false gharial (tomistoma schlegelii) surveys in … · conservancy, riverbanks zoo, st. augustine...

TTF / PRCF Co-operative Tomistoma Project

FALSE GHARIAL (TOMISTOMA SCHLEGELII) SURVEYS IN

WEST KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA IN 2004

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TELEVISION

PROJECT SPONSORS

Tomistoma Task Force of the Crocodile Specialist Group

(with kind donations from Audubon Zoo, AZA-Crocodilian Advisory Group, Cullen Vivarium and Nature Conservancy, Riverbanks Zoo, St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust UK)

People, Resources, and Conservation Foundation

National Geographic Expeditions Council

(Grant Number EC0200-04)

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources West Kalimantan (BKSDA)

Mark R. Bezuijen1,2, Budi Suryansyah3, Imanul Huda4, Pudji S. Pratjihno3, Sapto

Andriyono3, L. Fernando Potess2 and Ralf Sommerlad1

February 2005

1CSG’s Tomistoma Task Force, c/o Ralf Sommerlad, Roedelheimer Landstr.42, Frankfurt a.M., 60487, Germany. Tel. +49-17-15849722 Fax. +49-69-77039671 Website: http://www.tomistoma.org Email: [email protected] and [email protected]; 2People, Resources, and Conservation Foundation, 2519 TTCU Avenue, San Angelo, Texas 76904 USA. Tel/Fax. +1-661-752 8543 Website: http://www.prcfoundation.org Email: [email protected] and [email protected]; 3Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Kalimantan Barat, Departemen Kehutanan, Jln. Jenderal Ahmad Yani No. 121, P.O. Box 6264, Pontianak 78124, Kalimantan, Indonesia. Tel/Fax. +62-561-747 004; 4Yayasan People, Resources, and Conservation Foundation-Indonesia, Jln. Husein Hamzah Gg. Gunung Rinjan No. 12, Pontianak 78115, Kalimantan, Indonesia, Tel/Fax. +62-561-771 895. Email: [email protected] Report citation: Bezuijen, M.R., B. Suryansyah, I. Huda, S. Andriyono, P. Pratihno, L.F. Potess & R. Sommerlad (2004). False Gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) surveys in West Kalimantan, Indonesia in 2004. A co-operative project of the KSDA-West Kalimantan, CSG-TTF and PRCF. Crocodile Specialist Group-Tomistoma Task Force and the People, Resources, and Conservation Foundation, Frankfurt and Pontianak.

Cover photos (M.R. Bezuijen): lowland dipterocarp forest (Sibau River); measuring T. schlegelii eggs (Leboyan River, Danau Sentarum National Park); T. schlegelii teeth (Sibau River); captive T. schlegelii (Pesaguan town)

DISCLAIMER This publication reports the results of a study carried out in partnership with the Crocodile Specialist Group of the IUCN-SSC. The CSG endorses the report and its recommendations. The opinions and views expressed by the authors may not necessarily reflect the formal policies of IUCN, its Commissions, its Secretariat or its members. The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Table of Contents Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................................. i SUMMARY .....................................................................................................................................................ii RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................................ iv 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 Background.......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 The Tomistoma Task Force and PRCF................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Survey objectives................................................................................................................................. 2

2. METHODS................................................................................................................................................... 3

2.1 Study areas ............................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.1 Tapah and Kepulu Rivers (Ketapang region)............................................................................. 6 2.1.2 Gunung Palung National Park.................................................................................................... 6 2.1.3 Sibau River (Betung Kerihun National Park)............................................................................. 7 2.1.4 Danau Sentarum National Park .................................................................................................. 8

2.2 Spotlight surveys....................................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Nests ........................................................................................................................................ 9 2.4 Morphometrics.......................................................................................................................... 9 2.5 Interviews................................................................................................................................. 9

3. PREVIOUS CROCODILE SURVEYS IN BORNEO............................................................................... 10

3.1 Borneo.................................................................................................................................... 10 3.2 West Kalimantan Province....................................................................................................... 11

4. TAPAH AND KEPULU RIVERS (KETAPANG REGION).................................................................... 13

4.1 Distribution and abundance...................................................................................................... 13 4.1.1 Spotlight surveys ............................................................................................................ 13 4.1.2 Local information ........................................................................................................... 13

4.2 Nesting................................................................................................................................... 13 4.3 Morphometrics........................................................................................................................ 13 4.4 False Gharial conservation status.............................................................................................. 13

5. GUNUNG PALUNG NATIONAL PARK ................................................................................................ 15


5.2 Nesting................................................................................................................................... 15 5.3 Morphometrics........................................................................................................................ 16 5.4 Other local information............................................................................................................ 16 5.5 False Gharial conservation status.............................................................................................. 16

6. SIBAU RIVER (BETUNG KERIHUN NATIONAL PARK)................................................................... 17



7. DANAU SENTARUM NATIONAL PARK ............................................................................................. 20



8. FALSE GHARIAL CONSERVATION IN WEST KALIMANTAN........................................................ 24

8.1 Threats and management priorities ........................................................................................... 24 8.2 Representation in protected areas.............................................................................................. 27 8.3 Potential research and conservation projects.............................................................................. 27

9. TRAINING................................................................................................................................................. 30 10. FILMING BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC .......................................................................................... 30 11. REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................... 31 APPENDIX 1. SURVEYS AND OTHER FALSE GHARIAL RECORDS.................................................. 35 APPENDIX 2. MORPHOMETRIC DATA................................................................................................... 37 APPENDIX 3. SPOTLIGHT SURVEY FORM ............................................................................................ 38 APPENDIX 4. GPS COORDINATES........................................................................................................... 40 APPENDIX 5. ITINERARY.......................................................................................................................... 41 APPENDIX 6. REPORT DISTRIBUTION................................................................................................... 42

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Acknowledgments

This project was conducted at the invitation of the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry. Many people gave generously of their time and assistance for fund-raising and project implementation, and without them this project would not have been possible. We extend our sincerest thanks to the following agencies and personnel: � Project sponsors

Tomistoma Task Force of the Crocodile Specialist Group (with kind donations from: Audubon Zoo; AZA-Crocodilian Advisory Group; Dr. Kent Vliet (AZA); Cullen Vivarium and Nature Conservancy; Dr. Ivan Rehak, EAZA-Amphibian/Reptile Taxon Advisory Group; Riverbanks Zoo; St. Augustine Alligator Farm & Zoological Park; Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust UK); People, Resources, and Conservation Foundation and the Yayasan PRCF-Indonesia Program; National Geographic Expeditions Council (Grant Number EC0200-04)

� Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Kalimantan Barat (BKSDA) (Department of Conservation and

Natural Resources West Kalimantan) KSDA: Ir. Pudji Pratjihno (Head), Mr. Roman Silaban (Head KSDA Resort Kapuas Hulu), Mr. David

Muhammad (Head Seksi KSDA Ketapang), Mr. Sahat Irawan (Sekretariat Seksi KSDA Ketapang), Mr. Hengkieryatman Putra, Mr. Irmawan (staff Seksi KSDA Ketapang);

Gunung Palung National Park: Mr. B. Prabani Setiohindrianto (Head), Mr. Roni, Mr. Darmawan; Danau Sentarum National Park: Mr. Bambang Dahat W. (Head, Resort KSDA Semitau), Mr. Yefri

Irwanto (longboat driver), Mr. Uswatun Khasanah (Polisi KSDA Semitau); Betung Kerihun National Park: Ir. Agus Sutito (Head), Drs. Parlindungan (Head Administrative Unit),

Mr. Mohammed Hendry Mh. (Forestry Police Officer) � Direktorat Jenderal Perlindungan Hutan dan Konservasi Alam, Departemen Kehutanan

(Directorate-General for Forest Protection and Nature Conservation, Ministry of Forestry) Ir. Widodo S. Ramono (Director, National Conservation Program), Ir. Adi Susmianto (Director, National

Parks Program); Dr. Samedi (Head, CITES Programme Indonesia); Ir. Kurnia Rauf � Crocodile Specialist Group and the Tomistoma Task Force Professor Grahame J.W. Webb (CSG chair), Dr. James Perran Ross (management of TTF funds), Bruce

Shwedick (principle fund raiser), Akira Matsuda (website management), Mark Auliya, Dr. Adam Britton, Mr. S. Charlie Manolis, Boyd Simpson

� Yayasan People, Resources, and Conservation Foundation

Ms. Amaliatun Hasanah (Administration), Mr. Dede (Moh. Khairi Fahriadi), Mr. Ali (Transport)

� National Geographic Patty Dandrea Kaizer, Dr. Brady Barr, Mr. Brian Armstrong and Mr. David Shadrack Smith � World Wide Fund for Nature - Indonesia (Betung Kerihun National Park Project) Mr. Hermayani Putera (Project Executor), Mr. Albertus (mapping and evaluation coordinator), Mr.

Zulkifli (longboat driver), Mr. Anas Nasrullah (awareness campaign officer), Mr. Rudi Zappariza (community development officer), Ms. Beati Kamu (accountant), Mr. Syahirsyah (media officer), Mr. Ruly Mahessa (WWF Germany). WWF facilitated work with local communities in the Sibau River and enabling charter of the WWF speedboat for fieldwork.

� PT. Ekanindya Karsa Mr. and Mrs. Rachmat Wiradinata (Directors), Drs. Bachrun

� Other

Ms. Hellen Kurniati (LIPI), Mr. Yus Rusila Noor (Project Coordinator Wetlands International-Indonesia Programme), Mr. Suhaidi (fisherman, Rantau Panjang Village, Gunung Palung National Park), Mr. A.R. Syahran (Head, Pesaguan Village), Ms. Elisa Septina and Mr. Agusman (staff, BKSDA Jambi Province).

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SUMMARY This report describes the results of a survey for a globally endangered crocodilian, the False Gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) undertaken in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, from August-September 2004. The global range of this species is lowland regions of Kalimantan and Sarawak (Borneo), Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, yet baseline data on distribution and abundance is unavailable from most regions. This is the third crocodile survey in West Kalimantan Province involving quantitative methods (spotlight counts), after two surveys conducted 8-10 years previously, which identified some sites of global importance for the species. Survey objectives were to document False Gharial status and distribution in selected sites, current threats, and potential follow-up management actions. This project was a cooperative effort between the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Tomistoma Task Force (CSG-TTF) and the People, Resources, and Conservation Foundation (PRCF), and was funded by CSG-TTF, PRCF and the National Geographic Society. 1. Surveys. Project methods consisted of spotlight counts, habitat assessments, interviews with local

communities and forestry personnel, and desktop review. Surveys were conducted in the Tapah and Kepulu Rivers and Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP) (in the south of the province) and, the Sibau River (located partly within Betung Kerihun National Park, BKNP) and Danau Sentarum National Park (DSNP) (in the north-east of the province). The DSNP was first surveyed for crocodiles 8-10 years previously; other sites were previously unsurveyed for crocodiles. Sites encompassed a range of habitats and protection status (protected/unprotected).

2. Provincial distribution. Historically, the False Gharial may have been widely distributed in freshwater

forested habitats in the province, including peat- and freshwater swamp forest and lowland dipterocarp rainforest. Early museum specimens and current distribution indicate the species occurred in lowland freshwater habitats from the coast to >350 km inland. No records were collected from coastal north-west regions. Currently, False Gharials appear to persist in scattered localities in the south, central and east regions of the province. In many regions, nesting has probably declined significantly due to extensive loss of habitats by development along waterways, including the lower and middle reaches of the Kapuas River and its tributaries in the centre of the province. In such regions, local recruitment is probably infrequent, although breeding individuals may persist for many years. Important breeding populations remain in protected and unprotected rivers in the far south and east regions of the province, which support lower human densities than central regions and retain more forest cover. Abundance in most regions is unclear, but the species appears to be locally common in some sites, especially DSNP and remote tributaries of the upper Kapuas River, and may have been more abundant historically.

3. Spotlight counts. A total of 233 km of spotlight surveys (>50 spotlight hours) were conducted in eight

waterways [Kepulu and Tapah Rivers, Rantau Panjang and Bayas Rivers (GPNP), Sibau River (BKNP), Tawang, Leboyan and Meliau Rivers (DSNP)]. A very low number of False Gharials was observed during spotlight counts (total eight individuals and one “eyeshine”), and the highest recorded density was 0.08 crocodiles/km, in the Leboyan River. In 1994, a single spotlight count in this river yielded 0.21 crocodiles/km (Frazier 1994). Sizes of wild False Gharials ranged from 1-16 ft (a 15-16 ft individual was observed in the Kepulu River). In general, surveys relied upon other information (local reports, captive specimens, artefacts) to assess crocodile status, rather than spotlight counts. In all survey sites, residents stated False Gharials were “common”.

4. Spotlight surveys in Kalimantan and Sumatra frequently do not record False Gharials (or other

crocodiles), even in sites where they are confirmed to occur and under good spotlight conditions. The reasons for this are unclear. Potential factors include seasonal movement (communities in DSNP state that False Gharials move to remote, upstream waterbodies in the dry season for nesting), extreme wariness and/or survey timing and effort. To date, most regional crocodile surveys (including the current survey) were conducted in the peak dry-season (June-September) and spent <7 nights/waterbody, which may be insufficient to detect low numbers of crocodiles. Seasonal movements might also explain why surveys in the peak dry-season do not record large (breeding) crocodiles, although this may not account for the absence of non-breeding individuals (juveniles, subadults) unless all size-classes undertake movements. Clearly, in sites which retain nesting habitat and where local communities contend the species is common, it is possible that other factors, rather than very low densities, are limiting spotlight counts.

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5. Nesting. False Gharials were recorded in three broad habitats: coastal (tidal) and inland (non-tidal) peat

swamp forests; and, lowland dipterocarp rainforest. Breeding populations were confirmed in the GPNP (two old nest sites were documented) and DSNP (eggs collected from a wild nest in August 2004 by local people). One nest site in the GPNP was in a small patch of remnant peat swamp forest within a larger burnt area of regenerating grass- and shrubland. The use of such sites indicates the species has some tolerance to habitat modification but also, that in regions of burnt swamp forest, such remnant patches are important for nesting. Most documented False Gharial nests indicate that basic nesting parameters include a forest canopy, raised peat platform, shade and proximity to water (Bezuijen et al. 2001b). In the Tapah/Kepulu Rivers, most swamp forest in the lower reaches appeared too degraded to support nesting. The sighting of a 15-16 ft False Gharial in the Kepulu River confirmed the presence of breeding-sized individuals, and nesting probably still occurs in patches of unburnt forest in the upper reaches.

6. In the DSNP, local communities reported that False Gharials historically nested along large waterways,

but nesting is now largely restricted to remote creeks and lakes e.g. the Meliau Lakes. Remote waterbodies are probably key “source” sites for local recruitment and are important habitat for False Gharial conservation, while larger waterways may be “sinks” (i.e. areas where crocodiles occur but no nesting occurs).

7. In the Sibau River, the finding of a large False Gharial in 2003 by local communities (Section 6) is among

the first record of the species from lowland dipterocarp rainforest. This site supports swift-flowing rapids, pools and gravel-bars, and few swampy areas. Interestingly, a single False Gharial nest reported by local people was apparently within peat swamp forest in the lower reaches of the river. Swamp forest is generally considered “optimal” habitat for the species: these records from the Sibau River may indicate that although False Gharials may range widely in different forested habitats, peat swamp forest is still required for nesting. Further data is required to assess selective nest habitat preferences in this species.

8. Other crocodile species. No other crocodile species were observed during surveys. Local communities in

the DSNP and Sibau River reported the occurrence of three crocodile forms in these sites. Descriptions of two forms matched that of the False Gharial and Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), and photographs of a captive C. porosus were shown to the team in DSNP. A third, unknown form, was described as similar to the Saltwater Crocodile and which occurs in large rivers, not smaller tributaries.

9. Threats. In all survey sites, key threats to False Gharials included: loss of swamp forest nesting habitat

due to illegal logging, forest fire and/or shifting cultivation; frequent human activity along waterways; and, opportunistic local collection of eggs or False Gharials for domestic consumption or as “curiosity items”. Logging and forest fire are among the greatest threats to False Gharial habitats in Borneo and Sumatra, and forests in the GPNP and DSNP are subjected to annual fires and intensive illegal logging. Opportunistic collection of eggs and individuals, while perhaps infrequent, may have disproportionately high impacts if recruitment is already reduced from loss of nesting habitat. In the GPNP, False Gharials may be reliant on small patches of unburnt peat swamp forest for nesting in otherwise burnt areas; if nesting females at these sites are disturbed (by fishermen, motorised boats etc), the area of potential nesting habitat is effectively reduced. These threats are common to many waterways in Kalimantan and Sumatra. No commercial crocodile trade was observed in any site.

10. Conservation and research. Significant opportunities for False Gharial conservation and research exist

in the province. The species appears to be relatively well-represented in the protected areas system of West Kalimantan Province. Breeding populations occur in at least two protected areas, the GPNP and DSNP, and may occur in at least two more, the Betung Kerihun National Park (Sibau River catchment) and Muara Kendawangan Nature Reserve (Fig. 1). Collaborative and community-based conservation projects with forestry staff and other stakeholders, utilising Dayak knowledge and cultural links to wildlife, would assist in strengthening local awareness and managing nesting habitats. Key management actions should include protection of swamp forest nesting habitat from forest fire and illegal logging. Such projects would be timely by building on the provincial interest for crocodile conservation raised during the current and previous surveys, and could include extended autecological studies of the species.

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RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations were formulated during project discussions with provincial and national forestry agencies. The provincial Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (BKSDA) requested that recommendations identify actions the department could implement with existing financial and personnel resources, as well as longer-term conservation efforts. 1. Provincial activities. The following actions could be implemented by BKSDA largely within existing

department resources to develop False Gharial conservation in West Kalimantan: � prepare and distribute a fact sheet about False Gharials (e.g. from information in this report) to

forestry offices, other land planning agencies, conservation NGOs and academic institutions throughout the province. This would raise provincial awareness of the species and could assist current conservation projects where False Gharials occur;

� prepare and distribute a “recording form” to provincial forestry offices to report False Gharial sightings. This sheet should include: location of sighting (river, district, regency); date; habitat; type of sighting (wild or captive specimen; nest; eggs);

� conduct an informal awareness program for communities at Gunung Palung, Danau Sentarum and Betung Kerihun National Parks, and Muara Kendawangan Nature Reserve. This could be conducted by park staff during routine patrols, and include informal discussions during village meetings. Staff could record local sightings/captive individuals and work with communities to release False Gharials caught in fish traps/nets, and reduce egg collection or nest disturbance. Standard guidelines for handling and release of crocodiles could be developed and distributed to forestry staff. If possible, crocodile release locations should be as close as possible to capture locations;

� develop an inventory of sites where False Gharials occur, based on records collected throughout the province. This would help identify other locations for False Gharial conservation.

