How CBSG’s CAMP & PHVA W orkshops help the S. Asian Prim ate Netw ork Case Study of W estern Hoolock Gibbon, I ndia and Bangladesh Sally Walker, ZOO, PSG SAP Coordinator Sanjay Molur, ZOO, Technical Advisor
Conservation Breeding Specialist Group I UCN SSC • Call it Conservation and Breeding Specialist Group • specialist group for sm all populations of w ild organism s • Tools for assessing, studying, solving problem s, saving sm all populations in the w ild • & for m aintaining viable populations of threatened species in zoos for conservation purpose • Zoo Outreach Organisation hosts a South Asia Netw ork of CBSG
Conservation Assessm ent and Managem ent Plan CBSG’s C.A.M.P. process – Red Listing etc. • tool in national biodiversity planning and Red Listing of threatened taxa • brings together a w ide range of experts & stakeholders to contribute current and historical info on distribution, num bers, problem s, threats, etc. of taxa • m ake recom m endations for - intensive m anagem ent action - specific conservation- oriented research and public education
2 0 0 2 C.A.M.P. for SAsian Prim ates 1 st phase conservation recom m endations‘ actions Report / Sum m ary to Som e output from C.A.M.P. -- policy-m akers • CAMP Report and Summary -- foresters • Education Programme • S. Asian Primate Network -- academ ics • PHVA workshop, rept and sum -- educators -- zoos PHVA initiated for threatened W estern Hoolock Gibbon SAP Ed South Asian prim ate netw ork initiated South Asian Prim ate Education pgm began
Rationale for PHVA • I UCN Reg. & Nat. Guidelines • assessed as Endangered ( EN) in I ndia • Critically Endangered ( CR) in Bangladesh • South Asia’s only gibbon; only ape • Few localities in Bangladesh; very sm all populations • Populations ranging from 1 individual to groups of 2 5 - 4 0 ) in both countries • Nearly all localities in both countries encroached and fragm ented • I ndian population num bers creating false sense of security, particularly in I ndia -- m istaking frequent occurence for abundance
More rationale • Multiple, serious threats • Several Populations LOST in last tw o decades; • Trade alone dram atic, … for food, products and living anim als. • habitat loss and encroachm ent. • decrease in area by > 3 0 % in the last 1 0 years • Predicted > 3 0 % decrease in the next 1 0 years • decrease in the quality of habitat due to loss of fruiting trees and sleeping trees and • increase in canopy gaps.
Hoolock Gibbon PHVA Excellent turn-out of W HG experts
PHVA w orkshop show ed … • unstudied areas incl. border areas • severity of decline ( + som e extinctions) in sm all populations • severity of fragm entation • urgency need for population m anagem ent, genetically & dem ographically • More details of localities
Results of sim ulation m odelling 1 1. Populations < 5 individuals have > 90% probability of extinction in the extremely near future 33% Bangladesh populations & 21.5% Indian populations 2. Populations with 6-10 individuals have > 50% probability of extinction in the very near future. 33% Bangladesh pops & 21% Indian populations
Results of sim ulation m odelling 2 3 . Populations with 11-20 individuals have more than 25% probability of extinction near future. 31% in Bangladesh and 27.5% in India Therefore 75% of the total population is in immediate threat of extinction within 20-40 years (without poaching). Total WHG pops in Bangladesh = 21; in India = 111
Reality check - 8 populations in Bangladesh & 10 populations in India have become extinct between 2002 and 2005. • Bangladesh -- VERY high probability of extinction > 9 5 % of Hoolock pops w ithin 2 -3 decades. • I ndia -- very high probability of extinction of > 7 0 % of Hoolock pops w ithin 2 -3 decades as per sim ulation m odel
Reality check I ndia - 2 populations w ith only 1 individual and 1 5 populations w ith 1 fam ily group each of just 2 and 3 individuals. Bangladesh - 1 pop w ith 1 individual and 2 pops w ith 1 fam ily group of 2 and 3 individuals So ~ 2 0 m ore populations are ready GO anytim e now … • ram pant habitat destruction. • increasing settlem ent of hum ans in forest areas • slash & burn ( jhum ) cultivation • poaching for food and parts • collecting for zoos
