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The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has been highlighting the plight of the world’s threatened species since the 1960s and has been a powerful tool for instigating action to save species at risk. The Species Survival Commission’s (SSC) 120-plus Specialist Groups, often in association with other organisations and individuals, have been instrumental in initiating a wide variety of successful projects to ensure the long-term survival of many species. Just a few of the many ongoing conservation programmes are featured below.
However, the alarming scale of the threats facing our natural heritage means that a lot more must be done by the international community if we are to achieve the Convention on Biological Diversity and the World Summit on Sustainable Development target of reducing biodiversity loss by 2010.
Many of SSC's Specialist Groups have their own websites providing a wealth of information on conservation action being undertaken across the globe. See also the web profiles of some of these groups.
 The formerly Critically Endangered whooping crane of North America became one of the world’s rarest birds when the wild population plummeted to an all-time low of 15 individuals in 1941. Although never abundant, even in pre-European settlement times (pre-1870 population estimate of 500-1,500 birds) several factors contributed to its inexorable recent decline; notably habitat loss to agriculture, disturbance, hunting and egg collecting. Today, thanks to the concerted conservation effort of a host of organisations and individuals, including the International Crane Foundation which acts as the SSC Crane Specialist Group, the population in 2004 reached a record high of 194 birds, and is now listed as Endangered.
The creation of protected areas and appropriate habitat management has been a cornerstone of the recovery programme, together with a captive breeding and re-stocking initiative. There are now about 120 captive whooping cranes at four major North American centres which are being used to boost the wild population via release programmes. Since 2001, captive-reared cranes have been trained to follow ultra-light aircraft on migrations between traditional breeding grounds in central Wisconsin, and north-west Florida where they winter. In spring, they return to Wisconsin without assistance. Of the 39 birds led to Florida since 2001, 35 have survived to date. It is hoped that the experiences and success of the whooping crane recovery programme will help projects for the recovery of the migratory population of the Siberian crane. Although the eastern population still numbers over 3,000 birds, this species is currently declining with the recent loss of the central Asia wintering population and the reduction of the western population to single figures.
Further information: International Crane Foundation / SSC Crane Specialist Group
 The SSC Cat Specialist Group has been involved in the development of conservation strategies for several Critically Endangered Asian cat sub-species, notably the Amur leopard, the Arabian leopard (or Nimr) and the Asiatic cheetah.
Leopards were formerly widespread across Arabia through Asia up to the Sea of Japan. Their distribution is now highly fragmented and highly localised, with several isolated sub-populations threatened with extinction. The Amur leopard, the most northerly sub-species, is now more or less restricted to the Russian Far East near Vladivostok, where only 40-60 individuals remain. The Arabian leopard has been reduced to a similar number. One of the principal causes of decline in both areas is the depletion of wild prey and subsequent persecution as the leopards increasingly turn to domestic livestock as a source of food. As well as promoting conservation initiatives in the field, a well-managed captive breeding population of Amur leopards has been established and one is being built up for the Arabian leopard. This should safeguard the future of these superb cats until their long-term survival in the wild is secured.
 The Asiatic cheetah, the world’s fastest mammal, is running towards extinction on the Asian continent, unless it receives urgent help. It used to range from the Arabian peninsula to the Indian
sub-continent but is now one of the world’s most threatened cats. The last Indian cheetah was shot in 1947 and for the past 20 years, Iran has been its last stronghold. An estimated 50-60 wild animals remain, but unlike certain leopard sub-species, there is no captive breeding population. Loss of prey species (due to hunting and overgrazing by livestock) as well as hunting and persecution are the principal threats. Fortunately many organisations and individuals have come together to address these problems and reverse the cheetah’s decline. A multi stakeholder initiative the “Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah and its associated Biota” has been launched and initial progress is promising.
Further information: SSC Cat Specialist Group and Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (DoE and UNDP/GEF joint project)
 The native wildlife of the Indian Ocean islands has suffered greatly from the devastating effects of introduced alien plants and animals. Most extinctions in the recent past have been on tropical islands and invasive alien species have been the main cause. Many island species are still threatened, but positive conservation measures have rescued many species from the brink of extinction and are an incentive for future action.
