This paper summarizes the recent status of rhinoceros species, as provided by IUCN Species Survival Commission's Rhinoceros Specialist Groups, and describes some of the current conservation measures. At the time of writing there are c. 14 950 rhinoceros remaining in Africa and c. 2850 in Asia. During the last decade conservation initiatives have achieved notable successes; however, numbers of some species and subspecies have declined over this period and three subspecies are close to extinction. The illegal demand for rhinoceros horn and the subsequent poaching this generates continue to pose a serious threat to rhinoceros populations worldwide. However, experience indicates that where anti‐poaching efforts are concentrated above minimum threshold levels population losses as a result of poaching can be reduced to a low and sustainable level. However, not all populations receive sufficient protection and declining budgets of range‐state governments for field conservation are a major cause for concern. The role of donor support is, therefore, becoming increasingly important. For some subspecies lack of adequate habitat protection rather than lack of suitable habitat is a major constraint for population expansion and growth. Many rhinoceros populations in Africa are managed as part of bigger meta‐populations. However, sub‐optimal biological management is also reducing population growth rates in a number of populations.

Cylindrotheca, an epipelic benthic pennate diatom, holds promise as a nutraceutical source and may be useful for aquaculture. Experiments were done on two Cylindrotheca species, Cylindrotheca fusiformis (UTEX 2084) and C. closterium, which was isolated from seawater collected offshore from Visakhapatnam, India. C. closteriumwas identified through microscopy and rDNA typing. Type and concentration of nutrient components in the culture medium that promoted best growth and highest lipid accumulation were identified. Lipid content was gravimetrically estimated. For relative comparison of the effects of different culture media on lipid content, we made estimations through rapid in situ screening method using Nile red staining and spectrofluori\xadmetry. The fatty acid profile of lipid was obtained through gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Nualgi, a commercially available micronutrient ready-mix with elements adsorbed as nanoparticles on a modified silica sol, was found to significantly boost growth in both Cylindrotheca species when used in lieu of a conventional micronutrient mix prepared from eight compounds. Among the three nitrogen sources tested – sodium nitrate (NaNO3), urea, and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) – best growth of C. fusiformis occurred on nitrate and urea, while NH4Cl was best for C. closterium. Lipid productivity was much higher in cultures supplied with NH4Cl for both Cylindrotheca species and compensated for lower biomass in C. fusiformis. Mixotrophy with glycerol or sodium acetate resulted in no significant increase in growth over photoautotrophy. Both Cylindrotheca species were lipid rich; lipid constituted 18–27% of dry biomass in the medium with NaNO3. Among total fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids constituted <40%, eicosapentaenoic acid 25%, and arachidonic acid ∼8% and ∼4% in C. fusiformis and C. closterium, respectively. NH4Cl, phosphate, and Nualgi micronutrient ready-mix in concentrations optimal for each strain contribute to a good culture medium for Cylindrotheca.

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This study was carried out to assess the population of Ratufa macroura in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary located in the Kerala part of the southern Western Ghats.  The population density of Ratufa macroura was estimated to be 15.26 squirrels/km2.  The total count method, however, gave the population range between 11 to 14 squirrels.  The current population estimation is about 78–85 % lesser than the previous population estimation of the Ratufa macroura carried out in 1993 and 2007 respectively, which is quite alarming.  The following conservation recommendations are suggested for the long-term conservation of R. macroura, which include habitat restoration to maintain the canopy contiguity and regulation of the pilgrimage and the tourism activities in and around the R. macroura habitat.  Urgent steps should also be taken to undertake studies on the genetics of R. macroura.  It is also suggested that systematic and scientific monitoring of the population of R. macroura be undertaken on a regular basis.

The Grizzled Giant Squirrel (GGS) Ratufa macroura (Pennant, 1769) is a ‘Near Threatened’ and endemic giant squirrel distributed in southern India and Sri Lanka. In India, the species is distributed in more than 10 locations between Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka in the north and Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu in the south. A study was conducted in the riparian habitats of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala to understand the habitat characteristics, including the drey site use of GGS. The vegetation of the GGS habitat was studied using the quadrat method, and the dreys were counted using the transects.  A total of 95 species of trees were identified from the riverine vegetation, and the GGS used 36 species of trees for drey construction. Most of the dreys were found on Mangifera indica, Terminalia arjuna, Ficus microcarpa, Diospyros ebenum, and Pongamia pinnata. However, the GGS may prefer trees such as Mitragyna parviflora, Diospyros ebenum, Ficus microcarpa, Albizia procera, Acacia nilotica, and Acacia leucophloea for drey construction. The study also highlights the usage of large trees with extensive crown by the GGS for various activities such as feeding, resting, moving, and nesting, thus signifying the necessity for protecting the remaining riverine habitat at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary to ensure the long-term conservation of GGS. We recommend an urgent restoration by restocking with already existing, native tree species of the riverine habitat due to the extremely poor regeneration of trees in the riverine habitat that support the only population of the GGS in Kerala.