PHVA Recom m endations actually being carried out ( in situ ) -1 • Recom m ended that habitat destruction be arrested in quantity and quality through m ulti-species plantations. – -- USAI D Nishorgo Support Proj has conservation activities in 3 Hoolock areas w ith perceived decline in logging • Recom m ended enhanced m onitoring of habitat of W HG on priority basis w ith creation of m ore w ildlife posts, training, im proved infrastructure -- W ildlife Trust of Bangladesh -- Hoolock Gibbon Conservation Centre
Recom m endations of PHVA actually being carried out ( in situ ) -- 2 • Recom m ended - com m unity-based ecodevelopm ent pgm s for alternate livelihood to check illegal activities and m inim ize habitat loss – USAI D Nishorgo Support Proj ( NSP) – Gibbon Conservation Centre in Assam • both countries to create a detailed HG database available to all for encouraging education program m es – W ildlife Trust of Bangladesh, – Hoolock Gibbon Conservation Centre, I ndia are doing this. • A m ultidisciplinary gibbon expert team to be assem bled to assess help w ith proposed translocation and subsequent m onitoring – Proposal to USFW S by W ildlife Trust of Bangladesh includes project to satisfy this recom m endation for Bangladesh.
Recom m endations of PHVA actually being carried out ( ex situ ) • Recom m ended no further W HG should be captured from the w ild for zoos or captive breeding centres. – w hen it happened it w as corrected to an extent and m essage delivered. • reccom m ended im provem ent of zoo husbandry, m anagem ent and enclosures of HG w ith advice from experts of international repute. – Husbandry training in Dhaka Zoo im m ediately follow ing PHVA – I ntensive husbandry training scheduled in February 2 0 0 7 in Assam • Zoos now holding HG should focus on education, research and a regional cooperative breeding program m e – educational m aterials given; training planned and w orkshop for reg. Coop pgm scheduled.
I m pact of W HG PHVA I ndia - General observations & com m unication • Dr. Atul Gupta ( prim ate researcher and senior forest officer) conducted a m eeting of forest officers w rt W HG • Meeting of foresters of I ndia and Bangladesh to be held in Feb 2 0 0 7 w rt W GH • Hoolock Researchers have used the PHVA Report & edu- cational products for research, education and fundraising • Great Ape Conservation Fund of USFW S got a shot in the arm w ith m ore confidence in efficacy of W HG projects therefore m ore funds are being m ade available. • I ncrease in project proposals for studies, education, and training since PHVA
I m pact of W HG PHVA – neutral and positive Researcher from Assam w rites : • no direct im pact on the forest departm ent in NE • PHVA docum entation of W HG for research and education has had good im pact • Educational activities in NE increased
I m pact of W HG PHVA Report W TB & U. Dhaka have undertaken a project heavily influenced by PHVA output • I m prove capacity of Forest Dept. • I m prove aw areness of local people • I nitiated plantation drive of indigenous tree • Translocation of sm allest populations
CBSG W orkshops • CAMP / PHVA w orkshops generate – Critical research and conservation data – I nterest – Enthusiasm – Money – Governm ental pressure – Public pressure • Sustained and dedicated follow -up is essential. • People in the region of the target species need to take responsibility, not CBSG. • Much w ork needs to be done for H.Gibbon • PHVA helped us know precisely w hat, and how to address its seriousness
New developm ent For S. Asia • Eastern hoolock gibbon ( form erly thought endem ic to Myanm ar) discovered in I ndia • Jayantha Das • Unpublished; can’t say m ore w w w zoosprint org •
Thank You
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