The native vegetation of Round Island, Mauritius, was badly degraded by introduced goats and rabbits which prevented any regeneration. Many native plant species were adversely affected, including the Round Island Bottle Palm, reduced to a mere seven individuals in the 1980s, and in imminent danger of extinction. A successful programme to eradicate all goats and rabbits from the island was completed in 1986 and today more than 250 of these plants grow on the island and numbers are increasing. In addition to the bottle palm, many other threatened species were saved by the action carried out on Round Island.
A similar rescue operation is also underway on the main island of Mauritius. Before it was rediscovered clinging to a rocky slope in 2001 by a member of the SSC Indian Ocean Island Plant Specialist Group, the small Mauritian tree Trochetia parviflora was last seen in the wild in 1863. Its main threat is invasive introduced plant species that have taken over almost all the island's natural habitats, and introduced rats and monkeys that eat the tree's fruit. Members of the Specialist Group are bagging fruits to collect seeds for propagation and prevent damage from animals.
Building on the success of this work, over 20 recovery plans have now been developed for threatened plant species in Mauritius.
Further information: SSC Indian Ocean Plant Group
 In the early 1970s, many crocodilians (crocodiles, caimans and alligators) were experiencing serious population declines and were considered to be threatened with extinction, primarily due to unregulated and unsustainable harvesting. Thanks to conservation efforts, this situation has been reversed for many species, such as the Nile and Cuban crocodile. The promotion of controlled management and harvesting has proved to be an effective conservation tool and has allowed certain species to rebuild their wild populations. It has provide economic benefits to people and conservation work alike. However, this approach is not appropriate for all species. Non-commercially important species, threatened by habitat loss, disturbance, egg collection as well as hunting, require different conservation measures. For species such as the Critically Endangered Chinese Alligator and Siamese Crocodile, conservation efforts have focused on the re-introduction of captive bred individuals into protected areas to re-create wild populations. The encouraging news is that successful re-introduction programmes have recently taken place for both species.
Further information: SSC Crocodile Specialist Group
 The stunning but little known scaly-sided merganser has been declining due to habitat destruction, persecution and disturbance. It breeds in the forests of the Russian Far East and northeast China, and the world population of this Vulnerable duck is only 4,000 birds. The females nest in holes in trees and have been badly affected by logging and forest clearance which began in the 1960s.
Encouragingly, the rate of decline has slowed in the past 10 years, as the Russian authorities have agreed to reserve belts of forest along certain rivers and logging projects have been cancelled in key areas. In addition, a successful nest-box programme is now in operation, thanks to the help of local people and school children. The scaly-sided merganser takes readily to artificial sites and the nest boxes provide additional nesting sites or substitute sites where their natural breeding habitat has been destroyed. To date, more than 140 nest-boxes have been erected and many have already been used by the merganser.
Further information: SSC Threatened Waterfowl Specialist Group and profile
 A quarter of the world’s hares and rabbits (lagomorphs) are threatened with extinction, including the pygmy rabbit of the western United States. It used to occur in the temperate desert and adjoining steppe regions of eastern California up to Washington and Wyoming. The species has disappeared from many historic sites and there are now no wild animals left in the Columbia Basin, Washington state.
A programme to halt the decline and re-introduce the species into the Colombia Basin has been initiated. Efforts will concentrate on appropriate land management to address its habitat needs and the re-establishment of a wild population using the 50 or so animals currently in captivity.
In Japan, action is being taken to secure the future of the Endangered Amami Island rabbit. The introduction of mongoose to the island which prey on the rabbits is one of the principal reasons for this species' decline. Recent culls of this alien aggressive predator have had a positive effect on rabbit numbers and further culls are planned.
Further information: SSC Lagomorph Specialist Group
 Introduced alien trees, particularly certain species of acacia, have had a catastrophic effect upon South Africa’s watercourses. These trees have spread aggressively along many rivers, suppressing the native flora. Their negative impact on water flows, often resulting in previously unknown dry periods, has also seriously damaged native riparian wildlife. Certain species of Odanata (dragonflies and damselflies) have become very restricted because of the resulting habitat changes and three species were feared extinct.
However, thanks to a programme of alien plant removal, threatened species have been given a reprieve and are re-colonising restored areas. This initiative has proved to be a major conservation success story, and one of the greatest highlights has been the re-discovery of presumed extinct dragonflies along re-habilitated river stretches.
