SPECIALIST GROUP NEWS

NEWSLETTER NO. 15 October 1999 Deer Specialist Group Europe and Near East Chairman: Dr. Chris Wemmer Conservation & Research Center 1500 Remount Road Front Royal, VA 22630 USA

Vice Chairman: Dr. Michael Green The Broads Authority European Knocking On Germany's Door 18 Colegate Norwich NR3 1BQ United Kingdom Klaus Lachenmaier Landesjagdverband Baden-Württemberg REGIONAL COORDINATORS: Kernerstr.9 Europe and Near East: North America: 70182 Stuttgart, Germany Mr. Klaus Lachenmaier Dr. James Peek Landesjagdverband University of Idaho Baden-Wuerttenberg, E.V. Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Kernerstrasse 9 Moscow, Idaho 83843 The European moose has greatly recovered from range losses in middle 7000 Stuttgart 1, Germany FAX: 208-885-9080 FAX: 711-26 84 36 29 and Eastern Europe. Populations in Latvia rose, for example, from an

South America: Mainland Asia: estimated 600 in 1937 to 13,000 in 1990. In Poland, moose had been Lic. Susana Gonzalez Dr. Michael J.B. Green Division Citogenetica-IIBCE The Broads Authority confined to a single area of habitat by the end of the 1940s. During that time, Av. Italia 3318 18 Colegate the last remaining population (about 20 ) inhabited the Biebrza river CP 11600 Montevideo Norwich NR3 1BQ United Kingdom region. From this population, and through the successful release of moose FAX: 598-2-475548 FAX: 44-01-603-610734 in the Kampinos National Park and migration from Belorussia, a population Australia / New Zealand: Insular Southeast Asia: Dr. A.W. English Mr. William Oliver of some 5,000-6,000 individuals has developed in recent years. This Dept. of Veterinary Clinical Studies Fauna & Flora International University of Sydney Great Eastern House population is distributed over a more or less continuous area, covering half Private Mailbag 3 Tenison Road of the country’s territory in the northeast and east. Camden 2570, Australia Cambridge CB1 2DT, UK FAX: 61-46-55-2931 FAX: 44-1223-461481 In the 1970s, the first population in western Poland developed. Moose populations were growing and spreading to other areas, especially to the baltic region in the northwest, and, in small numbers farther south along the INSIDE Polish-German border. In the first half of the 1990s small populations were Europe/ Near East News...... 1 establishedin all four counties along the border with Germany. Insular Asia News...... 4 In Germany, where moose disappeared inside modern borders about Mainland Asia News...... ,...... 5 200 years ago, the migration of single individuals from Poland, the neighbor- Announcements...... 10 South America News...... 11 ing Czech Republic, and even Austria, is known to have occurred several times since 1950. Unfortunately, these animals were either shot or killed by Editorial changes: traffic. Reintroductions of moose in the territory of the former East Germany Kenneth Wachs, B.A., M.E.S. (Candidate) failed in 1934 and 1965. University of Pennsylvania Institute of Environmental Studies Moose is a protected species in Germany, but hunting is permitted in the 3320 Smiths Walk - Room 251 state of Saxony. This was bad for a young, migrating bull, who was sighted Philadelphia, PA 19104-6316 in Saxony in September 1998, and shot in November. The president of Layout: Laura Walker Saxony's hunters organization expressed his regrets, and appealed to Conservation & Research Center hunters in Saxony not to shoot migrating moose. This case proves again 1500 Remount Rd. that migration from neighboring Poland is occurring. Three new national Front Royal, VA 22630 e-mail: [email protected] parks created during the last days of the German Democratic Republic are Some minor changes were made in a few articles. This located in areas where migrating moose might establish territories. Game was done strictly for grammar and comprehension. Please accept our apologies if any errors were made managers in these national parks are prepared to welcome migrating during this process. Also, most of the articles were moose, so there is good hope for a small German moose population in the provided with a bibliography, but for space reasons, they were removed. You may contact the author or future. Laura Walker if you need to see references.

Deer Specialist Group News Page 1 Large Herbivore Toward Western Europe, species and on samples of hair collected in different habitat protection remains an important riparian forests of Amudaria. Initiative For Europe issue (e.g. for the European ). As the only true deer species in the (LHI) Ecological restoration will be the big- arid zone of central Asia, it has always gest challenge. It will involve the reintro- been strictly associated with the ripar- Dr. Fred Baerselman duction of wild living herbivores, carni- ian forests of river valleys. As the most Coordinator LHI vores and the development of natural favorable areas for agriculture in the WWF-International areas. The abandonment of agricultural surrounding desert, these valleys suffer c/o: P.O. Box 7 lands, and the cessation of extensive greatly from anthropogenic influences. NL-3700 AA ZEIST grazing of domestic cattle and horses Being both sedentary and rare, the Tel.: 00 31 30 69 37 324 all over Europe, poses a great threat to number of animals and the distribution Fax.: 00 31 30 69 12 064 the biodiversity which still exists in semi- of bukhara deer reduced greatly in the Home-office tel./fax: 00 31 71 56 15 790 natural systems. On the other hand, it 70s and 80s. Recently, it has come to Email: [email protected] lends great opportunities for ecological be under threat of extinction, as a result Inspired by the success of the Large restoration and the recreation of wilder- of a great decrease in numbers in cer- Carnivore Initiative for Europe (LCIE) as ness in Europe. tain populations, and from the elimina- a cooperative effort of interested parties tion of others. for the benefit of large carnivores, it was There had been about 900 bukhara decided to develop a similar initiative for deer in the FSU by the end of the 80s. large herbivores (Large Herbivore Initia- The main populations of this rare deer at tive or LHI). Just as with LCIE, the role Bukhara Deer Within Its that time were: of WWF in the LHI would be to act as a Broken Area - Problems 1. A natural population in the riparian forests of Tigrovaja balka zapovednik (a catalyst: providing a network to bring For Species Survival partners together, stimulating and sup- strict nature reserve; Tadjikistan), which porting the initiative, but not taking own- fluctuated around 300-400 animals; Olga B. Pereladova and ership of the project as a whole. 2. An artificial population in moun- Antoine J. Sempere tainous zapovednik Ramit (Tadjikistan), Initial funding was provided by WWF- All-Russia Institute of Nature comprised of approximately 150-200 Netherlands, and in February 1998 the Conservation, Moscow, Russia initiative was founded during a Program Moscow bureau CNRS deer; Planning Workshop in Bialowieza, Po- 3. A natural population in the riparian land. Some 50 experts and interested The endangered subspecies of red forests of Vakhsh and Piandj (upper flow parties from more than 15 countries deer – bukhara deer ( elaphus of Amudaria, Tadjikistan) comprised of participated in this workshop. At that bactrianus) IUCN Red Data Book - is approximately 100 deer; time, it was decided to enlarge the unique in several ways, differing mor- 4. A natural population in the Aral- geographical scope of the LHI to include phologically both from other European Pajgambar zapovednik, (upper flow of Central Asia, Siberia and Mongolia due subspecies of red deer, and from the Amudaria; Uzbekistan) comprised of to the importance of these regions for Asian and American subspecies approximately 100 deer; large numbers of herbivores living in (wapitoides). This subspecies pos- 5. A natural population in Kizilkumskii relatively undisturbed ecosystems. sesses specific physiological adapta- zapovednik (middle Amudaria, The most important objectives of the tions to the arid conditions of Central Uzbekistan) comprised of approximately Large Herbivore Initiative are to prevent Asia, most notably to the very limited 150 deer. the disappearance and decline of large supply and quality of food resources. About 40 recommendations were herbivore species, not just for the spe- Our investigations had shown its specific- made for its restoration and possibilities cies themselves, but for the crucial role ity in behavior and communication, which for increasing the deer number up to they play in their ecosystems. In a appeared to be consistent across differ- 4000 or more in Programme for Bukhara complementary fashion, this leads to a ent ecological conditions and densities. Deer Conservation and Restoration (Flint desired objective, where restoration of One of the most vivid examples of this et.al., 1989). the role of herbivores becomes a means specificity is a stable creation of true The situation for bukhara deer in the for ecological restoration on a larger leks, which is characteristic only for this Central Asian region of the FSU has scale. More concretely, this means subspecies of red deer. According to changed significantly within the modern making the protection of threatened spe- the most recent genetic analyses car- political and economical context, and cies and their habitats a priority, espe- ried out by our colleagues from Great has become truly critical within the last cially in Eastern Europe and further to Britain, it is shown – together with Kash- few years. Central Asia. Priority has already been mir and Yarkand deer – to be a mono- A special census was carried out in given to species like the wild , phyletic and ancient clade, close to the 1995 -1997 * and 1998 *** which showed Saiga, Mongolian antelope, common ancestry of elaphoids and the following (see accompanying map): and several species of wild sheep and wapitoides. These tests were conducted goats.