2. In the Danau Sentarum National Park, simple cooperative activities by park staff and local communities

(e.g. releasing captive False Gharials) could be attended and publicised by provincial media, in order to increase provincial and national awareness of regional developments that currently threaten the park. In addition, a key nesting site, the Meliau Lakes (Fig. 1a) lie outside the park boundaries, and may warrant protection status or collaborative conservation efforts with local communities.

3. Survey timing. Future crocodile surveys, especially in DSNP, should be conducted in the early or late dry

season/wet season (May-June and October-November respectively). This would avoid extremely low or high water levels and possibly, seasonal movements undertaken by False Gharials.

4. Other field surveys. Many regions of the province remain unsurveyed for crocodiles. Further False

Gharial surveys should include the Muara Kendawangan Nature Reserve (in the south of the province), which may support important False Gharial populations.

5. Research and conservation projects. There is a high potential for False Gharial research and

conservation in West Kalimantan Province, and could involve cooperative efforts between the BKSDA, local communities, the University of Tanjungpura, conservation NGOs and international agencies. Other provincial land planning agencies should be involved in management of False Gharial swamp forest nesting habitats. The most critical actions for any False Gharial conservation project include management of logging (legal and illegal) and forest fires in peat swamp forest, to protect False Gharial nesting habitat.

6. Potential locations for a False Gharial conservation project include the Gunung Palung and Danau

Sentarum National Parks and Muara Kendawangan Nature Reserve. Project activities could include: � management of illegal logging and forest fire in False Gharial nesting habitats; � technical training of local communities and park staff in forest management; � protection of nesting sites and mapping of remote dry-season waterbodies where nests may occur.

This could combine community mapping and site protection with scientific methods (e.g. aerial surveys, satellite imagery);

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� implementation of a long-term monitoring program e.g. monthly spotlight surveys, to monitor False Gharial densities and document seasonal crocodile movements; and,

� development of community-based projects to strengthen conservation in park buffer zones and other unprotected waterways that support False Gharials.

7. Conservation of peat swamp forest is currently a high international conservation priority in Indonesia, and

includes linkages with international efforts for global carbon sequestration. False Gharial conservation in the swamp forests of West Kalimantan would contribute to a suite of global conservation objectives and national wetlands policy, and benefit other global biodiversity values.

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1. INTRODUCTION This report describes the results of a survey for a globally endangered crocodilian, the False Gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) undertaken in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, from August-September 2004. Baseline information on distribution, abundance and conservation status of this species is currently unavailable from most areas of Kalimantan. This is the third crocodile survey in West Kalimantan Province involving quantitative (spotlight survey) techniques. The current survey confirmed findings of False Gharial status in one site surveyed eight years previously (Danau Sentarum National Park) and documented False Gharial status in three sites previously unsurveyed for crocodiles (Sibau River in Betung Kerihun National Park, Gunung Palung National Park and Tapah/Kepulu Rivers, Fig. 1). The project was a cooperative effort between the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources West Kalimantan (Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Kalimantan Barat) (BKSDA), the Tomistoma Task Force of the Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG-TTF), and the People, Resources, and Conservation Foundation (PRCF), and was funded by CSG-TTF, PRCF and the National Geographic Society. During surveys in Danau Sentarum National Park, technical assistance was provided to a National Geographic team that was filming False Gharials. 1.1 Background The False Gharial, or Tomistoma (Tomistoma schlegelii Müller 1838) is a large (4-5 m total length), mound-nesting crocodilian whose extant distribution is restricted to Indonesia (eastern Sumatra, Kalimantan and possibly Java, where its historic and current status is unclear) and Malaysia (Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia). The global IUCN Red List status of the species is “Endangered” (IUCN 2004). The species was first described from “southern Borneo” (currently Kalimantan, Indonesia) and was subsequently recorded from Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia (Müller 1838; De Rooij 1917). It is one of the least-known of the world’s 23 extant crocodilian species, and until the 1990s the global IUCN status of the species was “Data Deficient” (Ross 1998a,b). The first detailed studies of this species were conducted from 1994-96 in eastern Sumatra, which documented baseline data about distribution, abundance, nesting biology and local conservation status (Bezuijen et al. 1995a,b, 1997, 1998; Muin and Ramono 1994; Ramono 1994). Other information has resulted from various short-term status assessments in Indonesia and Malaysia between 1985 and 2004 (Auliya 2002a,b, 2003; Bezuijen et al. 2001a, 2002a, 2004; Cox and Gombeck 1985; Frazier 1994; Frazier and Maturbongs 1990; Ross et al. 1998; Simpson et al. 1998, 2004). There have been no long-term autecological studies of the species. In Indonesia, the False Gharial is classified as a strictly protected species under Law SK. Mentan No. 327/Kpts/Um/5/1978 and Government Regulation No. 7/1999, and is listed under Appendix 1 of CITES, which Indonesia acceded to in 1978 (Noerdjito and Maryanto 2001; Soehartono and Mardiastuti 2002). Key findings from these limited survey data indicate that the preferred nesting habitat of the False Gharial appears to be peat or freshwater swamp forest, and that the species appears to occur at low densities throughout most of its range (Bezuijen et al. 1998, 2001b; Stuebing et al., 2004). Peat swamp forest was historically distributed throughout the lowlands of Sumatra, Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia (MacKinnon et al. 1996; Whitten et al. 1984), but is now one of the most threatened tropical forest ecosystems in south-east Asia, due to logging, fire, clearance and drainage (APMI 2004; Reiley and Page 1997; Stibig et al. 2002). In Borneo, <50% (95,000km²) of original swamp forest is estimated to remain (WCMC 2000). This has resulted in extensive loss of documented and potential False Gharial nesting habitat throughout range states. It is generally considered that Borneo may support the largest global populations of False Gharials, due to its greater area of swamp forest habitats than Sumatra or Peninsular Malaysia. Kalimantan supports the largest areas of remnant swamp forests in Borneo. West Kalimantan Province was selected as a high-priority for surveys due to the occurrence of relatively large areas of swamp forests (also within some protected areas) and previous records, which indicated the province supports globally important False Gharial populations. Borneo supports at least three crocodilian species (T. schlegelii, Crocodylus porosus and C. siamensis) and may support a fourth, unconfirmed species (C. raninus) (Cox et al. 1993; Ross 1990; Ross et al. 1996). This is the highest number of crocodile species found in any region of Asia, yet despite this, the status and ecology of these species remain undocumented in many regions of Borneo.

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1.2 The Tomistoma Task Force and PRCF The current project was coordinated by the Tomistoma Task Force of the Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG-TTF) and the People, Resources, and Conservation Foundation (PRCF). The CSG-TTF was formed in 2003 and comprises a voluntary working group with experience in False Gharial research, conservation and captive husbandry. Many CSG-TTF personnel are leading experts in global crocodilian research and conservation. The aim of the CSG-TTF is to strengthen False Gharial conservation, through facilitating and/or implementing field surveys, research projects and fund raising. Funds raised by the TTF are managed by the CSG. A CSG-TTF website enables the group to answer public queries about the species and facilitates public support and donations (www.tomistoma.org). The PRCF is a non-government, non-profit conservation organisation (NGO) formed in 1996, with a coordinating office in the United States and regional branches in Indonesia, Viet Nam, Myanmar and Cambodia. The PRCF mission statement is: “to strengthen biodiversity conservation and ecosystems functions, and to strive to establish systems that integrate the conservation, protection, and wise use of natural resources with the social and economic development of affected communities”. Foundation objectives are implemented through four programs: species conservation, community development, sustainable agriculture and cultural arts restoration. The foundation develops nationally-supported projects with strong cultural and socio-economic links to biodiversity conservation, with scientific and management expertise from international/national PRCF personnel. The “Yayasan PRCF-Indonesia” is an independent country branch of PRCF operating since 1996, and is based in Pontianak, West Kalimantan Province (www.prcfoundation.org). 1.3 Survey objectives The objectives of this project were to: 1. Review existing information on the False Gharial in West Kalimantan Province. 2. Conduct field surveys in a range of protected and unprotected sites, in order to document current status

and threats to the species, as well as the socio-economic conditions in these sites. 3. Identify sites of high conservation/research priority for the species in West Kalimantan Province. 4. Raise awareness of the species and its swamp forest nesting habitat among key provincial agencies

concerned in the management of the species and its habitats. 5. Conduct training of local agencies (forestry officers, conservation NGOs) in crocodile survey and

conservation techniques during field surveys. 6. Identify follow-up conservation activities after the project. The remainder of this report is divided into the following sections:

� Section 2 (project study areas and methods); � Section 3 (review of previous crocodile surveys in Borneo); � Sections 4-7 (results of site surveys); � Section 8 (review of False Gharial conservation in West Kalimantan Province); and, � Sections 9-10 (local training, and filming assistance to National Geographic).

Survey data, other False Gharial records, and the project itinerary are in Appendices 1-6. Images of locations and habitats visited during the project may be viewed in the CSG-TTF and PRCF websites (Section 1.2). Maps of survey locations are shown in Figures 1a and 1b (Section 2.1).

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2. METHODS 2.1 Study areas Borneo (70N-40S; 1060-1160E) is the third largest island in the world after Greenland and New Guinea (746,305 km2). It is located in the Sundaic Region or “Sundaland”, referring to South-east Asian countries located on the shallow Sundaic continental shelf (depths < 120 m) of the South China Sea, including Sumatra, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam (MacKinnon et al. 1996; Voris 2000). Borneo consists of the states of Sarawak, Sabah (Malaysia), Brunei, and Kalimantan (Indonesia), which is the largest portion of this island (73%, 539,460 km2) (MacKinnon et al. 1996). Island topography varies from extensive low-lying floodplains <150 m altitude in the south and west regions, to mountain ranges in the central and north regions, with the highest peak in south-east Asia (Mt. Kinabul in Sabah, 4,101 m). Three of Indonesia’s longest rivers are located in Kalimantan: the Kapuas (1,143 km), Barito (900 km) and Mahakam (775 km) (MacKinnon et al. 1996). Borneo is part of the Sunda Shield (Cretaceous age, >60 million years old), and its mountain ranges form the crustal fragment of this shield (Kuswanda et al. 1999). Geologic units include rocks associated with plate margins, basement rocks, consolidated/unconsolidated rocks and alluviums. In West Kalimantan Province, large areas are composed of “Kalimantan basement rocks” (schist and gneiss complexes), sedimentary rocks and alluviums (MacKinnon et al. 1996; ISDP 1997). Borneo’s principle climatic variable is rainfall, and the island experiences an annual “North-west Monsoon” (November-April) and a drier “South-east Monsoon” (May-October). In Pontianak (capital of West Kalimantan Province), mean annual temperature is 26.5 0C (range 25.9-27.10C), mean relative humidity is 85% (range 82-87%) and mean annual rainfall is 3,219 mm (monthly range 177-399 mm, with highest rainfall in November and lowest rainfall in August) (ISDP 1997). Rainfall varies widely between regions: Putussibau town (near the headwaters of the Kapuas River, Fig. 1) receives >4,000 mm rainfall/year (ISDP 1997; MacKinnon et al. 1996). Large, meandering rivers dominate the lowlands. Tidal influence extends up to 100 km inland and well into totally freshwater areas. Tidal range in West Kalimantan Province is relatively small compared with other countries but is highly variable between regions (e.g. some lowland rivers have a maximum tidal range of 1.5 m, ISDP 1997). There is generally one tidal cycle per day, but can be two per day during neap tides (Hadi et al. 1977; ISDP 1997). Borneo is located within the “Sundaland Forests” biome (BirdLife International 2003, 2004), which supports some of the richest and most biologically diverse habitats on the planet. The island supports lowland tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen rainforest, swamp forest, heath forest, montane forest, savannah and cultivated lands. Lowlands are dominated by peat swamp forest, freshwater swamp forest and lowland dipterocarp forest. Peat swamp forests cover >3,500,000 ha of lowland Kalimantan (MacKinnon et al. 1996). West Kalimantan (02°08’N-03°05’S; 108°0’W-114°10’E) is the fourth largest province in Indonesia (146,807 km2, about 20% of Borneo’s total area) (ISDP 1997). Most of the province is situated on a large coastal plain <100 m a.s.l. The highest mountain is Mt. Bukit Raya (2,278 m). Peat swamp forest is the largest forest category in the province, comprising 36% (>1,000,000 ha) of its land (ISDP 1997). In the last several decades, large areas of rain forest and swamp forest have been lost or burnt and now support a mosaic of secondary swamp forest, scrub, grasslands and croplands. In the mid-1990s, the provincial population was approximately 3,732,300 people (mean annual increase 2.65%), with human densities ranging from 6 (upper Kapuas River) - 4,000 (Pontianak) people/km2 and 20-30% of the population located in state-owned forested lands (Fox and Atok 1997; ISDP 1997). Coastal regions support the highest provincial population densities. Densities are lowest in the inland, east regions of the province (ISDP 1997). Approximately 41% of the provincial population comprise Dayak, the indigenous people of Kalimantan, which inhabit 70% of the province area (Momberg et al. 1996).

4

Sintang

Kapuas RiverSemitau

SelimbauJongkong

Putussibau

Tanjung Lasa

Nanga Potan Village

Siba

u R.

Leboyan R.

Lakes

Danau SentarumNational Park

National Park

Village

Meliau

M A L A Y S I A

I N D O N E S I A

Tawang River

Malay Pen.

Sumatra

Java

Sarawak

SabahBRUNEI

KalimantanWest

0 20 100km6040 80

Ijakapat Ck.

Menyakan R.

Betung Kerihun

NORTH

Fig. 1a. Map showing survey locations and False Gharial records in West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. Boundaries of protected areas are denoted in thick black line. Solid circles denote towns. Solid triangles denote historic (see Section 3.1) and current survey records (Sections 4-7) of False Gharials.

5

Ketapang

PONTIANAK

SanggauSintang

Kapuas River

Gunung PalungNational Park

Muara KendawanganNature Reserve

Pesaguan River

Kepulu

Rive

r

Tapah River

M A L A Y S I A

I N D O N E S I A

River

Matan

Rantau Panjang RiverBayas River

Sedehan River

Malay Pen.

Sumatra

Java

Sarawak

SabahBRUNEI

0 20 40 60 80 100km

KalimantanWest

BelinganLake

NORTH

Fig. 1b. Map showing survey locations and False Gharial records in West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. Boundaries of protected areas are denoted in thick black line. Solid circles denote towns. Solid triangles denote historic (see Section 3.1) and current survey records (Sections 4-7) of False Gharials.

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2.1.1 Tapah and Kepulu Rivers (Ketapang region) The Tapah (02°01’46.7”S; 110°07’59.7”E) and Kepulu (02°00’02.6”S; 110°08’21.4”E) Rivers are located in the Mantan Hilir Selatan District of Ketapang Administrative Region, in the south of the province (Fig. 1). Both are tributaries of the Pesaguan River, a tidal river system approximately 200-300 m wide and lined with mangroves, nipah palm (Nypah fructicans) and cultivated land. Gold mining is apparently extensive in the upper regions of the catchment (local people pers. comm.). The Tapah and Kepulu Rivers are located approximately eight kilometres upstream from the coast. Both rivers are located within former 20-year logging concessions which operated from the 1970s-1990s (ISDP 1997; local people pers. comm.), and most areas away from the river banks have been logged and support a mosaic of secondary forest, shrubs, grassland or cultivation. Both rivers are tidally influenced for >15 km upstream, and are brackish in the lower reaches and freshwater in the upper reaches. Large regions of the catchment were burnt by forest fires in the 1960s and 1990s (ISDP 1997; local people Tapah River pers. comm.). Along the rivers the dominant forest category is peat swamp forest. Most swamp forest is highly degraded and has been burnt or logged at least once. The status of land tenure in both rivers, post-logging, is unallocated production forest. Part of the upper Pesaguan catchment is classified as Protection Forest (“Hutan Lindung”) or Logging land above mineral soils (“Tebangan di atas tanah mineral”) (ISDP 1997). The Tapah River was surveyed from the entrance to 20.5 km upstream and the Kepulu River from the entrance to 19.2 km upstream. Both rivers support mangroves (5-10 m high) until 5-6 km upstream, grading to swamp forest. Riverbanks support a narrow (10-30 m wide) belt of degraded peat swamp forest or regenerating grassland and shrubland, and in some sections are mostly bare. Stands of Pandanus Pandanus tectorius (1-5 m high) occur along the banks of both rivers. Soils are peaty. In the Tapah River, a distinctive low heathland community (“kerangas”) occurs on extensive sand flats from 12-14 km upstream. Away from the riparian belt, large areas of land are burnt, open and degraded. Along the Tapah River, there are no villages or permanent residents, although several seasonally-inhabited huts are located 6-7 km upstream from the river entrance, and the river is less than one hour’s walk from Pesaguan town. Along the Kepulu River, there are no residents until 19.2 km upstream, where there is an illegal logging camp of >30 personnel. Both rivers are visited by nearby residents for fishing, small-scale illegal logging and subsistence hunting. Water quality, although not measured, differs considerably between the rivers. The Tapah River supports relatively clean, non-turbid “blackwaters” distinctive of peat swamp forest (Janzen 1974). The mainstream of the Kepulu River is turbid, silty and grey-coloured. Residents reported the river is highly polluted due to extensive gold mining in the upper reaches, and only drink water sourced from sidecreeks flowing out of the forest. The lower reaches of both rivers are navigable by motorised boats until at least 20 km upstream, but only canoes and small motors can be used in the upper reaches. 2.1.2 Gunung Palung National Park Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP) is located in the Simpang Hilir and Sukadana Districts of the Ketapang Administrative Region, in the south of the province (Fig. 1). The park is 90,000 ha, extending from the coast to Mt. Palung at 1,050 m a.s.l., and supports a diverse range of peat swamp, freshwater swamp, lowland and montane forest (ISDP 1997; Sutedja 1992). Much of the western region of the park comprises a low-lying floodplain of swamp forest, with mangroves closer to the coast. The park is ranked as the 6th highest of 43 wetlands of high conservation value in Indonesia (ISDP 1997; MacKinnon et al. 1996). Surveys were conducted in the Rantau Panjang River (01°10’07.1”S; 109°59’46.7”E) (surveyed from 8.4-31.8 km upstream) and Bayas River (01°10’01.1”S; 110°01’38.9”E) (surveyed from the entrance to 3.5 km upstream). Both waterways are tidally influenced until far upstream (beyond the survey limits). The Rantau Panjang extends from the sea to montane regions in the east of the park, and is saline or brackish until at least 16 km upstream. The river mouth is 70-80 m wide, and lined with mangroves (15-20 m high) and nipah palm (5-10 m high) until 16-17 km upstream, grading to freshwater swamp and peat swamp forest. At 30 km upstream, the river is 1-3 m wide. From 16-17 km upstream, swamp forest (10-25 m high, with emergents up to 30 m) occurs along the riverbanks on peat hummocks, in a relatively narrow (up to 50 m wide) riparian belt. Thick stands of P. tectorius (3-5 m high) and Hanguana malayana (“Bakung”) occur along the banks. Most of