In the Northern Province, the Harlequin Sprite (Pseudagrion newtoni) has returned to restored sites, while in the Western Cape several species are recovering. Among these rn Cape species are the rare Ceres Stream Damsel (Metacnemis angusta), Cape Bluet (Proischnura polychromaticum) and the White Malachite (Chlorolestes umbratus). Some of these very rare and threatened species are now able to expand back to their former geographical extent. However, many remain confined to areas where alien trees have been removed, emphasising the importance of continuing this work.
Further information: SSC Southern African Invertebrate Specialist Group
 IUCN/SSC is partnering with Plant Planet and nursery W. van Diemen, Dutch companies specializing in the breeding and marketing of house plants, to grow and sell the Critically Endangered Hawaiian palm (Brighamia insignis ‘Kirsten’). For each plant sold, a donation will be made to IUCN to support its work and the conservation of Brighamia, one of the world’s rarest species and other threatened plants of the Hawaiian islands.
 Only about seven Brighamia plants are known to exist, all on the island of Kaua’i. Disruption of the island’s delicate natural balance, largely through the introduction of alien species has pushed the Hawaiian palm to the brink of extinction. Scientists and enthusiasts concerned about the plight of Hawaii’s threatened flora have formed the Hawaiian Plant Specialist Group, one of the 120 expert groups that make up IUCN’s Species Survival Commission. Scaling the steep cliffs of Kaua’i, group members have been pollinating the remaining wild specimens of the Hawaiian palm by hand and collecting seeds for propagation. A reserve has been created in which a large number of plants are being grown to be replanted in the near future.
Take a look at the project website which will include details of where you can buy the plant at www.hawaiianpalm.nl
Further information on Hawaii’s threatened plants: SSC Hawaiian Plant Specialist Group
 Freshwater turtles are heavily exploited for food, and in some cases medicine, particularly in Southeast Asia and China, were harvesting levels are unsustainably high and include protected and trade regulated species. In the face of this rapid decline and potential spread of this practice to neighbouring countries, the SSC’s Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group helped create the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) in 2001. This IUCN/SSC Task Force aims to build a network of linked captive management and breeding programmes known as Assurance Colonies. It has forged a new and unique partnerships with zoos and aquariums, universities, private breeders and serious hobbyists to help it achieve this task.
The primary goal of these Assurance Colonies will be to guarantee the survival of species which are currently threatened in the wild and to maximize future options for the recovery of threatened wild populations, through captive-breeding and re-introduction programmes. These collections also act as valuable “safe-houses” for otherwise doomed, illegally traded animals that have been confiscated by customs officials, particularly from the food and medicinal markets in Asia. Increasingly, the TSA is becoming recognized as a global force for turtle conservation, and is now widely known as the group to call when there is a turtle crisis!
Further information: SSC Freshwater Turtle and Tortoise Specialist Group and Turtle Survival Alliance
 Megapodes are a group of Australasian ground-dwelling birds comprising 22 species found from the Nicobar Islands in the west, through Indonesia, the Philippines, and Australia, to Polynesia in the east. Their habit of nesting on or near beaches, often on small islands, makes them vulnerable to disturbance and egg collecting, and several species are greatly threatened. The greatest threats to the future survival of these fascinating birds are over-exploitation of their eggs, loss of forested habitats where they live, and introduced predators, most notably cats, foxes and dogs which prey upon the birds and their eggs.
Conservation projects have focused on protecting habitats, encouraging sustainable use, re-introductions within a species' historical range, awareness programmes and biological research. Some notable highlights to date include the successful establishment of a thriving population of the Critically Endangered Polynesian megapode (Megapodius pritchardii) on the small volcanic island of Fonualei. Formerly restricted to the nearby island of Niuafo’ou, in the kingdom of Tonga, eggs and chicks were translocated to Fonualei in the 1990s and the population has now doubled. Another success was the initiation of a programme to promote sustainable egg-collecting in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, where a temporary ban on egg-collecting for two species, the Melanesian megapode (Megapodius eremite) and the Vanauatu megapode (Megapodius layardi) was executed and controlled by local communities. Megapode eggs are an important part of their economy and culture and the full cooperation and involvement of local people has been fundamental to the success of megapode conservation projects.
Further information: SSC Megapode Specialist Group
 The Kamchatka peninsula in the Russian Far East produces up to one quarter of all wild Pacific salmon and contains a series of rivers that host the greatest diversity of salmonid fish on earth. It represents one of the last chances to provide permanent protection for entire, pristine salmonid ecosystems, from the headwaters to the ocean. These habitats are still un-fragmented, but increasing pressure from mineral and petrochemical exploration could threaten some of the most spectacular salmon rivers in the world.
