Preliminary observations on the Sumatran rhino in Way Kambas National Park, Indonesia

Reilly, Joanne; Spedding, Guy Hills; Apriawan,

doi:10.1017/s0030605300022031

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…The relatively low knowledge scores for many of the animals also reflect the secretive nature of many mammals, the difficulty of observing wildlife in the dense secondary vegetation, and the relative abundance of these animals in the Park. Even among researchers and Park managers, rhinos were thought to be extinct within the Park until recently (Reilly et al 1997). Many of the animals are rare or do not occur on Java and Bali (Whitten et al 1996), the islands of origin for many of the respondents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildlife knowledge among migrants in southern Sumatra, Indonesia: implications for conservation

Nyhus

Tilson

2003

Envir. Conserv.

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SUMMARYThe value of traditional ecological knowledge for biodiversity research and conservation is widely recognized. The value of wildlife knowledge provided by recent migrants is less clear. Photographs of 10 mammal species were shown to 622 individuals in communities near Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia, to assess wildlife knowledge among recent migrants and to identify socio-economic variables that can be used to identify more knowledgeable informants. Knowledge scores were categorized by taxonomic family, genus and species. Large, charismatic and abundant animals were identified more frequently than smaller and more secretive animals. Higher knowledge scores were significantly associated with males, higher educational attainment and past experience with these animals. Number of years respondents had lived in the area and respondent age were also good predictors of higher scores. The characteristics of animals that were likely to be identified more accurately were assessed. Generic terms used to describe animals can confound individual responses. Biodiversity research, conservation and education programmes frequently rely on 'local' knowledge to inform management and policy. This information can be a valuable addition to field-based efforts to identify the distribution and abundance of rare endangered species. With more and more migrants living near the world's wildlife protected areas, care must be taken to understand how human demographic shifts may affect such studies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildlife knowledge among migrants in southern Sumatra, Indonesia: implications for conservation

Nyhus

Tilson

2003

Envir. Conserv.

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“…Assessing elephant age through direct observation requires a great deal of skill and encountering elephants directly is often hampered by their elusive nature and the dense habitats they occupy. Footprints can be used to determine elephant age but indirect measurements are subject to terrain, substrate, incline and other environmental factors (Van Strien, 1985;Senanayake & Kusumawardhani, 1986;Reilly, Hills-Spedding & Apriawan, 1997) and direct measurements limited to use on captive or immobilized animals (Lee & Moss, 1995). Measuring tusk dimensions requires close access to elephants and hence is only suitable for determining the age of captive or dead individuals (Hanks, 1972;Sukumar et al, 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth in the Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) and age estimation based on dung diameter

Reilly

2002

Journal of Zoology

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The aim of this study was to investigate age-related growth in the Sumatran elephant Elephas maximus sumatranus and to use the derived relationship to determine the age structure of the wild elephant population in Way Kambas National Park (WKNP), Sumatra. Shoulder height, forefoot circumference and diameter of dung bolus were found to be related to age of captive Sumatran elephants using the Von Bertalanffy growth function. All length measurements were highly correlated with age in the Sumatran elephant and provide growth models for determining the age structure of wild populations. Female captive elephants reached their growth plateau earlier than male elephants who continued growing throughout the ages observed. There was no clear evidence of a secondary growth spurt in male elephants. The growth model relating dung diameter to age was used to predict the age structure of the wild elephant population in WKNP from dung measured along random line transects. The wild elephant population in WKNP is young and dominated by sub-adults (between 5 and 15 years of age). There are marked differences between the age structure of the population as revealed in the current survey and that reported from previous studies, suggesting that changes have occurred within the population in the intervening period. The use of dung diameter to predict age offers a robust ®eld technique for use in situations where direct observations are limited, and the use of other age estimation methods is impractical. It is easily coupled with dung counts for estimating the size, age structure and biomass of elephant populations, and has considerable potential for investigating the effects of poaching on age structure and identifying where priority action should be directed in human±elephant con¯ict situations.

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“…Unlike the other two national parks, this 1,293-km 2 park is dominated by swamp forest, along with secondary lowland forest that resulted from intensive logging in the 1960s and 1970s. Following logging in the area, rhinos were believed to be locally extinct [ 7 ], but in the 1990s they were ‘rediscovered’ [ 59 ]. The park is located in southeast Sumatra and is bordered on the east by the sea, while its remaining borders are in direct contact with the surrounding settlements [ 59 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Following logging in the area, rhinos were believed to be locally extinct [ 7 ], but in the 1990s they were ‘rediscovered’ [ 59 ]. The park is located in southeast Sumatra and is bordered on the east by the sea, while its remaining borders are in direct contact with the surrounding settlements [ 59 ]. It encloses the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS), a semi-captive breeding facility for the Sumatran Rhinoceros.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rhinos in the Parks: An Island-Wide Survey of the Last Wild Population of the Sumatran Rhinoceros

et al. 2015

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In the 200 years since the Sumatran rhinoceros was first scientifically described (Fisher 1814), the range of the species has contracted from a broad region in Southeast Asia to three areas on the island of Sumatra and one in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Assessing population and spatial distribution of this very rare species is challenging because of their elusiveness and very low population number. Using an occupancy model with spatial dependency, we assessed the fraction of the total landscape occupied by Sumatran rhinos over a 30,345-km2 survey area and the effects of covariates in the areas where they are known to occur. In the Leuser Landscape (surveyed in 2007), the model averaging result of conditional occupancy estimate was or 2,371.47 km2, and the model averaging result of replicated level detection probability ; in Way Kambas National Park—2008: or 634.18 km2, and ; and in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park—2010: or 819.67 km2, and . In the Leuser Landscape, rhino occurrence was positively associated with primary dry land forest and rivers, and negatively associated with the presence of a road. In Way Kambas, occurrence was negatively associated with the presence of a road. In Bukit Barisan Selatan, occurrence was negatively associated with presence of primary dryland forest and rivers. Using the probabilities of site occupancy, we developed spatially explicit maps that can be used to outline intensive protection zones for in-situ conservation efforts, and provide a detailed assessment of conserving Sumatran rhinos in the wild. We summarize our core recommendation in four points: consolidate small population, strong protection, determine the percentage of breeding females, and recognize the cost of doing nothing. To reduce the probability of poaching, here we present only the randomized location of site level occupancy in our result while retaining the overall estimation of occupancy for a given area.

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Preliminary observations on the Sumatran rhino in Way Kambas National Park, Indonesia

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Wildlife knowledge among migrants in southern Sumatra, Indonesia: implications for conservation

Wildlife knowledge among migrants in southern Sumatra, Indonesia: implications for conservation

Growth in the Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) and age estimation based on dung diameter

Rhinos in the Parks: An Island-Wide Survey of the Last Wild Population of the Sumatran Rhinoceros

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