7

the western banks of the Rantau Panjang River are outside the national park and support transmigration areas with cultivated lands and secondary forest and shrub. Away from the riparian belt, most lands have been extensively burnt and/or logged, and are devoid of swamp forest. Most areas surveyed in both rivers were burnt in at least 1991 and 1997-98 (park staff pers. comm.) and support regenerating secondary swamp forest, shrubland and grassland. More than 27 km upstream, the Rantau Panjang grades from peat to sandy soils, and small sandbars are present. The coastal reaches of the river support transmigration communities and a highway crosses the river, within the park, 4.3 km upstream from the river mouth. The Bayas River is a 3-5 m wide freshwater tributary of the Rantau Panjang River. The first several hundred metres of the river support a narrow belt of degraded swamp forest, but most areas have been extensively burnt and support grassland and shrubland, and banks are bare or lightly vegetated. The river is shallow (1-2 m at the mouth). Scattered stands of P. tectorius and shrubs (1-3 m high) occur along the banks. Both rivers were commercially logged from the 1950s-1970s and are subject to annual forest fires (park staff pers. comm.). There are no permanent human communities along the river within the park borders, although both tributaries are frequently visited by nearby residents for fishing, subsistence hunting and timber collection. In the dry season, the Rantau Panjang River is navigable by small motorised boat until 30 km upstream, but the Bayas River is only accessible by canoe to 3.5 km, and must then be walked. 2.1.3 Sibau River (Betung Kerihun National Park) The Sibau River (01°02’36.7”S; 112°59’40.4”E) is a tributary of the Kapuas River located >360 km inland from the coast, in the north-east of the province (Fig. 1). Mean annual rainfall in this region is 4,500 mm (range 2,863-5,517) (Kuswanda et al. 1999). The river is >80 km long and begins close to Putussibau town in the Kapuas Hulu Administrative Region. The river was surveyed from the mouth to 64.4 km upstream. The river entrance is 60-70 m wide, and the lower reaches support degraded secondary forest (5-20 m high), shrubland and shifting cultivation, with small areas of swamp forest. At 25.4 km upstream, the river narrows and forest cover increases. The upper reaches support relatively intact lowland dipterocarp forest (canopy 20-35 m high). Along the river banks, a dominant tree species is Dipterocarpus oblongifolius (Mr. Albertus, WWF-BK pers. comm.). Land along the river is sloping, with hills 100-200 m high. From 59.7 km upstream (01°13’11.8”N; 113°04’26.9”E, fork of the Menyakan and Sibau Rivers) the upper reaches extend into Betung Kerihun National Park (BKNP). The BKNP is 800,000 ha and is the largest protected area in West Kalimantan Province (0°40’-01°35’N; 112°15’-114°10’E), and occupies 5.5% of province’s land area (Kuswanda et al. 1999). The river is swift-flowing, not tidally influenced, and is clear (distinct from the red-black waters of swamp forest). Small, shallow rapids (often <30 cm deep) alternate with slower sections of pools and riffles (pools may be >5 m deep in the lower reaches). Substrate is gravel and pebbles, and gravel-bars of large, smoothly worn gravel are scattered along the river. Rock outcrops are common and in narrow sections form small “whitewater” rapids. Some outcrops are 3-4 m high and partly block the river. Riverbanks are 3-4 m high in the lower reaches and 1-3 m high in the upper reaches, consisting of firm clay/loam soils or small, sheer rockfaces. Significant seasonal fluctuations in waterlevel occur, and in the wet season, the river rises >3 m and floods riverbanks and rock outcrops (team pers. obs.; local residents pers. comm.). The river is sparsely populated by three small villages (10.3, 19.7 and 29.6 km upstream respectively). The upper reaches, from 29.4-59.7 km upstream, are under traditional (“adat”) land ownership and law of the Nanga Potan Village, 29.6 km upstream (local resident Mr. Rasimin pers. comm.). Shifting cultivation (“ladang”) is practised along river banks. In 2004, Nanga Potan Village had a population of 80-90 people and 13 houses (6.2-6.9 persons/house) (village head pers. comm.). Two Dayak ethnic minorities are present in the village (Dayak Kantu, the majority, and Bukat), and there are at least eight Dayak ethnic minorities in the region of Putussibau town. Nanga Potan Village has been in its current location since the 1970s, and there are no other permanent residences further upstream. The lower and upper reaches of the river, extending far upstream into the BKNP, are frequently visited by residents of the river or Putussibau town for fishing, subsistence hunting and illegal logging. Small illegal log camps were observed far upstream in the BKNP (Section 7.5).

8

2.1.4 Danau Sentarum National Park Danau Sentarum National Park (DSNP) (0°40’-0°55’N; 112°00’-112°25’E) is located in the floodplains of the Kapuas River >300 km inland, in the north-east of the province (Fig. 1). The park is 132,000 ha and consists of a series of extensive, interconnected freshwater seasonal lakes (“danau”), interspersed with freshwater and peat swamp forest, river channels and dry lowland forest on isolated hills. Waterbodies are not subject to tidal influence. Mean elevation is 35 m a.s.l. (Giesen and Aglionby 2000). Mean annual rainfall is 3,900 mm and surrounding hill catchments receive 4,500-6,000 mm/year (Giesen and Aglionby 2000). The park has a unique hydrology due to its low elevation and annual discharge through a single river which connects it to the Kapuas River, the Tawang. Annual fluctuations in discharge volume of the Kapuas River result in large seasonal water fluctuations in the park, which may rise and fall up to 12 m in a year. For nine months of the year (October-August), lakes are relatively full, but from June-October waters retreat to deepest channels and lakes, and many lakes dry out completely. The park is a significant buffer against flooding in the upper Kapuas River. Lake waters are brown-black, stained by peat deposits, nutrient-deficient and acidic. Geology and soils are dominated by recent deposits, with isolated sandstone hills that range from 120-370 m above the floodplains (Giesen and Aglionby 2000). Swamp forests and lakes respectively account for 49% and 23% of the park, and the park supports three major types of swamp forest: tall, stunted and dwarf swamp forest, with a mean canopy height of 22-30, 8-15 and 5-8 m respectively (Giesen and Aglionby 2000). The DSNP is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, with a range of global conservation values and which supports an important fisheries resource for local communities. Areas of the park have been populated for >1,000 years, and more than 7,000 people (Malay and Dayak communities) in 39 villages are located in and near the park (Giesen and Aglionby 2000). From 1992-1997 an “integrated conservation and development project” was conducted in the park (Wadley et al. 2000). Surveys were conducted in the Tawang River (00°38’12.1”N; 111°59’03.0”E) (mouth to 39.6 km upstream), the Leboyan River (00°54’43.7”N; 112°21’23.2”E) (mouth to 69.5 km upstream), Belaram Lake (00°54’03.3”N; 112°19’41.6”E) and the Meliau Lakes (00°54’14.6”N; 112°24’19.0”E) (mouth to 7 km upstream) (Fig. 1). The Tawang River is 39.6 km long and extends from the Kapuas River, and is >70 m at its entrance. A mosaic of stunted swamp forest and cleared, cultivated or burnt areas occur along its banks, with more swamp forest in the upper reaches. Seven villages (mainly Malayu people) are located along its riverbanks. The Leboyan River, in the north-east of the park, is 10-50 m wide and supports a mosaic of stunted swamp forest, cleared and/or burnt areas, and small areas of shifting cultivation. Five villages are located between the mouth and 69.5 km upstream (four between 21.1 and 34.5 km upstream). This river supports remote lakes and tributaries that retain water in the dry season. Two lakes, the Belaram Lake and Meliau Lakes, were visited. Belaram Lake is a small (approximately 500 m x 300 m, 15 ha) lake, that drains to the Leboyan River from a small channel 31 km upstream. At the time of the survey most of the lake was shallow (1-2 m deep). The lake is fringed by degraded peat swamp forest (10-20 m high) and semi-submerged grassland. The area has been logged and/or burnt in the past. The Meliau Lakes form a system of at least seven small lakes, connected by a single creek (1-5 m wide), that drains into the Leboyan River 35 km upstream. These lakes supported the most intact peat swamp forest (20-30 m high) observed in the park. Four of the seven lakes were visited but the furthest lakes were not. There are no permanent residents in the Belaram and Meliau Lakes, although an illegal log camp is present 2-3 km upstream in the Meliau creek. These lakes, and sections of the Leboyan River from 30-40 km upstream, are subject to traditional (“adat”) land ownership and law of Meliau Village, located 34.5 km upstream. This village is >100 years old and of Iban ethnic minority. Extensive fish-netting and trapping was observed in all sites visited, and intensive illegal logging was observed in the Meliau Lakes. 2.2 Spotlight surveys Spotlight surveys were conducted in all sites visited. Spotlight surveys enable the density of crocodilians (number of individuals per kilometre of river) to be assessed. They do not measure absolute abundance, but provide an index of relative density which allows changes in population size and structure to be quantified over time (Bayliss 1987; Messel et al. 1981). Surveys were conducted in the dry season, from a small motorised boat or canoe, depending on navigability of the river. A hand-held spotlight (12V / 100 W bulb with

9

a 15 cm sealed-beam face), powered from a 12V truck battery was used in large waterways and a torch was used in smaller waterways. When possible, surveys in tidal areas were initiated at low tide, when more crocodiles are visible at the water’s edge (Messel et al. 1981). Survey start times varied from shortly after dark to 0400 hours. However, the short time available in each river necessitated that some surveys were conducted on rising or even high tides. Survey start/finish locations and crocodile sightings were recorded with a Garmin eEtrex Vista global positioning system. Crocodiles were identified to species or recorded as “eyeshine” if only the eye reflection was seen. The length of crocodiles observed during spotlight surveys is traditionally estimated in feet, which provides a higher accuracy than metres. During surveys crocodile size was recorded in foot categories (1-2 ft, 2-3 ft etc). All other measurements in this report follow the metric system. In each site, all surveyed river sections were mapped with GPS in order to calculate survey distances. Survey sites were selected to obtain information on False Gharials over a relatively large area of West Kalimantan Province and range of habitats (coastal and inland regions), and document current status and threats to crocodiles in sites previously surveyed by other researchers (the Tawang and Leboyan Rivers in DSNP were selected for this reason, Section 7). Current spotlight surveys were conducted in the same dry-season conditions (August-September) as previous spotlight surveys in Kalimantan and Sumatra. The survey team included two BKSDA staff (B. Syransyah and S. Andriyono) and one CSG-TTF/PRCF member (M. Bezuijen), who were joined in each site by local representatives:

� Mr. Hengkieryatman Putra (KSDA Ketapang District) (Tapah/Kepulu Rivers); � Mr. Roni and Mr. Darmawan (park staff) and Mr. Ata (local guide) (GPNP); � Mr. Mohammed Hendry Mh. (BKNP staff), Mr. Albertus, Mr. Zulkifli, Mr. Anas Nasrullah, Mr. Rudi

Zappariza and Mr. Ruly Mahessa (WWF-BK Project); � Mr. Bambang Dahat W. and Mr. Yefri Irwanto (KSDA Semitau), Mr. Syahirsyah (WWF-BK Project)

(DSNP). 2.3 Nests Surveys were timed to coincide with the False Gharial nesting season (approximately June-September). Brief nest searches were conducted in some sites and old nest sites reported by local people were visited. Although no active nests were found, old False Gharial nests were examined. A series of standardised nest measurements were recorded, including nest dimensions and local information on nest history. Nesting habitat was quantified in a quadrat (30 m diameter) around the nest with the following simple attributes: length and width of peat hummock the nest was located on; diameter at chest height (DBH) of all trees >10cm DBH; number of tree species/forms in the quadrat (usually based on identification of local names only, by local guides); percent cover (visually assessed in 10% categories of “bare mud/peat”, “ground vegetation”, “mid-storey”, “canopy”, “water” and “other”); disturbance history (fire, logging, other). Quadrat measurements also provided the opportunity for team training in concepts of crocodile nesting and peat swamp ecology. 2.4 Morphometrics Morphometric measurements were recorded from captive False Gharials and specimens (skulls, skins) (no wild crocodiles were captured during the survey). Measurements included total length, head length, body weight and a range of other body dimensions and are described in Appendix 2. These data will be entered into an existing morphormetrics database for later analysis. Crocodile body and egg weights were recorded with a 500 g tubular Kamoshita spring balance (5 g increments) or a 25 kg Salter spring balance. 2.5 Interviews Informal interviews were conducted with logging personnel, local fishermen and park officials, in order to obtain information on the presence and status of False Gharials, sightings, nest records, and local socio-economic conditions (resource use, history of fire and logging, current or proposed regional development). Data were recorded on interview forms modified from Bezuijen et al. 1997.

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3. PREVIOUS CROCODILE SURVEYS IN BORNEO This section provides a brief summary of crocodile spotlight surveys in Borneo prior to the current survey, and existing False Gharial records in West Kalimantan. 3.1 Borneo The type specimen for the False Gharial was collected in 1836 by Müller (1838) in the “southern parts of Borneo” (i.e. Kalimantan). Müller (1838) described the species as “fairly abundant” and “widely distributed” in “quiet lakes and rivers”, and reported that the species rarely occurred in “large rivers”. Currently, the known distribution of the False Gharial in Borneo is West, Central and East Kalimantan and Sarawak. There are museum specimens and sightings from these regions since the late 1800s (Stuebing et al. in prep.). The species has not been recorded in Sabah or Brunei, and two records from South Kalimantan Province may be of captive individuals transported from other regions (Stuebing et al. in prep.; Whitaker 1984). A summary of key crocodile surveys and False Gharial records is in Table 1. A detailed compilation and review of existing records is in Stuebing et al. (in prep.). Previous reviews of False Gharial distribution include Bezuijen et al. (1998), Sebastian (1993a,b, 1994) and Stuebing et al. (1998, 2004).

Table 1: Crocodile surveys and False Gharial records in Borneo

Region Date Location Spotlight surveys?

Other survey methods

Species seen in the wild

Species seen in captivity

Local people have seen T. schlegelii?

Reference

WK ? Pontianak town No Specimen collected – TS

Unknown Unknown Unknown Senckenberg Museum*

WK ? Kapuas River (Sanggau)

No Specimen collected – TS

Unknown Unknown Unknown W.L. Abbot*

WK 1917 Pontianak town No Specimen collected – TS

Unknown Unknown Unknown N. de Rooij*

WK 1917 Kapuas River No Specimen collected – TS

Unknown Unknown Unknown N. de Rooij*

WK 1994 DSNP Yes Interviews; visits to local crocodile farms

TS TS Yes Frazier (1994)

WK 1995 DSNP; Kapuas River Yes Interviews; visits to local crocodile farms

None TS, CP Yes Ross et al. (1996)

WK 1995 Sibau River No Incidental obs; specimens collected

None TS Yes Auliya (2000)

WK 2003 Sibau River No Local interviews None TS (skull, skin) Yes Zulkifli & Albertus (2003)

CK 1836 Dusun River No Specimen collected – TS

TS None Yes Muller (1838)

CK 1917 Lake Lemuda No Specimen collected – TS

TS None Yes N. de Rooij (1917)

CK 1980s TPNP No Incidental observations

TS, CP None Yes Galdikas & Yeager (1984); Yeager (1991)

CK 1990 13 rivers/creeks in south coastal region

Yes Interviews; visits to local crocodile farms

TS TS Yes Frazier & Maturbongs (1990)

CK 1995 Barito River No Interviews; visits to crocodile farms

None TS Yes Ross et al. (1996)

CK 2002, 2004

TPNP Yes Incidental obs. TS TS Yes Park staff pers obs.; Simpson (2004)

EK 1915 Samarinda town No Specimen collected – TS

Unknown Unknown Unknown H.C. Raven*

EK 1925 Telen River (Mahakam River), Kutai

No Incidental obs. TS None Yes Witkamp (1925)

EK 1927 Telen River (off Mahakam River), Kutai

No Incidental obs. TS None Yes Endert (1927)

EK 1990 9 rivers/creeks in NE / SE of province

Yes Interviews; visits to crocodile farms

TS, CP TS, CP Yes Frazier (1990)

EK 1993 10 rivers/lakes in SE (Mahakam River)

No Interviews; visits to crocodile farms

None TS, CP, CS Yes Muin & Ramono (1994)

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EK 1995 Bongan River (off Mahakam River)


None TS, CP, CS Yes Ross et al. (1996)

SK 1917 Banjarmasin town No Specimen collected – TS

Unknown Unknown Unknown Collector N. de Rooij*

SK 1995 Crocodile farm No Visits to crocodile farms

None TS, CP, CS, CR -- Ross et al. (1996)

SAR 1985 Tributaries of Baram, Batang, Sadong Rivers


TS, CP TS, CP Yes Cox & Gombeck (1985)

SAR 1997 Runjing River, tributary of Batang Lupar River

No Interviews TS (nest) -- Yes Lading & Stuebing (1997)

SAR 2004 Mayeng Sarang River Yes Interviews None -- Yes Bezuijen (2004) SAB 1983 Sugut, Kinabatangan,

Segama, Klias/Padas Yes Interviews; visits to

crocodile farms CP CP No Whitaker (1984)

Note: WK-West Kalimantan; CK-Central Kalimantan; EK-East Kalimantan; SK-South Kalimantan; SAR-Sarwak; SAB-Sabah; DSNP/TPNPs–Danau Sentarum & Tanjung Puting National Parks. Crocodile species: TS-Tomistoma schlegelii; CP-Crocodylus porosus; CS-C. siamensis; CR-“C. raninus” group. *data from Stuebing et al. (in prep.) These data indicate the relative paucity of survey work conducted on the crocodilians of Borneo. Most current information available on Borneo crocodilians is based on 26 short-term assessments, early museum expeditions or interviews with local communities and crocodile farms (Table 1). There have been at least nine documented quantitative (spotlight) crocodile surveys (Table 1), which were all conducted between 1983 and 2004. All of these spotlight surveys were short-term assessments, generally lasting less than two weeks in each river surveyed, and (with the exception of Tanjung Puting National Park, Simpson 2004), recorded low numbers of crocodiles. 3.2 West Kalimantan Province Prior to the current survey, two crocodile surveys utilising standardised spotlight survey techniques were conducted in West Kalimantan Province, in 1994 (Frazier 1994) and 1995-1996 (Ross et al. 1996, 1998). Both surveys were conducted in the Danau Sentarum National Park and two tributaries of the Kapuas River (Jong Kong and Sibau Rivers), in the north-east of the province. These and most other available information on False Gharials are from the northeast of the province. No surveys had been conducted in the western or southern regions of the province. Four museum species collected in the Kapuas River labelled as “Pontianak town” and “Sanggau town”, located in the coastal and mid-sections of the Kapuas River respectively (Fig. 1), indicate the species may historically have occurred in the central and western coastal regions of the province, although it is possible these specimens may have been collected elsewhere and transported to these towns for sale by local people. Spotlight survey locations and results of Frazier (1994) and Ross et al. (1996, 1998) are in Table 2.

