IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Johnson, A.; Vongkhamheng, C.; Hedemark, M.; Saythongdum, T. | |
| Status of tiger, prey, and human-tiger conflict in the Nam et - Phao Louey National protected area, Lao PDR | |
| 2004 Full Book | |
In Lao PDR, only a few areas remain that are large enough to potentially harbor breeding populations of tigers. The 3,446 km2 Nam Et-Phou Louey (NEPL) National Protected Area (NPA) in the mountains of northern Lao was believed to be one of those places. In 2001, the NEPL NPA requested assistance from the Wildlife Conservation Society to collect baseline data on the status of tigers and prey and investigate farmer reported problems of tiger depredation of livestock in the NPA. This report describes methods used to train NPA staff to gather information on tiger, prey, and tiger depredation of livestock, presents baseline results from surveys, and summarizes recommendations for NPA management that resulted from a meeting with government authorities in July 2004. This study represents the first systematic assessment of tiger and prey abundance and distribution and of human-tiger conflict in the country. Standardised camera trap surveys for tiger and prey were conducted in five 100 km2 blocks, representing 15% of the NPA, for a total of 3,588 trap days from March 2003-May 2004. Standardised farmer interviews were used to collect data from 29% of NPA villages in five districts on reported tiger depredation of livestock from 1993 to 2003 and to respond to new depredation reports from 12 villages in two districts from May 2003-June 2004. Camera traps recorded 2,417 photos of 44 different species of wildlife including 31 mammals, of which 19 were carnivores. Notable among this diverse and internationally important carnivore community were six species of cats, dhole, sun bear, six civet species (including Owston's civet) and back-striped weasel. Large prey (gaur, sambar deer, serow, and wild pig) was recorded to varying degrees from all sampling blocks and relative abundance was low. Small prey (stumptailed macaque, muntjacs, porcupines, and hog badger) was found consistently across all sampling blocks. Within blocks, the relative abundance of small prey was significantly lower at camera locations with higher human population density within a 10K radius. Stump-tailed macaque and muntjacs were the most abundant prey species while sambar deer and gaur were the least abundant. Notable among the prey species were at least two species of muntjac, red muntjac and at least one small dark muntjac referred to in this report as _Muntiacus rooseveltorum /truongsonensis_. Five individual tigers in 13 photos were recorded from three sampling blocks at an abundance of 276 camera trap days per photo. Tigers were not recorded in sampling blocks with higher relative abundance of hunters and recent police reports of tiger poaching, even though average relative abundance of large prey was higher in these blocks. Applying closed population assumptions across an effective sampling area of 952 km2, we calculated an average density of 0.7 tigers/100 km2 and a population ranging from 7-21 tigers. These results indicate that the NPA contains what is likely a very important tiger population for Indochina although abundance is probably depressed due to poaching and relatively lack of large prey. Dependence of tigers on small prey or competition for prey between large carnivores (tiger, leopard, and dhole) may be limiting tiger reproduction. The over-hunted prey base in conjunction with free ranging of large livestock in remote mountainous grasslands are likely the biggest factors contributing to tiger depredation of livestock in the NPA. Results indicated that 73% of the large livestock reportedly killed by large carnivores over the last ten years were one hour or more (in walking distance) away from the village. While it is probable that reported attacks on adult livestock (>300 kg) in these areas were by tiger, the data that district response officers were able to collect were not yet sufficient to provide accurate verification of the damage and the predator in most cases. This was due to several factors contributing to an average lag time of almost two months between the date of depredation and date of investigation. Tiger depredation of livestock in the NPA was not as widespread a problem as previously suspected. Chronic problems were reported primarily by 12 villages in two districts (Viengthong and Viengkham) with an average loss of two head of livestock per village per year, representing 1.7% of the total herd of the villages. Results indicated that most depredation incidents could likely be avoided if cattle were provided with forage near the village and if tiger prey populations were not over harvested. Status of tiger, prey, and tiger-human conflict in the NEPL NPA, Lao PDR 7 A lucrative market for tiger bone and large mammals exists in the area. Survey teams found explosive trip wire traps set for killing large mammals or hunting camps in all sampling blocks. The livestock that is kept at temporary settlements in remote mountainous grasslands serve as "bait" for opportunistic tiger poaching. Freshly killed livestock are loaded with explosives to kill tigers returning to feed at the carcass. The presentation of baseline results to local government authorities from Houaphan and Luang Prabang provinces generated the following recommendations as guidelines for management and research activities in the NPA from 2004-2006: 1) Demarcate NPA core zones to maintain source populations of tiger and prey and allocate land outside of core zones for village subsistence harvest of wildlife and NTFPs. 2) Regularly patrol NPA core zones and enforce protected area regulations to reduce wildlife poaching and trade in the NPA, along roads, and in urban markets. 3) Conduct conservation education activities in villages and district centers in and around the NPA to raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation. 4) Improve the large livestock husbandry in villages with chronic depredation and tiger poaching problems by establishing models of forage production for livestock in the village. 5) Evaluate the feasibility of developing village-based wildlife tourism that would directly support tiger conservation. 6) Continue to monitor the abundance and distribution of tiger and prey populations with camera trap and line transect surveys to measure the effectiveness of management activities. 7) Continue to respond to farmer reports of tiger depredation of livestock to monitor change over time in response to implementation of management activities and to promote positive public relations between the NPA management and villages. |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |