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Malaysia Program |
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Elephant surveys in West Malaysia
WCS is involved in a major survey of elephant populations in West Malaysia, using recently-developed techniques for estimating population size based on elephant dung counts. The overall goal of this project is to help the Malaysian authorities meet their obligations to the CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme and, more generally, to help develop a holistic elephant plan for West Malaysia that will help balance development and conservation, and which will help conserve wild elephant populations in Taman Negara and elsewhere in West Malaysia. Taman NegaraFrom June 2006 to May 2007, WCS and the Government of Malaysia (GoM) conducted elephant surveys in Taman Negara.
The specific objectives of this phase were:
These goals directly address two of the most pressing needs in Asian elephant conservation(1), namely: (1) up to date and accurate baseline data on the status of major elephant populations; and (2) increased capacity of wildlife departments in those countries with wild elephant populations. Endau RompinCovering an area of approximately 891 sq km, the Endau Rompin area is the second largest national park in West Malaysia. It straddles the border between Pahang and Johor in the south of the Peninsula. Due to its size and importance, WCS Malaysia is replicating the work done in Taman Negara, working closely and with generous support from the Johor State though Johor National Parks Corporation (JNPC). Our progress to date includes :
Our field survey teams, headed by a WCS staff member with the assistance from JNPC officers and staff, are currently conducting Line Transect Surveys in Endau Rompin. The team leaders are Nurul Huda Zakaria, Jessica Tay, Aris Oziar & Melissa Bilong. AcknowledgementsWCS Malaysia acknowledges the in-kind contribution of staff, field accommodation and equipment by JNPC, PERHILITAN and CITES MIKE towards this project. Additional financial support were also provided by CITES MIKE , Denver Zoo and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 1: Blake, S; S Hedges. 2004. Sinking the flagship: the case of forest elephants in Asia and Africa. Conservation Biology 18:1191–1202 |
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Text by Aris Oziar Page updated 16 May 2008 by Mike Meredith | |||||
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