The mismatch between conservation science and real-world conservation is well known. Few of us, however, would advocate conservation done in the absence of sound ecological science. I explore this paradox in the context of the Old World tropics, drawing primarily on my research in Indonesian Borneo. First, I consider the spatial distribution of research effort across African and Asian protected areas and discuss why it limits the practical relevance of much ecological work. I then discuss why, despite their limitations, long-term ecological studies are vitally important for effective conservation in the tropics. Empirical examples focus on life-history, habitat selection, and source-sink population dynamics in endangered Asian apes.