Suspected poacher shot in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

A suspected poacher has been shot in a confrontation with field rangers near the Crocodile Bridge entrance to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The incident happened on Thursday 18 September 2025, after the rangers discovered and followed a set of Human tracks leading towards the southern boundary of the park. At about 8.00 pm local time they reported encountering two armed men, who fled, successfully climbing over the boundary fence. One of the men then allegedly turned and raised his riffle towards the rangers, causing them to fire. The other fled into a cornfield and escaped.

When the rangers reached the man they had shot they found he was alive, and called for a doctor and police support. A search revealed that a bag the man was carrying contained two Rhino horns, and that he did not posses a permit to enter the park or carry a firearm. He was arrested at the scene, but then transferred to a local hospital where he will be held until he is deemed fit to appear before magistrates. 

A pair of White Rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum, in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Roger de la Harpe/Kruger National Park.

South Africa is home to more than half of the world's surviving Rhinoceros population, but has (like many other countries) faced significant problems from poaching of the Animals for their horns. This reached a peak between 2013 and 2017, with more than a thousand Rhinos being killed each year in South Africa, according to Save the Rhino, although the number fell each year from 2015 until 2020. During the COVID 19 pandemic there was an increase in poaching, with the number killed rising slowly each year until 2023. There was a drop of about 15% in 2024, although this still resulted in 420 known Rhinoceros poaching incidents. The majority of Rhino poaching is thought to be carried out by organised crime syndicates, rather than opportunistic local hunters. 

See also...

African Rhinoceros population rose by 5.2% in 2022 despite ongoing poaching.

The population of Rhinoceros across Africa rose by 5.2% during 2022, with 23 290 Animals at the end of the year., according to a press release issued by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature on 21 September 2023 This is despite ongoing poaching in many countries, with 561 Rhinoceros known to have been killed by poachers in 2022. South Africa has the highest population of Rhinoceros on the continent, but also the highest rate of poaching, with 448 Animals killed in 2022, slightly down on 2021, when 451 Rhinoceros were killed by poachers in South Africa. In Namibia 93 Rhinoceros are known to have been killed by poachers in 2022, a sharp rise on 2021, when only 47 were lost in this way. In Kenya a single Rhinoceros was lost to poachers in 2022, down from six in 2021. 

A Black Rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis, one of two species of Rhinoceros found in Africa. Steve Garvie/International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Both species of African Rhinoceros have seen a population increase, with a combination of protection and biological management initiatives seeing the population of Black Rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis, increase by 4/2% to 6487, and the population of White Rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum, increasing by 5.6% to 16 803. Notably, this is the first increase in white rhino numbers since 2012.

See also...

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Twitter. 

Prionodon pardicolor: The Spotted Linsang detected within the Murlen National Park in Mizoram, India.

The Spotted Linsang, Prionodon pardicolor, is a small, nocturnal, tree-dwelling Carnivoran Mammal found across much of Southeast Asia and neighbouring areas. Together with the Banded Linsang, Prionodon linsang, it makes up the Family Prionodontidae, which has recently been shown to be the sister group to the Felids (African Linsangs, Poiana spp., are more closely related to Civits). The Spotted Linsang is known from Assam, Mizoram, Manipor, Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya states in India, as well as eastern Nepal, northeastern India, Bhutan, northern & central Myanmar, northern and central Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, most of Vietnam, and central to southern China. Because of its wide geographical distribution, it is considered to be of Least Concern under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, but because of its secretive nature, it is far from clear how abundant this species actually is, nor whether it is threatened by the widespread Human encroachment into forest habitats across much of its range.

In a paper published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa on 26 November 2022, Amit Kumar Bal of the Society for the Preservation of Endangered Carnivores and their International Ecological Study, and the Amity Institute of Forestry and Wildlife at Amity University,  and Anthorny Giordano, also of the Society for the Preservation of Endangered Carnivores and their International Ecological Study, present the first evidence for the presence of the Spotted Linsang within the Murlen National Park in southern Mizoram State, a significant increase in the species known range, and discus the potential impact of Human-Linsang interactions upon the future of the species.

Range extension of the Spotted Linsang further south into northeastern India, added onto the IUCN global distribution map for the species. Bal & Giordano (2022).

The Murlen National Park lies within the Champhai District of Mizoram, and forms part of the Indo-Burman Biodiversity Hotspot. The park covers a range of hilly and mountainous terrains, and includes areas of tropical and subtropical forests. While in theory protected, wildlife in the park is threatened by a number of Human activities, including logging, hunting, Cattle grazing, and the Jhum cultivation (a form of slash-and-burn agriculture).