Deer Specialist Group News Page 2 this summer. The only hope is that some deer managed to immigrate to other riparian forests, and will return later. As reported by a group from the Ministry of Forestry of Uzbekistan in October November 1997, there are no deer on Aral-Paigambar Island, and hardly any of the ecosystem itself re- mains (B. Djakin, oral communication).

Turkmenistan Groups of 7 (tugai Borli), 10 (tugai Djigerbent and Karagiir), up to 20 (tugai Gorelde, a part of Amudaria nature re- serve), 5 (tugai Kabakli, a part of Amudaria nature reserve), 5-7 (tugai Nargis), and about 20 (tugai Tcharshanga, southern borders of Turkmenistan) deer were noted in sepa- rate riparian forests in 1996. The group within the Gorelde riparian forest in- creased in 1998, perhaps due to the immigration of some deer from Kisilkumskii nature reserve.

Kazakhstan A single artificial population of bukhara deer in Kazakhstan was created by the translocation of 12 deer from Tadjikistan to Karatchangil (special fenced game area of the President of Kazakhstan; riparian forests on Ili water reserve). This population had increased to 80 animals by 1989. Contrary to the situa- tion in the rest of the states, it continued to develop, and is expected to reach 200 deer (Pavlov, Baidavletov, oral com- munication). So, the total number of bukhara deer Tadjikistan Uzbekistan can be estimated to have been 400-450 Eight deer were noted in Ramit in The main natural population of bukhara by 1997, and 300-350 by the end of 1996, and there are purported to have deer still existed in Kisilkumskii 1998. been around 100 deer in Tigrovaja balka zapovednik until 1997 (about 70 deer In this region, all of the significant in 1996 (Abdusaliamov, Dadabaev - oral according to the census in October – B. natural populations of bukhara deer are information). Estimates in 1998 gave Djakin, oral communication); and there concentrated in riparian forests of the number at not more than 40 animals. is also a restored population in Badai- Amudaria, both on the left and right No information is available concern- Tugai nature reserve – about 80 living in banks. The main problem facing these ing deer either in the rest of the riparian the wild and 16 in captive pens (May populations and local groups of bukhara forests, or in the various mountainous 1995). Additional census during the deer are the regulated floods, which areas, where artificial populations had rutting season in 1998 confirmed the take place regularly in conjunction with been created in the 1970s and 1980s. number of deer in Badai-Tugai, although the artificial regulation of water. The According to the information available, the sex ratio is unfavorable to support level of water rises up to 1.5 meters in there is very little chance that any of population development: about 50 males the forest, and this can continue for these deer groups still exist. from the total amount of 80 animals. several months, as it did in the summer Contrary to that, a maximum of 7-10 of 1998. Such extended floods can – deer remain in Kisilkumskii, the results and did – have tragic results. So, of a very strong over-flood and poaching although there are 7 local areas of for-

Deer Specialist Group News Page 3 ests with a carrying capacity of about creation of a restored population. This At present, no more then 300-350 250 deer in which populations can be population would presumably be restored bukhara deer still exist in the world. If we restored, the necessity and importance within the original historical range in the do not carry out some urgent measures of creating additional populations is ap- riparian forests of the Zeravshan river on behalf of their conservation and res- parent. It is absolutely necessary to valley. toration, there is a serious threat that have sustainable populations of bukhara In the frame of an INTAS grant, there this unique will ultimately be- deer in the other areas – independent of had been an expedition in the winter of come extinct in the wild. that in Amudaria – to insure the safety of 1999, which proved promising for the the species. possibility of bukhara deer restoration in * Expeditions in Uzbekistan were financially Some possibilities for bukhara deer the riparian forests of Syrdaria supported by CNRS, France, on PICS 266; expedition in Turkmenistan by MackArthur restoration** were analyzed in collabo- (Kazakhstan). foundation - personal grant of O.Pereladova ration with the Ministry of Forestry of One way to create additional herds is in March 1995 -August 1996. Uzbekistan. As a first step to this work, to use modern artificial reproduction in collaboration with CNRS (France) and techniques (embryo – transplantation, ** All work on deer translocation from Badai- Tugai to Zeravshan were financially with their support, a pen was built in the etc.) with different forms of park deer as supported by CNRS, France, on PICS 266 Zeravshan nature reserve. A group of donors. We began this work in the with special additional help from the Ministry animals was brought there from the frame of an INTAS grant together with of Foreign Affairs of France through the Badai -Tugai and Kizilkumskii nature the French Museum of Natural History, Embassy of France in Uzbekistan. reserves in 1996-1997. The purpose of and the Centre for Animal Reproduction *** INTAS grant with French and Kazakh this exercise was to have a reserve at the Academy of Sciences of partners, mainly aimed on artificial repro- group of animals in a safe area – away Kazakhstan. duction of BD from Amudaria basin – for the future

Insular Asia

The Fate of the Philippine Several Japanese documents de- Chi-Chi Jima Islet (the biggest islet) and Brown Deer on the Ogasawara scribing the deer are available. Isomura succeeded in establishing a population (1888), probably the oldest description, there, numbering 4 individuals at the Islands, Japan reported that the deer were very com- time of his visit. He also provided mon on the major islets and were con- pictures of a live deer which was tame Shingo Miura Tohoku Research Center trolled actively by capturing because and probably an introduced female. Forest Research Institute the deer caused serious damages to the Gary J. Wiles (Division of Aquatic Morioka, 020-0123, Japan fields. Then, Yamagata (1906) reported and Wildlife Resources, Guam, pers. and that the number of deer had decreased comm.) confirmed that the deer of C. Masato Yoshihara by pest control but few populations still mariannus were introduced from Guam. Ueno Zoo survived on at least two of the islets. He stated that the deer were introduced Tokyo, 110-0007, Japan Momiyama (1929) mentioned that the by the American military in the 1960s deer were reported to have been intro- during the time of mandate. Thus, the The Philippine brown deer (Cervus duced in 1853 by Commodore Perry and Philippine brown deer was not indig- mariannus) has been assigned as a that the populations had become estab- enous to the Ogasawara Islands, but data-deficient species in the IUCN Red lished on the islets. He found, however, two introduced populations of the deer List (IUCN, 1996). In this list, the deer that the populations were extinct at the (one is C. mariannus but another spe- was described to occur not only on the time of his visit, though few individuals cies is not valid) with different origins Philippine Islands but also on the had survived several years before his and times were established. Ogasawara Islands (or the Bonin Is- visit. Kuroda (1930) also confirmed We interviewed old residents of Chi- lands) which consist of over 30 islets extinction of the deer and showed pic- Chi Jima Islet about the fate of the and which are located about 1,000 km tures of the skulls of the deer, which was second population. They told us that south of Tokyo in the Pacific. White- regarded as C. unicolor boninensis the original pair of the deer established head (1933) stated that the deer was classified by Lydekker (1905). Judging a small-sized population, but that the indigenous to the Ogasawara islands. from the description on the size, antler number did not increase. In 1973 only We have been concerned about the fate configuration, and color pattern of pelt, it three individuals were observed. People of this deer since the IUCN list was seems to have been C. mariannus. The tried to capture the deer because they published. Recently, we have confirmed population of this deer with unknown also damaged the fields. One female that no deer survive there at present. origin had been extinct around 1925. was captured and kept in captivity until However, it is clear that the deer inhab- Hasuo (1970) reported that a pair of she died around 1975, one male was ited several of the Ogasawara islands in the deer of C. mariannus was intro- found dead, and the final individual, the past. duced again from Guam after the sec- probably female, had disappeared by ond world war. The pair was released on 1980.

