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Bornean felids in and around the Imbak Canyon Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia
Article · January 2013
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CATnewsN° 58 | SPRING 2013
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CATnews 58 Spring 2013 02
CATnews is the newsletter of the Cat Specialist Group, Editors: Christine & Urs Breitenmoser a component of the Species Survival Commission SSC of the Co-chairs IUCN/SSC International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is pub- Cat Specialist Group lished twice a year, and is available to members and the Friends of KORA, Thunstrasse 31, 3074 Muri, the Cat Group. Switzerland Tel ++41(31) 951 90 20 For joining the Friends of the Cat Group please contact Fax ++41(31) 951 90 40 Christine Breitenmoser at [email protected]
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CATnews 58 Spring 2013 short communication
HENRY BERNARD1*, JEDEDIAH BRODIE2, ANTHONY J. GIORDANO3,4, ABDUL HAMID AHMAD1 statutory body of the Sabah state govern- AND WAIDI SINUN5 ment that manages the area for conservati- on, research, training, education, and nature Bornean felids in and around recreation. Imbak Canyon is a crescent-shaped, elonga- the Imbak Canyon Conserva- ted valley approximately 750 m deep, 3 km wide and 30 km long. The floor of the canyon tion Area, Sabah, Malaysia lies about 250 m above sea level with the rim generally occuring at 1,000 m and the We photo-captured three of the five species of Bornean felids in and around the highest point at Mount Kuli (ca. 1,600 m). Imbak Canyon Conservation Area in central Sabah, Malaysian Borneo - the Sunda The forest type in the Imbak area is mostly clouded leopard Neofelis diardi, marbled cat Pardofelis marmorata and leopard primary lowland mixed dipterocarp rainfo- cat Prionailurus bengalensis. The Sunda clouded leopard was the most frequently rest and upper montane forest, including photographed felid (11 photos), followed by marbled cat and leopard cat (2 photos patches of montane heath or “Kerangas” each). The Sunda clouded leopard and marbled cat are classified as Vulnerable on forest. The forests surrounding the Imbak the IUCN/SSC Red List of Threatened Species, whereas the leopard cat is a species canyon have been disturbed mainly through of Least Concern (IUCN 2012). All three species were detected within primary and selective logging, but also from the develop- logged forest habitats. These findings may indicate that, in addition to primary for- ment of human settlements and large-scale ests, regenerating secondary forests are important to felids conservation. agriculture. We deployed 80 automatic motion-trigge- As part of a general wildlife survey conduc- The approximately 300 km2 ICCA was gazet- red digital camera traps of three commercial ted from July-September 2012, we recorded ted as a Class I (Protection) Forest Reserve brand names (Bushnell Trophy CamTM - 30 the diversity, composition and distribution of by the Sabah state government in 2009, a units, Reconyx RM45 - 30 units, and Cudde- mammals in Imbak Canyon using camera- declaration legally protecting it from logging back Capture -20 units) in both the primary trapping techniques. The survey, which was activities (Latif & Sinun 2012). Located in forest of Imbak Canyon and the logged fo- intended to gather information to support central Sabah (5°01’35.9”N/117°02’41.8”E), rests surrounding the canyon (Fig. 1). Came- the development of a biodiversity conser- Malaysian Borneo (Fig. 1), Imbak Canyon, ras were affixed to tree trunks close to the 44 vation management plan, was carried out together with Danum Valley Conservation ground (< 0.4 m) and were installed in areas in the primary and logged forest habitats in Area (438 km2) and Maliau Basin Conserva- commonly frequented by animals such as and around the Imbak Canyon Conservation tion Area (588 km2), represents a significant along game trails, human-made paths along Area (ICCA). Here we report our preliminary portion of the remaining primary tropical slopes and ridge-tops in closed-canopy fo- findings regarding the occurrence of Borne- rainforest in Sabah. The ICCA is administerd rest, old logging roads, near stream beds an felids in the region. by Yayasan Sabah (or Sabah Foundation), a and mud wallows, and under fruiting trees. Camera trap locations ranged between 123 m- 623 m above sea level, and the average distance between nearest traps was 819 m (Range: 134 - 3,047 m). All cameras were active 24hrs/ day and used either infra- red or white flash at night. Cameras were programmed to take 1-3 pictures at every trigger depending on camera model with a minimum interval of 60 seconds between successive triggers. No bait or lures were used near cameras during the survey. To maximize temporal independence of capture events, multiple photos of the same species recorded at the same camera trap unit < 1 hour apart were treated as only one record. Based on an overall camera-trapping effort of 1,436 camera trap-nights (individual ca- Fig. 1. Imbak Canyon Con- mera days in the field ranged from 10 to 62 servation Area (ICCA), in days), we obtained a total of 1,641 digital central Sabah, Malaysian photographs of mammal species, 564 or Borneo showing the dis- 34% of which were independent events. Of tribution of three species this number, we recorded three of the five of Bornean felids and loca- species of Bornean felids in a total of 15 tions of camera traps in and photographs (Supporting Online Material around the ICCA. SOM Table 1): the Sunda clouded leopard,