Table 2: Locations and results of previous crocodile spotlight surveys in West Kalimantan Province

No. Region Site Coordinates Date SD (km) Crocodiles Notes Source 1 DSNP Tawang River 00°38’12.1”S;

111°59’03.0”E 06-Aug-94 39.6 0 Frazier (1994)

2 DSNP Pengembung Lake 00°48’45”S; 112°04’35”E

07-Aug-94 6.4 0 Crocodile tracks recorded

Frazier (1994)

3 DSNP Pemerak & Tawang River

00°38’12.1”S; 111°59’03.0”E

08-Aug-94 13.1 0 Frazier (1994)

4 DSNP Belitung River ? 09-Aug-94 13.5 0 Frazier (1994) 5 DSNP Lake Sekawi, part

of Tawang River 00°38’12.1”S; 111°59’03.0”E

09-Aug-94 39.7 0 Frazier (1994)

6 DSNP Suakari Pond, Leboyan River

? 10-Aug-94 Small pond

0 Walked Frazier (1994)

7 DSNP Leboyan River (0-28.4 km)

00°52’45.5”S; 112°19’44.7”E

11-Aug-94 51.9 6 (x2 TS; x4 ES)

All crocs seen in 7.6 km section of river

Frazier (1994)

8 DSNP Sumpak River ? 13-Aug-94 42 0 Frazier (1994) 9 DSNP Pengembung Lake 00°48’45”S;

112°04’35”E 22-Sep-95 15 0 Ross et al.

(1996)

12

10 DSNP Semati Lake, Leboyan River

00°29’20”S; 112°15’48”E

23-Sep-95 4.1 0 Ross et al. (1996)

11 DSNP Termabas 00°46’40”N; 112°30’16”E

18-Aug-96 20 0

12 Jong Kong River

Lake Basaulaut 00°39’10”S; 112°15’50”E

24-Sep-95 6.7 0 Tributary of upper Kapuas River

Ross et al. (1996)

13 Kapuas River

Putussibau town 00°51’10”S; 112°51’48”E

15-Aug-96 10 0 Upper reaches of river

Ross et al. (1996)

14 Sibau River

Betung Kerihun National Park

01°04’38”N; 113°02’00”E

16-Aug-96 20 0 Tributary of upper Kapuas River

Ross et al. (1996)

15 Ketapang Pawan River 01°48’31”S; 110°09’49”E

25-Aug-96 15 0 In south of province Ross et al. (1996)

16 Ketapang Belaban River 02°23’03”S; 110°30’37”E


17 Ketapang Simbar River 02°44’53”S; 110°14’05”E


Note: SD-Survey Distance; DSNP – Danau Sentarum National Park; TS-Tomistoma schlegelii; ES-Eyeshine

Previous spotlight surveys in West Kalimantan Province recorded very few crocodiles in the wild (Table 2), although additional information (captive specimens and interviews with local people) confirmed the occurrence of the species in the upstream tributaries and floodplains of the Kapuas River (including the Sibau and Jong Kong Rivers) (Auliya 2000; Frazier 1994; Meijard and Sozer 1996; Ross et al. 1996, 1998; Zulkifli and Albertus 2003).

The paucity of crocodile sightings is a common result of many spotlight surveys in Kalimantan and Sumatra, even in rivers where False Gharials are confirmed to occur, despite frequent statements from local people that False Gharials (and frequently Saltwater Crocodiles Crocodylus porosus) are common and “often seen” (Bezuijen et al. 2001, 2002a). It is unclear whether this reflects a genuine lack of crocodiles, deficiencies in crocodile survey methods, or other factors. For example, most crocodile spotlight surveys in Kalimantan and Sumatra (including the current project) were conducted in the dry season, when water levels are lowest. Local people in some regions state that crocodiles move seasonally between the mainstream and remote lakes, and it is possible that surveys in the early or late dry or wet seasons would record different crocodile densities (Frazier 1994).

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4. TAPAH AND KEPULU RIVERS (KETAPANG REGION) 4.1 Distribution and abundance 4.1.1 Spotlight surveys Five spotlight surveys were undertaken in the Tapah River (9th-12th August 2004), from 5.2-20.5 km upstream from the river’s entrance (total survey distance 46.8 km, Appendix 1). A single spotlight survey was conducted in the Kepulu River (13th August 2004) from the river entrance to 19.2 km upstream. Most surveys were timed to coincide with low tide, and survey conditions were generally good (no moon and low water levels). All surveys in the Tapah River were conducted from canoe, and the survey in the Kepulu River was conducted by speedboat (40 HP) at low speed. No crocodiles were seen during any of the spotlight surveys in these rivers (Appendix 1). A single “eyeshine” seen in brackish water of the Pesaguan River, five kilometres upstream from the sea (13th August 2004), was probably a Crocodylus species. A 15-16 ft False Gharial was observed by the team in the Kepulu River, at 1140 hours (13th August 2004). This individual was basking on the riverbank at low tide, with half of its upper body clearly exposed, 13 km upstream from the river entrance (01°55’57.3”S; 110°11’32.4”E). Notable features of this individual were its very broad snout and dark brownish-black dorsal coloration. After the first pass of the speedboat the crocodile swum into the midstream, where it remained afloat for several seconds as the speedboat turned, then slowly submerged (there was insufficient time to take any photographs). This section of the river was 10-12 m wide, supporting a narrow belt of peat swamp forest (15-20 m high), with stands of Pandanus (1-3 m high). 4.1.2 Local information In the Tapah River, a long-term (>25 years) resident stated that both False Gharials and Saltwater Crocodiles occur in the river, and the last time a crocodile was seen (species unknown) was in 2002. False Gharials were reported to be “common” in the river before large forest fires in the 1960s, which destroyed swamp forest. In the Kepulu River, residents described the species as “common” and “often” seen near a logging camp 19.2 km upstream. 4.2 Nesting No crocodile nests were found during limited searches along riverbanks, and residents interviewed (fishermen and illegal logging personnel) stated they had not seen or heard of crocodile nests. In both rivers, the sections of mainstream surveyed appeared unsuitable for nesting, due to the narrow belt of degraded riverine vegetation or absence of vegetation in burnt areas. In the Tapah River, residents stated that more intact swamp forest remains in the upper reaches, and it is possible that some nesting continues in the upstream regions of these rivers. 4.3 Morphometrics No wild crocodiles were captured during surveys. A captive juvenile False Gharial (total length 59.1 cm) kept by local people in Pesaguan town was measured. This individual was reported to originate from the Matan River in Gunung Palung National Park (Fig. 1) and was caught by the owner in June 2004. Morphometric measurements are in Appendix 2. 4.4 False Gharial conservation status False Gharials were observed in the Kepulu River but not the Tapah River, although residents in both rivers stated the species occurs. The following points are made from this survey. � Based on interviews with residents and habitat assessment, it is likely that False Gharials persist in low

densities in both rivers, and surveys in Sumatra have recorded False Gharials in similar degraded swamp forest (Bezuijen et al. 2002a). Historically, the species was probably widely distributed throughout the freshwater tributaries of the Pesaguan River catchment.

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� Historically, extensive forest fires and former legal logging concessions (ISDP 1997) since the 1960s have

almost certainly reduced the area of potential nesting habitat. Current threats include further loss and degradation of potential nesting habitat due to illegal logging and forest fire, and noise and visual disturbance from logging and motorised boats that may reduce the likelihood of females nesting. In the Kepulu River, extensive water pollution from mercury and other heavy metals used for gold mining could result in increased mortality of embryos/eggs (Brisbin et al. 1998).

� The sighting of a large False Gharial in the Kepulu River confirms that mature individuals of breeding size

persist in these unprotected waterways. Limited nesting probably occurs in remote upstream areas in these rivers or other tributaries in the catchment, which act as “source” areas for ongoing recruitment to local populations. However, whether current levels of recruitment are sufficient to maintain local populations is unknown.

� The threats to habitats and crocodiles in the Tapah and Kepulu Rivers, including logging, forest fire,

pollution and noise and visual disturbance, reflect conditions in many lowland river systems of Kalimantan and Sumatra that support False Gharials (e.g. Bezuijen et al. 1997, 2002a).

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5. GUNUNG PALUNG NATIONAL PARK 5.1 Distribution and abundance 5.1.1 Spotlight surveys Five spotlight surveys were undertaken in Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP): four surveys in the Rantau Panjang River (14th-16th August 2004) (8.4-31.8 km upstream) and one survey in the Bayas River (17th August) (entrance-3.5 km upstream). A total of 92.3 km were surveyed: 88.8 km in the Rantau Panjang River and 3.5 km in the Bayas River. Survey times varied to coincide with low tides as far as possible, and survey conditions were generally good (no moon and low water levels). Surveys in the Rantau Panjang River were conducted in a small motorised boat (6 HP) and the survey in the Bayas River was conducted by canoe. A single False Gharial (4-5 ft total length) was observed during spotlight surveys, in the Rantau Panjang River (25 km upstream, junction with the Bayas River, at 0420 hours) (Appendix 1). 5.1.2 Local information Residents of nearby villages who have fished in the park for many years (Mr. Sahed, Mr. Ata, Mr. Udin, Mr. Manjini pers. comm. August 2004) stated that False Gharials are “common” and a range of small- and large-sized False Gharials (“up to 4 m long”) are “often seen” in the Rantau Panjang, Bayas and Air Putih Rivers (an upstream tributary of the Rantau Panjang River). False Gharials are apparently seen in the day and evening, often basking on logs. These fishermen also stated that in general, fewer False Gharials were seen since forest fires in 1993, which destroyed large areas of swamp. The last local sighting of a False Gharial was said to be in March 2004 in the Air Putih River. 5.2 Nesting Two old False Gharial nests were shown to the team by local fishermen, who stated the nests were from the 2003 nesting season: one in the Rantau Panjang River (23 km upstream) and one in the Bayas River (3.5 km upstream). Both nests were similar to False Gharial nests documented in Sumatra: located in swamp forest on raised peat hummocks; compact mounds of peat substrate, in well-shaded areas close to a waterway (Table 3; Bezuijen et al. 1998, 2001a). Both nests were situated in small patches of relatively intact peat swamp forest that had been lightly logged but were unburnt, and close to extensive burnt areas. These nests and the observation of a juvenile False Gharial (Section 4.1) confirm the existence of a breeding population of False Gharials in Gunung Palung National Park.

Table 3: Old (2003) False Gharial nests in Gunung Palung National Park

Nest Site

Km upstream Latitude Longtitude

Date examined Habitat Substrate

Hummock length (m)

Hummock width (m)

1 Rantau Panjang River 23 01°09’44.4”S 110°00’31.6”E 15-Aug-04 PSF-intact

Peat hummock 6.4 5

2 Bayas River 3.5 01°11’06.2”S 110°02’22.3”E 17-Aug-04 PSF-degraded

Peat hummock 9.7 4

Nest Nest basal

diameter (m) Nest height (m)

Height above water (m)

Distance from water (m)

% Shade 0600-0900

% Shade 0900-1200

% Shade 1200-1500

% Shade 1500-1800

Nest season

1 1.50 0.42 0.5 1.8 90 80 60 100 2003 2 1.22 0.33 1.33 2.2 70 60 60 50 2003

Note: “% shade”- amount of time the nest is shaded from direct sunlight in each time category; PSF-peat swamp forest The following information was provided by the fisherman who located both nests (Mr. Manjini pers. comm. 17th August 2004): � he has found five False Gharial nests in the park in total. Four nests were “far upstream” in the Bayas

River and one was in the Rantau Pang River (examined by the team). The nests in the Bayas River were in remote areas along the mainstream or sidecreeks, where the water was “only ankle-deep”;

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� at Nest 1 (Table 3), the fisherman detected the nest when a False Gharial (presumably the nesting female) entered the water as he passed. He removed the eggs (number unknown), then waited for several hours until the female returned. He speared it and removed the skull, skin and teeth. He did not eat the eggs, which he believed “would turn his skin into that of a crocodile skin” but sold most to “a trader”;

� Nest 2 apparently contained 31 eggs, which he also collected and sold to a trader, for IDR3,000 (USD0.33)/egg (no other details were given). He stated that he “often” saw the species in the day or night.

“Nest 2” was in a small (50 x 50 m) patch of relatively intact peat swamp forest along a small sidecreek, 100 m away from the mainstream. This remnant forest (canopy 10-20 m high) was entirely surrounded by an extensive burnt area of low shrubland and grassland. A wallow was next to the nest, and a fisherman claimed the female was present in a water-filled cavity extending under the nesting hummock. Prodding with a pole indicated the presence of a large animal in the cavity, possibly the same nesting female. 5.3 Morphometrics No wild or captive crocodiles were obtained for measurement. A captive juvenile False Gharial held in Pesguan town was reported to come from the Matan River, in the GPNP (Section 4.3; Fig. 1). 5.4 Other local information � Commercial crocodile hunting. A local fisherman stated that in the 1970s, traders and hunters from

Pontianak visited local communities to hunt and/or purchase crocodile skins of False Gharials and Saltwater Crocodiles (Mr Udin pers comm.).

� Local beliefs and mythology. Crocodile “shamens” (men with “powers” to communicate with or catch crocodiles) apparently live in villages along the Matan River, because Saltwater Crocodiles in the area pose a threat to local residents (Mr. Udin pers. comm. 18th August 2004).

� Other crocodile species. Local fishermen stated that Saltwater Crocodiles occur in the Rantau Panjang River, although False Gharials are apparently more common.

5.5 False Gharial conservation status The current survey confirmed the presence of the False Gharial in the GPNP, after previous unconfirmed reports (Meijard and Sozer 1996; M. Hiller pers. comm. to R. Stuebing, 2001). Prior to this survey, park staff were unaware of the presence of the species (pers. comm.). The following points are made from the current survey. � The GPNP supports a breeding population of False Gharials. This population is probably of global

conservation significance, as swamp forest nesting habitat of this species is under-represented in the protected areas system of Indonesia (Section 8.2).

� The species appears to be widely distributed in suitable freshwater habitats in the lowland regions of the

park, including the Rantau Panjang, Bayas, Air Putih and Matan Rivers. � False Gharials continue to nest in sites that have been degraded by historic logging and/or forest fires

(some regions of the Rantau Panjang and Bayas Rivers are burnt each year, usually by human-started fires, park staff pers. comm.). Two nest sites documented in the survey were in small unburnt patches of swamp forest surrounded by burnt areas. These are among the most degraded habitats that False Gharial nests have been documented in (Lading and Stuebing 1997; Bezuijen et al. 2001b), indicating the species may be tolerant to logging and other damage to nesting habitat, so long as the swamp forest remains unburnt.

� Key threats to local False Gharial populations include loss of nesting habitat by forest fire, egg collection

and/or disturbance of nesting females by fishermen. If large areas of nesting habitat have been lost due to fire and logging, egg collection or nest disturbance may significantly impact recruitment if females abandon already limited nest sites.

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6. SIBAU RIVER (BETUNG KERIHUN NATIONAL PARK) 6.1 Distribution and abundance There are four watersheds in the Betung Kerihun National Park (BKNP), the Embaloh, Sibau-Menyakam, Medalam and Hulu Kapuas/Kaheng (Kuswanda et al. 1999). Local communities state that crocodiles only occur in the Sibau and Menyakam Rivers (Mr. Albertus, WWF-BKNP pers. comm.). The False Gharial and Saltwater Crocodile C. porosus are both listed in fauna inventories of the BKNP (Departemen Kehutanan dan Perkebunan 1999; Penyunting and Soedjito (1999). Auliya (2000) recorded local reports of False Gharials, based on a False Gharial skull and captive individual held in Putussibau town. Zulkifli and Albertus (2003) documented the skull and skin of a large False Gharial killed by local people in the river in 2003 (Section 6.1.2). The species was not recorded during a single spotlight survey in August 1996 (Ross et al. 1998) or during herpetological surveys in 1995, 1996 and 1997 (Iskandar et al. 1998; Stuebing et al. 1999). 6.1.1 Spotlight surveys Four spotlight surveys were undertaken along the Sibau River (23rd-26th August 2004) from 19.7-64.4 km upstream (total 35.6 km surveyed). From approximately 59.7 km upstream, the Sibau River is located within the BKNP. Survey conditions were reduced by moonlight on three of four nights, although water levels were low. Surveys were conducted from a boat without use of the motor. No crocodiles were observed during surveys. 6.1.2 Local information A large (>4 m total length) False Gharial was killed by a resident of Nanga Potan Village on 16th October 2003 (Zulkifli and Albertus 2003). The resident (Mr. Majid) found the crocodile while hunting along a small sidecreek (Sekedam Besar Creek, 34.2 km upstream; 01°03’37.3”N, 113°01’05.1”E). The crocodile had apparently entered the creek when it was flooded after heavy rains, but was unable to return to the mainstream after floodwaters had receded due to wood debris obscuring the creek entrance. The crocodile was shot with nine bullets and on 17th October. Village residents transported the carcass to Nanga Potan Village, where it was skinned and eaten (Zulkifli and Albertus 2003; pers. comm. Mr. Majid 23rd August 2004). The skull and skin were kept in the village. The Sekedam Besar Creek was 3-4 m wide and dry during the team’s visit, and supported unburnt lowland dipterocarp forest (15-20 m high) that had been lightly logged. Residents of Nanga Potan Village reported that False Gharials are “often” seen in the evenings, from the village to further upstream (29-60 km upstream) (Mr. Rasimin, Mr. Majid, village head pers. comm). A “large” False Gharial was seen in the Marpuri River (a sidecreek of the Sibau River downstream of Tanjung Lasa Village), which was caught and eaten by local people (Mr. Jon pers. comm.). Residents also stated that fewer crocodiles are seen now than 10-20 years ago, which they attributed to increased noise due to greater numbers of motorised boats. 6.2 Nesting No crocodile nests were found during the survey. Residents of Nanga Potan Village (Mr. Rasimin, Mr. Majid, village head pers. comm) provided the following information. � In the 1980s, a Saltwater Crocodile nest site was located 37.8 km upstream, and supported at least three

nests in different years, of “27, 62 and >28” eggs respectively. Some eggs were sold locally for IDR500 per egg and most were eaten by residents. In the 1980s, the nest site was a “large mound >1.5 m high, of leaves and twigs”. This site was visited by the team and the remains of an old nest were present. The site was on a small, steep slope in dipterocarp forest, 10-15 m above the dry season water level. The site is apparently flooded in the wet season.

