The conservation of tigers and other wildlife in oil palm plantations

Species survival within a human-dominated landscape
Species diversity within a human-dominated landscape
A list of mammal species identified on or close to the plantation by the range of
methods used on the project is presented in taxonomic order in Table 2. The list
focuses on medium to large terrestrial species, since camera-trapping and track
transects are not effective for arboreal species or for smaller bodied species, but small
and arboreal mammals that were recorded are also listed. Bird species recorded
opportunistically during the study are listed in the appendix on page 63. Species
identification is confident, with 98% of species confirmed by photograph or direct
sighting. Only one species (short-clawed otter) was identified by tracks alone. In Table
3 the same species are presented in terms of conservation importance using the IUCN
red data list status, the Indonesian legal status (based on Lampiran Perarturan
Pemerintah Nomer 7, 1999) and the CITES status for each species recorded at the
study site. Conservation importance is ranked according to IUCN status > Indonesian
protection status > CITES status. Those in red are priority species of key conservation
concern and considered ‘threatened’ by the IUCN. Species in orange are species that
are judged by the IUCN as being close to being threatened, or expected to be in the
near future, or species with insufficient data to judge. Species in yellow are not
considered high priority globally by the IUCN but are still protected species within
Indonesia therefore plantations still have a legal responsibility for them.
The results show a wide range of species inhabiting the area of the oil palm plantation,
with 40 mammals listed in total (38 not including domestic species). Of these, 63%
have an important conservation value or are protected under national law, and 25%
are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ or higher on IUCN red lists. The tiger is the most endangered
species recorded on site, rated as ‘Critical’. Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and
dhole or wild dog (Cuon alpinus) are the next most endangered. Elephants were only
ever recorded once on the fringes of the site, but dhole were a fairly frequent sighting.
Figure 13 - Mammals of high conservation importance recorded in the plantation landscape:
clockwise from top left – tiger, clouded leopard, tapir, sun bear, dhole.
22 Wildlife conservation in oil palm plantations