Camera trapping of terrestrial animals in tanjung datu national park, sarawak, borneo

Information on distribution is useful for determining global conservation status of species and for prescribing sound management practices for taxa of conservation importance. Therefore, an attempt to understand the distribution of terrestrial animals using infra-red camera traps in Tanjung Datu National Park, Borneo, was carried out from July 2013 to October 2015 (28 months). A total of 23 camera locations set in various microhabitats and elevations accumulated 2,490 camera days, which resulted in 1,189 independent animal images comprised of 21 mammals, two birds, and one reptile species. The cameras revealed a total of 20 medium to large mammals (excluding treeshrews & small rodents), with the most common species photographed being the pig-tailed macaque (independent images n = 278) and bearded pig (271), while the masked palm civet (1) and Sunda pangolin (1) were only represented by singletons. Most of the common species are listed as Protected (33.64%) in the Sarawak Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998, while 2.02% species have Totally Protected status. Less than 1% of the species are considered Critically Endangered and Endangered, 3.57% are considered Near Threatened, and 74.3% are considered Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In addition, this survey has provided detailed information on activity patterns of some cryptic species. The absence of larger carnivores suggests that species such as the Sunda clouded leopard and Bornean sun bear may have been extirpated from this small, isolated, and fragmented protected area. We emphasise that regular monitoring of wildlife in National Parks should not be neglected, especially when the surrounding area is experiencing accelerated and unprecedented rates of habitat conversion.