� A False Gharial nest was located in peat swamp forest of the Marpuri Creek (a sidecreek in the lower

reaches of the Sibau River) in 1997 by village resident Mr. Jon (pers. comm. 23rd August). The nest held

18

24 eggs, which he collected and incubated in a plastic container with nest material. Eighteen eggs hatched less than a week later, and he attempted to sell some hatchlings in Putussibau town at IDR50,000 (USD5.5)/hatchling, but was offered IDR4,000-5,000 (USD0.44-0.55)/hatchling. Instead of selling them, he released them in the Sibau River.

6.3 Morphometrics No wild or captive living False Gharials were observed during surveys. The fresh skin of a False Gharial killed by residents of Nanga Potan Village was measured by WWF-BKNP staff a day after the crocodile was killed (October 2003) and was recorded at 4.66 m total length (Zulkifli and Albertus 2003) (Section 6.1.2). At the time of the team’s visit, the skin was degraded after 10 months of exposure (stored on the outside of a house) and partial removal of tail sections, and measured 4.23 m (not including the head). Skull measurements of this crocodile were recorded (Table 4).

Table 4: Measurements of a False Gharial skull held at Nanga Potan Village, Sibau River

Skull length (cm)

Skull width (cm)

Snout-eye length (cm)

Snout width(cm)

PP width (cm)

MP width (cm)

IO width (cm)

Weight (kg) T:UF T:UB T:LF T:LB

75.4 42.8 55.8 6.9 19 14.8 4.4 11.2 4 16 4 15 Note: PP-point to point of cranial platform; MP-mid-points of cranial platform; IO-inter-ocular; T-Teeth (Upper Front; Upper Back; Lower Front; Lower Back). Measurements described in Appendix 2

Total skull length was 75.4 cm (Table 4), and the total length of this individual when living may have been >4.66 m. A coarse estimate of total length was derived by a simple linear regression equation developed by Wildlife Management International Pty. Limited (unpubl. data) for calculating total length from head length in False Gharials. This yielded a predicted total length of 504 cm (16-17 ft or 5 m). Caution is needed in the use of this equation, which was only based on a limited sample size (n=49) of False Gharials mostly <3 m total length, and larger individuals must be measured before accurate size-prediction equations can be formulated for the species (Bezuijen et al. 1997). 6.4 Other local information � Diet. The stomach of the False Gharial killed by village residents apparently contained pig bones, turtle

shell fragments and “many” river stones “as long as a cigarette lighter” (Mr. Majid pers. comm. 23rd August 2004). Residents stated they had “often” seen crocodiles of various species “shooting” water from their mouths to dislodge prey in vegetation overhanging the water, especially monkeys.

� Commercial crocodile hunting. Residents stated they had never seen or heard of any commercial crocodile

hunting or trade in the Sibau River. � Local beliefs and mythology. Residents are cautious when bathing at the river’s edge, but “respect the

crocodiles, which also respect people”. There are no crocodile “shamens” in Nanga Potan Village, which would “attract attention of crocodiles” (Head, Nanga Potan Village, pers. comm. 23rd August 2004). A local story was related that in the mid-1990s, a girl was eaten by a crocodile in the upper Kapuas River, and a resident of Nanga Potan Village dreamt that the “guilty” crocodile wished to enter the Sibau River, but local crocodiles forbid this because it had eaten a human. This crocodile apparently had a human spirit (“Mr. Aji Marsuki”), was occasionally still seen in the Kapuas River, and was referred to as a “ghost crocodile” (“buaya putih putih”). In another event, a crocodile shaman visited the Sibau River in the early 1980s and caught a “buaya ramin” (see below) at its nest. The nest apparently contained 75 eggs, which he brought to Putussibau town.

� The large False Gharial killed in 2003 (Section 6.1.2) was considered by residents to be a female, because

they observed the internal cliteropenis when they skinned this individual. They (incorrectly) maintained that in male crocodiles, the cliteropenis permanently extrudes from the cloaca and males are thus unable to leave the water, but females can. In fact, the cliteropenis is permanently enclosed within male and female crocodilians, except when the male cliteropenis is extruded during mating.

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� Other crocodile species. Residents of Nanga Potan Village identify three forms of crocodiles in the Sibau

River: Crocodylus porosus (known as “buaya kodok”); Tomistoma schlegelii (known as “buaya kenyulung”); and, a third, unidentified form, known as “buaya ramin”. This was described as having “reddish coloration on the top of the head”, with “a long, narrow snout”.

6.5 False Gharial conservation status � Residents state that False Gharials are widely distributed in the Sibau River, including the BKNP. A large

individual killed in 2003 confirms the presence of breeding-sized individuals, and a single report of a False Gharial nest was received from residents. On this basis, a breeding population of False Gharials appears to occur in the Sibau River.

� False Gharials were reported to be common in the river, although residents had not seen any since the

large specimen killed in October 2003. Residents attributed fewer sightings to increased crocodile wariness and human activity. Despite low human densities and extensive forest in the upper reaches, False Gharials may be relatively uncommon in the river.

� This is among the first confirmed record of False Gharials occurring in a habitat different to swamp forest.

This suggests the species may occur widely in lowland forest. Interestingly, the single nest record of this species from the Sibau River was apparently within a small region of swamp forest in the lower reaches. If peat swamp forest is the preferred nesting habitat for this species (Bezuijen et al. 2001b), large individuals may be distributed over wide areas in the river to forage, but still require swamp forest habitat to nest. The lack of extensive swamp forest could be a limiting factor for False Gharial abundance in this river.

� Local information suggests that False Gharials occur sympatrically with Saltwater Crocodiles. In Sumatra,

local people generally contend that False Gharials are restricted to the upper reaches and Saltwater Crocodiles to the lower reaches (Bezuijen et al. 1997; 2001a). Research would be required to assess any resource partitioning between these species.

� Key threats to False Gharials include loss of potential nesting habitat by illegal logging, noise/visual

disturbance of any nesting females, and opportunistic capture/killing of individuals and eggs for domestic consumption. If nesting sites are limited and populations are low, the removal of breeding individuals such as in 2003 may have disproportionately high impacts to recruitment. There are no legal logging concessions in the upper reaches of the Sibau River.

� Illegal selective logging occurs from the lower reaches to >64 km upstream, within the BKNP. Small

camps of 3-5 loggers were located along the river banks. Most loggers are not local residents, but live in Putussibau town. A single boat count recorded 15 speedboats over 30.1 km in the upper reaches (density 2 boats/km), mostly owned by loggers. Logging procedures and timber values were similar to those in eastern Sumatra in 2001-02 (Bezuijen et al. 2001a, 2002a). Personnel are provided with equipment by an overseer who recovers expenses when timber is sold. Timber prices are more expensive in the dry season (when low water levels increase the difficulty of transporting timber) and vary between tree species. In August 2004, the general timber price was IDR100,000 (USD11.1)/cubic metre (local logger pers. comm. 24th August 2004). Logging was less intensive than in the swamp forests of Danau Sentarum National Park (Section 7), or some sites in eastern Sumatra (Bezuijen et al. 2001a), probably because of increased difficulty in accessing timber from hills away from the river.

� Dayak residents in Nanga Potan Village have high subsistence reliance on forest resources and shifting

cultivation, and maintain strong cultural links to wildlife. The False Gharial killed in 2003 had raised awareness of the species among residents, who had a clear sense of ownership and respect toward the skull, kept in the village head’s home. No commercial value was attributed to the skull or skin.

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7. DANAU SENTARUM NATIONAL PARK 7.1 Distribution and abundance At least two species of crocodile, the False Gharial and Saltwater Crocodile, have been observed and reported in this site by local people and researchers for many years (Jensen et al. 1996; Frazier 2000). Prior to the current survey, two crocodile surveys were conducted in Danau Sentarum National Park (DSNP), in 1994 (Frazier 1994) and 1995-1996 (Ross et al. 1996, 1998) (Section 3). Both surveys included a combination of spotlight survey and interviews with local people and were conducted in the dry season, in the same period as the current survey (August-September). Eight spotlight counts were conducted by Frazier (1994) and three counts by Ross et al. (1996). Frazier (1994) observed crocodiles in the wild only once, and Ross et al. (1995) did not observe any crocodiles in the wild. 7.1.1 Spotlight surveys Six spotlight surveys were conducted in DSNP: one survey in the Tawang River (28th August 2004) (river entrance - 39.6 km upstream), four surveys in the Leboyan River (29th August-3rd September 2004) (river entrance - 69.5 km upstream) and one survey in the Meliau Lakes (4th September) (river entrance - 7 km upstream). Another waterbody, Lake Belaram, was visited briefly but not surveyed due to heavy storms. A total of 132.7 km were surveyed: 39.6 km in the Tawang River, 86.1 km in the Leboyan River and 7 km in the Meliau Lakes. Survey conditions were not ideal due to bright moonlight on most nights, although water levels were very low and there was little rain on most nights. Surveys in the Tawang and Leboyan Rivers were conducted in a small motorised boat (15 HP) and in the Meliau Lakes from canoe (Table 5).

Table 5: Crocodile sightings during spotlight surveys in Danau Sentarum National Park

River Date Survey sections

Total km Size classes (ft) ES Total Density (crocs/km)

Source

1-2 2-3 3-4 Tawang 6-Aug-94 0-39.6 39.6 - - - - 0 0 Frazier (1994) 8-Aug-94 ? approx. 13 - - - - 0 0 Frazier (1994) 28-Aug-04 0-39.6 39.6 - - - - 0 0 Current surveyLeboyan 11-Aug-94 0-28.4 28.4 - 2 - 4 6 0.21 Frazier (1994) 29-Aug-04 0-39.8 39.8 2 1 - - 3 0.08 Current survey 30-Aug-04 39.8-52.4 12.6 - - - 1 1 0.08 Current survey 02-Sep-04 69.5-39.8 29.7 - - - - 0 0 Current survey 03-Sep-04 34.1-30.1 4 1* 1 - 0.07 Current surveyMeliau Lakes 04-Sep-04 0-7 7 - - - 1 1 0.14 Current surveyNote: All records are T. schlegelii unless stated otherwise. ES-eyeshine. *another 1-2 ft T. schlegelii seen on this survey was considered to be a repeat sighting from 29th August and was discounted from survey results

No crocodiles were observed in the Tawang River, although a captive False Gharial observed by the team was reported to originate from a small tributary of the Tawang River (Section 7.3). In the Leboyan River, at least five False Gharials (1-3 ft total length) were recorded over 69.5 km, yielding a density of 0.07 False Gharials/km (Table 5). Frazier (1994) recorded a density of 0.21 crocodiles/km in the Leboyan River (two False Gharials and four “eyeshines”, Table 5). The skin of a 5-6 ft False Gharial was also observed in a log camp in the current survey (Section 7.3). In the Meliau Lakes, one False Gharial and “eyeshine” were observed, yielding a density of 0.14 crocodiles/km (Table 5). 7.1.2 Local information � False Gharials occur in the Leboyan River from the mouth to “far upstream”, and many of its lakes and

tributaries e.g. the Meliau Lakes and Belaram Lake (Fig. 1). Nesting occurs in the Meliau Lakes (Section 7.3). In the 1950s-1970s, False Gharials were common in the Leboyan River, and two-three could be caught each night by crocodile hunters (Section 7.4);

21

� False Gharials make seasonal movements between larger rivers and remote lakes and waterways (residents Meliau Village pers. comm.). Similar information from residents of the Leboyan River was also recorded in 1995-96 (Frazier 1994, 2000; Ross et al. 1996, 1998).

� In July 2004, a “large” Saltwater Crocodile was killed by residents of the Tawang River (Mr. Sahar,

Pengembung Village 29th August 2004 pers. comm.). Photographs taken of this individual and a small section of tail were shown to the survey team, which confirmed the identity of a Crocodylus individual 8-9 ft total length. Up to four Saltwater Crocodiles had been seen in previous months, causing fear among residents. The crocodile was captured 35 km upstream (00°49’47.9”N; 112°02’59.7”E), in a section of low swamp forest between two villages.

7.2 Nesting Tawang River. Although residents reported the species occurs in this river, nest searches were not conducted due to high levels of fishing and intensive motorised boat activity. Belaram Lake. Brief nest searches were conducted in relatively intact peat swamp forest around this lake, but no nests were found. The lake supports potentially suitable False Gharial nesting habitat, including large shaded peat hummocks within relatively undisturbed peat swamp forest. Leboyan River and Meliau Lakes. No nest searches were conducted in these sites, but the following information was provided by residents of Meliau Village, 34.5 km upstream in the Leboyan River (Mr. Jali and Mr. Kajong, village head, 30th August pers. comm.). � False Gharials nested along the Leboyan River in the 1960s-1970s, before extensive habitat clearance

along the river banks and increasing motorised traffic and fishing activity. � False Gharials currently nest in the Meliau Lakes (a system of seven lakes drained by a single creek to the

Leboyan River, 35 km upstream). Mr. Jali had found three False Gharial nests in these lakes: in 2002 (nest with 27 eggs); in 2003 (with 19 eggs); and, in 2004 (the same 2003 nest site, again with 19 eggs). Nests were in the most remote lakes, furthest from the Leboyan River.

� Local nest descriptions matched documented False Gharial nests elsewhere (Bezuijen et al. 2001b): “a

small compact mound of peat, always under a large tree, 4-5 m from a waterway.” Mr. Jali stated that nest sites may be re-used each year, even if eggs are removed, as long as nesting habitat is intact. Nest construction begins in May.

� Residents will opportunistically collect crocodile eggs for consumption if nests are encountered. Four False Gharial eggs were shown to the team, from a nest with 19 eggs in unburnt peat swamp forest in the Meliau Lakes found in early August 2004 (Mr. Jali 30th August pers. comm.) (Table 6).

Table 6: Dimensions of four Tomistoma schlegelii eggs collected from a wild nest by local people, Meliau Lakes, Dana Sentarum National Park

Egg no. Length (mm) Width (mm) Weight (gm) (uncorrected)

1 97 60.5 163 2 94.1 60.2 156 3 96.2 60.5 161 4 101.4 61.4 186

Measured egg weights (Table 6) probably under-estimate fresh weight, due to evaporative loss of fluid in the month since collection. A coarse estimate of egg age (i.e. date of laying) was derived from the degree of banding on the egg (e.g. C. porosus eggs become completely opaque at 65+ days, Webb et al. 1987b). More refined age estimation may be achieved through measurement of embryo head length and growth rate under

22

different temperatures, and in C. porosus, scaling of embryo size to egg size occurs mainly during the last one-third of incubation (Webb et al. 1987a). This method was not attempted as forestry staff intended to display the eggs (given by residents) in the provincial forestry office. In any case, embryos may have partially decomposed in the month since egg collection. Previous estimates of False Gharial egg age, from measurement of embryo head length and nest temperature, indicated that False Gharial eggs are completely opaque around 65+ days (Bezuijen et al. 1995b). If it assumed that the eggs were opaque when first collected (early August) then these eggs were laid in approximately late May or early June 2004. 7.3 Morphometrics A captive False Gharial (total length 181.3 cm, weight 17.3 kg) was measured. This individual was captured by local people in 2000, in the Ijakapat Creek (00°50’29.1”N; 112°03’07.4”E), a tributary of the Tawang River (Fig. 1). Habitat along the creek (1-2 m wide) comprised low swamp forest (3-5 m high). The specimen was held at Pengembung Village (Tawang River). Measurements are in Appendix 2. In addition, a partly complete False Gharial skin was observed 39.8 km upstream in the Leboyan River, which local residents stated they had found and killed in May-June 2004. Total length of the False Gharial was estimated to be 5-6 ft. Scalation patterns of this skin were recorded (Appendix 2). 7.4 Other local information The following information was provided by Mr. Jali and Mr. Kajong (Meliau Village, Leboyan River pers. comm. 30th August 2004) and Mr. Sahar (Pengembung Village, Tawang River, pers. comm. 29th August 2004). � Commercial crocodile hunting. This was conducted in the DSNP from the 1950s-1970s, by local residents

and communities from the upper Kapuas River. Mr. Jali was a crocodile hunter in this period and would “often catch 2-3 False Gharials/night”, including a range of small- and large-sized individuals, in the Leboyan River and its waterways. He stated there was a correlation between crocodile size and number of eggs e.g. if clutch size was 19 eggs, the nesting female would have a belly width of 19 inches. (Positive correlation between female size and clutch size/clutch mass has been demonstrated in other crocodilian species: Hall 1991; Thorbjarnarson 1996). Skins were sold to traders from Sarawak. Belly skin prices were 15-20 Ringgit/inch for False Gharial skins and 30 Ringgit/inch for Saltwater Crocodile skins. There is currently no commercial hunting of crocodilians in the park (team pers. obs.; Frazier 1994; Ross et al. 1996).

� Local beliefs and mythology. Residents of Meliau Village (of the Iban ethnic group) stated they held no

specific beliefs about crocodiles: “they do not bother us and we do not bother them” (Mr. Jali and Mr. Kajong pers. comm. 30th August 2004).

� Other crocodile species. Residents recognise three forms of crocodile in DSNP: False Gharials (“buaya

kenyulong”) described as having a long snout; Saltwater Crocodiles (“buaya katak”, but called “buaya kodok” in the Sibau River, Section 6.4), described as having a shorter and ‘blunter’ snout than False Gharials; and, another Crocodylus species (“buaya rabin”) described as having a shorter and ‘blunter’ snout than Saltwater Crocodiles but with similar coloration. Residents stated these forms are partly known by habitat: in remote lakes, only False Gharials occur; in small remote rivers, False Gharials and Saltwater Crocodiles coexist; in the largest rivers (e.g. the Tawang), Saltwater Crocodiles and the unknown Crocodylus form coexist.