Bal and Giordano deployed 10 camera traps within the park between November 2019 and May 2022, as part of a wider study into small carnivore populations, and the threats that they face. During this time (over 400 nights of observation), Bal and Giordano captured six images of Spotted Linsangs, an Animal not previously thought to be present within the park. 

Four individuals of Spotted Linsang photographed in Murlen National Park, Mizoram. Bal & Giordano (2022).

During the course of the study, Bal and Giordano also observed the carcass of a Spotted Linsang within the home of a hunter in Murlen. When questioned on the subject, the hunter admitted to having shot the Animal with a hand-held catapult, in the belief that it was a Leopard Cat, several body parts of which can be traded locally. The hunter stated that he did not know what the Spotted Linsang was, and that he had never seen such an Animal before. This specimen was 69 cm in length, 35 cm of which was made up by the tail.

Carcass of a Spotted Linsang observed in the how of a hunter during the study. Amit Kumar Bal in Bal & Giordano (2022).

Camera trap observations, or observations of any kind, are rare for Spotted Linsangs, which makes estimations of their population difficult. This presumably also makes them less prone to being targeted by Human hunters, although they are clearly not immune from this threat. Dead Spotted Linsangs have also been observed by Amit Kumar Bal caught in snare traps in Arunachal Pradesh, a more indiscriminate form of hunting widely practised in India and Southeast Asia. There are also reports of their having been killed for their skins in Arunachal Pradesh, as well as in retribution for their hunting of domestic poultry. Bal and Giordano suggest that the species should be subject to a more detailed study, covering a wider geographical area, to better understand its population structure and the threats it faces from Human encroachments.

See also...

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Twitter. 

Assessing the population of the Green Peafowl in the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary, Cambodia.

Biodiversity loss has become a major source of concern in Southeast Asia, driven largely by deforestation and the large-scale conversion of land for Human use. Green Peafowl, Pavo muticus, are large, ground-dwelling Galliform Birds, formerly widespread in the dry forests of Southeast Asia. However, only about 16% of the forests they formerly occupied exists, which, combined with active hunting of these Birds for food, ornamental feathers, sale in the international pet trade, and simply to reduce their impact as agricultural pests on converted land, causing the species to be listed as Endangered under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

There are currently considered to be six remaining Green Peafowl strongholds on the Southeast Asian mainland, in southcentral Myanmar, northern and western Thailand, and northern and eastern Cambodia. There are thought to be about 30 000 individuals surviving in the wild, with a significant danger of several populations being wiped out.

The species has been the subject of a series of studies dedicated to understand the problems it faces, which include illegal hunting, logging, agricultural expansion, Cattle grazing, collection of nontimber forest products, and forest fires, and finding ways to meet its needs within multi-use landscapes.

Cambodia currently contains about 70 000 km² of protected land, spread across more than 50 different protected areas. This land is divided into four categories, strict protection core zones, conservation zones, sustainable use zones, and community use zones, the latter predominately being comprised of Human settlements and agricultural lands. This system aims to balance the needs of local communities with the ecological integrity of the protected areas. 

Green Peafowl will occupy a range of habitats, including agricultural land, where it is widely viewed as an agricultural pest, leading to hunting and snaring both on farmland and in adjascent protected areas. This conflict with Human occupants of the same landscape presents a range of additional threats for the Peafowl, increasing the need for a specific conservation management plan for the species.

 

A male Green Peafowl, Pavo muticus, displaying. Ji-Shen Wang/iNaturalist.

In a paper published in the journal Raffles Bulletin of Zoology on 1 April 2022 Chandra Tak of the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, Rachel Crouthers of WWF-Cambodia, Niti Sukumal of the Conservation Ecology Program at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Sophea Chhin, also of the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, and the Conservation Ecology Program at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, and of Fauna & Flora International and the Department of Biodiversity at the Cambodian General Secretariat of National Council for Sustainable Development, present the results of a study which aimed to assess the population density of Green Peafowl within the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary (formerly the Mondulkiri Protected Forest) in eastern Cambodia.

The Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary forms part of a wider transboundary socio-ecological landscape, the Eastern Plains Landscape, covering 14 000 km² of land in Cambodia and Vietnam, which consists of eight contiguous protected areas. The Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary comprises a core area, which covers 1756 km², where only government, community law enforcement officials, and researchers are legally permitted to enter and and an outer core covering 1994 km², comprising different land use types including areas of conservation value to areas that can be used for economic and subsistence purposes and/or support Human settlements.

The most common habitat in the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary is a deciduous Diptocarp forest, dominated by the Saimise Sal Tree, Shorea obtusa, and the Gurjun Tree, Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, with smaller areas of mixed deciduous forest, semi evergreen forest, Bamboo and riverine forest. A number of rivers flow through the area year-round, with additional seasonal waterholes forming during the monsoon season, which lasts from May to October. During the dry season, both water scarcity and forest fires can be problems of wildlife and Human residents of the area.

 

The 80-point count listening post locations within the core and outer core area of Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary. Tak et al. (2022).

Tak et al. surveyed the area by using listening stations to record the calling activities of male Green Peafowl, an approach which has been previously shown to be more efficient when surveying noisy but camouflaged Birds in dense forests. This was carried out during the dry season of 2015-16 (which is the mating season), with 80 listening posts set up in the area to the west of the Srepok River (the area to the east was deemed to be unsafe), covering an area of 1398 km² of the core area and 359 km² of the outer core.

The sampling stations were arranged in a grid pattern, separated by 4 km intervals east-to-west and 7 km intervals north-to-south. Observers were trained to recognise the call of the male Peafowl, and to accurateley record the distance and direction from which the call was coming, providing an approximate loaction for the Birds. Visual sightings were also recorded, but not integrated nto the dataset. 

Peafowl were only observed in deciduous Diptocarp forest, semi-evergreen forest, dry woody shrublands, and non-forest areas. Evergreen forests and shrubby woodlands and other forest types were avoided.

Tak et al. recorded 438 Peafowl calls, from 167 listening posts. This led to an estimation of 1.08 calling males per km² in the outer core areas, and 0.56 calling males per km² in the inner core areas, and a total estimated population of between 897 and 1512 individuals. 

The overwhelming majority of the Peafowl were recorded in deciduous Diptocarp forest (92.3% in the core area and 87.3% in the outer core), while non-forested areas were avoided, strongly supporting the hypothesis that forest-loss effects these Birds adveresly. The presence of seasonal waterholes had no apparent influence on Peafowl density, but the Birds were apparently more numerous close to both rivers and Human settlements. 

Female Green Peafowl, Pavo muticus, on the island of Java, Indonesia. Ron Knight/Flikr/Wikimedia Commons.

The accurate monitoring of endangered species requires the ability to make accurate surveys of their population numbers and density. However, this can be difficult for species which live in dense forests or other cryptic environments. In such cases accurate counting by direct observation requires repeated surveys over several years, which is both costly and labour-intensive. Monitoring Birds using their vocalisations is therefore an increasingly popular option, which has been shown to work for a number of Bird groups, including Galiforms such as the Green Peafowl. However, sound-based surveys require vigorous training to enable those undertaking them to make accurate identifications, end estimates of distance and direction.

Tak et al.'s findings suggest that male Peafowl are present at greater densities in the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary than they are in the nearby Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, also in eastern Cambodia, and similar to that seen in the Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary in north-eastern Cambodia. This suggests that the type of land-cover available to the Peafowl is important; the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, although close to the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary, is dominated by much denser forest types, whereas the Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary is predominantly covered by deciduous Diptocarp forest similar to that in the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary.

No historic records exist that could be used to reliably estimate Green Peafowl population densities in undisturbed forests. However, the population densities of these Birds in Cambodia and Vietnam do seem to be consistently lower than those in northern Thailand. This is likely to be due to anthropogenic factors such as habitat modification, exploitation, Human-induced fires, and overgrazing, threats which are still present and likely to remain so until a species-specific management plan is put into place.

Birdlife International regards the Green Peafowl to be particularly prone to hunting, driven by demand for ornamental displays, meat consumption, and the pet trade, and during the period during which Tak et al.'s study was carried out, patrol and research teams removed more than 3000 snares which had been placed within the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary. Blanket snaring was evident near water sources, and signs of shooting could also be observed throughout the reserve. The Green Peafowl is known to be vulnerable to these hunting techniques, as a large, ground-dwelling Bird prone to congregating in open spaces within woodlands. Tak et al. therefore recommend that law enforcement procedures in the area be adapted to specifically address the conservation needs of the species, if a rapid decline in population is to be avoided. 

