested these assumptions. We examined the effect of delayed release (a form of so-called soft release) on the survival of a threatened passerine, the New Zealand hihi Notiomystis cincta, for up to 7 months after translocation. Birds were captured at the source site and then held in captivity for disease screening. They were then taken to the release site, where 30 were released immediately and 28 were held for a further 2–4 days in an on-site aviary. Twenty-four birds were fitted with radio-transmitters. A 1,300 ha area around the release site was searched fortnightly, and survival was analysed using a multi-state model that accounted for the effect of transmitters on detection probability. Our results indicated that delayed release had a negative effect on long-term survival, but no effect was apparent in the first 6 weeks. Survival probability from 6 weeks to 7 months post-release was 0.77 ± SE 0.20 for immediate-release birds and 0.04 ± SE 0.06 for delayed-release birds. Our results suggest that there is a misconception about the benefits of delayed-release strategies during translocation of wild animals. Studies that have demonstrated a benefit of delayed release in other bird species used captive-bred individuals, and we suggest that wild individuals perceive captivity differently. We recommend that biological context is considered before delayed release is used in translocations.

The volcano rabbit Romerolagus diazi is an Endangered species endemic to Mexico, with a range of < 400 km2. We investigated threats from destruction, fragmentation and degradation of habitat, hunting, and cattle grazing intensity in relation to the distribution and abundance of the volcano rabbit on the Iztaccihuatl volcano. Faecal pellet counts were taken as a proxy for rabbit abundance in 1,718 random 0.2 m2 quadrats at 859 sampling points along 25 transects, covering an area of c. 100 km2 at altitudes of 3,400–4,000 m. Presence of the species was significantly associated with absence of closed forest, absence of long grass types (not bunchgrass), shallow inclines, absence of cattle grazing, lower altitude, low hunting pressure (measured by proximity to ranger station), absence of bare ground and, contrary to previous findings, increased frequency of fire. The species was significantly more abundant in habitats with a greater percentage cover of zacaton (bunchgrass) and short grass types. It was significantly less abundant in areas with more hunting (measured by proximity to ranger station) and cattle grazing. Key conservation priorities are therefore the protection of the subalpine zacaton bunchgrass-dominated habitat type, strict enforcement of hunting laws and the removal of livestock from relevant national park boundary areas. However, the results suggest that frequent fires have a significant positive effect on the occurrence of the volcano rabbit as a result of habitat improvement and this is often a consequence of anthropogenic management of land for cattle grazing.

The population of the Critically Endangered Mariana crow Corvus kubaryi on the island of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, has decreased dramatically in recent years. It is unclear to what extent negative practices by people, such as inappropriate land use or persecution of crows, have contributed to this decline. We conducted a public opinion survey to document ongoing practices towards the crows on Rota, to assess residents’ knowledge of and attitudes towards the birds, and to gauge potential responses to a government-instituted land incentive programme. Enumerators administered surveys in person during August 2011. Most of the 573 respondents were native Chamorro residents (75%) and more than half were landowners (62%). A majority of respondents (72%) considered environmental issues ‘very important’ and 76% knew of the Mariana crow's Critically Endangered status. Fewer respondents (55%) expressed concern about the bird going extinct. A number of respondents condoned shooting and chasing crows (17 and 52%, respectively), suggesting that residents may be harassing the birds. Chamorro landowners on the island were more likely to have negative attitudes towards the crows and to know people who persecute the crows than other island residents. Education was positively correlated with knowledge and concern about the crow and environmental issues, suggesting that new educational programmes on Rota may help improve residents’ attitudes towards the species. In addition, we recommend a revision of current land-use regulations and implementation of a monetary compensation programme for owners of crow nesting habitat to improve landowners’ attitudes and practices.

The pygmy hippopotamus Choeropsis liberiensis is an Endangered species found only in the Upper Guinea rainforests of West Africa. Using a two-phase approach, with initial semi-structured interviews followed by more extensive questionnaires, we examined local residents' awareness of and attitudes towards the pygmy hippopotamus along the Moa River near Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Sierra Leone. The interviews and questionnaires addressed human–hippopotamus interactions, local knowledge and awareness of pygmy hippopotamus ecology and behaviour, and public attitudes towards hippopotamus conservation. Overall, 22% of questionnaire respondents acknowledged benefits related to hippopotamus conservation; factors affecting the perception of benefits included age, livestock ownership, distance from Tiwai Island and exposure to conservation programmes. The results of this study could be used to inform the conservation of the pygmy hippopotamus and highlight the critical role of local support in the management of threatened species in biodiversity hotspots.

Conservation of charismatic vertebrates in modern landscapes often includes habitat engineering, which is well supported by the public but lacks a consideration of wider conservation consequences. We analysed a pond management project for an introduced island population of captive-bred, Critically Endangered European mink Mustela lutreola. Ponds were excavated near watercourses in hydrologically impoverished forests to support the main prey of the mink (brown frogs Rana temporaria and Rana arvalis). A comparison of these ponds with other, natural, water bodies revealed that the (re)constructed ponds could reduce food shortages for the mink. Moreover, the ponds provided habitat for macroinvertebrates that were uncommon in the managed forests in the study area, including some species of conservation concern. The cost-effectiveness of the management of charismatic species can be increased by explicitly including wider conservation targets at both the planning and assessment stages.