The Habitat Use of Banteng 69 in Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary Thailand
The banteng (Bos javanicus) is one of the most iconic wild animals of Southeast Asia and Thailand [1]. Males can reach up to 1.7 m in height at the shoulder, while females can weigh up to 670 kg. Banteng are grazers, feeding on grasses and visiting salt licks for supplementary nutrients. They live solitary lives, only coming together to breed. Their preferred habitat is open forests and grasslands, and they are active both day and night [2].
Reintroduction programs aim to restore wild populations of endangered species in their natural habitats. Successful reintroduction requires a combination of factors including population viability, genetic conservation, and habitat management. In the case of banteng, habitat fragmentation and agricultural activities are significant threats to the survival of reintroduced populations. Therefore, monitoring banteng movements and habitat use is critical to understand how they adapt to new environments after reintroduction and inform future habitat management decisions.
To this end, we used camera traps to monitor the behavior of reintroduced banteng in Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary in the dry and wet season and throughout the year. The resulting data were used to construct a series of binary logistic regression models for the prediction of habitat reference values of banteng in the core and edge areas. The Akaike information criterion was used to select the best model for each area.
Results showed that the core area was highly preferred by banteng, whereas the edges were less preferred. The environmental variables with the highest percent contribution were distance to streams and artificial ponds, as well as a close proximity to wildlife sanctuary guard stations. These results suggest that the proximity to water sources is a critical factor for banteng, while distance from villages is also important to reduce risk of poaching and predation.
The high level of human disturbance in the edge area negatively impacted banteng movements and territory size, and increased the distance from salt licks. However, the fact that these variables had a smaller impact on core-area preferences indicates that the reintroduced banteng have adapted to their new environment and are able to find food and water in their new habitat. In addition, it is important to continue monitoring human activities in the area surrounding the banteng reintroduction site to prevent anthropogenic threats and ensure long-term sustainability of the project.
This is a public research report, available for download at CSIS. banteng 69 is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Indonesia Program at CSIS. Follow her on Twitter. The B train is the last train that goes to Jl. Banteng No 69 Buah Batu Bandung, which is about a 30-minute walk from Jl. Pranowo. Bus service is also available from the bus station at Jl. Pranowo to the airport, hotels, and many other destinations. The CSIS Quick Count team would like to thank the Indonesian Government for their assistance in this report.