CATnews 58 Spring 2013 Bornean felids in Imbak Canyon Conservation Area marbled cat and leopard cat (Fig. 2-4). All part (n = 2) outside the canyon (see Fig. 1). photographs of felids were of single indivi- Although combined these represent too few duals. No evidence of the Bornean endemic detections to make meaningful inferences, bay cat Catapuma badia or flat-headed cat this pattern isn’t contrary to observations Prionailurus planiceps was recorded during made by Davies & Payne (1982) that felids this survey. Both of these species have been in Sabah are generally patchily distributed photo-captured only occasionally in Sabah in both primary and logged forest. As have (Yasuda et al. 2007, Mohamed et al. 2009, been shown elsewhere in Sabah and other Ross et al. 2010, Bernard et al. 2012) and el- parts of Borneo (Gordon & Stewart 2007, sewhere in Borneo (Azlan & Sanderson 2007, Mohamed et al. 2009, Bernard et al. 2012), Cheyne at al. 2009, Brodie & Giordano 2012) both forest types may therefore be valuable suggesting that they might be rare (bay cat) to cat conservation efforts in the Imbak Ca- or they are confined to certain habitat types nyon area. (flat-headed cat). We have provided some general information Altogether the Sunda clouded leopard oc- on three of five Bornean felids in the ICCA, curred in 11 independent photographs, inclu- all of which are cryptic and two of which, ding eight from primary forest in the central the ‘Vulnerable’ Sunda clouded leopard and part of Imbak canyon, and three from logged marbled cat, are of conservation concern. forest sites outside the canyon. Variation in The primary forest habitat of the ICCA has Fig. 2. Sunda clouded leopard. pelage patterns indicates that these photos already been gazetted as fully protected. are likely of five different individuals. Three However as shown in the present study, the of these individuals were recorded by came- areas surrounding the ICCA, despite having ra-traps placed within a radius of 3.5 km in been subjected to logging, could also be the primary forest on the southern slopes of important habitats for wild felids. We hope Imbak Canyon, suggesting that their home that by highlighting the importance of log- ranges at least partially overlapped. The ged forests surrounding the Imbak Canyon sexes of the clouded leopards could not for these cat species, such areas will also be identified with certainty due to the poor merit consideration by appropriate authori- 45 quality of the photographs obtained. Marb- ties to be afforded some level of protection- led cat and leopard cat were each photogra- such as a declared buffer zone - in order to phed only twice: once each in primary forest provide an added measure of protection to inside the canyon, and once each in logged the ICCA. forest sites outside the canyon. All camera-traps in logged forest that recorded Acknowledgements felids were located along abandoned logging The wildlife survey in and around the Imbak Ca- roads. Canopy cover was either open or spar- nyon Conservation Area was organized by the se along these roads, where the only existing Sabah Wildlife Department and Yayasan Sabah vegetation included tall grasses, small trees, and participated by > 100 personnel from nine Fig. 3. Marbled cat. and shrubs (Fig. 2). Despite the open nature of other institutions from Sabah and Sarawak: this habitat along logging roads, this did not Sabah Parks, Sabah Museum, WWF-Malaysia, appear to act as an ecological barrier to cat Sabah Biodiversity Centre, Borneo Conservation movements in the Imbak area. In fact, a Sun- Trust, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Univer- da clouded leopard was photographed lying siti Malaysia Sarawak and Sarawak Forestry on the ground in the middle of a logging road Corporation. Major funding for the wildlife sur- at 18:47, presumably resting. vey was provided by PETRONAS, with additio- While our goal was to sufficiently sample nal funding from UMS. HB was partially funded both the canyon interior and the surround- by Pro Natura Foundation Japan 2012, to take ing logged forest areas, it is interesting to part in the wildlife survey. Arney Sapaat provi- note that while felids were detected in both ded assistance with the preparation of the felid primary and logged forest sites, they were distribution map. We thank two anonymous re- recorded at relatively few localities. To- viewers who gave valuable comments on earlier gether, the Sunda clouded leopard, marbled drafts of this report. cat and leopard cat were detected in three general areas: (1) the primary forest in the References southern slopes (n = 10 photographs) inside Azlan M.J. & Sanderson J. 2007. Geographic the Imbak Canyon; (2) logged forest in the distribution and conservation status of the northern part (n = 3) outside of the canyon; bay cat Catopuma badia, a Bornean endemic. and (3) logged forest in the middle-western Oryx 41, 394-397. Fig. 4. Leopard cat.