7.5 False Gharial conservation status � Only a small area of DSNP was surveyed, but based on previous surveys and local reports, and the extent

of swamp habitats in the park, it is likely that False Gharials were historically widely distributed in the park. The species may still be widely distributed in the park, such as the Leboyan River and its tributaries and lakes. Abundance of the species is less clear, although Frazier (2000) considered that all crocodile species present now occur at relatively low densities. It is possible that False Gharials remain locally abundant in some waterways, such as the Leboyan River and Meliau Lakes.

23

� Sightings of juvenile False Gharials during spotlight surveys and eggs held by local people, confirms that

a breeding population of False Gharials persists in the Leboyan River and the Meliau Lakes. It is unlikely that nesting still occurs along the Leboyan River due to human disturbance, but the presence of False Gharials close to village centres of high fishing and motorised boat activity indicates the species has some tolerance to human activities. Nesting may now be largely restricted to remote creeks and lakes which are infrequently visited, such as the Meliau Lakes. It is possible this situation applies to many areas in the park where False Gharials persist. Within the DSNP, remote waterbodies may be a “source” of recruitment and larger waterways may be “sinks” for False Gharial distribution.

� Reasons for the paucity of crocodile sightings during spotlight surveys are unclear. Residents state that

False Gharials undertake seasonal movements from larger waterways to remote, permanent waterbodies in the dry season for nesting, and this may partly explain the absence of sightings of large individuals. However, this may not explain the apparent absence of non-breeding individuals (hatchlings, juveniles, subadults), unless all size classes undertake movements. It is also possible that results are due to survey methods and timing (peak dry-season): local communities report that more crocodiles are seen in the early wet season (Frazier 2000).

� Key threats to False Gharials and other crocodile species include: loss of nesting habitat from illegal

logging, especially at remote waterbodies; disturbance of nesting females by human activity (logging, fishing, motorised boats); opportunistic collection of eggs (for domestic consumption or as ‘curiosity’ items); and, occasional drowning of crocodiles in fish nets and traps, including nets stretched across the entire mainstream (Frazier 2000). No commercial collection of crocodiles was recorded. At a regional level, the park is potentially threatened by (currently) informal proposals to construct dams along the upper Kapuas River, in order to ensure annual water supply to communities in and near the park (BKSDA pers. comm.). This would potentially result in large-scale changes to the park’s unique hydrology and subsequent changes in crocodile nesting habitats.

� Protection of remote waterbodies e.g. the Meliau Lakes is a high priority for False Gharial conservation in

the DSNP. Nesting habitats in these lakes are currently being lost due to illegal logging, and this may have significant impacts on recruitment if key nesting areas are removed.

24

8. FALSE GHARIAL CONSERVATION IN WEST KALIMANTAN This section identifies some of the key threats and management issues for False Gharial conservation in West Kalimantan Province. 8.1 Threats and management priorities Swamp forest nesting habitats of the False Gharial, along with most of the Sundaland forests and wetlands in Kalimantan and Sumatra, are severely threatened by a range of factors including: forest fire; intensive deforestation from illegal and legal commercial timber logging; cutting to supply the pulp and paper industry; conversion to plantations (oil palm, rubber) and agricultural land (permanent and shifting cultivation); livestock grazing; mining; urban and industrial development. Wetlands are also threatened by large-scale drainage and conversion for aquaculture, transmigration, domestic and industrial pollution, and unregulated fishing. These activities have resulted in large-scale loss and degradation of wetland habitats throughout the global range of the False Gharial. Between 1985 and 1997, the forest cover in Kalimantan decreased from 75% to 59%, and at these rates may be largely cleared by 2010 (BirdLife International 2003). Lowland forests and waterways, where False Gharials occur, are generally the first to be targeted: at least 20% of Kalimantan’s peat swamp forests have been lost due to many of these factors (BirdLife International 2003, 3004; MacKinnon et al. 1996; Ministry of Environment 1996; Rieley and Page 1997). In West Kalimantan Province, key threats to peat swamp forests and wetlands include logging, fire, shifting cultivation, conversion to agriculture and drying out (Barber and Schweithelm 2000; ISDP 1997; MacKinnon et al. 1996). These threats are currently reducing remnant areas of documented and potential False Gharial nesting habitat. Increasing human pressures along waterways may result in more False Gharials drowning in nets, disturbance of nest sites, and opportunistic capture of individuals and egg collection. MacKinnon et al. (1996) predicted that unless logging, fire and other threats were not addressed, Gunung Palung and Danau Sentarum National Parks, both important sites for False Gharials, would be largely destroyed by 2000-2005. Our surveys in 2004 indicate that breeding False Gharial populations persist in these sites, but that swamp forest nesting habitat is highly threatened by illegal logging and/or forest fire. In Sumatra, illegal logging and forest fire have resulted in high losses of False Gharial nesting habitat, due to outright habitat loss, camp construction, increased noise and visual disturbance, and increased opportunistic capture of individuals or egg collection (Bezuijen et al. 2001a). Key threats to the False Gharial in West Kalimantan Province are summarised in Table 7. A simple ranking (“high”, “medium”, “low”) is applied to each threat in current survey sites, to indicate local management priorities for False Gharial conservation. Many threats occur in both protected and unprotected sites. In protected areas in Kalimantan, management of these threats is hindered by lack of effective site protection and management, understaffing, low management budgets, poorly marked site boundaries and overlapping boundaries with timber and mining concessions (Barber et al. 1995; MacKinnon et al. 1996; Wells et al. 1999; World Bank 2001). The difficulty of managing these threats is illustrated in Danau Sentarum National Park, where severe logging and other problems persist despite a six-year (1992-97) international conservation project that attempted to address key management issues in the park, including community-based management techniques, park infrastructure and baseline biodiversity surveys (Giesen 2000; Wells et al. 1999). In West Kalimantan Province, long-term False Gharial conservation will require activities in protected and unprotected sites, particularly as significant False Gharial populations may persist in unprotected sites. Potential management actions are identified for the current survey sites, although a detailed assessment of potential management actions is beyond the scope of this report. False Gharial conservation in West Kalimantan would benefit from strong community involvement and development of community-based activities, which build upon strong cultural links between Dayak communities with nature.

25

Table 7: Managem

ent priorities for False Gharial conservation at four survey sites in W

est Kalim

antan Province

Threat Im

pacts on False Gharials

Tap/Kep

Rivers

Sibau R

iver G

PNP

DSN

P Potential m

anagement actions

Other

information

Forest fire � loss of nesting habitat (peat m

ounds, shade, nest substrate); � loss of peat nesting soils and altered hydrology to peat sw

amp

forest;

High

Low

High

Medium

-H

igh � regional capacity-building in fire

managem

ent; � m

apping/monitoring of key nesting habitats &

docum

ented nest sites

Barber &

Schw

eithelm

(2000); ISDP

(1997) Illegal logging

� loss of nesting habitat (peat mounds, shade, nest substrate) by

timber logging, cam

p and trail construction, noise; � usually targets trees along river banks and sidecreeks-this is w

here False G

harials usually nest; � noise/visual disturbance to nesting individuals from

increased hum

an numbers and activities (eg m

otorised boats); � lack of environm

ental managem

ent to mitigate im

pacts

High

High

High

High

� comm

unity-based techniques to identify/delim

it nest sites as restricted zones; � conservation agreem

ents with local

comm

unities to monitor/patrol sections of

river bank with nest sites;

� co-enforcement/patrolling by park staff &

local com

munities

Bezuijen et al.

(2001a, 2002a,b); ISD

P (1997)

Legal logging (concessions)

� loss of nesting habitat (peat mounds, shade, nest substrate) by

timber logging, cam

p and trail construction, noise; � noise/visual disturbance to nesting individuals from

increased hum

an numbers and activities (eg m

otorised boats); � nesting habitat partly protected because national law

s prohibit logging w

ithin 50-100 m of w

aterways

Low

None

None

None

� environmental m

anagement to create riverine

buffer zones, identify key nesting sites in concessions and restrict hum

an access; � m

inimise use of m

otorised boats near nest sites in breeding season

ISDP (1997)

Swam

p drainage

� loss of nesting habitat due to altered hydrology and canal construction w

ithin forest Low

Low

Low

Low

� land zoning to avoid developm

ent of swam

p forest; False G

harials a potential flagship species for sw

amp forest conservation;

� cooperative land planning between regional

agencies & local com

munities

MoE (1996);

BirdLife

International (2003, 2004)

Fishing � perm

anent removal of individuals from

wild population by

drowning in fishnets (disproportionately high im

pacts to population if few

breeding individuals are present) and/or live trapped individuals kept in captivity as “curiosity” item

s; � m

otorised boats and frequent human activity in rem

ote waterw

ays m

ay disturb nesting females and reduce available nest sites

Low

Low

Medium

High

� protect rare wildlife as D

ayak cultural sym

bols (Bennett &

Stuebing 1997); � develop local conservation agreem

ents to release captive False G

harials and avoid egg collection/consum

ption; � restrict large nets across m

ainstream;

� designate seasonal restricted-access areas close to nest sites e.g. no m

otorised boats near nest sites in nesting season

Bezuijen et al.

(2001b); Cox

& G

ombeck

(1985); Frazier (2000)

Egg collection � opportunistic egg collection if nests are encountered; � m

ay discourage female from

nesting in that site and reduce total nesting area available;

� cumulative im

pacts may be high if nesting already restricted by

Low

Medium

H

igh H

igh � as above

26

Threat Im

pacts on False Gharials

Tap/Kep

Rivers

Sibau R

iver G

PNP

DSN

P Potential m

anagement actions

Other

information

other factors e.g. habitat loss C

omm

ercial hunting

� loss of breeding / non-breeding individuals from local populations

None

None

None

None

� maintain aw

areness among enforcem

ent staff in protected areas to m

onitor any trade

Oil and gas

development

� loss of nesting habitat for wells, pipelines, cam

ps & road

construction; � long-term

noise/visual disturbance during development/operation;

� increased hunting, fishing and general disturbance in nest sites by project staff;

� potential for environmental m

anagement and im

pact mitigation

None

None

None

None

� designate riverine buffer zones and prohibited-access to nesting areas;

� restrict use of motorised boats near nest sites

in nesting season

Bezuijen et al.

(2002a); M

acKinnon et

al. (1996)

Environmental

contaminants

� gold mining, illegal logging &

other activities use toxic chemicals

(e.g. mercury) to treat resources, w

hich enter waterw

ays; � heavy m

inerals in water m

ay accumulate in crocodilian tissues.

Long-term effects unclear but m

ay cause egg/hatchling deformities

or death; � heavy m

inerals may cause fishkills/reduction in other prey

Present but

urgency of threat

unclear

Low

Low

Low

� difficult to manage because often illegal (e.g.

gold mining, logging);

� restrict mercury production;

� combine hum

an safety with environm

ental m

anagement e.g. im

plement safety m

easures for drinking w

ater in exchange for conservation of nests sites

Brisbin et al.

(1998); ISDP

(1997)

Transmigration

and regional planning

� large-scale distribution of comm

unities to wetlands/w

aterways

which support False G

harials – increased logging, fishing etc; � loss of nesting habitat for construction of settlem

ents; � increased likelihood of hum

an/crocodile conflict: encountering nests, catching individuals/eggs, crocodiles drow

ning in fishnets

High

Low

Low

Low

� provincial/district land planning and zonation to identify, m

ap and zone key sites for False G

harial conservation; � further baseline surveys in province to

identify other unprotected river systems w

ith False G

harial populations

ISDP (1997);

MoE (1996)

Note: Tap/Kep-Tapah and K

epulu Rivers; G

PNP-G

unung Palung National Park; D

SNP-D

anau Sentarum N

ational Park

27

In addition to human threats (Table 7), natural causes of mortality include egg predation by wild pigs Sus spp. and potentially, the availability of raised peat platforms (mounds) as critical nesting microhabitat for False Gharials (Bezuijen et al. 1995b, 1997, 2002a). 8.2 Representation in protected areas Lowland forests and wetlands (False Gharial habitats) are the least represented habitats in the protected area systems of Kalimantan and Sumatra (BirdLife International 2003; MacKinnon et al. 1996). In Kalimantan, approximately 14.8% (6,190 km2) of freshwater and peat swamp forest (from an original estimated area of 83,080 km2) is under a protected area designation (MacKinnon et al. 1996). At least 17 protected or proposed protected areas in Kalimantan support swamp forest (data from MacKinnon et al. 1996), and False Gharial populations are confirmed or reported to occur in at least five of these (29%). In West Kalimantan Province, False Gharial populations appear to be relatively well-represented in the protected areas system. The species is confirmed to occur in at least three sites and is reported from a fourth, with a total wetlands area of 372,000 ha (Table 8). This figure does not include lowland rainforest habitats where False Gharials may also occur, such as the Sibau River catchment in Betung Kerihun National Park (Section 6).

Table 8: Protected areas in West Kalimantan Province reported or confirmed to hold False Gharial populations

Site Location Size (ha) Dominant habitat False Gharials? Source Gunung Palung NP Coastal 90,000 Swamp forest Yes Current survey Muara Kendawangan NR

Coastal 150,000 Swamp forest Yes B. Suryansyah BKSDA pers.obs. (1995); Meijard & Sozer (1996); Ross et al. (1996)

Betung Kerihun NP Inland 800,000 Lowland rainforest Yes Current survey; Zulkifli & Albertus (2003)

Danau Sentarum NP

Inland 132,000 Swamp forest Yes Frazier (1994); Ross et al. (1996, 1998); current survey

Note: NP-National Park; NR-Nature Reserve Key sites for False Gharial conservation in West Kalimantan Province are the Danau Sentarum and Gunung Palung National Parks. The Muara Kendawangan Nature Reserve (Fig. 1) may also support significant False Gharial populations (B. Suryansyah pers. obs.; Meijard and Sozer 1996; Ross et al. 1996, 1998). Other protected wetland sites may also support False Gharials, but no information is currently available from these areas. Despite this level of representation, the current survey confirmed that False Gharial populations in protected areas in the province are under threat from a range of threats. Gunung Palung and Danau Sentarum National Parks, and Muara Kendawangan Nature Reserve, are widely separated from each other and False Gharial populations in these site may be relatively isolated. 8.3 Potential research and conservation projects One of the project’s objectives was to assess the potential for extended False Gharial research and conservation activities in West Kalimantan Province. The advantages of implementing a sustained project include the following: � no long-term autecological research of the species has been conducted anywhere in its global range. Many

aspects of nesting biology, behaviour, seasonal movements, diet and habitat requirements remain poorly documented;

� False Gharial conservation would strengthen management of its swamp forest nesting habitat and contribute to provincial and national policies for wetland conservation (Ministry of Environment 1996). In many lowland areas of Kalimantan and Sumatra the species is the largest aquatic predator, and could serve as a flagship species for wetland conservation;

� implementation of community-based conservation projects would provide the opportunity to develop sustained economic benefits of swamp forest resource use for local communities, linked to local agreements and efforts to protect False Gharial nesting habitats, nests and eggs;

� surveys have confirmed that provincial False Gharial populations occur in a range of coastal and inland sites, which provide a range of options for research and conservation;

28

� the conservation NGO “Yayasan People, Resources, and Conservation Foundation-Indonesia”, which co-implemented the current project, is located in the province and could assist in project development.

Potential research and conservation projects in the current survey sites are summarised in Table 9.

Table 9: Potential research and conservation projects in West Kalimantan Province

Site Research / conservation priorities Points for consideration Value to FG conservation

Tap/Kep Rivers

� assess False Gharial density in highly degraded swamp forest and tolerance to human activities;

� impacts of environmental contaminants on False Gharials;

� project management of illegal logging/mining in nesting habitats;

� potential for community-based conservation may be low (few communities along these rivers);

� opportunity to trial False Gharial conservation models for application to other unprotected river systems

Low

GPNP � autecological research; � awareness raising and development of links between

traditional forest resource use and False Gharial conservation;

� training park staff in crocodile conservation; � development of participatory conservation activities

with local communities; � management of illegal logging, fire, other key

threats

� high potential for community-based project (many communities near park and extensive resource use in park);

� staff aware of park’s significance for False Gharial conservation;

� park wishes to develop False Gharial conservation activities;

� opportunities for collaboration with other international NGOs working in park;

� basic research facilities available; � park’s global biodiversity values may

increase funding opportunities

High

Sibau River

� autecological research (e.g. nesting habitat preferences) in dipterocarp forest would complement research in peat swamp forest elsewhere ;

� awareness raising and development of links between cultural forest resource use and False Gharial conservation;

� training park staff in crocodile conservation; � development of participatory conservation activities

with local communities: focus on cultural protection of rare species, management of illegal logging

� high potential for community-based project (large areas of river are under traditional “adat” land ownership, and communities are currently working with WWF for conservation);

� opportunities for collaboration with other international NGOs working in BKNP;

� presence of long-term project (WWF) may reduce chances of obtaining international funding for a new conservation project

Medium

DSNP � autecological research; � awareness raising and development of links between

traditional forest resource use and False Gharial conservation;

� training park staff in crocodile conservation; � management of illegal logging, fire, other key

threats

� community involvement essential (many local communities in park);

� project facilities available in park; � presence of a previous long-term project

may reduce chances of obtaining international funding

High

MKNR � site not visited but False Gharials reported to occur;� large region of peat swamp forest potentially

suitable for False Gharial autecological research; � management of illegal logging, forest fire and other

reported threats

� potential for community-based project unclear (site was not visited);

� no previous conservation projects- significant potential for a new project and increased funding opportunities;

� remote region with low human populations

Potentially High

Note: Tap/Kep-Tapah/Kepulu Rivers; GPNP-Gunung Palung National Park; DSNP-Danau Sentarum National Park; BKNP-Betung Kerihun National Park; MKNR-Muara Kendawangan Nature Reserve; FG-False Gharial

Gunung Palung and Danau Sentarum National Parks are sites of high global conservation value for the False Gharial, and current threats to this species warrant conservation efforts in both sites. In West Kalimantan Province generally, the presence of Dayak communities in many regions, including all current survey sites, provides the potential for strong community-based conservation, due to the strong cultural links these

29

communities maintain with forest and wetland resources. Another potential site for a False Gharial research/conservation project is the Muara Kendawangan Nature Reserve. This was not visited during the current survey, but encompasses a remote and large (150,000 ha) region of peat swamp forest in the far south of the province (ISDP 1997). False Gharials and other globally important biodiversity values occur in the site, and a field survey of the site is required to assess the status of False Gharial populations, local socio-economic conditions and the potential for crocodile conservation activities.

30

9. TRAINING A key objective of the current project was to transfer crocodile survey techniques and conservation awareness to local counterparts in West Kalimantan Province. Project planning, selection of survey sites, fieldwork and reporting were conducted in cooperation with the provincial and regional offices of Department of Conservation and Natural Resources West Kalimantan (BKSDA), including the Ketapang and Semitau offices. Other local agencies involved in surveys were: staff of Gunung Palung, Danau Sentarum and Betung Kerihun National Parks; Yayasan People, Resources, and Conservation Foundation-Indonesia (PRCF-I); and, World Wide Fund for Nature (Betung Kerihun National Park Project) (personnel are listed in Section 2.2). The following activities were conducted during the project: � training in crocodile surveys. Spotlight surveys were rotated between team members, including surveying,

navigating and data entry, to ensure all members could conduct surveys independently; � overviews of crocodile conservation in Borneo, species taxonomy, nesting, conservation, key threats, and

peat swamp forest ecology, were provided to survey teams and park staff in all sites, through informal verbal presentations and discussions;

� standardised data sheets used for recording crocodile survey results, morphometrics, nest and egg dimensions, and interviews with local people, were provided to the provincial and regional BKSDA offices at survey sites. The spotlight survey form was revised with comments from department staff and translated to Bahasa Indonesia, and a blank form is enclosed that may be photocopied for immediate use (Appendix 3);

� in response to requests from local agencies for additional information about the False Gharial, reports of recent False Gharial surveys and conservation activities in Sumatra (Bezuijen et al. 2001a, 2002a,b) were provided to the provincial and Ketapang District BKSDA offices, Gunung Palung National Park and PRCF-I;

� introductions were established between the PRCF-I and key national conservation personnel in the Department of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (PHPA, Jakarta), Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI, Jakarta) and Wetlands International (Bogor), in order to facilitate ongoing communication and possible cooperative activities between agencies; and,

� at the end of field surveys, meetings were held with national government agencies (PHPA and LIPI), and country programs of the conservation NGOs Wetlands International, Conservation International and Wildlife Conservation Society, in order to discuss project results and increase awareness of the species.

10. FILMING BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

From 3rd-4th September 2004 the survey team was joined in Danau Sentarum National Park by National Geographic, led by Dr. Brady Barr. The aim of the NG team was to film the capture of a False Gharial by Dr. Barr, as a part of a documentary of the world’s crocodilians. Both the film and survey teams worked together for two nights, and focused on sites where the survey team had already identified False Gharials in the Leboyan River. Capture and filming of a live juvenile False Gharial by Dr. Brady Barr was achieved on the 3rd September. Capture location was 34.1 km upstream in the Leboyan River, where a small False Gharial had been observed by the survey team on previous nights. The captured False Gharial was 64 cm total length and weighed 1 kg. To our knowledge, this is the first footage of a False Gharial observed and captured in the wild.

31

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35

APPE

ND

IX 1. SU

RV

EY

S AN

D O

TH

ER

FAL

SE G

HA

RIA

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1. Survey data August-Septem

ber 2004, West K

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ith a Garm

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No.

Habitat

Site D

ate Start (km

) Start (latitude)

Start (longitude) Finish (km

) Finish (latitude)

Finish (longitude)

Total km

Start tim

e Finish tim

eH

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Equip N

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CC

Moon

Rain

Tide Survey

conditions

1 PSF-degr

Tapah River 09-A

ug-04 6.7 02°02’55.0” S

110°09’46.1” E 5.2

02°02’54.6”S 110°09’45.0”E

1.52205

23051

MB

Canoe

Torch0

11 N

one Low

G

ood

2 PSF-degr

Tapah River 09-A

ug-04 6.7 02°02’55.0” S

110°09’46.1” E 8.7

02°02’54.6”S 110°09’45.0”E

22440

01501.25

HR

PC

anoeTorch

01

1 None

Low

Good

3 PSF-degr

Tapah River 11-A

ug-04 12.6 02°04’53.3” S

110°09’54.0” E 13.6

02°05’10.2”S 110°09’52.1”E

10400

05001

BS

Canoe

Torch0

11 N

one Low

G

ood

4 PSF-degr

Tapah River 11-A

ug-04 20.5

02°07’33.9”S 110°11’54.6”E

12.602°04’53.3” S

110°09’54.0” E 7.9

18452300

4.25H

RP

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11 N

one N

one G

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5 PSF-degr

Tapah River 12-A

ug-04 12.6 02°04’53.3” S

110°09’54.0” E 6.7

02°02’55.0” S 110°09’46.1” E

5.92030

23303

BS

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11 N

one H

igh G

ood

6 PSF-degr

Kepulu R

iver 13-A

ug-04 0 02°00’02.6” S

110°08’21.4” E 19.2

01°54’35.2”S 110°13’19.7”E

19.21840

20101.5

MB/B

SB

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Spotlight0

11 N

one H

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7 PSF-degr

Rantau Panjang R

iver 14-A

ug-04 8.4

01°10’21.2”S 109°58’28.8”E

19.801°10’16.6”S

109°59’55.5”E 11.4

18151900

0.75M

BB

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11 N

one H

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8 PSF-degr

Rantau Panjang R

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ug-04 19.8 01°10’16.6” S

109°59’55.5” E 25.2

01°09’49.3”S 110°01’44.7”E

5.40220

04001.75

MB/R

Boat (6 H

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11

1 None

Low

Good

9 PSF-degr

Rantau Panjang R

iver 15-A

ug-04 31.8

01°09’51.7”S 110°03’22.9”E

28.801°09’12.1”S

110°02’11.7”E 3

18201930

1A

SB

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Spotlight0

21 N

one H

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10 PSF-degr

Rantau Panjang R

iver 16-A

ug-04 28.8

01°09’12.1”S 110°02’11.7”E

24.801°09’56.8”S

110°01’22.7”E 4

02500330

0.75R

Boat (6 H

P)Spotlight

02

1 None

High

Poor

11 PSF-degr

Bayas R

iver 17-A

ug-04 3.5 01°11’08.5” S

110°02’22.8” E 0

01°10’01.1” S 110°01’38.9” E

3.51820

21002.75

MB

Canoe

Torch0

21 N

one Low

G

ood

12 PSF-degr

Sibau River

23-Aug-04

29.6 01°02’36.7” N112°59’40.4” E

19.700°58’49.2” N

112°57’03.8” E 10.1

21002230

1.5M

B/HY

Canoe

Spotlight0

81 M

od N

one G

ood

13 O

LF-intact Sibau River

24-Aug-04

64.4 01°13’34.9”N

113°06’46.0”E 59.7

01°13’11.8”N

113°04’26.9”E 4.7

19552100

1A

LC

anoeSpotlight

02

3 None

None

Medium

14 O


25-Aug-04

40 01°05’42.6”N

113°02’25.1”E 29.6

01°02’36.7”N

112°59’40.4”E 10.4

19302130

2H

Y/A

LC

anoeSpotlight

02

3 None

None

Medium

15 O


26-Aug-04

40 01°05’42.6”N

113°02’25.1”E 29.6

01°02’36.7”N

112°59’40.4”E 10.4

18452105

2.15B

S/AL

Canoe

Spotlight0

43 N

one N

one M

edium

16 LSF-D

SNP Taw

ang River

28-Aug-04

0 00°51’33.0”N

112°11’32.0”E 39.6

00°50’24.8”N

112°03’43.5”E 39.6

22250130

3B

SB

oat (40 HP)

Spotlight0

65 N

one N

one M

edium

17 LSF-D

SNP Leboyan R

iver 29-A

ug-04 0 00°51’33.0”E

112°11’32.0”N

39.800°53’00.9”N

112°22’54.3”E

39.81815

24005.75

BA

/AS

Boat (15 H

P)Spotlight

35

5 None

None

Medium

18 LSF-D

SNP Leboyan R

iver 30-A

ug-04 39.8 00°53’00.9”N

112°22’54.3”E

52.400°51’44.1”N

112°25’07.3”E

12.61925

23304

BS

Boat (15 H

P)Spotlight

07

1 Heavy

None

Medium

19 LSF-D

SNP Leboyan R

iver 02-Sep-04

69.5 00°52’43.6”N

112°25’51.4”E 39.8

00°53’00.9”N

112°22’54.3”E 29.7

18102300

5B

AB

oat (15 HP)

Spotlight0

52 Light

None

Medium

20 LSF-D

SNP Leboyan R

iver 03-Sep-04

34.1 00°54’34.0”N

112°21’10.8”E 30.1

00°53’26.1”N

112°20’04.2”E 4

18102110

3B

BB

oat (15 HP)

Spotlight3

41 N

one N

one G

ood 21

PSF-degr M

eliau Lakes 04-Sep-04

7 00°54’14.6”N

112°24’19.0”E 0

00°54’39.8”N

112°21’47.5”E 7

18152200

3.75B

BC

anoeTorch

26

1 Light N

one G

ood K

EY

Habitat:

PSF-peat swam

p forest; OLF-other low

land forest; LSF-DSN

P – lowland sw

amp forest (D

anau Sentarum N

ational Park); degr-degraded Start / Finish (km

): refers to the distance upstream

from the river m

outh Spotters:

AL-A

lbertus; SA-Sapto A

ndriyono; BB

-Brady B

arr; BA

-Bam

bang; MB

-Mark R

. Bezuijen; H

Y-H

endry; HR

P-H.R

. Putra; R-R

oni; BS-B

udi Suryansyah; W

eather: C

C-C

loud Cover [from

a scale of 1/8 (no cloud) to 8/8 (overcast)];

36

2. False Gharial records docum

ented during the project: sightings during spotlight surveys, captive individuals, nests and eggs Survey N

o.* Species

Record

Reliability R

egion Site H

abitat K

m

upstream

Latitude Longtitude

Position Size (ft)

Date

Time

Measurem

ents taken?

Notes

T. schlegelii

Sighting 2

K

epulu River

PSF-degraded 15.5

01°55’02.7” S 110°12’07.3” E O

B

15-16 23-M

ar-95 1140

No

Observed in daytim

e, basking

8 T. schlegelii

Sighting 2

GPN

P R

antau Panjang RiverPSF-degraded

25 01°10’01.1” S

110°01’39.1” E MS

4-5 15-A

ug-04 0420

No

T. schlegelii

Nest

2 G

PNP

Rantau Panjang R

iverPSF-degraded 23

01°09’44.4”S 110°00’31.6”E

15-Aug-04

Y

es

T. schlegelii

Nest

2 G

PNP

Bayas R

iver PSF-degraded

3.5 01°11’06.2”S

110°02’22.3”E

17-A

ug-04

Yes

T. schlegelii

Captive

3 G

PNP

Matan R

iver ?

? A

pprox 01°06”S

Approx

110°15E

13-A

ug-04

Yes

Captive juvenile held in Pesaguan tow

n. Said to be caught in G

PNP in June 2004

T.schlegelii

Skull 2

BK

NP

Sibau River

OLF-intact

33 01°03’10.9”N

113°00’59.1”E

23-Aug-04

Y

es C

aught/killed by local people in October

2003

T.schlegelii

Captive

2 D

SNP

Tawang R

iver LSF-D

SNP

35 00°50’29.1”N

112°03’07.4”E

29-Aug-04

Y

es C

aught by local people in 2000 in Ijakapat creek (sm

all tributary of Tawang R

iver)

T.schlegelii

Skin 2

DSN

P Leboyan R

iver LSF-D

SNP

39.8 00°53’00.9”N

112°22’54.3”E

5-6

30-Aug-04

Y

es Incom

plete skin. Caught/killed by local

people in 2004 in Leboyan River

17 T. schlegelii

Sighting 2

DSN

P Leboyan R

iver LSF-D

SNP

21.9 00°52’23.4”N

112°16’54.9”E

SWO

E 2-3

29-Aug-04

2025 N

o C

lose to a village

17 T. schlegelii

Sighting 2

DSN

P Leboyan R

iver LSF-D

SNP

30.1 00°53’18.7”N

112°19’58.6”E

SWO

E 1-2

29-Aug-04

2150 N

o C

lose to a village

17 T. schlegelii

Sighting 2

DSN

P Leboyan R

iver LSF-D

SNP

34.1 00°54’34.0”N

112°21’10.8”E

SWO

E 1-2

29-Aug-04

2300 N

o C

lose to a village

20 T. schlegelii

Sighting 2

DSN

P Leboyan R

iver LSF-D

SNP

34.1 00°54’34.0”N

112°21’10.8”E

SWO

E 1-2

03-Sep-04 1910

No

Close to a village. Survey w

ith National

Geographic

20 T. schlegelii

Sighting 2

DSN

P Leboyan R

iver LSF-D

SNP

34 00°54’32.8”N

112°21’09.1”E

SWO

E 1-2

03-Sep-04 1940

No


ith National

Geographic

20 T. schlegelii

Sighting 2

DSN

P Leboyan R

iver LSF-D

SNP

30.1 00°53’26.1”N

112°20’04.2”E

SWO

E 2-3

03-Sep-04 2030

No


ith National

Geographic

21 T. schlegelii

Sighting 2

DSN

P M

eliau Lakes PSF-degraded

6.5 00°54’10.0”N

112°23’50.9”E

SWO

E 2-3

04-Sep-04 1840

No


ith National

Geographic

21 Eyeshine (crocodile)

Sighting 2

DSN

P M


1.5 00°54’56.3”N

112°22’03.9”E

SWO

E

04-Sep-04 2130

No


ith National

Geographic

T. schlegelii

Eggs 2

DSN

P M


? 00°54’10.0”N

112°23’50.9”E

early Aug 04

N

o N

est not seen by team. Local description

provided & 4 eggs m

easured

T. schlegelii

Captive

3 M

KN

R Lake B

elingan, Air

Hitam

River PSF-intact

? A

pprox 02°40’SA

pprox 110°30’E

1-2

Aug-95

N

o C

aught & kept by local fisherm

en K

EY

Survey no: C

ross-reference number to the “Survey table”, if the specim

en was seen during a spotlight survey

Record:

Category of record= direct sighting in w

ild during a survey by the team; nest; specim

ens shown to team

by local people (skulls, skins, eggs) R

eliability: R

eliability ranking for record adapted from Stuebing et al. (in prep.): 1=m

useum specim

en; 2=direct observation by author/other scientist; 3=second-hand report (correct description, location, date) given by local person/other to author or another scientist

Region:

GPN

P-Gunung Palung N

ational Park; BK

NP-B

etung Kerihun N

ational Park; DSN

P-Danau Sentarum

National Park; M

KN

R-M

uara Kendaw

angan Nature R

eserve H

abitat: PSF-peat sw

amp forest; O

LF-other lowland forest; LSF-D

SNP – low

land swam

p forest (Danau Sentarum

National Park); degr-degraded

Position: Location of crocodile seen during survey. O

B-O

n Bank; SW

OE-Shallow

Water on Edge; M

S-Mid-Stream

Size:

Crocodile lengths during spotlight surveys are in feet, w

hich is more accurate that m

etres. All other m

easurements in this report follow

the metric system

37

APPENDIX 2. MORPHOMETRIC DATA Measurements of living individuals. Methods follow Bezuijen et al. 1995a,b. Measurement unit in parentheses. Intended accuracy of measurements to 1 mm. Measured with Vernier callipers for small individuals and a 5 m tape rule for larger individuals. TL (total length): tip of snout to tail (cm) SVL (snout-vent length): tip of snout to anterior extremity of cloaca (cm) HL (head length): tip of snout to median posterior edge of cranial platform (i.e. parietal bone) (cm) HW (head width): widest part of head, near posterior edges of surangular bones (cm) SE (snout-eye): tip of snout to anterior edge of orbit (i.e. concavity of lacrimal bone) (cm) SW (snout-width): minimum snout width, across third large tooth socket from snout tip (cm) PP (point-to-point): width of cranial platform, between posterior lateral extremities of squamosal bones (cm) MP (mid-point): width of cranial platform, across middle of the platform (cm) IO (inter-ocular): minimum width between orbits (eye sockets) (cm) Sex: determined by direct observation of cliteropenis Belly: number of transverse scale rows from posterior to collar until anterior margin of cloaca Gular: number of transverse scale rows from anterior extremity of mandibular symphysis to

and including collar DCV & SCV: double- and single-caudal virticils. Number of raised scales along the lower body of the

individual, which merge to a single row along the tail. After Ross & Mayer (1983) PC pattern: the arrangement of scales exhibited in the anterior set of precaudal scales (i.e. before the

nuchal plate). See Bezuijen et al. (1995a,b, 1997) for further details PC1-25: number of individual scales in each transverse row of precaudal scales from anterior

extremity of precaudal scales until the junction of precaudals / caudals (after Ross & Mayer 1983)

Teeth: no. tooth sockets in: upper jaw (notch to snout tip=T:UF; behind notch to back of jaw=T:UB) & lower jaw (4th large socket to snout tip=T:LF; 5th tooth to back of jaw=T:LB)

Skull measurements (cm). As for living animals: Length: from anterior of premaxilla bone to posterior of parietal bone Width: across the surangular / quadratojugal bones, the widest part of the skull Snout-eye: from anterior of premaxilla to anterior of prefrontal Snout width: across the narrowest section of the maxilla PP width: across the extreme posterior extremities (or “points”) of the squamosals MP width: across the mid-section of the squamosals IO width: minimum width between the orbits (eye sockets)

Scientific name Specimen Site Date

TL (cm)

SVL (cm)

HL (cm)

HW (cm)

SE (cm)

SW (cm)

PP (cm)

MP (cm)

IO (cm) Sex

Weight (uncorrected) (kg) Belly Gular DCV SCV

PC pattern

T. schlegelii Captive Matan River (GPNP) 13-Aug-04 59.1 29.4 10.6 6.8 0.8 3 2.7 0.4 F 0.461 24 20 20 18 24

T. schlegelii Skull Sibau River 23-Aug-04 >466* 75.4 42.8 55.8 6.9 19 14.8 4.4 M? 11.2 16

T. schlegelii Captive Tawang River (DSNP) 29-Aug-04 181.3 91 27.2 12.5 19.4 2.3 7.5 6.8 1.8 F 17.3 24 25 20 20 1

T. schlegelii Skin Leboyan River (DSNP) 30-Aug-04 ? 17

*Zulkifli & Albertus (2003)

PC 1

PC 2

PC 3

PC 4

PC 5

PC 6

PC 7

PC 8

PC 9

PC 10

PC 11

PC 12

PC 13

PC 14

PC 15

PC 16

PC 17

PC 18

PC 19

PC 20

PC 21

PC 22

PC 23

PC 24

PC 25 T:UF T:UB T:LF T:LB

Belly colour

Abnor-malities Injuries

4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 16 4 16 Grey None None

4 16 4 15

4 4 4 4 7 6 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 4 16 4 16 White None None

4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 8 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0