Deer Specialist Group News Page 4 Mainland Asia

Loktak Lake Dying a Before the construction of the Ithai 756 in 1984 to around 559 in 1991 Dam, most of the rivers did not empty census. A census of Swamp deer was Slow Death themselves into the lake, but flowed conducted again, however, in KNP in towards Myanmar. As a result, the bulk April 1998, using the “Direct Visual Sally Walker of the rubbish was avoided. Earlier, fish Count” method. A total of 526 Swamp Zoo Outreach Organization / Conserva- used to eat up the rubbish. However, the deer were recorded, showing an increase tion Breeding Specialist Group, CBSG, India fish population has now come down, of around a hundred swamp deer in Asian Regional Network of International killed by the toxic conditions of the comparison to 1993 census. Zoo Educators water. The Ithai Dam has curbed the In Table-1, the census figure for Sam- Box 1683, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641 movement of fish from the sea into the bar, barking deer and hog deer have 004 India lake. been summarized, which also show Phone: 91 422 563 159 or 561 087 Mr. Muhammad Hessauddin said a declines in population for all three spe- Fax 91 422 563 269 joint Indo-Canadian project has been cies mentioned in the table, between constructed at Ningithou Chong, and the 1984 and 1991 censuses, and also Dear Colleagues: equipment has been brought in to pro- during 1993 census. It may be men- The report below is taken from the vide latrines and urinals to the fisher- tioned here that in 1988 the KNP was Hindu Newspaper, 20 July 1999 and will folk. Mr. Gangumei Kamei said the Ithai badly affected by a high flood, and thou- be of interest to those working with the Dam which retains water at 768.5 meters sands of hog deer were either drowned, Manipur brow-antlered deer. above sea level, is the primary reason for or killed by people, or hit by speeding By our Correspondent: Imphal, July the slow death of the lake. No environ- vehicles (mainly trucks and buses on 19. mental clearance was obtained for the National Highway 37 which passes by Loktak project, the Environment Minis- the edge of the southern boundary of Loktak Lake, with an area of 289 sq. ter said. KNP). As a result of the devastating km. – the biggest natural lake in eastern flood in 1988, the populations of all four and north-east India -- is dying. This is deer species crashed. In the case of Sambar, around 158 Sambar were something on which Ministers, Opposi- Status of Swamp Deer tion and ruling party members in the counted in the 1984 census – prior to the Manipur Assembly unanimously agreed in Kaziranga National flood – while during 1991 census only 55 upon on Friday. The Minister of Irriga- Park Sambars were counted. This indicates tion and Flood Control, Mr. M. a decline of around 65% in the Sambar population. In the case of hog deer, the Nilachandra, the Environment Minister, Bibhab Kumar Talukdar population decline was around 71% dur- Mr. Gangumei Kamei and the Loktak Aaranyak Nature Club Development Authority Minister, Mr. Samanwoy Path (Survey), PO ing the same period. The effects of the Muthammad Hessauddin are of the view Beltola, Guwahati 781 028 flood on Swamp deer reduced the popu- that because of man – made problems Assam, India lation from 756 (counted in 1984) to 635 the lake is dying fast. E-mail: [email protected] (counted in 1991). This shows a decline Mr. N. Mangi, an Opposition CPI of around 16%. The heavy flood of 1988 MLA, said over 2,000 fisher-folk have The Kaziranga National Park of transformed some of the wetlands into made permanent homes on the lake in Assam has been termed as one of the grassland due to heavy silt deposition. floating huts. He said, apart from do- key protected areas for deer conserva- While the population decline of deer mestic trash, the fisher-folk also dump tion, as it harbors four species of deer, since the flood was in the process of human excreta into the lake. including the threatened Swamp Deer recovering, nature’s fury struck again in The Irrigation Minister, Mr. M. (Cervus duvauceli ranjitsinhi). The other 1998, exactly 10 years after the earlier Nilachandra, said the construction of three species are: hog deer (Axis flood. This time, three waves of flooding the Ithai Dam for the generation of power porcinus), barking deer (Muntiacus munt- put the animals of KNP – including deer in the Loktak Hydroelectric Project had jac), and Sambar (Cervus unicolor). – under great strain, and a large number aggravated the problem. Swamp deer population figures in of deer were killed. The official figures on About 30 small rivers in the state are KNP from 1966 to 1993, were docu- casualties of deer in KNP as a result of also dumping all kinds of debris into the mented earlier (Talukdar, 1996), and the 1998 flood are shown in Table-2. Loktak lake. Out of the 289 sq. km of showed a decline in Swamp deer popu- During the flood period, 42 gog deer, the lake, at least 206 sq. km is covered lation since 1991. In fact, this was due 2 Swamp deer, and around 10 Sambars by bio-mass according to scientists, he to the devastating effects of a high flood were rescued. The figures shown here said. in KNP during 1988, which caused a are based on the number of carcasses crash in the deer population from around recovered after the flood. There may