CATnews 58 Spring 2013 short communication
Bernard H., Baking E. L., Matsubayashi H. & Latif A. & Sinun W. (Eds). 2012. Imbak Canyon 1 Institute for Tropical Biology & Conservation, Ahmad A.H. 2012. Records of Bornean felids Conservation Area, Sabah: Geology, Biodi- Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 in and around Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, versity and Socio-economic Environment. Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Malaysia. Cat News 56, 4-7. Academy of Sciences Malaysia and Yayasan *
pre-emptive action by the Forest Department Captured from Lucknow out- authorities, for the welfare of people as well as the animal. 46 skirts, Rehmankhera tiger Accordingly, the tiger was captured by the Forest Department assisted by Wildlife Trust completes a year in the wild of India (WTI)’s UP Carnivore Conservation Project team. The Project is now supported The Rehmankhera tiger captured from the outskirts of Lucknow last April after hav- by Aircel Limited. ing kept conservationists and locals on tenterhooks for several months, has now The adult male tiger was released in pre- successfully spent a year in the wild in Dudhwa landscape. selected area of South Sonaripur Range, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR). It was fitted The tiger had lived nearly three months in a tacked people, but had lifted cattle although with a satellite-VHF collar for post-release small patch of forest in Rehmankhera amidst it also regularly took on wild prey. Possibi- monitoring. populated settlements. The feline had not at- lities of chance encounters had compelled “Our biologist Krishnendu Basak had monito- red the tiger after its release. The animal had moved a large area in the first fifteen days post-release. Then, just when we thought he was settling down, on the 31st day he again started moving and finally settled on the Sa- thiyana grassland area preferring it as a more viable resource area,” said Dr Anil Kumar Singh, Regional Head (UP), WTI. WTI had earlier similarly captured, and re- leased a tiger in Manas in 2010; this tiger was recently sighted after more than 1000 days in the wild. Dr Ashraf NVK, Chief Vete- rinarian of WTI commented, “The Dudhwa ti- ger and Manas tiger translocation successes go on to show that we still have habitat to accommodate such individuals, and that not all tigers sighted in human settlements are ‘conflict’ tigers.”
The most recent image of the tiger caught in Belrayan (Photo WTI). Wildlife Trust of India, 29. April 2013
CATnews 58 Spring 2013 Bernard et al. 2013. Bornean felids in and around the Imbak Canyon Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia. Cat News 58, 44-46.
Supporting Online Material Table 1. Details of the Bornean felids photo-captured in and around the Imbak Canyon Conservation Area in central Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Date Elevation Species Habitat dd/mm/yy Time GPS coordinate (meter asl)
Neofelis diardi Primary forest 03/09/2012 20h43 N 05o 02.070’ E 117o 02.511’ 489 Primary forest 23/07/2012 07h54 N 05o 00.657’ E 117o 03.100’ 605 Primary forest 25/07/2012 06h19 N 05o 01.126’ E 117o 03.070’ 504 Primary forest 02/08/2012 02h17 N 05o 01.126’ E 117o 03.070’ 504 Primary forest 12/08/2012 21h18 N 05o 01.126’ E 117o 03.070’ 504 Primary forest 28/08/2012 01h19 N 05o 01.126’ E 117o 03.070’ 504 Primary forest 01/08/2012 01h47 N 05o 01.011’ E 117o 02.161’ 559 Primary forest 23/07/2012 05h48 N 05o 01.011’ E 117o 02.161’ 559 Logged forest 18/07/2012 23h35 N 05o 11.088’ E 116o 57.715’ 210 Logged forest 12/07/2012 22h21 N 05o 03.433’ E 116o 56.768’ 152 Logged forest 13/07/2012 18h47 N 05o 03.458’ E 116o 57.557’ 152 Pardofelis marmorata Primary forest 13/08/2012 06h20 N 05o 02.070’ E 117o 02.511’ 489 Logged forest 15/07/2012 05h52 N 05o 11.850’ E 116o 57.720’ 159 Prionailurus bengalensis Primary forest 24/08/2012 01h06 N 05o 01.011’ E117o 02.161’ 559 Logged forest 14/07/2012 01h38 - 179
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