38

APPENDIX 3. SPOTLIGHT SURVEY FORM

COUNTRY: DATE: PROVINCE: START TIME: REGENCY: FINISH TIME: DISTRICT: TOTAL KM: RIVER: START LOCATION SURVEYOR: 1. GPS: DRIVER: 2. Km from mouth: NAVIGATOR: 3. Description: VESSEL (circle): canoe / speedboat

and engine HP: 6 / 15 / 40

FINISH LOCATION 1. GPS:

EQUIPMENT (circle): Torch / Spotlight 2. Km from mouth: 3. Description:

SURVEY CONDITIONS (Circle) Cloud cover 1/8 (=no cloud) 2/8 3/8 4/8 5/8 6/8 7/8 8/8 (=full cloud) Rain none light moderate heavy Moon none ¼ full >half full Tide high low no tidal influence If no tidal influence water levels high water levels low water levels medium

Km from mouth

Coordinates (map/GPS)

Species (ES=eyeshine)

Size (ft)

Position* Time Notes (e.g. habitat)

*Position: OB – On Bank; MS – Mid-Stream; SWOE – Shallow Water On Edge

39

LEMBAR DATA SURVEI BUAYA

NEGARA: HARI/TANGGAL: PROPINSI: WAKTU MULAI: KABUPATEN: WAKTU AKHIR: KECAMATAN: JUMLAH KM: SUNGAI: LOKASI MULAI PENGAMAT: 1. GPS: PENGEMUDI: 2. Km dari muara: PEMEGANG PETA: 3. Tempat: PERLENGKAPAN SURVEI: Prahu / Kendaraan

dan PKnya: 6 / 15 / 40

LOKASI AKHIR 1. GPS:

PERALATAN yang DIPAKAI:

Senter / Lampu sorot 2. Km dari muara:

3. Tempat:

KEADAAN CUACA (Circle) Kondisi awan 1/8 (=cerah/tidak ada berawan) 2/8 3/8 4/8 5/8 6/8 7/8 8/8 (=tertutup awan) Kondisi hujan Tidak ada Hujan gerimis Hujan sedang Hujan lebat Kondisi bulan Tidak ada Bulan ¼ (sedikit) Bulan sedang Bulan purnama Kondisi air Air pasang Air surut Tidak ada dibawah pengaruh Jica tidak ada dibawah pengaruh Air tinggi Air sedang Air sedang

Km dari muara

Koordinat (peta/GPS)

Jenis (HM=hanya mata)

Ukuran (ft)

Lokasi di jumpai*

Waktu Catatan pengamatan (misalyna, habitat)

*Lokasi di jumpai: APS – Atas Pinggir Sungai; PS – Pinggir Sungai; TS – Tengah Sungai;

40

APPENDIX 4. GPS COORDINATES Coordinates recorded with an Garmin etrex Vista. NP – National Park

Feature Latitude (S) Longitude (E) Km upstream

from river mouthTAPAH RIVER River mouth (junction with Pesaguan River) 02°01’46.7” 110°07’59.7” 0 Camp "Bagan Lari" (Mr Udin's hut) 02°02’55.0” 110°09’46.1” 6.7 Camp "Bagan Kelapa" (near kerangas heathland) 02°04’53.3” 110°09’54.0” 12.6 Furthest upstream point reached during surveys 02°07’33.9” 110°11’54.6” 20.5 KEPULU RIVER River mouth (junction with Pesaguan River) 02°00’02.6” 110°08’21.4” 0 Site with flattened "bakung" (Tomistoma basking site?) 01°55’02.7” 110°12’07.3” 15.5 Illegal log camp (furthest upstream reached in survey) 01°54’35.2” 110°13’19.7” 19.2 GUNUNG PALUNG NATIONAL PARK SEDEHAN RIVER River mouth (junction with Rantau Panjang River) 01°10’07.1” 109°59’46.7” 0 Camp site near river mouth 01°10’16.6” 109°59’55.5” 0.3 RANTAU PANJANG RIVER River mouth 01°07’25.3” 109°56’52.0” 0 Bridge across the river 01°09’34.1” 109°56’42.1” 4.3 Canal from river to Rantau Panjang Village 01°10’18.7” 109°57’34.8” 8.4 New unsealed road extending from river to transmigration area 01°10’03.9” 109°58’33.0” 14.8 Furthest upstream point of Nipah trees 01°10’15.1” 109°59’02.8” 16.8 Junction with Sedehan River 01°10’07.1” 109°59’46.7” 19.8 Old (2003) Tomistoma nest site 01°09’44.4” 110°00’31.6” approx 23 Junction with Bayas River 01°10’01.1” 110°01’38.9” approx 25 Furthest upstream point reached during surveys 01°09’51.7” 110°03’22.9” 31.8 BAYAS RIVER River mouth (junction with Rantau Panjang River) 01°10’01.1” 110°01’38.9” 0 Forest fire (active during survey 2004) 01°10’03.8” 110°01’45.3” 0.3 Furthest upstream point reached during surveys 01°11’08.5” 110°02’22.8” 3.5 SIBAU RIVER Latitude (N/S) Longitude (E) River mouth 00°51’36.4” 112°56’06.0” 0 Sibau Hilir Village 00°55’05.3” 112°56’58.7” 10.3 Tanjung Lasa Village 00°58’49.2” 112°57’03.8” 19.7 River narrows/forest cover increases notably 01°01’11.3” 112°58’28.4” 25.4 Potan Creek 01°02’32.6” 112°59’33.2” 29.4 Nanga Potan Village 01°02’36.7” 112°59’40.4” 29.6 Sekedam Besar Creek 01°03’10.9” 113°00’59.1” 33.0 "Batu Kapal" (local landmark-large stone in middle of river) 01°03’37.3” 113°01’05.1” 34.2 "Pankal Jabun" (local landmark-site of C. porosus nest in 1980s) 01°04’39.3” 113°02’02.3” 37.8 Jut Creek 01°05’33.4” 113°02’28.8” 39.7 "Batu Tiga" (local landmark - rocks in middle of river) 01°05’42.6” 113°02’25.1” 40.0 Rajang Creek 01°07’23.8” 113°03’19.7” 44.4 Ruai Creek 01°09’13.8” 113°03’38.3” 48.0 Tokok Creek 01°11’34.6” 113°04’00.5” 55.9 Kakyan Creek 01°12’46.5” 113°04’12.5” 58.5 Fork Sibau & Menyakan Rivers 01°13’11.8” 113°04’26.9” 59.7 Fork Sibau & Apeyang Rivers 01°13’34.9” 113°06’46.0” 64.4 DANAU SENTARUM NATIONAL PARK TAWANG RIVER River mouth 00°38’12.1” 111°59’03.0” 0 Tungkidap Village 00°40’43.6” 111°59’24.6” 6.7

41

Empanang Village 00°44’35.5” 111°57’43.1” 18.3 Kenelang Village 00°46’28.6” 111°58’47.2” 22.4 Pemerak Village 00°46’36.8” 112°01’20.7” 27.7 Nanga Sumpak Village 00°48’58.3” 112°01’30.5” 32.2 Pengembung Village 00°49’01.5” 112°02’22.8” 33.6 Tekenang Village (park HQ) 00°50’24.8” 112°03’43.5” 39.6 LEBOYAN RIVER River mouth 00°51’33.0” 112°11’32.0” 0 Telatap Village 00°52’45.3” 112°16’56.5” 21.1 Semala Village 00°52’13.9” 112°17’15.4” 22.8 Temperau Village 00°52’45.5” 112°19’44.7” 28.4 Meliau Village 00°54’43.7” 112°21’23.2” 34.5 "Camp TPTI" (old log camp) 00°53’00.9” 112°22’54.3” 39.8 Active (illegal) large log camp 00°52’08.6” 112°25’56.2” 56.7 Abandoned (illegal) large log camp 00°52’36.7” 112°26’04.3” 62.9 Mangin Village 00°52’43.6” 112°25’51.4” 69.5 BELARAM LAKE (centre of lake) 00°54’03.3” 112°19’41.6” MELIAU LAKES Mouth of Meliau creek 00°54’39.8” 112°21’47.5” 35 (Leboyan Riv)Lake 1 00°54’56.3” 112°22’03.9” Lake 2 00°54’48.4” 112°22’09.9” Lake 5 00°54’10.0” 112°23’50.9” Lake 6 00°54’14.6” 112°24’19.0”

APPENDIX 5. ITINERARY

1-4 Aug Fly Ha Noi to Singapore. Obtain Indonesia business visa (M.Bezuijen). 5 Aug Fly Sinagpore to Pontianak. 6-7 Aug Meet PRCF-I and BKSDA. Plan surveys and permit requirements. Purchase equipment, provisions. 8 Aug Depart Pontianak to Ketapang (public ferry). Meet KSDA Resort. Arrange fieldwork. 9 Aug Depart Ketapang to Pesaguan town (car). Depart to Tapah River (speedboat). Overnight hut Mr Udin. 9-12 Aug Survey Tapah River. 13 Aug Survey Kepulu River (rapid assessment). Return to Ketapang. 14 Aug Meet Head Gunung Palung NP. Depart Ketapang to GPNP (car). Arrange boat, depart at high tide. 14-18 Aug Survey Gunung Palung NP. 18 Aug Return to Ketapang. 19 Aug Depart Ketapang to Pontianak (public ferry). 20 Aug Meet Head BKSDA. Prepare first progress report. Prepare equipment for next surveys. 21 Aug Depart Pontianak to Putussibau town (public bus). 22 Aug Meet WWF. Plan surveys. Charter WWF speedboat. Purchase field supplies. 23 Aug Meet staff BKNP. Arrange permits, staff. Depart Putussibau to Sibau River. Overnight Potan Village. 23-26 Aug Survey Sibau River (Betung Kerihun National Park). 27 Aug Return to Putussibau. Prepare for next phase of surveys. Overnight WWF office. 28 Aug Depart Putussibau - Selimbau town (public bus) - Semitau town (charter speedboat). Meet Head

KSDA Resort Semitau. Purchase field supplies. Depart to DSNP (survey Tawang River). 28 Aug-4 Sep Survey Danau Sentarum National Park. 3-4 Sep Assist National Geographic with filming of Tomistoma. 5 Sep Depart to Semitau then to Sintang town (KSDA speedboat). Overnight Sintang. 6 Sep M. Bezuijen and I. Huda depart Sintang to Pontianak (hire car). NG team fly to Jakarta. 7 Sep Meet Head BKSDA. Identify follow-up activities. Begin report preparation. 8 Sep Report preparation. Organise meetings with agencies in Jakarta/Bogor. 9 Sep Fly Pontianak-Jkt (MB, I. Huda). Meet PHKA (Ir. Widodo S. Ramono, Ir. Adi Susmianto, Dr.

Samedi, Ir. Kurnia Rauf). Depart Jakarta to Bogor (hire car). 10 Sep Meet: WI (Mr. Yus Rusila Noor), LIPI (Ms. Hellen Kurniati), WCS (Dr. Noviar Andayani). Return to

Jakarta. Meet CI (Mr. Fachrudin Mangunjaya). 11 Sep Visit PT. Ekanindya Karsa croc farm (H. Kurniati, I. Huda, MB) and owner Mr. Rachmat Wiradinata. 12-13 Sep Weekend (break). I. Huda returns to Pontianak. 14 Sep Fly Jakarta to Ha Noi (M. Bezuijen).

42

No. Agency Name Title LocationEN IN EN IN

1 Provincial Govenor Governor Kal-Barat Province 0 1 0 0 Indonesia2 Balai KSDA Kalimantan Barat Mr. Pudji S. Pratjihno Head 0 2 1 1 Indonesia3 Balai KSDA Kalimantan Barat Mr. Budi Suryansyah Technical Officer & Data Manager 0 1 0 0 Indonesia4 Balai KSDA Kalimantan Barat Mr. David Muhammed Kepala Seksi Resort Ketapang 0 1 0 0 Indonesia5 Balai KSDA Kalimantan Barat Mr. Hengkieryatman Putra Staff Seksi Resort KSDA Ketapang 0 1 0 0 Indonesia6 Balai KSDA Kalimantan Barat Mr. Roman Silaban Head KSDA Resort Kapuas Hulu 0 1 0 0 Indonesia7 Balai KSDA Kalimantan Barat Mr. Sapto Andriyono Project survey team 0 1 0 0 Indonesia8 BAPEDALDA Library 0 1 0 1 Indonesia9 Gunung Palung National Park Mr. B. Prabani Setiohindrianto Head 0 1 0 1 Indonesia10 Gunung Palung National Park Mr. Roni project survey team 0 1 0 0 Indonesia11 Gunung Palung National Park Mr. Darmawan project survey driver 0 1 0 0 Indonesia12 Danau Sentarum National Park Mr. Bambang Dahat Head KSDA Resort Semitau 0 1 0 0 Indonesia13 Betung Kerihun National park Ir. Agus Sutito Head 0 1 0 0 Indonesia14 Betung Kerihun National park Drs. Parlindungan Head Administrative Unit 0 1 0 0 Indonesia15 Betung Kerihun National park Mohammed Hendry Forestry Police Officer 0 1 0 0 Indonesia16 PHKA, Ministry of Forestry (Jakarta) Mr. Widodo S. Ramono Director, National Conservation Pr 0 1 0 0 Indonesia17 PHKA, Ministry of Forestry (Jakarta) Mr. Adi Susmianto Director, National Parks Progra 0 1 0 0 Indonesia18 PHKA, Ministry of Forestry (Jakarta) Dr. Samedi Head, CITES Programme Indonesia 0 1 0 0 Indonesia19 PHKA, Ministry of Forestry (Jakarta) Ir. Kurnia Rauf Conservation Officer 0 1 0 0 Indonesia20 PHKA, Ministry of Forestry (Jakarta) Ministry of Forestry Library 1 1 0 0 Indonesia21 BAPEDA Library 0 1 0 1 Indonesia22 Institute of Indonesian Sciences (LIPI) Dr. Siti Nuramaliati Prijono Head Zoological Division 0 1 0 0 Indonesia23 Institute of Indonesian Sciences (LIPI) Ms. Hellen Kurniati Herpetologist 0 1 0 0 Indonesia24 Bupati Kabupaten Kapuas Hulu Regency Govenor 0 1 0 0 Indonesia25 Bupati Kabupaten Ketapang Regency Govenor 0 1 0 0 Indonesia26 Yayasan PRCF Indonesia Mr. Imanul Huda Director Yayasan PRCF Indonesia 1 4 1 1 Indonesia27 Yayasan PRCF Indonesia Mr. Mering Ngo PRCF Board 0 1 0 0 Indonesia28 WWF-Indonesia (Betung Kerihun) Mr. Hermayani Putera Project Executor 0 1 0 0 Indonesia29 WWF-Indonesia (Betung Kerihun) Mr. Albertus Mapping/evaluation coordinator 0 1 0 0 Indonesia30 WWF-Indonesia (Betung Kerihun) Mr. Syahirsyah Media officer 0 1 0 0 Indonesia31 WWF-Indonesia (Betung Kerihun) WWF office library 0 1 0 0 Indonesia32 WWF-Indonesia (Betung Kerihun) Mr. Rully Mahessa WWF Germany 0 1 0 0 Indonesia33 Tanjungpura University Forestry Faculty 0 2 0 0 Indonesia34 Wetlands International-Indonesia Prog Mr. Dibjo Sartono Director 0 1 0 0 Indonesia35 Wetlands International-Indonesia Prog Mr. Yus Rusila Noor Project coordinator 0 1 0 0 Indonesia36 Wetlands International-Indonesia Prog Mr. Prianto Wibowo Consultant 0 1 0 0 Indonesia37 Wetlands International-Indonesia Prog WI Library 1 1 0 0 Indonesia38 CI-Indonesia Prog Library 0 1 0 0 Indonesia39 WCS-Indonesia Prog WCS Library c/o Dr. Robert Lee 1 1 0 0 Indonesia40 FFI-Indonesia Prog Dr. Sugardjito Director 0 1 0 0 Indonesia41 FFI-Indonesia Prog Mr. Frank Momberg Program development 0 1 0 0 Indonesia42 Tomistoma Task Force Ralf Sommerlad Chair 0 0 1 1 International43 Tomistoma Task Force Akira Matsuda Vice-Chair 1 0 1 1 International44 Tomistoma Task Force Bruce Shwedick Principle Fund Raiser 1 0 1 1 International45 Tomistoma Task Force Rob Stuebing Regional Chair SE Asia 1 0 1 1 International46 Tomistoma Task Force Website 0 0 1 1 International47 IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group Prof. Grahame Webb Chair 1 0 1 1 International48 IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group Dr. James Perran Ross Secretary 1 0 0 0 International49 PRCF-International L. Fernando Potess Director 1 1 1 1 International50 PRCF-International Mark Bezuijen Project coordinator 1 1 1 1 International51 Riverbanks Zoo 1 0 0 0 International52 Audubon Zoo 1 0 0 0 International53 St. Augustine Crocodile Farm 1 0 0 0 International54 CAG 1 0 0 0 International55 Wetlands International Dr. Taej Mundkur Director 0 0 1 1 International56 WCS-international Dr. John Thorbjarnarson SE Asia reptile conservation 1 0 1 0 International57 FFI-international Mr. Mark Rose Chief Executive 1 0 1 0 International58 FFI-international Dr. Jenny Daltry Project director 1 0 1 0 International59 FFI-international Dr. Jon Hutton Project coordinator 1 0 1 0 International60 National Geographic Scientific Division 3 1 1 1 International61 National Geographic Dr. Brady Barr Film narrator 1 0 0 0 International62 TRAFFIC International Mr. Steven Broad Director 1 0 0 0 International63 TRAFFIC South-east Asia Mr. James Compton Director 0 0 1 0 International64 SEA-PEAT Portal & Global Env Centre c/o Mr. David Lee Technical Officer & Data Manager 0 0 1 1 International65 Indonesian Nature Conservation Database c/o Mr. Ed Colijn 0 0 1 1 International66 Peat swamp conservation in SE Asia Dr. Jack O. Rieley Coordinator 1 0 1 1 International67 Sarawak Forestry Department Mr. Wilfred Landong General Manager, Biodiv & PAs 1 0 1 1 International68 Sarawak Forestry Department Dr. Lim Chan Koon Scientist 1 0 1 1 International

Total 27 49 22 20

Hardcopy Digital copy

APPENDIX 6. REPORT DISTRIBUTION Recipients of this report include project sponsors, government agencies, academic institutions and NGOs involved in biodiversity conservation and land management in Indonesia (below). Distribution of hard copies was limited by budget constraints. Recipients include electronic forums to facilitate wider circulation of the digital report.

false gharial (tomistoma schlegelii) surveys in … · conservancy, riverbanks zoo, st. augustine...

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