Deer Specialist Group News Page 5 have been more casualties due to drown- high floods, the animals – including deer Sika Deer Project News ing, however, as some of the carcasses – could take shelter. Long-term public might have fallen into the Brahmaputra awareness programs have been initi- Dale R. McCullough river, and it is very difficult to locate or ated by the Aaranyak Nature Club to Professor of Wildlife Biology count animal carcasses in such a big seek the cooperation of the local people ES-ESPM river. The preliminary research done by to give shelter to deer and other animals 151 Hilgard Hall the author after the post flood scenario during times of crisis, especially during Univ. California in KNP sheds a skeptical light on the the flood season. Berkeley CA 94720-31 1 0 future conservation of deer after the Efforts have been initiated to regulate Phone 510-642-8462 flood. Although there is no poaching the traffic on National Highway 37 during Fax 510-643-3490 Web page http:// threat on deer under normal circum- the flood season to ensure safe migra- www.CNR.Berkeley.edu/-mcculla/ stances, the flood remains the major tion of deer and other animals from low- threats to deer in KNP. It is assumed lying KNP areas to the adjoining hilly News About an Ongoing Project that the deer population in KNP has areas. This effort will also reduce the been further affected by the flood of number of animals being killed or injured I am currently involved in a genetics 1998, and a long term deer conservation by speeding vehicles. study of the sika deer in Asia. This and management plan in KNP is needed. However, it is realized that it will take cooperative project involves scientists A proposal has been forwarded to the quite some time for all of the deer spe- in Japan, Taiwan, Russia, China, Viet- State Government to construct more cies to recover from their declining popu- nam, and Great Britain, and DNA labs in high land inside the KNP so that during lations as a result of these floods. Japan, Taiwan, and Scotland. Recently I have visited countries over most of the Table-1 : Census Figure of Sambars, Hog and Barking Deers in KNP. geographic distribution to gather tissue ———————————————————————————————------samples, and to assess the status of Deer/Year 1966 1972 1978 1984 1991 1993 ———————————————————————————————------the species. The sika deer has been Sambar 120 105 215 158 55 34 raised in captivity for antlers for the Barking deer 29 76 95 33 — — Chinese medicine market for many Hog Deer 1311 4551 6855 9872 2811 2048 years, but uncontrolled hunting and habi- ———————————————————————————————------tat loss either has, or is, driving them to extinction in the wild. Table-2 : Deer Killed during 1998 Flood Currently, China has some 600,000 (Source : DFO, Eastern Assam Wildlife Division) in captivity, and less than 600 (and ------declining) in three isolated populations Key : A = Drowning; B = Hit by Vehicle; C = Total in the wild. They are extinct in the wild ------in Vietnam (southern end of the distribu- Animals 1st flood from 2nd flood from 3rd flood from Total tion was originally near Ha Tinh) and 25.6.98 – 3.8.98 13.08.98 - 30.8.98 3Sep-30 Sep98 Taiwan. Both countries have native sika [A] [B] [C] [A] [B] [C] [A] [B] [C] ------deer in captivity, Vietnam about 3,000 in Swamp Deer 03 — 03 — — — 06 — 06 09 various locations, including 2 national Hog Deer 27 17 44 09 04 13 437 12 449 506 parks, and Taiwan about 400 in 2 loca- Sambar 01 — 01 01 — 01 13 — 13 15 tions. They are also extinct in South Korea, and apparently no original stock is in captivity. Their status in North Korea is not known. Substantial wild New Deer Species Found in Northern Myanmar populations still occur in Far East Rus- Excerpted from Discovery News Brief (http://www.discovery.com) by Kate O'Rourke sia (northern end of the distribution is in Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve) and Japan In the remote mountains of northern Myanmar, researchers have discovered a new (in Hokkaido they are causing serious species of deer, measuring just 20 inches at the shoulder and weighing no more than crop damage and car collisions). 25 pounds. The evolution of sika deer is of inter- Alan Rabinowitz of the Wildlife Conservation Society of New York first observed the so- est because it ties into geological gla- called leaf deer on a biological survey in 1997. Local hunters call the creature a leaf deer cial-climatic events and land bridges because hunters can carry it in one large leaf. that have resulted in genetic spatial Through DNA analysis, researchers report in the recent issue of Animal Conservation, the deer can be classified as a new species of , or small Asian deer. In addition, structuring. Sika deer are most closely researchers say that certain physical traits (small single-spiked antler, and the fact that related to the wapiti lineage of the red both males and females have equal-sized canine teeth) make it the most primitive deer deer, and is a more southern, lowland, known today. warmer climate species, and likely evolved when the two species were geo-

Deer Specialist Group News Page 6 graphically isolated during a cold cli- Ecology, Habitat and scale. Later the method of Neu et. al. matic period. More recently, the two (1974) was adopted to identify preferred species have come into secondary con- Resource Utilization of habitats and its variable which governed tact in Far East Russia where they are Hog Deer the habitat utilization pattern of hog thought to not interbreed (a proposition deer. we are testing), which is surprising given Ms. Tanushree Biswas, M.Sc. Candidate The results showed that hog deer that wherever sika deer have been intro- Principal Investigator/Advisors: Dr. V. B selected areas with extensive grass duced to red deer range in Europe (and Mathur and Mr. V. B. Sawarkar cover with structural mosaics of cover both species to New Zealand), hybrid- and mostly early phenophase as op- ization is a common occurance. We are Wildlife Institute of India posed to habitats with low cover values. Post Box # 18 looking at sika deer invasion of the High abundance of hog deer were found Chandrabani Japanese Islands and Taiwan during two Dehra Dun - 248 001, U.P. (India) in areas with higher proportion of Imperata glacial periods that exposed land bridges, Tel: +91-135- 640112 to 640115 cylindrica. They were found to prefer one about 1 00,000 years ago and a Fax : +91-135-640117 natural grasslands and avoid savanna second about 10,000 years ago. Sika E-mail:[email protected] (Dr. Mathur), grassland and plantation areas. These deer reached these islands during both [email protected] (Mr. Sawarkar) plantation areas are raised for the man- periods. agement of the mega-herbivore rhino Conservation issues abound. First, it Abstract: Habitat Utilization by Hog (Rhinoceros unicornis) which occurs in is important to establish the original Deer (Axis porcinus) in Relation to sympatry with hog deer at Jaldapara. Other Sympatric Species at Jaldapara genetic structuring of sika deer because Fire or burning of grasslands in combi- Wildlife Sanctury, West Bengal, India they are extinct in the wild in some (M.Sc. Dissertation) nation with rain seemed to influence the countries, and declining in others. Deer overall selection of habitat by hog deer. in captivity are purposely being inter- Project Duration: 6 months (Nov 1998 – Cutting of thatch by local people also bred to achieve greater antler productiv- April 1999) influenced the habitat use by hog deer. ity through hybridization. Soon, captive Areas preferred by hog deer were found stocks will be hopelessly mixed. Re- This study on habitat utilization by to have high level of disturbance in terms covery programs depend on maintaining hog deer (Axis porcinus) in relation to of cutting, burning and cattle grazing origins of stocks, and management to other sympatric species ( and rhino) thus showing the stress on their habitat. retain genetic diversity within these popu- was carried out from December 1998 to Most of the areas avoided by hog deer lations, many of which are very small. April 1999 in Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctu- were found to be highly degraded with Simple prudence requires that we as- ary, West Bengal. The spatial and high weed density and woodland en- sume that local stocks are uniquely seasonal differences in habitat utiliza- croachment. Among different sympat- adapted to their environments, and that tion of grasslands by hog deer, chital, ric species interaction with chital (Axis out breeding should be avoided in stocks and rhino were investigated. The study axis) and rhino seemed to be very low, to be used for recovery programs. These was restricted to various types of grass- as the areas preferred by hog deer were measures must be taken now to enable lands existing within the sanctuary, avoided by them. Most surprisingly, recovery programs in the future when which were broadly stratified into five rhino – an obligate species of grassland economic development allows. For ex- major types: pure grassland (natural), – were found to avoid natural grassland ample, sika deer went to extinction in pure grassland (plantation), savanna and prefer plantation areas. Thus apart Taiwan when it was a poor country, but grassland (natural), savanna grassland from the effect of these sympatric spe- since economic development a recovery (plantation) and riverine grassland. cies directly, habitat use by hog deer program has been in progress. Different habitats were traversed on seemed to have been more influenced riding elephants on selected paths to by the management steps taken to collect data on animal abundance/hr provide protection to rhino. based on sightings in different habitat types. A total of nine transects were laid in different habitats to quantify availabil- Ecology and Resource Utilization of Hog Deer (Axis porcinus) in Relation to ity of habitat parameters and their selec- Other Sympatric Species Under tion. Both direct and indirect methods Various Stochastic Processes at a were used to compare habitat use by Landscape Level hog deer and other sympatric species. Dung abundance was quantified using Project Duration: 5 years ( 2000 - 2005) belt transects, at each 100m interval on the transects. Data on availability of Summary – Hog deer is a specialist different habitat variables was quantified and obligate species of grasslands on according to Riney (1982) in 2 x 2 m. the Indo-gangetic plains. Currently, quadrats by using Braun and Brauqet these grasslands are under various

