Habitat Selection and Activity Pattern of GPS Collared Sumateran Tigers
Abstract: Although
translocation has been used in mitigating human-carnivore conflict for decades,
few studies have been conducted on the behavioral ecology of released animals.
Such information is necessary in the context of sustainable forest management.
In this study we determine the type of land cover used as main habitat and
examine the activity pattern of translocated tigers. Between 2008 and 2010 we
captured six conflict tigers and translocated them 74-1,350 km from their
capture sites in Sumatera. All tigers were fitted with global positioning
system (GPS) collars. The collars were set to fix 24-48 location coordinates
per day. All translocated tigers showed
a preference for a certain habitat type within their new home range, and tended
to select the majority of natural land cover type within the landscape as their
main habitat, but the availability of natural forest habitat within the
landscape remains essensial for their survival. The activity of male
translocated tigers differed significantly between the six time intervals of 24
hours, and their most active periods were in the afternoon (14:00-18:00 hours)
and in the evening (18:00-22:00 hours). Despite being preliminary, the findings
of this study-which was the first such study conducted in Sumatera-highlight
the conservation value of tiger translocation and provide valuable information
for improving future management of conflict tigers.
Author: Dolly Priatna, Yanto
Santosa, Lilik Budi Prasetyo, Agus Priyono Kartono
Journal Code: jpkehutanangg120010
