Birds and Mammals of the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia
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ORYX VOL 30 NO 3 JULY 1996 Birds and mammals of the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia Timothy G. O'Brien and Margaret F. Kinnaird Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in south-west Sumatra is one of the largest protected areas in Sumatra and thus of considerable importance to the conservation of biodiversity in Indonesia. Until recently, little was known of the wildlife in the park. The authors' surveys document the presence of an intact community of the birds and mammals known to occur in lowland Sumatran rain forests. While hunting and collection of forest products threaten a number of plant and animal species in the park,'the primary threat to the park's integrity is from agricultural encroachment and expansion of enclaves beyond their boundaries. The future survival ofBukit Barisan National Park and its ivildlife requires that active measures be taken to curb non-sustainable exploitation of plants and wildlife. It will also be necessary to resolve land-use conflicts with communities in, and adjacent to, the park. Introduction ence of Sumatran rhinoceros*, Asian elephant, tiger, clouded leopard, Malayan sun bear, Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP) serow and Indian wild dog (FAO, 1981). is the third largest protected area (3568 sq km) Surveys for Sumatran rhinoceros in 1990 in a on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Located small area of the southern peninsula indicated in the extreme south-west of Sumatra (104°E, 13-18 animals (AsRSG, 1995). If accurate, 50'S), the park spans two provinces, Lampung BBSNP may contain a substantial number of and Bengkulu, extending from the southern the estimated 200-300 Sumatran rhinos be- tip at Tanjung Cina to more than 120 km north lieved to remain in Indonesia. MacKinnon and along the Barisan Mountain Range (Figure 1). Phillips (1993) reported that 121 bird species The BBSNP contains some of the largest intact have been recorded in BBSNP, but suggest tracts of lowland rain forest remaining in that the low figure is due to a lack of surveys Sumatra and serves as the primary watershed in the area. The primary objectives of this sur- for south-west Sumatra (FAO, 1981). Most of vey were to develop baseline data on the pres- the Park (82 per cent) lies in Lampung ence and diversity of birds and mammals in Province, the most densely populated, poorest protected lowland forest habitats of BBSNP. province of Sumatra, and one undergoing the most rapid forest conversion (Whitten et al., 1987). The park's long, thin shape results in c. Methods 700 km of boundaries, and encroachment by illegal logging and cultivation are recurrent We conducted surveys in BBSNP between 7 problems. and 24 March 1995, at the end of the rainy Despite its large size and importance, season. We surveyed areas on foot between BBSNP has not been surveyed systematically Tampang and Tanjung Belimbing (25 km), T. for mammals or birds; however, it is believed Belimbing to the Paya River (20 km), T. to be an important refuge for a major portion of Sumatra's mammal and bird fauna * Scientific names of animals mentioned in the text (FAO, 1981). Early reports indicate the pres- are given in Table 1, and Appendices 1 and 2. © 1996 FFI, Oryx, 30 (3), 207-217 207 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.76, on 26 Sep 2021 at 09:36:09, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605300021657 T. G. O'BRIEN AND M. F. KINNAIRD Bukit Barisan Selatan N.P. IN t Indian Ocean Way Haru V Paya R. \ Pemakahan ] Figure 1. Map of Bukit Barisan T. Belimbing Selatan showing villages, rivers and survey routes referred to in text. Belimbing to T. Cina (32 km), Way Heni to Results Way Haru (40 km), and forests north of Rata Agung (15 km) (Figure 1). Surveys were con- We verified the presence of 22 medium-sized ducted along established forest trails or ele- to large mammals in areas surveyed (Table 1). phant trails, and normally followed rivers or Eleven mammals were recorded at most sur- traversed areas between rivers. At each site, vey sites and the remaining 11 species were we recorded birds and mammals seen as well recorded at one or two survey sites. An addi- as indirect evidence (tracks, faeces, rooting). tional 33 species have been reported from ad- Indirect evidence is often the only indication jacent forests and agroforestry lands (Sibuea that secretive forest mammals are present and Herdimansyah, 1993; Appendix 1) (Schemnitz, 1980; Rabinowitz, 1993). We also interviewed forest guards, hunters and collec- tors of forest products for information on Sumatran rhinoceros tiger, clouded leopard, elephant and Sumatran We encountered recent rhino signs at three lo- rhinoceros. Finally, we surveyed literature for