Wildlife of Lao PDR: 1999 Status Report - IUCN

Wildlife of Lao PDR: 1999 Status Report
[• Nycticebus pygmaeus Pygmy Loris (= Lesser Slow
Loris M5 ; = Pygmy Slow Loris M4 )]. Conservation Significance:
Globally Threatened - Vulnerable; Little Known in Lao PDR;
CITES Appendix II. Endemic to parts of Lao PDR, southern
Yunnan (China), Vietnam and Cambodia; occurs only east of
the Mekong (Corbet and Hill 1992). Documented Range and
Habitat: North M13 , centre M8 , south M14 ; all provisional. Evergreen
forest in the Annamites and other hilly areas. Status
Information: Field records of small lorises from a variety of
areas (Table 12); not yet found commonly anywhere above
500 m. Although described as ‘common’ throughout Lao PDR
(Delacour 1940), there are few specific historical records:
Phongsali, Ban Thateng on the Bolaven Plateau (Osgood
1932) and Savannakhet (Bourret 1944). Taxonomic issues:
Recent research in Bolikhamxai Province indicates that at
least three species of loris inhabit Lao PDR (Alterman and
Freed 1997). To which, if any, the name pygmaeus is applicable
is unclear (L. Alterman in litt. 1998). The publication
of sightings as N. pygmaeus by Duckworth (1994b) was premature,
in omitting any comparative examination with the
type specimen of pygmaeus. Nonetheless, the general conclusion
holds, that two lorises of different sizes are ecologically
sympatric in Phou Xang He NBCA. Similar patterns
have been found widely elsewhere, from Bolaven Northeast
PNBCA in the south, to Nam Kading NBCA in the north
(Evans et al. in prep. b). Until the issue is clarified, it is best
to consider the named species N. pygmaeus as Little Known
in Lao PDR, while accepting that it may turn out to be
common and widespread and of no immediate conservation
concern.
[ Nycticebus intermedius Intermediate Loris (= Intermediate
Slow Loris M5 )]. Context: May occur in north-east Lao PDR,
but apparently known only from the type from Vietnam and
various specimens from Yunnan, China (Corbet and Hill
1992). Special Significance: CITES Appendix II. Speculated
to be endemic to a small area around the Lao-Vietnam-Yunnan
(China) border (Corbet and Hill 1992). Taxonomic issues:
The type was collected in northern Vietnam (Dao Van Tien
1960). N. intermedius has been considered synonymous with
N. pygmaeus on grounds of both morphology and genetics
(Groves 1971, Zhang et al. 1993). There are more than two
species of loris in Lao PDR (Alterman and Freed 1997; L.
Alterman in litt. 1998), but whether intermedius is a valid
name, and whether any of the forms in Lao PDR belong to it,
are not yet clear.
Status Information on Lorises: Lorises are not favoured as
food in Lao PDR (e.g. Duckworth 1994b) but some people
are not averse to eating them (e.g. Davidson 1998). They are
kept as pets (Salter 1993a; Plate 13) and used in medicinal
preparations (Baird 1995b). The latter may be the most significant
threat. Such harvesting goes on at high levels in neighbouring
Cambodia (Timmins and Men Soriyun 1998) and
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Vietnam (Ratajszczak 1988). KK has received reports of the
export to Vietnam of large numbers from Bolikhamxai and
Khammouan Provinces. Animals are caught in various ways;
the most damaging is when trees are cut down so that the
loris can be captured, which occurs at least in Bolikhamxai
Province (I. Johnson verbally 1999).
Conservation Management and Research Proposed for
Lorises:
• Clarification of the number of forms present and their
geographical and ecological distributions, to allow identification
of taxa in need of specific action, and the actions
themselves.
• Pending this, collection of detailed notes on appearance
of animals (supported whenever possible with photographs
and measurements) seen on field surveys or in
markets or villages to allow possible retrospective identification.
• Investigation of trade threat, with due attention to international
issues.
• Enactment and enforcement of a nocturnal hunting ban
in NBCAs within the range of forms identified as threatened
in Lao PDR; immediate enactment of such a ban in
core zones of all NBCAs.
Cercopithecidae: Old-world monkeys (9 species in Lao
PDR; 81 worldwide)
• Macaca nemestrina Pig-tailed Macaque (= Pigtail
Macaque M4 ). Conservation Significance: Globally Threatened
- Vulnerable; Potentially At Risk in Lao PDR; CITES Appendix
II. Documented Range and Habitat: North M9 , centre M8 ,
south M8 . Evergreen forest, and also in mosaic with more open
habitats such as pine and dry dipterocarp forest; lowlands
and lower hills, and locally in mountains. Status Information:
See below. Recorded in many survey areas (Table 12),
in several of which it was relatively common, including some
highly degraded regions. Estimated group sizes in Lao PDR
rarely exceeded 20-30. In some areas of other countries (e.g.
Khao Yai National Park, Thailand; rural Dak Lak Province,
Vietnam), probably those relatively undisturbed by opportunistic
shooting, Pig-tailed Macaque groups number 50-150
animals (Le Xuan Canh et al. 1997; A. R. Nettelbeck verbally
1996). Only one recent record in Lao PDR specifically
noted a group of such size (over 100 in Dong Phou Vieng
NBCA; Steinmetz 1998a).
• Macaca assamensis Assamese Macaque (= Assam
Macaque M4 ). Conservation Significance: Globally Threatened
- Vulnerable; Potentially At Risk in Lao PDR; CITES Appendix
II. Documented Range and Habitat: North M15 ,
centre M13 , south M8 . Evergreen forests. Usually the commonest
macaque in hills and mountains, occurring down to 300