Deer Specialist Group News Page 7 threats like fire, cutting, flooding and be collected from the incidences of fire, cut grass and the biomass of cut grass woodland encroachment, putting the cutting, weed invasion and woodland will all be used as indices to quantify survival of this species under a threat. succession, cover height and forage disturbance. Information on fire prone This study is designed to generate infor- condition. The information on hog deer areas will be quantified by collecting mation for devising better management abundance, habitat conditions and ex- data on dry grass and distance to water; and conservation strategies for hog deer tent of threat to the species in each area flood prone zones will be quantified by in India, where little information is avail- will be ranked to generate a matrix collecting data from loose sand bed and able regarding the status and ecology of identifying the potential habitats at a forest cover along the river; grazing and the species. This project will be carried landscape level. Subsequently, infor- cutting areas will be quantified from out for a period of 5 years in two phases. mation on present range of distribution, areas dominated with thatch, dung den- In the first phase a status survey of hog sightings and abundance will be used to sity, cattle abundance and distance to deer (Axis porcinus) will be carried out evaluate the status of hog deer in India. nearest village. During this project, field along its past range of distribution from Phase II – In this phase the ecology experiments will be undertaken to test Punjab to the north-east. This phase of hog deer will be studied in either of the whether grass cutting and fires can be will be completed within 18 months of sites mentioned above with special used as tools to manage hog deer and the initiation of the project. The next emphasis on its interaction with other grasslands. To quantify habitat degra- phase will include detailed research on sympatric species. This study will also dation, incidences of fire, weed density, the ecological aspects of the species at investigate how various disturbance fac- woodland encroachment by recruitment either Dudhwa National Park (Uttar tors like grass cutting by local people, class, seedling density and sapling den- Pradesh) or Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctu- cattle grazing and fires influence the sity will be used. Data on all these ary (West Bengal). The study sites may ecology of the species. Information aspects together will be used to develop be changed on the basis of the status from all the above aspects will be used Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) models survey done during the first phase. The to generate Habitat Suitability Index for hog deer. The HSI model will be second phase of the project will be (HSI) models for hog deer to help design integrated with the spatial database in completed within 42 months of the initia- better management strategies for the the GIS domain. Separate spatial lay- tion of this phase. Thus, the specific species. Prior to the initiation of the field ers will be created for each variable. objectives of this study are: work, image processing will be done by These layers will then be overlaid, and To assess the present distribution using GIS, remote sensing and Survey analyzed to further develop the HSI range of hog deer (Axis porcinus) and its of India toposheets to broadly identify models. status in India. different habitats in the study area. At the end of this phase the project To study the habitat ecology of hog Subsequenty, a spatial database of the will provide information about: deer and its relation with other sympat- vegetation and habitat types in the study The present status and range of hog ric species. areas will be generated. deer To generate Habitat Suitability Index For monitoring the home range, move- The habitat requirements and ecol- (HIS) models for hog deer under various ment pattern, habitat ecology and activ- ogy of hog deer anthropogenic and stochastic forces for ity pattern of hog deer radio telemetry How and to what extent hog deer may planning better conservation and man- will be used. Information on social be competing with other sympatric spe- agement strategies for the species. organisation and grouping patterns will cies Phase I – The main objective of this be collected from direct sightings of hog Whether various sources of distur- phase of the project is to determine the deer. Whenever an individual is sighted, bances can be used as management present range of hog deer (Axis porcinus) data regarding its sex, age, group size, tools for the hog deer and grasslands of and evaluate its status in India. In this activity, habitat type and distance to the terai region. phase of the project a survey of hog deer water will be collected. To study the will be done all along its past range and population dynamics Capture-Mark- potential habitats from Punjab to Assam. Resighting (CMR) method will we used Data on its present distribution will first in combination with line transects run be compiled from various secondary from elephant back to estimate the den- sources, and then cross-checked by sity. To compare habitat use with other actual field visits to those areas. Data sympatric species, direct sighting and on its present distribution will be col- indirect methods will be used. Pellet lected from both direct and indirect meth- group counts and density will be used ods, and then mapped with the help of as an indicator of the presence of the GIS and GPS technologies. Data will species in each habitat type. Road also be collected on habitat conditions transects will also be used to supple- and threats to the species in terms of ment further information. Cattle dung poaching from primary and secondary density, sightings in each habitat type, sources. Data on habitat conditions will numbers of people entering the park to

Deer Specialist Group News Page 8 STATUS OF SWAMP (fig.1). The largest population inhabits on. At one place, local people showed the west bank of the Ganga barrage, in me a patch where 10 hectare of prime DEER IN HASTINAPUR Muzaffarnagar district, and extends from swamp land had been converted into WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, village Deval to Sukkar Tal (DSS) cover- arable farmland merely within the last UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA ing an area of about 70 kM2 and it is four months. Considering the rate at probably the largest swamp area within which these swamps are converted for Afifullah Khan the Sanctuary limits. According to a cultivation, it seems that in the coming Conservation Ecology Research Group, conservative estimate the population of few years existing swamps will com- Centre of Wildlife & Ornithology, Aligarh swamp deer in this area is about 300 pletely disappear and the population of Muslim University, Aligarh. India. 202 002. individuals. The population may be swamp deer may also become locally more since certain areas which were extinct. The swamp deer or Barasingha inaccessible due to the water inunda- The extraction of grass from the sanc- (Cervus duvaucell), with four distinct tion were not visited. Another area falls tuary has been banned, but the practice subspecies, once inhabited swampy under Meerut district and is along the is still going on for commercial pur- areas in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Central Gangetic Canal near Pir Nagar- poses. Grass cutting by the villagers for Thailand. It is now extinct in Pakistan Pratap Nagar village (PPS). It is about domestic use may not affect the habitat and Thailand. The remaining popula- 25-30 km2 in area and supports a popu- in a serious way but large scale extrac- tions surviving in India and Nepal are lation of about 50 individuals. The third tion by the contractors is a matter of highly threatened. Considering the hunt- area (JS) near Garh Mukteshwar, falls concern. For instance, the area along ing records of the century and studies under Ghaziabad district and is about the Ganga barrage which supports the conducted by a w conservationists, it is 10 kM2 in area. It supports a population largest population of swamp deer within clear that both the distribution range and of 30-40 individuals. Apart from these, the sanctuary is under the control of the the number of swamp deer have de- small populations of less than 10 indi- Irrigation Department, though it is a part clined considerably. viduals are found at a few more places of the sanctuary. The grasses are The major factors responsible for the where considerable swampy area exist. auctioned every year by the U.P. Irriga- decline of swamp deer in India are the For instance, few individuals still survive tion Department. Hundreds of people loss of habitat and poaching. The com- in Naowala Forest Block at the eastern are employed by the contractors for mon belief among wildlife conservation- bank of the Ganga in Moradabad dis- grass harvesting. This practice not only ists is that the last stronghold of C. d. trict. creates human disturbance for the duvauceli in Uttar Pradesh is Dudhwa swamp deer but also enhances the National Park and its adjoining Kishanpur Conservation and management chances of poachers coming in. Other and Katerniaghat wildlife sanctuaries. problems areas which are under the control of the However, there are areas along the Ganga One of the major problems of the Forest Department are also frequented that support good populations of swamp Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary is that by organized gangs of commercial grass deer but are badly neglected by wildlife most of the land belongs to individual cutters. For instance, several carts managers. One such area is the cultivators or government agencies other hired by unauthorized contractors were Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary where than the U.P. Forest Department. Ac- observed carrying grassloads from the swamp deer exist but little is known cording to a rough estimate, of the total sanctuary near Garh Mukteshwar. about this population. The survey con- sanctuary area only about 15% of the One severe problem which needs ducted by me during June 1995 in land belongs to the Forest Department, immediate attention is the electrocution Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary’was about 50% is agricultural land, and the of wild animals by farmers. To guard mainly aimed at investigating the sta- remaining 35% belongs to agencies like their crops from the wild animals, the tus, distribution, and conservation prob- U.P. Land and Revenue Department, farmers put live electric wires around lems of C. d. duvauceli. U.P. Irrigation Department, and others. their crop fields. This is not only a cost- Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary encom- Thus, the U.P. Forest Department has effective way of dealing with the depre- passes an area of 2073 al KM2 on both virtually no control over a large area dation problem but also fetches some banks of the Ganga river in five districts which in turn poses a problem of demar- money by selling the meat of electro- of Uttar Pradesh, namely Muzaffarnagar, cating the management units and imple- cuted animals in the local market. The Bijnor, Meerut, Ghaziabad, and menting the protection laws effectively. problem of erecting live wires is severe Moradabad. The swamp deer is distrib- Another major problem the swamp between Garh Mukteshwar and uted throughout the swampy areas of deer face is habitat loss and degrada- Hastinapur. It is however not so serious the sanctuary. The population, how- tion. For example, a large and continu- a problem along the Ganga barrage ever, is highly fragmented due to the ous swamp between Hastinapur and where a viable population of swamp deer interspersion of cultivated areas envel- Garh Mukteshwar (distance 45 km) along exist. During the survey it was reported oping the swamps. During the survey I the west bank of the Ganga is today that as many as eight swamp deer were identified three areas which support a severely fragmented and where conver- electrocuted few months ago in a single considerable number of swamp deer sion of swamps for cultivation is going night near Garhmukteshwar alone. It is