Residents of local villages frequently reported damage to crops by Green Peafowl, and admitted to using both snares and poison on farmland as was of reducing this. Green Peafowl were found at higher densities closer to villages, suggesting that they were attracted to the resources provided by Human settlements, and creating a higher risk of negative Human-Peafowl interactions in areas were forests are shrinking and the two species living closer together.

Tak et al. therefore recommend that future conservation plans for the species examine closely these negative interactions, and find ways to address these problems that take into account both the needs of the Peafowl and of Human populations in the region.

See also...

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Twitter.

 

Helarctos malayanus: Understanding the impact of Palm Oil plantations around the Tabin Wildlife Reserve on Malayan Sun Bears

Wildlife reserves around the world are coming under increasing pressure due to rising Humans populations and activities in adjacent areas. Originally conceived as refuges in which the core habitats of threatened species would be preserved, surrounded by buffers of limited activity, many of these reserves now have intensive Human activities extending directly to their boundaries, provoking a rise in Human-wildlife activities, both as Humans enter parks to hunt or extract Plant or mineral resources, and as Animals on the boundaries of parks try to take advantage of Human resources, by crop raiding or hunting livestock.

Populations of Animals in parks are therefore becoming particularly prone to edge effects, with Animals populations living close to reserve boundaries particularly prone to extinction. This is particularly true for Animals living on smaller reserves, and large carnivorous Animals, which require larger territories and are more vulnerable to Human-wildlife contacts.

Wildlife in Southeast Asia is increasingly vulnerable to a range of anthropogenic threats, driven largely by deforestation. More than 50% of tropical forests in Southeast Asia have been felled for agriculture and other commercial purposes. As well as the direct loss of habitat, many wildlife populations have become more vulnerable to hunting, as new road networks open up formerly remote areas. This hunting is driven both by the desire to obtain bushmeat for local consumption, and the international wildlife trade, in which both whole Animals and Animal body parts are traded over long distances across international boundaries.

Sun Bears, Helarctos malayanus, are hunted for their paws and gall bladders, which have high commercial values on the international market. The species is found in the evergreen forests of the Sundaland sub-region and the seasonal forests of mainland Southeast Asia. Sun Bears are currently classified as Vulnerable under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, but their populations are thought to have declined by 30% in the last 30 years, due to a combination of habitat loss and hunting for body parts, making it likely the species will be reclassified as Endangered in the near future.

 

A Borneo Sun Bear, Helarctos malayanus euryspilus, in Sabah State, Malaysia. Sunbear Survival.

Efforts to set up conservation plans for Sun Bears have been hampered by a lack of information about their distribution, ecology, and population structures, and while some work to improve our understanding of this has been undertaken in recent years, there is still much about the species that is not fully understood. Notably, it was long thought that Sun Bears were restricted to undisturbed primary rainforests, but recent studies have suggested that they are also found to some extent in secondary forests and even areas that have recently been cleared by loggers.

The impact of land-use changes upon vulnerable species has been little studied in Southeast Asia, although, as in other areas, these impacts are likely to be severe when they are close to reserve boundaries, as such encroachments will lead to increased Human-wildlife conflicts, enhanced opportunities for poachers to target wildlife, barriers to the movement of species between remaining areas of habitat, and changes in Animal behaviour in changing environments. In Malaysia there has been a rapid spread of monocultural Oil Palm plantations into many areas previously covered by pristine rainforests, with a subsequent negative impact on wildlife populations. There plantations have a severe impact on Mammal diversity, with the number of species declining rapidly away from areas of natural forests. Nonetheless, many species have found ways to exploit these new environments, and Sub Bears, which are generally diurnal, are known to make nocturnal foraging forays into Oil Palm plantations. Such crop-raiding behaviour gives the Bears access to a highly nutritious food-source, but fuels conflict with villagers and plantation workers. This in turn tends to lead to a rise in poaching, typically by snaring, which leads to boundary areas becoming population sinks, as Bears in these areas are drawn into the plantations to access the new food source, where they become more vulnerable to poaching.

In a paper published in the journal Wildlife Biology on 3 May 2021, Thye Lim Tee of the Department of Biological Sciences at Sunway University, Frank van Manen of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team at the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Petra Kretzschmar of the Department of Evolutionary Ecology at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Stuart Sharp of the Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University, Siew Te Wong of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Sumbin Gadas of the Sabah Wildlife Department, and Shyamala Ratnayeke, also of the Department of Biological Sciences at Sunway University, present the results of a study which used remote cameras along a gradient across the boundary of the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah State, Malaysian Borneo, to determine the presence or absence of Sun Bears in landscapes subject to Human alteration.

