North Yemen still imports rhino horn to make dagġer handles, despite the government ban in 1982. As rhino numbers continue on their precipitous decline, it is imperative that conservationists act now. Protection of rhinos in Situ is failing as poachers take more and more risks for greater financial gain. The author proposes urgent action, which includes exerting pressure on the appropriate governments.

From its earliest years, the Society's journal has carried reports on the tsetse problem in Africa. Between the 1920s and 1960s, attempts to eradicate the flies from many parts of the country resulted in the slaughter of 1.3 million game animals and extensive bush clearance, which permanently destroyed wildlife habitat. By the early 1970s, the use of insecticides had largely replaced these drastic techniques, but this, in its turn, with the environmental side-effects, caused much concern amongst wildlife conservationists. The authors review the history of tsetse control and discuss the new, safer methods that have been developed, as well as others still under trial. It is clear, however, that tsetse eradication will continue to be controversial. The development of safer and environmentally acceptable techniques does not solve a more fundamental problem—the wise use of Africa's land. Clearing the land of tsetse can open the path to its ruin by unsustainable pastoral encroachment. It is of interest that in April 1985, the EEC governments forced the EEC Commission to modify its forthcoming programme of tsetse fly eradication in four countries by insisting that environmentally harmful methods using DDT should not be employed. The Commission was also forced to include a three-year project on area development planning—land-use considerations were originally not included in its proposals.

Brazil's Emas National Park protects important populations of the endangered pampas deer, giant anteaters, armadillos, rheas and many other mammals and birds, but its road and river boundaries are not the best that could be provided to protect this valuable cerrado Park. Uncontrolled fires are also a problem, killing giant anteaters and destroying gallery forest. The author spent two years doing research in central Brazil and visited the Park many times.

Rhinos have given conservationists cause for concern for many decades, and there have been regular reports in Oryx of their deteriorating status in several countries. Now the authors, former Chairman and Executive Officer, respectively, of the IUCN/SSC African Elephant and Rhino Specialist Group, give an up-to-date account of rhinos in Africa, their numbers, distribution, and descriptions of areas where they are particularly vulnerable, as well as those where conservation action is having a positive effect.

Most of Mauritania's populations of large mammals have been exterminated or severely depleted by hunting. The Mauritanians usually do not hunt birds, however, and as a result the avifauna are protected, albeit somewhat passively. The Parc National du Bane d'Arguin is an exceptionally rich coastal area, attracting huge concentrations of waders in the European winter and impressive nesting colonies of birds in the summer, including eastern white pelicans, greater flamingos and royal terns. Although the birds are probably safe, the Park's mammals are not, and the last few dorcas gazelles need urgent protection from poachers.

There are perhaps 7000–10,000 formers in South Africa who derive some income from game farming. They sell the meat, sell live animals to other formers, allow hunters to shoot animals for trophies, or allow tourists onto their land for game viewing. The system has benefits for both wildlife and the formers, and it is tempting to assume that similar results could be obtained in other African countries. But is its that simple?

The author made a brief visit to the Maldive Islands in 1984. These beautiful coral atolls are being rapidly developed for tourism and there is an urgent need to achieve a balance between the attendant changes and wildlife conservation.

The future looks bleak for the manatee population in the waters around Haiti. Results of a survey conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service suggest that numbers have declined drastically over the last 50 years. The best hope for the few remaining is that the hunting expertise will vanish with the older generation.