REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (RAP), BANGKOK July-September 2012 FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Regional Quarterly Bulletin on Wildlife and National Parks Management Vol. XXXIX: No. 3 Featuring Vol. XXVI: No. 3 Contents Bird seizures in the eastern plains landscape of Cambodia.....1 Ecotourism for (nature) conservation and development......... 4 Principal diet analysis and habitat suitability mapping of Royal Bengal Tiger in Parsa Wildlife Reserve................... 8 Successful ketamine-xylazine immobilization in wild gaurs at Buxa Tiger Reserve.................................................... 13 Human-carnivore conflicts in Bangladesh............................ 17 Elusive beauties of Manas National Park - the swamp deer.. 21 Present status and distribution of long-tailed macaque in Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve................................... 26 Sighting of Indian giant squirrel in Pench Tiger Reserve........ 29 REGIONAL OFFICE Stripe-breasted pied woodpecker: first breeding record FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC from Garhwal Himalalya.................................................. 32 TIGERPAPER is a quarterly news bulletin dedicated to the exchange of information relating to wildlife and national parks The future of forestry in the Greater Mekong subregion management for the in the context of the food-water-energy nexus.................. 1 Asia-Pacific Region. RAP NRE Staff Movement................................................5 ISSN 1014 - 2789 Forestry outcomes from UNFCCC COP 18.........................6 International Day of Forests................................................7 Address. Asia-Pacific Forestry Chips and Clips................................. 8 Upcoming Meetings and Courses........................................10 TIGERPAPER Poplars and willows a major factor in improving lives........... 12 FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Edible insects are not a new sensation -- 80% of the Maliwan Mansion, Phra Atit Road world’s population eat them!............................................ 14 Bangkok, 10200, Thailand New Forestry Publications from FAO................................. 15 Tel: (662) 697-4000 FAO Asia-Pacific Forestry Calendar……………............... 16 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.fao.org/world/ regional/rap/tigerpaper/tigerpaper.htm Editor: Janice Naewboonnien Advisor: 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 n eeds 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: Rescued wooly necked storks (Photo: Courtesy of Rohit Singh) constitutional status of any country, territority or sea area, or the delimitation of frontiers. Vol. 39: No. 3 July-September 2012 | Bird seizures in the eastern plains landscape of Cambodia Bird seizures in the eastern plains landscape BIRD SEIZURES IN THE EASTERN PLAINS LANDSCAPE OF CAMBODIA by Rohit Singh and Pin Chanratanak | Confiscated lesser whistling ducks Introduction The Eastern Plains Landscape (EPL) is located in headed vulture (Aegypius calvus), slender-billed Mondulkiri Province of eastern Cambodia and lies vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), white-rumped vulture at the core of the Lower Mekong Dry Forest (Gyps bengalensis) and white-winged duck Ecoregion. It supports one of the largest extents of (Asarcornis scutulata). The biodiversity of the lowland forest in South-East Asia and is globally landscape is under threat due to uncontrolled logging, significant for conservation of large mammals, water hunting, land clearing and other unsustainable birds and vultures (Gray et al., 2010; Gray et al., harvesting of natural resources (WWF-Cambodia, 2011; Seng et al., 2003). 2012). The Eastern Plains Landscape supports several Trapping for food, plumes and the international and globally endangered species including Indo-Chinese local trade in live birds is the second major cause tiger (Panthera tigris), banteng (Bos javanicus), behind the decline of bird populations in South East Eld’s deer (Cervus eldi), and Siamese crocodile Asia (Nash, 1993). Bird trade for meat as well as (Crocodylus siamensis). The landscape also pets is a threat to avian diversity in the landscape shelters 370 bird species (T. Gray, WWF, pers. com) (WWF-Cambodia, 2012). This article is based on including the globally endangered white-shouldered the avian species confiscated by the WWF- ibis (Pseudibis davisoni), giant ibis (Pseudibis supported government law enforcement teams from gigantea), green peafowl (Pavo muticus), red- January 2010 to June 2012. 