Abstract
Monitoring the status of the Critically Endangered Sumatran Tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae is a key component for assessing the effectiveness of conservation interventions, and thus informing and adapting strategic planning for the remaining 600 Sumatran Tigers on the island. The Berbak-Sembilang National Park is an integral part of the priority Berbak-Sembilang Tiger Conservation Landscape, in a unique habitat of mixed peat and freshwater swamp in eastern Sumatra. Our camera trap survey covered both the Berbak and Sembilang Tiger Core Areas (BTCA, STCA) over a period of 10 years, with surveys undertaken in 2010, 2015, 2018–2019. The most recent population density estimates (BTCA 1.33 adults/100 km2, 95% CI 0.82–1.91 with 19 adults; and STCA 0.56 adults/100 km2, 95% CI 0.45–0.89 with five adults) confirmed a small but stable population. A landscape level management approach is a priority for tiger population recovery, consolidating ground-based protection and establishing a well-maintained fire management system with reforestation of affected areas along with multi-stakeholder engagement and partnerships. The study also recommends extending the BTCA to include the primary swamp forest in the north of the national park, based on evidence from camera trap surveys.
Highlights
Among the six extant subspecies of tigers, the Sumatran Tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae survives in isolated populations across 27 forest patches in Sumatra (Figure 1, combined forest area ~140,226 km2) (Wibisono & Pusparini 2010)
Survey effort ranged from 1,152 trap nights (BTCA 2010 survey with 27 camera trap stations) to 6,570 trap nights (STCA 2019 survey with 73 camera trap stations; Table 1)
Berbak Tiger Core Area had a higher density of tigers (1.33 individuals/100km2, 95% CI 0.82–1.91 in 2018) than STCA (0.56 individuals/100km2, 95% CI 0.45–0.89 in 2019)
Summary
Among the six extant subspecies of tigers, the Sumatran Tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae survives in isolated populations across 27 forest patches in Sumatra (Figure 1, combined forest area ~140,226 km2) (Wibisono & Pusparini 2010). With over 3,800km of wetland forest (Wibisono & Pusparini 2010), the landscape is a combination of mixed peat swamp, freshwater forest (Giesen 2004; GTI 2012) and mangrove forest (Silvius et al 2018a). It is an important carbon sink (GTI 2012), but it is experiencing deforestation caused by logging and human-caused fires (Giesen 2004)
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