Deer Specialist Group News Page 9 Announcements not only the swamp deer, but other species such as hog deer and , Population Survey Techniques Workshop for which also fall victim to electrocution. A South American Deer few human casualties have also oc- curred around the Garh Mukteshwar A workshop on population survey techniques is being held from November 1st to area. During crop season night move- the 15th, on the Nhumirim and Rio Negro ranches in the region of . The ments are almost impossible even for purpose is to train South American field biologists in the survey and census the local villagers due to the electric techniques that will help implement the first phases of the DSG Action Plan. The wires. There is a total lack of coordina- instructors for the course will be: Dr. William McShea (Smithsonian Institution, tion between forest officials and the USA), Dr. Susana Gonzalez (DSG Latin America Coordinator, Montevideo, Uru- State Electricity Department officials. guay), Walfrido Moraes Tomas (EMBRAPA - Recursos Geneticos) and Dr. Guilerme Since these wires are erected on per- Mirando Mourao (EMBRAPA - Pantanal). The coordinator and primary contact for sonal land around the crop fields, forest the course is Mr. Tomas. He can be reached at (061) 348-4646 or officials face difficulty in dealing with [email protected] such cases legally. There seems to be no action from the officials of the Elec- New Book: Ecology and Management of the North tricity Department to punish those who illegally put live wires on the ground, America Moose endangering not only wildlife but also the human public. A new book is available entitled Ecology and Management of the North America Once perennial, now the swamps, Moose (Smithsonaian Institution Press, 1998). The hardbound book is 733 pages, get dry during the summer as the water including an extensive index and references. For more information about this is drained to the crops by the farmers. publication, please contact the Smithsonian Institution Press directly. Their This in turn provides an opportunity to address is: P.O. Box 960, Herndon, VA 20172-0960. The telephone numbers are: the grazier to set fires for an early flush (800) 782-4612 or (703) 661-1599. The fax number is: (703) 661-1501. of new shoots during the summer. Ac- cording to one estimate, every year Sika Deer Monograph about 10% of the existing swamp areas get burnt. Repeated fires can change Dale McCullough obtained a small grant from the Safari Club International to the ecology of these grasslands as it translate into English – and to publish in both Russian and English – a monograph encourages the establishment of fire about the status and biology of the sika deer in Far East Russia. The reference is resistant species. The fires completely L. Makovkin, 1998, The Sika Deer of Lazovsky Reserve and Surrounding Areas of destroy the populations of micro fauna, the Russian Far East. It is a 126 page hard cover book. A couple of copies of the insects, and other ground dwelling ver- Russian version are available now, and the English translation is complete and tebrates thus reducing the biodiversity should be available by next summer. People wanting to obtain a copy should send of the grasslands. The mortality of large a self-addressed mailing label and a check or money order for US$5.00 to cover such as swamp deer or hog shipping and handling (sorry, no purchase orders, credit cards, or foreign currency) deer also cannot be ruled out. Following to Dale R. McCullough, ES-ESPM, 151 Hilgard Hall, Univ. California, Berkeley,CA the fires, visibility in the area is greatly 94720-31 1 0. enhanced and a new flush of grasses attracts animals for grazing which in turn becomes an easy target for poach- ers. The presence of a viable population of swamp deer and the nature and extent of conservation problems in Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary calls for more man- agement input, without which the sur- vival of the swamp deer will be in jeop- ardy.

Deer Specialist Group News Page 10 South America

Pampas Deer Survey in Demographic and ducted at least once in each season for both populations. Paraná State, Brazil Genetic Dynamics of The data recorded during one year of Deer survey is illustrated in Fig. 1 and 2. In Biól. Fernanda Braga the case of El Tapado, counts were Departamento de Flora e Fauna (DFF/ Populations in Uruguay conducted only in the 1000 ha “La DIBAP) Invernada” enclosure, for one season. In Instituto Ambiental do Paraná (IAP) Susana González, Mariana Cosse and, Rua Eng. Rebouças 1276 Alejandra Pacheco this population we detected a decline Curitiba/Paraná/Brazil División Citogenética-IIBCE trend since winter (June) for the males e-mail: bragafg_netpar.com.br Av. Italia 3318 and juveniles. Also we have recorded Montevideo 11600 male and female dispersal in the El ’s original distribution Uruguay Tapado population, but for a complete was between 5o and 41o S, in open areas survey we consider it necessary to put such as natural grasslands, pampas Conservation of endangered species radio collars on some individuals. and . In fact, it is considered an in Uruguay is a challenge because it is Total counts recorded in 1998 and endangered species primarily due to the necessary to deal with the lack of pro- February 1999 in “La Invernada” enclo- loss of natural habitat and poaching. tected areas status. In spite of the fact sure from El Tapado differentiated by In the past few decades, natural Bra- that pampas deer has been declared a sex and age. zilian grasslands and cerrado have been “Natural Monument”, the declaration does The counts at Los Ajos were re- transformed by human activity. In Paraná nothing to take care of habitat protec- corded in five enclosures of approxi- State (southern Brazil) these areas are tion. There are two wild populations of mately 1800 ha used by the pampas converted to large crops, to cattle, and pampas deer, both located on private deer. In Los Ajos’ case, it is difficult to to other agricultural crops, especially cattle ranches. To establish a conser- establish a trend because the observed soy beans. vation program for them, it is necessary variation is related to the differential use The main objective of this project has to integrate the landowners’ in- been identifying, in a period of one year, terests with the management the occurrences of residual pampas goals.

deer populations in this state, and cor- The population located in the Mal es north of the country, in El 70 relating them with the vegetation cover. Females To develop a species conservation Tapado, is in the department of 60 Juveniles program, it is necessary to know the Salto between 31º 48’ 55” S; 50 areas in which the animals occur, and 56º 33’ 30” W to 31º 44’ 65”S; 40 the population situation. This work is 56º 45’ 20” W. This population 30 the first step to obtaining basic knowl- is distributed among several 20 edge about the pampas deer’s actual private ranches. 10 situation in Paraná State. The other population is lo- 0 The initial information gathered in this cated in the eastern part of the 3-98 6-98 11-98 2-99 Fig. 1

study will be useful in designing guide- country, in the department of Total counts recorded in 1998 and February 1999 in "La Invernada" enclosure lines to develop a conservation manage- Rocha (33º50’01”S; 54º 01’ from El Tapado differentiated by sex and age. ment program for species conservation 34”W) also on private ranch in southern Brazil. land. 45 With the purpose of obtain- Mal es ing information to create guide- 40 Females lines for a conservation program 35 in Uruguay, a comparative de- 30 Juveniles mographic and genetic study is 25 being developed for the two iso- 20 lated pampas deer populations 15 that remain in the country. 10 5 Demographic data 0 11-97 1-98 4-98 5-98 7-98 1-99 Fig. 2 To obtain the demographic data, car censuses were con- Total counts recorded from November 1997 to January 1999 in Los Ajos differentiated by sex and age.