The Tabin Wildlife Reserve is an area of lowland Dipterocarp rainforest northeast of Lahad Datu. It was created in 1984 for the conservation of the Sumatran Rhinoceros, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, and now represents the largest contiguous forested area in Sabah, although it is surrounded by Oil Palm plantations. Rainfall in the reserve averages 150–300 cm per year, and temperatures from a mean daily maximum of 32.0°C to a mean daily minimum of 22.0°C.

 

The Tabin Wildlife Reserve preserves an excellent habitat for forest-dwelling Bornean species, but Oil Palm plantations now extend to its boundaries on almost all sides. Google Maps.

Tee et al. used data from two sources in their study; the first was collected during Sumatran Rhino surveys at Tabin Wildlife Reserve from July 2012 through February 2013, and the second carried out by Thye Lim Tee April–October 2017. Only data from independent camera sites that were located at least 1 km apart was used in the study, with sites that were closer being omitted, resulting in a total of 83 camera sites being included in the study. 

The 2012-13 Rhino surveys were conducted in the central and northern part of Tabin Wildlife Reserve, with cameras placed within 6 km² square grid cells based on a minimum home-range size of Sumatran Rhinos at game trails, mud wallows or hill crests. This study yielded data from 39 cameras with an average distance of 1.7 km. These camaras operated 24 hours a day for an average of 96 days.

During the 2017 study 44 passive infrared remote cameras were deployed along forest trails, the reserve boundary, old logging roads and within the core area of the reserve. These cameras were separated by an average distance of 1.4 km, selected to establish a gradient in relation to landscape features of interest, such as distance to roads and reserve boundary, with cameras placed to optimise Sun Bear detection, and baited with Shrimp paste and pieces of salted Fish placed in black shading net. These cameras were deployed at each site for 28 days, before being moved to a new site, with 13-18 cameras active at any one time.

Tee et al. used a linear model to correlate landscape features with Sun Bear presence, judging Sun Bears as present in an area based upon camera sightings, bait removal, or claw marks on trees. Bears were assessed as being present if they were detected once within the entire period of observation, with no finer differentiation than either present or absent, as the species is somewhat cryptic in its habits, and hard to detect. The presence or absence of Bears was then compared to seven other landscape variables; (1) elevation, (2) terrain ruggedness, (3) distance to nearest road, (4) distance to nearest permanent river, (5) distance to nearest reserve boundary, (6) human density and (7) percentage natural forest cover. The results were mapped in Quantum GIS, using elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, Human density data from the LandScan 2007 global population data set, road data from Google Earth Pro, combined with data obtained by mapping with a Garmin GPSmap 62s Global Positioning Unit, and other data from previous studies carried out in the area. Because Oil Palm plantations extend to the boundaries of the reserve on all sides, all areas outside the reserve were considered to have 0% natural tree cover. Statistical processing was carried out using the R software package.

Distribution of 83 remote camera stations and Sun Bear presence or absence during two remote camera surveys in Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia, 2012–2013 (circles) and 2017 (triangles). Black circles or triangles indicate sites with Sun Bear presence, whereas white circles or triangles indicate sites with no detection of Sun Bears. Tee et al. (2021).

Tee et al. made 164 independent Sun Bear sightings over a total of 4862 study-nights, with Bears being sighted at 47 of the 83 sites included in the study. Distance from road was found to be the most reliable indicator of Human disturbance, as roads effectively run around all the boundaries of the reserve. Bears were found to be most active away from these boundary areas, with 138 of the 164 Bear-detections occurring at 35 of the 51 sites designated as 'core areas', while 26 sightings occurred at 14 of the 32 sites designated as 'boundary areas'. Thus Bears were 3.3 times more likely to be sighted in 'core areas' than 'boundary areas'. Sun Bears were most active at around 7.00 am and 4.00 pm in the core areas, whereas in the boundary areas they were most active between 5.00 am and 6.00 am. 

 

Predicted relative probability of sun bear presence in Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia, based on remote camera data collected during surveys in 2012–2013 and 2017. Predictions from seven logistic regression models were multiplied by their respective AICc weights and summed to obtain model-averaged probabilities. Model covariates included distance to nearest road, elevation, human density, percent natural forest cover and survey. For models that included the survey covariate, we averaged predicted values for the two equations representing each of the two survey periods. Tee et al. (2021).

