Conservation status of tigers in a primary rainforest of Peninsular Malaysia

This study provided the first reliable density estimate of tigers based on photographic capture data in Taman Negara National Park, Peninsular Malaysia's most important conservation area. Estimated densities ( X± SE ) of adult tigers ranged from 1.10 ± 0.52 to 1.98 ± 0.54 tigers/100 km 2 ( X 2=...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biological conservation 2004-12, Vol.120 (3), p.329-344
Main Authors: Kawanishi, Kae, Sunquist, Melvin E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Camera trapping
Malaysia
Mark-recapture models
Panthera tigris
Population estimation
Tigers
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Summary:This study provided the first reliable density estimate of tigers based on photographic capture data in Taman Negara National Park, Peninsular Malaysia's most important conservation area. Estimated densities ( X± SE ) of adult tigers ranged from 1.10 ± 0.52 to 1.98 ± 0.54 tigers/100 km 2 ( X 2=1.56, df=2, P=0.46) with the overall mean of 1.66 ± 0.21 tigers/100 km 2. The tiger population in the 4343-km 2 park was estimated to be 68 (95% CI: 52–84) adult tigers. Prey biomass estimates ranged from 266 to 426 kg/km 2, and wild boar were the most important potential prey species in terms of abundance, biomass, and occupancy, followed by muntjac. Both tigers and leopards were more diurnal than nocturnal, which corresponded with the activity patterns of wild boar and muntjac. No evidence of poaching of large mammals was found in the 600-km 2 study sites and overall human impacts on the tiger–prey community appear to be minimal, but in the long run its viability needs to be evaluated in a greater landscape context.
ISSN:0006-3207
1873-2917
DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2004.03.005