Deer Specialist Group News Page 11 of the enclosures by the deer. In this toric population sizes. Pampas deer diet consider it a grazer, due to the large ranch, agropecuarial activity: cattle load populations are significantly differenti- amount of grass it consumes (Bodmer, and the rice crops influence the differen- ated with respect to control region se- 1990; Putman, 1988). tial use of the land by the deer. quences. This study aims to determine the diet By the end of the second year, we and feeding behaviour of the pampas Habitat use hope to obtain the demographic popula- deer in an area of Brazilian cerrado, Besides the number of pampas deer tion trends, as well as to characterize comparing the proportion of different in each enclosure, we also recorded the the main plant species in the pampas items consumed to their availability in number of individuals of other species, deer’s diet. With this information we the environment. The goal is to examine like Rhea americana and cattle. More- would establish guidelines with the land- whether the diet of the Brazilian pampas over we are also recorded the vegetation owners for the management and conser- deer supports the assertion that this type and crops. vation of the pampas deer in private species is a grazer. A study to determine the diet is being lands. This study was conducted in Emas carried out on the Los Ajos population. National Park (ENP), the largest federal Plant species are being collected on a This study is being funded by Comisión conservation unit in the Cerrado biome seasonal basis, and used to create a Sectorial de Investigación Científica (CSIC) (131,868 ha) situated in the west of the de la Universidad de la República del micro-histological reference collection o Uruguay and PEDECIBA. We want to thank Goiás state, central Brazil (18 15' 50'’ and herbarium. Four transects were Dr. Horacio Cardoso for critical discussion S; 52o 53' 33'’ W). The Cerrado is established, and sample plots from each of this study, Mr. Clemente Olivera for savanna-like vegetation, covering ap- are being extracted to analyze the per- driving to the field sites and the landowners proximately 1.5 million km2 in the Cen- centage of each plant species’ cover. Mr. Carlos Arrarte, Mr. José Pedro Castro and Mr. Guillermo Constantín. tral Brazilian Plateau. This comprises a Feces are being collected to be ana- mosaic of distinct physiognomies rang- lyzed for microhistological diet determi- ing from open grasslands to dense nation, as well as other analyses related xeromorphic savanna, dry forests and to the use of habitat resources. Feeding Behavior of the gallery forests. All Cerrado physiogno- By the second year of this study, Pampas Deer: A Grazer mic vegetation types are represented in these data analyses will provide infor- ENP, but open grasslands and grass- mation about the habitat use, and also or a Browser? land with scattered trees correspond to correlations with the demographic 60% of the park area (Redford, 1987). 1 trends. Flàvio Henrique Guimaräes Rodrigues To estimate food availability, we col- and Emygdio Leite De Araujo Monteiro- lected monthly vegetation samples, in Filho2 Genetic data randomly selected parcels and In order to deduce genetic units for 1 Departamento de Zoologia, transects. From each parcel we quan- conservation (Moritz 1995) and to better tify the new leaves, buds and young understand the effect of habitat frag- Universidade Estadual de Campinas- UNICAMP, plants of three categories of plants: mentation on gene flow and genetic Cx. P. 6109, CEP 13.083-970, grass, herbs and shrubs; from the variation, we conducted a molecular Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil. transects we quantify the flowers. We genetic study of the Pampas deer based E-mail: [email protected] observed feeding pampas deer to deter- on samples from throughout their geo- 2 mine the food preferences. For each graphic range (González et al., 1998). Departamento de Zoologia, record of consumption (ingestion) we Universidade Federal do Paraná-UFPR, To determine levels of genetic differen- noted the type (herb, grass or shrub) tiation among isolated populations, we Cx.P. 19020, CEP 81.531-970, Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil. and the part of the plant eaten (leaf, examined DNA sequence from the mito- flower, fruit). chondrial control region of 54 individuals The genus Ozotocerus is considered Grass was the most abundant cat- from six localities (Emas, Pantanal, El the lesser known of the South America egory in the availability sampling, fol- Tapado, Los Ajos, San Luis and Bahía deer (Redford, 1987). The pampas deer’s lowed by herbs and shrubs. Flowers Samborombóm). The control region is a (Ozotoceros bezoarticus, L. 1758) diet were responsible for a small proportion hypervariable, non-coding segment of was studied in the Argentine pampas of the total available throughout the study the mitochondrial genome that is often (Jackson and Giulietti, 1988; Merino, period. On the other hand, herbs were used in studies of genetic population 1993), but no studies were conducted in the main category eaten, followed by structure (Avise 1992). These data Brazil. The pampas deer feeds mainly flowers, shrubs (including palms) and represent the first molecular systematic on grass, but eats also dicotiledonean grass. Despite the variety of items study of Pampas deer, and although herbs (Jackson and Giulietti, 1988; Me- eaten, deer mostly fed on the soft, juicy sample sizes are limited, our results rino 1993). Despite the fact that pam- and apparently most digestible parts of suggest that mitochondrial control re- pas deer are selectors, ingesting mainly a plant, such new leaves, buds and gion sequence variability in this species buds and new leaves (Jackson and flowers. is remarkably high, reflecting large his- Giulietti, 1988), studies about ungulate

Deer Specialist Group News Page 12 The pampas deer prefer flowers and supported by WWF Brazil and the New population. The proportions for the marsh new dicotiledonean leaves and avoid York Wildlife Conservation Society. In deer were much less extreme and only grass leaves (c2= 27195.93; df = 3; p< this area of 329,000 ha, composed 90% showed a proportion of 2.3 females for 0.005). Flowers, which correspond to of cerrado habitats, and 10% of transi- each male in 1991. one third of the items ingested but rep- tion-zone of the Amazonian biome, live The percentage of juvenile Pampas resent less than 0.5% of the food re- four species of deer: , Pam- deer of less than 18 months old was sources biomass available, are more pas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus), red 67% and 54% in 1991 and 1992, while available between September and Feb- (Mazama americana) and that of the Marsh deer was 50% in 1992. ruary (Rodrigues, 1996), but even in gray brocket deer (Mazama This indicates an increased reproduc- periods of low availability are intensively gouazoubira). All species are hunted tion in those years, a consequence of consumed. Although grass was the by the Xavante Indians. During the last the extreme hunting pressure in the item most consumed by pampas deer in decades the hunting intensity was ex- near past. (Jackson and Giulietti, 1988; tremely high and local populations were The impact of hunting on the deer Merino, 1993), it was rarely eaten at close to extinction, especially Marsh populations was explained to all hunt- Emas in spite of its high availability. The and Pampas deer. ers. Nevertheless, they did not accept pampas deer in ENP present a behavior During a three-year study period, a western limits to diminish hunting, such characteristic of browsers in the grazer- mean of 25 individuals of marsh deer as the hunting period, selective hunting browser continuum proposed by Bodmer were harvested per year and almost 50 on one of the sexes or a hunting ban for (1990), primarily eating herbs and Pampas deer; the yearly kill of the red certain species. Culturally, these limi- searching for the most nutritious parts and gray brocket was respectively 6 and tations would not fit into their customs. to ingest. 4 individuals. Due to the size of the area Finally the hunters indicated three large and the extreme shy behavior of the refuges, one known as a favorite habitat Acknowledgments: deer, no estimation of the population for Marsh deer and one other with large We thank Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e Recursos Naturais Renovaveis - was feasible. General direct counting is open and half-open habitats favorite for IBAMA, for the authorization to conduct re- counter-productive for indigenous hunt- Pampas deer. search in ENP and for their support. We give ers. According to the Indians, the hunt- The indication of the refuges by the thanks to the World Wildlife Fund - WWF/ ing success was declining. As census Indians themselves, combined with their Brazil and to Fundação O Boticário de Proteção à Natureza - FBPN for the financial support of data would be complicated and biased, old traditional knowledge on these spe- the project. other parameters were sought to deter- cies, increases the chances for serious mine the status of the vulnerable spe- management for the threatened deer cies, such as age-structure, sex-ratio species without the need for fiscalization Differentiated and the proportion of juveniles in the by governmental agencies. Management of Wildlife: hunting bag. This study shows that, with relatively Although there is absolutely no se- simple data on hunted populations, one Indians and Deer lective hunting, either for Pampas or is able to detect problems with certain Marsh deer, the age structure for both populations, and the local Indians are F. J. Leeuwenberg species was not normally distributed. able to indicate the best reproduction Senior Researcher The population lacked the oldest age areas for the species in terms of their Project Wildlife Management and classes, indicating a diminishing flux of refuges. Biological explanation shown Implantation sub-adults to the reproductive age from the view of the community and WWF - Brazil groups. This imbalance in the age incorporating traditional and secret in- Conservation of deer populations in structure was explained to the Indians in ternal knowledge, can be the guarantee indigenous reservations should not be a simplified manner, and compared with that a management plan will be im- underestimated for dealing with hunted a stress period suffered by the Indians planted and respected by the indig- populations. In Brazil the land area of around 20 - 30 years ago. Conse- enous Indian populations. indigenous reserves is three times the quently, the problem came to be well size of federal Conservation Units. Many understood by the indigenous commu- Indians, however, have lost size in their nity. territory, or suffered degradation or de- The sex-ratio – especially for Pam- forestation of their natural hunting pas deer – was extreme in 1991, going grounds. to 1:4.7 in the clearly over-hunted area Since the early 1990s, a diagnosis on close to the village. Also in 1993 Pam- the sustainability of game management pas deer had 2.2 females to one male. was done in the indigenous Xavante For the most part, the hunting zones in reserve Rio das Mortes, in the state of 1993 were the same as those of 1991, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The analysis was suggesting that the hunting ban for 18 months had improved the Pampas deer

