Conservation status of tigers in a primary rainforest of Peninsular Malaysia

This study provided the first reliable density estimate of tigers based on photographic capture data in Taman Negara National Park, Peninsular Malaysia's most important conservation area. Estimated densities ((X) over bar +/- SE) of adult tigers ranged from 1.10 +/- 0.52 to 1.98 +/- 0.54 tigers/ 100 km(2) (X-2 = 1.56, df = 2, P = 0.46) with the overall mean of 1.66 +/- 0.21 tigers/100 km(2). The tiger population in the 4343-km(2) park was estimated to be 68 (95% CI: 52-84) adult tigers. Prey biomass estimates ranged from 266 to 426 kg/km(2), and wild boar were the most important potential prey species in terms of abundance, biomass, and occupancy, followed by muntjac. Both tigers and leopards were more diurnal than nocturnal, which corresponded with the activity patterns of wild boar and muntjac. No evidence of poaching of large mammals was found in the 600-km(2) study sites and overall human impacts on the tiger-prey community appear to be minimal, but in the long run its viability needs to be evaluated in a greater landscape context. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.