Fewer Sunda clouded leopards in Sabah due to poaching
KOTA KINABALU: A six-year camera-trap survey in eight protected areas in Sabah has led to a worrying discovery.
Researchers estimated there were around 750 Sunda clouded leopards in Sabah.
The study was published in the scientific journal, Oryx, according to a joint press release from Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), United Kingdom’s WildCRU and Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC).
The study found that changes to Sabah’s forest landscape might affect the wild cats.
“Led by WildCRU researchers in collaboration with partners from SWD, DGFC, Universiti Malaysia Sabah and Panthera, the study provided first evidence that the population density of the species was negatively affected by hunting pressure and forest fragmentation.
“We found poaching evident in all forest areas, with the lowest detection rates being in Danum and the highest in Kinabatangan,” said WildCRU’s Andrew Hearn, the first author of the paper.
DGFC director Dr Benoit Goossens hoped the results, coupled with an action plan for the leopards to be launched next year, would manage the species.
“The fact that selectively logged forests provided an important resource for the leopards, suggested that appropriate management of these commercial forests could enhance their conservation value.
“But the overriding priority for our wildlife managers is to reduce poaching by reducing access to the forest interior along logging roads and by increasing enforcement patrols in strategic areas,” Goossens said.