cations along the survey transects. In the examples of faunal inventories in the region vicinity of the Blambangan River we found that might not have wide circulation. footprints of at least two individuals, as well as scrapes and wallows. This area is a mosaic of open marshy areas, swamp forest and low- 208 >1996 FFI, Oryx, 30 (3), 207-217 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.76, on 26 Sep 2021 at 09:36:09, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605300021657 BIRDS AND MAMMALS OF THE BUKIT BARISAN SELATAN NATIONAL PARK, INDONESIA land forest on low ridges. Another set of prints was found at Tanjung Belimbing, adja- Cats cent to a proposed hunting concession on the We found no tracks of tigers or clouded leop- park's eastern border. At the Paya River we ards during our survey. On two transects we found one set of prints that were less than 24 found tracks of small, unidentified forest cats. hours old; our guide said prints in three size There are periodic reports of tigers killing classes are normally found in this area. No dogs and goats in the Belimbing and Way signs of rhino were found north of Paya River, Heni areas, and tracks of tiger and clouded although rhino tracks were found in damar leopard have been reported in damar gardens Shorea javanica gardens near Krui in 1993 near Krui on the edge of the park. (Sibuea and Herdimansyah, 1993). Interviewees in Rata Agung said there had been no reports of rhino in the area for many years. Primates Siamang were abundant in all areas surveyed and family groups ranged from three to seven Asian elephant individuals. Less common were dark-handed Fresh elephant signs were encountered on gibbons, which we encountered only in the every trail and elephants were seen and heard Paya River, Canguk River and Rata Agung on several occasions. More elephant signs areas. Lack of gibbons in the southern penin- were encountered in the southern peninsula. sula may reflect their need for continuous Prints and faeces of young animals were seen canopy forest. Small groups of banded langurs on three surveys. Evidence was usually of and silvered langurs were present in every site lone individuals or groups of two or three ani- surveyed. Long-tailed macaques were most mals. Based on interviews, we estimate ap- common in the southern peninsula. Pig-tailed proximately 100-150 elephants in the park. macaques and the western tarsier were not Table 1. Mammal species Method of identified in Bukit Barisan Common name Scientific name identification Selatan National Park Flying fox Pteropus vampyrus Photographs Long-tailed macaque Macaca fascicularis Visual/vocalization Silvered langur Presbytis cristata Visual/vocalization Banded langur Presbytis melalophus Visual/vocalization Dark-handed gibbon Hylobates agilis Visual/vocalization Siamang Hylobates syndactylus Visual/vocalization Malayan sun bear Helarctos malavanus Visual/tree damage Hairy-nosed otter Lutra sumatrana Visual/tracks Tiger Panthera tigris Local report Clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa Local report Unidentified small cat Felis sp. Tracks Asian elephant Ekphas maximus Visual / faeces / tracks Malayan tapir Tapirus indicus Tracks Sumatran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis Tracks Wild pig Sus scrofa Visual /tracks Lesser mouse deer Tragulus javanicus Visual/tracks Red muntjac Muntiacus muntjak Tracks Sambar deer Cervus unicolor Tracks/vocalization Domestic water buffalo Bubalus bubalis Visual/faeces/tracks Malayan giant squirrel Ratufa bicolor Visual/vocalization Plantain squirrel Callosciurus notatus Visual Common porcupine Hystris brachura Quills © 1996 FFI, Oryx, 30 (3), 207-217 209 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.76, on 26 Sep 2021 at 09:36:09, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605300021657 T. G. O'BRIEN AND M. F. KINNAIRD observed or heard, but both species have been sity at all sites surveyed. Notably lacking from reported in BBSNP and southern Sumatra this list are nocturnal birds and montane (Payne et al., 1985; Whitten et a\., 1987). species, which probably occur in the park. Other mammals Human activity in the park Tracks of sambar deer, red muntjac (barking Because of BBSNP's long border, patrolling is deer) and mouse deer were found regularly difficult and access to the park is relatively on all surveys, and deer were observed on easy. Along the boundary near Tampang we several occasions. In the north deer are hunted encountered pit-sawing activity and most of regularly but in the south no one admitted to the large dipterocarp trees were gone. Rattan hunting, possibly because we travelled with was conspicuously absent at all sites surveyed park guards. Wild pig Sus scrofa tracks and and we encountered collectors of rattan and signs of rooting were also abundant at all gaharu (fragrant resin from heartwood of sites.