REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (RAP), BANGKOK January-March 2009 FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Regional Quarterly Bulletin on Wildlife and National Parks Management Vol. XXXVI : No. 1 Featuring Vol. XXIII: No. 1 Contents Situation of large reptiles in Ayeyarwady Delta after the cyclone hit..................................................................…1 Translocation of rhino in Assam.......................................... 7 Feeding pattern and den ecology of Striped hyena................ 13 Mammalian diversity and management plan for Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary...........................................................18 Status of the Long-tailed goral in Thailand........................... 23 Reptilian diversity in and around the Marine National Park and Marine Sanctuary, Gujarat......................................... 26 Order Testudines: first recorded instance in Sikkim............ 31 REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC TIGERPAPER is a quarterly news bulletin dedicated to the exchange of information World’s forestry leaders meet in Rome................................ 1 relating to wildlife and national parks Meeting of the Bureaux of the Regional Forestry management for the Commissions..................................................................... 2 Asia-Pacific Region. ISSN 1014 - 2789 Glimpses of developments in Asia-Pacific forestry.............… 2 Addressing fire management needs and actions in Southeast Asia............................................................................... 4 Address Bioenergy on the agenda of FAO Regional Conference.......... 5 Promoting wood-based bioenergy in Asia-Pacific.................. 6 TIGERPAPER Bohol town is Philippines’ first ANR municipality.................. 7 FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific National forest monitoring and assessments (NFMAs): Maliwan Mansion, Phra Atit Road meeting evolving needs.................................................... 8 Bangkok, 10200, Thailand Poplars, willows and people’s wellbeing............................... 9 Tel: (662) 697-4000 E-mail: [email protected] RAP forestry staff movement.............................................. 11 Website: http://www.fao.org/world/ Alfred John Leslie (5 February 1921 - 24 January 2009)........ 12 regional/rap/tigerpaper/tigerpaper.htm Vietnam sees REDD........................................................... 13 Asia-Pacific Forestry Chips and Clips................................. 15 Editor: Janice Naewboonnien FAO Asia-Pacific Forestry Calendar………………............... 16 Advisors: M. Kashio and P. Durst TIGERPAPER is dependent upon your free and voluntary The opinions expressed by the contributions in the form of articles, news items, and announcements in contributing authors are not the field of wildlife and nature conservation in the region. In order to necessarily those of FAO. The better serve the needs of our readers please write to us and send in the designations employed and the information you have or let us know if there is any information that you presentation of the material in the need. We appreciate receiving your letters and make all efforts to TIGERPAPER do not imply the respond. expression of any opinion on the part of FAO concerning the legal or Front cover: An adult Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) constitutional status of any country, taking a sunbath at a muddy bank. The tip of the upper jaw was territority or sea area, or the chipped off in a territorial fight. (Photo: Shingo Onishi) delimitation of frontiers. Vol. 36: No. 1 Junuary-March 2009 | Situation of large reptiles in the Ayeyarwady Delta after the cyclone hit Ayeyarwady in the reptiles Situation of large An adult female Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) returned to the sea without laying eggs. (Photo: Onishi) | SITUATION OF LARGE REPTILES IN THE AYEYARWADY DELTA AFTER THE CYCLONE HIT by Shingo Onishi Cyclone Nargis cook, bathe and wash in the natural water from rivers, ponds, wells and rain. Especially, rain water he devastating cyclone Nargis struck the south- is quite hygienic. Moreover, heavy rain could wash Tern part of Myanmar early in May 2008. The away the water polluted with dead bodies and animal delta area of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River was carcasses. devastated. Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, was also struck. However, Yangon citizens took When the author visited Myanmar in July 2008, it action to rescue victims soon after the storm ended. was still very difficult to get the permission to visit Many relief supplies were donated and voluntary the stricken area, but governmental organizations, groups delivered them to victims as far and wide as many NGOs and various local groups were possible. energetically trying to support the victims and even foreign visitors were welcome to join any relief Some foreign reporters reported that it would be works in Yangon. very unlucky and terrible as the rainy season would come soon and the people would have to use rain It was in January 2009 when the author was finally water. However the local villagers regularly drink, able to visit the Ayeyarwady delta area. The area 11 Vol. 36: No. 1 Junuary-March 2009 |Situation of large reptiles in the Ayeyarwady Delta after cyclone hit| was being rebuilt beyond imagination. The main crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) as it is the top roads were almost repaired and routes of buses predator of the food chain and thus, the symbol and passenger boats were reopened. Markets and of the ecosystem there. stores were full of foods and daily necessities. Large straw mounds were piled up here and there Many trees were felled, bent and broken by the in paddy fields and rice mills were running. Many cyclone. The forestry officer assigned to this fishing boats were operating. sanctuary estimates that 70% of the tree crowns on the island were lost. In addition, a tremendous However, the disaster was real and these people amount of debris drifted ashore from the upper are definitely survivors. Many of them lost family reaches of the river and piled up on the island, as members, houses and properties, but they had to it is located nearby the mouth of the river. The continue their livelihoods and restart their new lives. Forest Department started to remove the debris Revival activities should not be stopped yet and it and open channels inside the island. For the most is urgent to prepare for the coming cyclone season. part they did not remove dead and damaged trees or carry out any afforestation. And in fact, many Saltwater crocodiles trees are surviving and budding now and natural There is an area in the Ayeyarwady delta where regeneration looks smooth. the aim is to conserve the mangrove ecosystem. This is the Meinmahla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary Regarding the situation of the crocodiles, it seemed (136.70 km2), located in Bogalay Township, that they were not so badly affected by the cyclone. Ayeyarwady Division. “Kyun” means “island” in The author observed five larger crocodiles between Burmese. This flat island is one of the large banks about two and five meters in length (visual of the Ayeyarwady delta and is covered with measurement) along the channels for six days. And mangrove vegetation. The Forest Department many juveniles could be observed at night. They makes special efforts to conserve Saltwater were staying or floating under tree branches along 2 Vol. 36: No. 1 Junuary-March 2009 | the shorelines of channels. Many individuals looked The island was hit by the tsunami of the Sumatra Delta after the cyclone hit Ayeyarwady in the reptiles Situation of large to be less than 50 cm in length, so they were earthquake on 26 December 2004, and hit again obviously born after the cyclone hit. by the high waves and storm of Cyclone Nargis in May 2008. The fishery officer estimates that sand Sea turtles about 90 cm in thickness was washed away by Another significant conservation area is Thamihla the storm actions and so the beach was reduced Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary (0.88 km2), located in to 40% in width after these disasters. The bedrock Ngapudaw Township, Ayeyarwady Division. This was widely exposed on the beach and consequently is a solitary island located about 10 km offshore the turtle egg laying area became narrower. the west end of the Ayeyarwady delta. The outer circumference of island is about 4.8 km and the The fishery officer said that formerly a few mother land is a low platform shape, up to 34 meters above turtles used to land almost every night. However, sea level, according to the fishery officer assigned during the author’s stay, four Green sea turtles to this island. and one Olive Ridley sea turtle landed over the course of six nights, and two of them returned to This island is the native place of two species of the sea without laying eggs. Thick roots sea turtles: 1) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) underground were an obstacle to digging the hole visits the island all the year round; and 2) Olive for egg laying in one case. And the gravel was Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) comes rather too large for shaping the hole in another to the island between October and February to lay case. eggs on the beach. So, the visitors are normally adult females. | A semi-adult Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) that was caught in a fishing net is tagged before being released back to the sea (Photo: Onishi) 33 Vol. 36: No. 1 Junuary-March 2009 Some experts advocate driving posts into the afforestation activities not far from Meinmahla ground of the beach