The creation of a 544,000 acre Kol River Salmon Protected Area this year, on the Kamchatka peninsula, is therefore a major development in salmonid conservation. It ensures that the whole ecosystem will be preserved through appropriate conservation policies, and is the first whole-river refuge created specifically to protect wild salmon and their environment. This is undoubtedly a crucial step forward in Pacific salmon conservation.
The Kol river contains all six species of Pacific salmon (chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, pink and Asian masu) as well as Dolly Varden char, white-spotted char and one of Russia’s only two populations of steelhead-rainbow trout. It also supports a wealth of other wildlife, including brown bears, Steller’s sea eagle, snow sheep and waterfowl.
The establishment of the Kol River Salmon Refuge has received considerable local and regional support and follows five years of negotiations. The next step will be to secure the establishment of other protected areas in the region, as part of the Kamchatka Salmon Biodiversity Program.
Further information: SSC Salmon Specialist Group and The Wild Salmon Center
 In certain situations, recreational hunting of wildlife could be a potential means by which conservation and sustainable development can be achieved. If properly managed, hunting proceeds can provide clear benefits to local communities and at the same time raise funds for conservation.
Several species of Caprinae (wild sheep, goats and their relatives), such as the markhor and argali are highly prized by trophy hunters who are willing to pay substantial sums to shoot them. The Caprinae Specialist Group has worked hard to ensure that trophy hunting programmes, particularly in Asia but also elsewhere, lead to tangible benefits for the conservation of mountain ungulates and their habitat. A key factor in the success of any initiative is the involvement of local people, both in the decision making and reaping the benefits as well as adequately trained personnel to oversee the programme.
Pilot initiatives have had different degrees of success in places such as the Torghar mountains in Pakistan (where a limited markhor hunting program that allows the exportation of trophies has been very successful in conserving mountain habitat) and parts of China . Trophy hunting of Caprinae in Asia appears to be biologically sustainable. In a few cases, it has provided highly motivated and capable staff, interested in wildlife, in areas which otherwise would almost certainly lack them. It has also produced a tangible benefit by helping to curb poaching but so far an insufficient proportion of the funds have been used to ensure adequate habitat protection. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that selective hunting of large-horned males may lead to detrimental changes in population genetics over the long term.
Although most trophy hunting programmes of Caprinae in Asia are still simply commercial operations that provide no tangible benefits to conservation, it is hoped that these pilot projects will be a first step in changing this situation. Future programmes should build upon these experiences and research results to improve the overall benefits from trophy hunting.
Further information: SSC Caprinae Specialist Group
 As pressure on the environment continues to grow, botanical gardens will provide an ever increasingly important role in the preservation of threatened plants and plant communities. They provide a sanctuary for their conservation and undertake valuable research. Information learnt is often vital for the successful conservation of these species in the wild and the cultivated populations can provide seeds or plants for re-introduction projects.
The 12 acre botanical gardens at Shivaji University, Kolhapur, is already playing an active role in securing the future of a number of threatened plants. A conservatory of plants typical of the Western Ghats has been established and includes over 50 rare and endemic species, such as Dipcadi concanensis and Amorphophalus commutatus. An additional 200 species have been introduced and studies on their cultivation and propagation will be very useful for the successful conservation of these species. A notable success has been the propagation of the Critically Endangered grass Hubbardia heptaneuraon, which was believed to be extinct but is now being successfully grown in the gardens.
 In addition, two “Biodiversity Parks”, which aim to replicate threatened or locally extinct plant communities, are being established. One is the Yamuma Biodiversity Park , on the Yamuma River near Wazirabad, and the other is the Arvalli Biodiversity Park at Vasant Kunj, Dehli.
The Yamuma Biodiversity Park will contain plant communities from the Yamuma river basin, which supports between 2,000–3,000 species. It will have a field gene bank containing approximately 1,000 crop varieties, as well as an arboretum of local fruit trees, with an additional 1,000 horticultural plant varieties. The Park will also have an important educational role with an interpretation centre as a key element. The Aravalli Biodiversity Park will support around 40 plant communities, consisting of 3,000–4,000 species typical of the Aravallis mountains – the oldest mountains on the sub-continent. It will include grassland typical of local arid and semi-arid regions along with water and wetland areas.
Further information: Indian Subcontinent Plant Specialist Group
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