Deer Specialist Group News Page 13 Gray Brocket Deer Population and Habitat Project Corzuelas (Mazama gouazoubira) Viability Analysis of (Brocket deer) (Mazama in the Brasilian Taruka, spp) Savanne antisensis, in the South- Enrique Richard and Juan Pablo Juliá ern of LaCEVeN (Field Laboratory for the study of F. Leeuwenberg, I. Cabral, de Oliveira and Neotropical Vertebrates) S. Lara Resende Mail box 454 Wildlife Management and Implantation Javier Barrio 4000–Tucumán, Argentina WWF - Brazil Dept. of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation 303 Newins-Ziegler Hall E-mail: [email protected] and University of Florida [email protected] A study of Gray Brocket deer (Mazama Gainesville, FL 32611-0430 gouazoubira) between 1989 and 1990 in Since 1991, the PROJECT the Ecological Reserva of IBGE in the This study analyzes the probabilities of sur- CORZUELAS has been running in the Cerrado of central Brazil, showed that vival for a population of tarukas Hippocamelus Horco Molle Experimental Reservation this species is abundant in all habitat antisensis) in the Aymara-Lupaca Reserved (Universidad Nacional de Tucumán). The types in the Brazilian savanna, and Zone (ALRZ), located in the southern Andes of general objective of the project is the study some alternate habitats. This species Peru. Data gathered in the field and the com- of the natural history of Mazama spp, its seems to be a generalist in their se- puter-based simulation program Vortex were management possibilities, and uses. Up used to evaluate taruka’s survival probabilities. to now, the results have been shown in 12 lected habitat, more so than the two A total of 900km2 of the northern part of the publications where we developed, in dif- other deer species which occur in this ALRZ were evaluated. The altitudinal range of ferent degrees, the following topics: In M. region, the Pampas deer (Ozotoceros the taruka groups (and tracks) was from 4,000 gouazoubira: Diet in Premontane Forest bezoarticus) and the deer to 4,850 meters above sea level. The habitat and chaco forest (trophic spectrum, (Mazama americana). (L. Resende & was analyzed using multivariate statistical tech- frugivory, seasonal variations, foraging F. Leeuwenberg, 1992). niques with 2062 vegetation plots to help deter- behaviour); evaluation of the regional hunt- Between September and December mine different habitat types. Taruka seemed to ing activity and human use; predation; 1990 an adult female deer was radio- favor areas with rocky outcrops and higher vigilance, agonistic, territorial, outlet and amount of forbs. Seven of the eight habitat tagged. Monthly home ranges varied social behavior; interspecific relations; re- types included vegetation plots that were lo- production and breeding care; activity between 28.4 – 41.9 hectares, a total of cated in both areas used and not used by 96.9 hectares during 4 months. 24 hour rhythms and habitat use. Recently an evalu- taruka. These results might indicate that taruka ation of the status of M. americana has triangulation showed that the major ac- was not using the entire available habitat, and been started in the Northwest of Argentina. tivities occur from 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM, that it might be displaced by livestock. The project trains personel with grade and and from 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM Tarukas were found to be separated into post - graduate courses (more than 80 (N=88).(Cabral, 1991). The daily range five units that included from 6 to 25 individuals 2 assistant to the present). It also trains varied between 0.3 km2 and 0.1 km2. and were using a total of 63.8km . Movements investigators in an internships program. between these units could be seasonal, thus, (Cabral, 1991; L. Resende & F. Finally the Project Corzuelas carried out unperceived during this dry-season study. A educational campaigns that include an Leeuwenberg, 1992). All habitat types total of 63 taruka individuals were identified as were utilized, with some preference in adults, juveniles, and fawns using direct obser- average of 24.000 peoples a year. the late dry season for areas with an- vation and identification of tracks. The average thropogenic influence, and always close group size of taruka in this study (3.8 “ 0.57 to the gallery forest. Cabral (1991) individuals; range: 1 to 11) was lower than in New Project in Ibera distinguished the habitat use by one studies in nearby areas (6.4 “ 0.36 and 6.8 “ 1.58 individual as follows; 59% cerrado, 30% individuals). The explanation might be due to Wetlands abandoned small farms, 7% marshy larger human and livestock populations. The fawn/female ratio between June and Novem- grasslands, and 4% gallery forest. By ber (0.31) was similar to other taruka studies on Marcelo D. Beccaceci the observation of fawns (N=5) during 30 similar dates. Baedo 90 - Florida (1602) months, it was possible to suggest that The population viability analysis showed Buenos Aires, Argentina the main reproduction period occurs that this taruka population exhibited high sensi- during the late wet season, January to tivity to changes in first-year mortality, immigra- A major study on the Ibera marshlands May (L. Resende & F. Leeuwenberg, tion, and fragmentation of the population. Taruka in northern Argentina is underway with the 1992). population size and survival probabilities, how- participation of several European and Latin The study also suggests that the ever, did not exhibit sensitivity to changes in the American universities. The studies relate Gray Brocket deer is the least threat- carrying capacity of the area or to changes in to the investigation of climate, flora and environmental variation. fauna of this peculiar ecosystem, the sec- ened deer species in Brazil, as this Although the results of this study are open ond largest wetland of South America. species adapts easily to anthropogenic to alternative interpretation, the conservation Since the Ibera marshlands are the strong- influences, and is hardly hunted by and management of taruka in the Aymara- hold of the marsh deer in Argentina, a long Indians or local inhabitants. The density Lupaca Reserved Zone should be oriented term investigation is being carried out by varied between 0.67 and 0.81 individuals towards the findings of the viability analysis. Dr. Marcelo D. Beccaceci, a member of the Population and habitat viability analysis ap- per 100 ha. (F. Leeuwenberg & L. IUCN-Veterinary Specialist Group. Resende, 1994). pears to be a cost-effective tool in identifying the factors that affect the survival of vulnerable species.

Deer Specialist Group News Page 14