Sun Bears were found to be most present in areas away from roads, at higher elevations, and with lower percentages of natural forest cover. However, the degree of elevation present in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve is limited, with the highest parts, in the centre of the park, only reaching 571 m above sealevel, and the elevation falling to 20-100 m at the reserve's boundaries. Higher elevation was also closely correlated with terrain ruggedness, although the correlation between Bear-presence and terrain ruggedness, was much lower than that for elevation. Tee et al. suspect that the correlation between Bear-presence and elevation may actually reflect some variable not measured in their study. In particular they note that the flora of low-lying areas within the reserve is relatively uniform, but that tropical forest floras often vary considerably with even small changes in elevation, which may suggest that the Bears may be responding to the availability of some resource, such as food or cover. Bears were also found to be found in areas with lower levels of natural cover, although this measure appeared to have been skewed by the activities of Bears in the boundary areas, with those Bears detected here being predominantly detected close to the boundaries with Oil Palm plantations, 

Tee et al. had a higher detection rate for Sun Bears than previous studies carried out at other reserves in Sabah. This was particularly notable for the baited sites, but also true of the sites from the 2012-13 Rhino survey, which Tee et al. take to indicate that Sun Bears are present at higher densities in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve than in other reserves in Sabah, which in turn probably relates to the size of the reserve, which preserves a larger fragment of forest that any other reserve on Sabah, all of which are impacted by the spread of Oil Palm plantations. 

The greater activity of Sun Bears during twilight hours in boundary areas of the reserve is almost certainly an indicator of crop-raiding activities by these Bears, with previous studies having indicated that such crop-raiding is almost exclusively nocturnal, with Bears returning in the forests during the day. Bears appeared only to venture close to roads in areas where this was associated with access to Oil Palm plantations, with Bears generally avoiding roads in the interior of the reserve. 

Overall, Tee et al.'s findings are consistent with previous studies, which have found that Human activities, and in particular the spread of Oil Palm plantations, have had a strong negative impact upon the lives of Sun Bears, and that the species will tend to prioritise avoiding contact with Humans above all other activities, including foraging for food.

Studies of other Bear species have detected a similar aversion to roads, with Sloth Bears, Melursus ursinus, in Sri Lanka, having been shown to avoid areas with roads completely, and Brown Bears, Ursus arctos, avoiding roads with high traffic levels and Human settlements in general. Bears are intelligent Animals, and can modify their behaviour to accommodate Human activities, but the presence of roads is strongly associated with rises in Bear-poaching and other forms of Human-Bear conflict, which have a negative impact on Bear populations. This is of particular importance for the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, where there is no control on access from roads abutting the reserve, nor any form of anti-poaching precautions in place. Poaching in the area is known to be highly profitable, with poachers targeting both protected Animals and Plants (such as the Agarwood Tree, Aquilaria spp.). Tee et al. photographed groups of armed poachers within the reserve on three occasions, all within 1 km of a plantation road. 

Malaysia is the world's second largest producer of Palm Oil, and Sabah produces about 27% of the country's total output. Unsurprisingly, Sabah is also a global deforestation hotspot, with 15 000 km² of Oil Palm plantations, out of a total land area of 74 000 km². This expansion of Oil Palm plantations has been accompanied by an expansion of the infrastructure which supports such activities, most notably roads. In an area such as the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, which is surrounded by plantations and roads on almost all sides, simple passive protection of species such as Sun Bears (i.e. declaring these species to be protected and hoping people will comply with this) is unlikely to be effective, and a more robust species protection plan will need to be put into place if these Animals are not to go extinct. Any such species protection plan needs to be built upon studies of hunting and poaching in the area, and the responses of Bears to Human activities, and include rigorous anti-poaching measures and formal partnerships between locally-based non-governmental organisations, local ecotourism resorts, plantation stakeholders and local communities.

See also...

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Twitter.

Kenyan man extradited by the United States for trafficking in Rhinoceros horns, Elephant ivory and heroin.

Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced in a press release on Monday 25 January 2021, that Mansur Mohamed Surur, 60, a Kenyan citizen, was extradited from Kenya and arrived in the United States this morning. Surur was arrested by Kenyan authorities on 29 July 2020, in Mombasa, Kenya, on charges of conspiracy to traffic in Rhinoceros horns and Elephant ivory, both endangered wildlife species, which involved the illegal poaching of more than approximately 35 Rhinoceros and more than 100 Elephants.  In addition, Surur was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 10 kilograms of heroin. Surur's co-defendant, Moazu Kromah, a citizen of Liberia, was previously deported to the United States from Uganda on 13 June 2019.  Co-defendant Amara Cherif, a citizen of Guinea, was extradited to the United States from Senegal on 3 April 2020.  Co-defendant Abdi Hussein Ahmed, citizen of Kenya, remains a fugitive. Surur is expected to be arraigned later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory Woods.

 

 

Mansur Mohamed Surur, extracted from Kenya to the United States to face charges of trafficking in Rhinoceros horns, Elephant ivory and heroin. The Standard.

 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  'Mansur Mohamed Surur is alleged to be a member of an international conspiracy to traffic in Rhino horns, Elephant ivory, and heroin.  The enterprise is allegedly responsible for the illegal slaughter of dozens of Rhinos and more than 100 Elephants, both endangered species.  The excellent work of the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration has put an end to this operation.'

 

According to allegations in the indictment Kromah, Cherif, Surur,  and Ahmed were members of a transnational criminal enterprise based in Uganda and surrounding countries that was engaged in the large-scale trafficking and smuggling of Rhinoceros horns and Elephant ivory, both protected wildlife species. Trade involving endangered or threatened species violates several U.S. laws, as well as international treaties implemented by certain U.S. laws.

 

From at least in or about December 2012 through at least in or about May 2019, Kromah, Cherif, Surur, and Ahmed conspired to transport, distribute, sell, and smuggle at least approximately 190 kilograms of Rhinoceros horns and at least approximately 10 tons of Elephant ivory from or involving various countries in East Africa, including Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal, and Tanzania, to buyers located in the United States and countries in Southeast Asia.  Such weights of Rhinoceros horn and Elephant ivory are estimated to have involved the illegal poaching of more than approximately 35 Rhinoceros and more than approximately 100 Elephants.  In total, the estimated average retail value of the Rhinoceros horn involved in the conspiracy was at least approximately $3.4 million, and the estimated average retail value of the Elephant ivory involved in the conspiracy was at least approximately $4 million.

 

The defendants exported and agreed to export the Rhinoceros horns and Elephant ivory for delivery to foreign buyers, including those represented to be in Manhattan, in packaging that concealed the Rhinoceros horns and Elephant ivory in, among other things, pieces of art such as African masks and statues.  The defendants received and deposited payments from foreign customers that were sent in the form of international wire transfers, some which were sent through U.S. financial institutions.

 

On a number of occasions, Kromah, Surur, and Ahmed met with a confidential source (identifies as 'CS-1'), both together and separately, concerning potential purchases of Elephant ivory and Rhinoceros horn.  During these meetings and at other times via phone calls and electronic messages, CS-1 discussed with Kromah, Surur, and Ahmed, in substance and in part, the terms of such sales, including the price, weight, or size of the rhinoceros horns, as well as payment, destination, and delivery options.  CS-1 also discussed with Cherif via phone calls and electronic messages, in substance and in part, the terms of the sales, as well as how to send payment for Rhinoceros horns from a United States bank account located in New York, New York.  On or about 16 March 2018, law enforcement agents intercepted a package containing a Black Rhinoceros horn sold by the defendants to CS-1 that was intended for a buyer represented to be in New York, New York.  From in or about March 2018 through in or about May 2018, the defendants offered to sell CS-1 additional Rhinoceros horns of varying weights, including horns weighing up to approximately seven kilograms.  On or about 17 July 2018, law enforcement agents intercepted a package containing two Rhinoceros horns sold by the defendants to CS-1 that were intended for a buyer represented to be in New York, New York. 

 

Separately, from at least in or about August 2018 through at least in or about May 2019, Surur and Ahmed conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than approximately 10 kilograms of heroin to a buyer represented to be located in New York. 

 

Surur is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking and two counts of wildlife trafficking, which each carry a maximum sentence of five years; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years; and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

 

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.  In addition, she thanked law enforcement authorities and conservation partners in Uganda as well as the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Kenyan Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for their assistance in the investigation.  Ms. Strauss also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance, and noted that the investigation is continuing.

 

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Sagar Ravi and Jarrod Schaeffer are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations.  The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 

See also...

 

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Twitter.