Considered as a hotspot for biodiversity in the Mediterranean Basin, Lebanon is currently witnessing anarchic urbanization and unprecedented destruction of its natural habitats. Unregulated urbanization is also compounded by the surge in Lebanon’s population due to the unabated influx of Syrian refugees since 2012. This work aims to define Important Plant Areas (IPAs) with exceptional botanical richness. These IPAs should constitute the priority zones for conservation, contributing to the fulfillment of national targets in the framework of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

Conflict with elephants and subsequent economic losses negatively affect residents’ tolerance towards wild elephants. It is important to understand people’s attitude towards wildlife, especially Asian Elephants with an endangered status. A questionnaire survey was undertaken with 510 forest fringe residents of Nilambur North and South Forest Divisions, Kerala, to understand residents’ attitudes towards elephant conservation and Human-Elephant conflict.

India’s only extant red deer species, the Kashmir red deer, or hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu) is restricted today to the confines of the 141 sq. km Dachigam National Park (NP) in Jammu and Kashmir, with about 200 surviving individuals. A continual population decline of hangul has necessitated the identification of relict populations and suitable habitats outside Dachigam NP, so that a meta-population approach to its conservation may be employed.