Accessibility as a Factor for Selecting Conservation Actions for Pileated Gibbons (Hylobates pileatus)

Abstract

Conservation strategies for pileated gibbons (Hylobates pileatus) in Thailand have included protection, community-based initiatives and reintroductions. Besides conservation interventions, we also believe that topographic characters (i.e. elevation, slope and distance from forest border) should be considered when reducing hunting pressures on gibbons in Ta-riu Tributary, Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary (KSD). However, limited access of poachers to the area occupied by pileated gibbons also limits rangers’ ability to patrol at the same time. In this case, community-based conservation strategies should be considered. However, for areas close to the forest border without gibbon populations, reintroduction strategies should be considered. Therefore, in order to select the most suitable conservation strategy for each area, correlation and linear regression between the number of pileated gibbon groups and topographic characters were analysed. Distance from the forest border significantly affects the number of pileated gibbon groups. Thus, this factor was used to select the suitable conservation strategy in both Ta-riu Tributary and the wildlife sanctuary. Community-based conservation strategies should benefit 6 per cent of the wildlife sanctuary forested area, whilst protection and reintroduction strategies would benefit 58 and 36 per cent, respectively. We recommend that Ta-riu Tributary should be the priority area for pileated gibbon conservation in KSD.