IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Sanei, A.; Zakaria, M. | |
| Summary of the Malayan leopard project progress report | |
| 2009 Full Book | |
Although leopard is an endangered species in South-east Asia, yet very little is known about the resources (i.e. food and habitat) need to be protected for their long-term conservation in the habitat. Nevertheless, scientific data increasingly indicate that large carnivores play an important role in ecological health of ecosystems. Elimination of the top predator of any habitat would have substantial impact on the abundance of the herbivore species. In such ecosystems usually one or two species become dominant in the community and therefore, it will cause changes in the vegetation structure of the relative habitat. These changes will lead to dramatic declines in biological resources of the ecosystem. Following intensive deforestations in Klang Valley various scientists and conservationists increasingly indicated the importance of Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve (AHFR) as the country green lung. Studies showed that despite of small area of the forest and located in a rapidly developing area, it is still rich in fauna and flora and plays an important role in conserving the biological resources. Therefore, survival of the top predator of the forest is critically important in ecological health of the habitat. However, without having a research-management plan. In order to obtain this information in the study area, suitable methodologies were required. So far, camera trapped leopards in Malaysian tropical rain forests were melanistic and could not be individually recognized. In addition, due to presence of various human-caused disturbances in the study area, alternative methodologies such as capturing and marking would not be practical. Where direct methodologies are not possible and sightings are relatively rare, a range of field and analytical methods have been developed to study the species from indirect signs. This study is a new attempt to describe leopard status in a highly fragmented forest which based conservation plan in the region, the remaining leopard population would face an uncertain future. To determine the viability of the population, ecological knowledge of the species such as demographic data and spatial arrangement of individuals in the habitat are essential. Population ecology of leopards, availability of their potential prey species and understanding the responses of leopards and their preys to anthropogenic stressors, form a basis for designing an effective may be used as example to many more small patches of leopard habitats in the country due to severe deforestations in the past few decades. |
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