111 Vol. 39: No. 3 July-September 2012 | Table 1: Birds confiscations in the Eastern Plains of Cambodia (January 2010-June 2012) S.no. Species Numbers IUCN status National conservation designation 1 Pompadour Green Pigeon 102 Least Concern Common (Teron pompadora) 2 Thick-bil led Green Pigeon 21 Least Concern Common (Teron curviscostra) 3 Imperial Green Pigeon 14 Least Concern Common (Ducula aenea) 4 Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) 01 Vulnerable Rare 5 Wooly necked Stork (Ciconia 04 Least concern Common episcopus) 6 Lesser Adjutant Stork 01 Vulnerable Common (Leptoptilos javanicus) 7 Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus 01 Least Concern Common gallus) Bird seizures in the eastern plains landscape of Cambodia 8 Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus) 03 Endangered Rare | 9 Lesser Whistling Duck 150 Least Concern Common ( Dendrocygna javanica) Study area protected areas across Mondulkiri Province. Every small seizure/confiscation is recorded in the MIST WWF has been actively providing support for (Monitoring Information System) database. Teams enforcement activities in the landscape since early also gather information on the purpose of trapping, 2006. Currently, WWF is supporting all three method of trapping, trade routes and market prices enforcement teams in the landscape, i.e., through interviewing offenders. Further Mondulkiri Protected Forest Enforcement Team, information was gathered through discussions with Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary Enforcement informants who are ex-traders and ex-hunters. Team, and the Mobile Enforcement Unit. The Mondulkiri Protected Forest and Phnom Prich Results and discussion Wildlife Sanctuary cover 43% of the area of Mondulkiri Province (5,950 km2). These two The teams rescued 297 individual birds of 9 species protected areas are part of a larger complex that during 8 different operations (Table 1). Most of includes Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary and Seima the birds were confiscated during the monitoring Protected Forest in Cambodia and Yok Don of wildlife trade routes in the landscape. These National Park in Vietnam. These protected areas trade routes are the main exit and entry points in contain a large diversity of habitats ranging from the forest. All the confiscations were made during hilly evergreen to open dry dipterocarp forest. night monitoring of the trade routes. The reason behind this is that most of the illegal wildlife Methods transportation takes place during night time. There are three enforcement teams, consisting of Additionally, a few birds were rescued from illegal 65 field rangers working in the landscape to control captivity. These included cranes, storks, and illegal activities. These teams patrol in both peafowl that had been kept illegally as pets in protected areas as well as outside these two nearby villages and the provincial town. 2 Vol. 39: No. 3 July-September 2012 | After every confiscation, traders and hunters were Acknowledgements of Cambodia Bird seizures in the eastern plains landscape interviewed to gather additional information on the bird trade in the landscape. It was found that The authors would like to thank the Forestry pigeons are used for the wild meat trade while Administration and Ministry of Environment sarus cranes, peafowl, and storks are kept as pets for their support to the project. They would by local villagers. However, informants suggested also like to thank all the rangers and that ultimately, some of these species also end up informants tirelessly working in the landscape. in the wild meat trade. Last but not the least, they would like to thank the Enforcement team leaders Mr. Keo In regard to trapping, different methods are used Sopheak, Mr. Han Sakhan, and Mr. Chey for different species, but most species are trapped Sokha. using nets and snares. While all confiscated pigeons, for instance, were trapped with nets, References bigger species such as storks and cranes were taken as chicks from the nest. Gray, T. N. E., C. Phan & B. Long. 2010. Modelling species distribution at The cost differs from species to species and also multiple spatial scales: Gibbon habitat varies with the type of market. Pigeons, which preferences in a fragmented landscape. are mainly sold locally in the villages, are sold at Animal Conservation, 13(2): 324–332. | lower prices in comparison to ducks, which are Gray, T. N. E., & C. Phan. 2011. Habitat sold at higher prices in town markets. The price preferences and activity pattern of the of the captive bird also varies