IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Franklin, N. | |
| Conservation biology of the Sumatran tiger in Way Kambas National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia | |
| 2002 Full Book | |
The secretive and endangered Sumatran tiger (_Panthera tigris sumatrae_) and its prey species were monitored in tropical lowland forests of Way Kambas National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia, between 1995 and 2000. Infrared-activated remote cameras were maintained at up to 29 locations, operating continuously for 24 hours/day. Capture-recapture theory was utilised in the estimation of tiger population abundance and density, which compared well with previous studies on other subspecies. Population trends were estimated over 5 years, showing a sharp decline in the tiger population within the park. The continuous camera monitoring data available from this study also provided an opportunity to investigate optimal sampling regimes for future camera monitoring studies. Aspects of the tiger's ecology, and interactions with its primary prey species, are also reported. Daily activity patterns of tigers and prey showed similar bimodal crepuscular patterns, suggesting that tigers are not exclusively nocturnal predators as is commonly inferred. Predation by tigers was nonrandom, and a strong predatory preference for two species of primate (_Macaca _spp.) was noted - despite an abundance of medium and large-sized prey. A significant correlation in the relative abundance of tigers and pig-tailed macaque across 29 camera locations supported this. Tiger sex ratio was found to be optimally female-biased between 1996 and 1998. Cubs were photographed infrequently, though one litter was closely followed to the point of cub-mother separation. Home range size was estimated, based on minimum convex polygons, for several male and female individuals and range overlap between conspecifics was noted. The stochastic and catastrophic effect of the 1997 El Ni¤o drought and subsequent forest fire was investigated. Significant and prolonged prey depletion was associated with tiger population disruption. The interactions of this with simultaneous tiger poaching caused a dramatic population decline. Finally, the findings of this study were compared to results from previous population and habitat viability analyses for the Way Kambas tiger population. Conservation implications of the findings, and their significance for Way Kambas' future role as a tiger conservation area, are discussed. |
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