status and distribution of malayan sun bear (helarctos...

Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3(4): 45-56 (2019)

(http://jwb.araku.ac.ir/)

DOI: 10.22120/jwb.2019.113261.1083

Status and Distribution of Malayan Sun Bear (Helarctos

malayanus) in Dampa Tiger Reserve, Mizoram, India

Sushanto Gouda*, Netrapal Singh

Chauhan, Janmejay Sethy

1Amity Institute of Forestry and Wildlife, Amity

University, Noida- 201313, Uttar Pradesh, India

*email: [email protected] Received: 01August 2019 / Revised: 30 August 2019 / Accepted: 1

September 2019 / Published online: 10 September 2019. Ministry of

Sciences, Research and Technology, Arak University, Iran.

Abstract Malayan sun bear is the smallest among all bears

and the only tropical bear species inhabiting the

lowland tropical forest of Southeast Asia. Once

abundant, they are now considered as priority

species due to excessive poaching and hunting

across their home range. Although reported

from several parts of Northeast India, the

paucity of biological information on the species

and its distribution has been a major constrained

for conservation efforts. The study in Dampa

Tiger Reserve, Mizoram, India determines the

ecology, distribution and habitat selection of

Sun bear, using foraging signs and invasive

camera trapping techniques. A total of 43

transects were walked with 310 sampling plot.

Evidence in forms of claw marks was found to

be highest (60.23%) followed by scats

(25.81%), nests (3.56%), cavity (6.23%) and

footprints (4.15%). The mean occurrence of bear

signs was 17.2±0.8. Bamboo forest and Tropical

semi-evergreen forest with elevation between

501-1000 msl were found to be the most

preferred habitat for sun bear. Majority of sun

bear signs (74.1%) were observed in

undisturbed forest regardless of sites (r2=

0.8291, df= 3, p< 0.2713). With a camera

trapping effort of 647 trap-nights, 18

independent images of sun bear were obtained.

The photo-capture and block wise distribution

index was estimated to be 5.26 with a trapping

index of 1.89. Deserted areas within the tiger

reserve serve as excellent sources of frugivory

and fruiting phenology. From the study, it was

determined that the population of sun bear in the

region is relatively low and restricted to a few

patches within the reserve. Habitats of sun bear

are also under serious threats due to agricultural

expansion and ever-increasing dependency of

local communities on forest resources, hence

immediate measures are needed for the

conservation of sun bear in the region.

Keywords: Camera trapping, deserted areas,

foraging signs, non-invasive technique, sun

bear.

Introduction Bears are one of the most fascinating

mammalian species associated with numerous

social and cultural aspects in the South-Asian

countries for centuries. They are symbolically

and physically integrated with the tribal

communities in several traditional aspects

(Servheen et al. 1999). The Malayan sun bear

(Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest among all

bears and the only tropical bear species

inhabiting the lowland tropical forest of

Southeast Asia (Servheen 1999). They are

among the few species that were characterized

as Data Deficient (DD) till 2008 by the IUCN

Red list of Threatened species, but with

improvement in researches on ecology and

conservation, it is now considered as a

‘Vulnerable’ species (Scotson et al. 2017). In

India, they are reported from the north-eastern

states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland,

Arunachal Pradesh and Assam (Chauhan and

Singh 2006, Sethy and Chauhan 2011,

Choudhury 2011, Borah et al. 2012). As in most

parts of Southeast Asia, the population of sun

bear in India also faces threats from poaching for

their meat or trade in their body parts (gall

bladder and claws) (Sethy and Chauhan 2012).

Research Article

46 | Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3(4): 45-56 (2019)

Fragmentation of forest due to shifting

cultivation, oil palm plantation and other

activities have also triggered encroachment of

bears to human settlement areas resulting in

human-bear conflicts that often leads to injuries

to bears or the humans (Chauhan and Singh

2006, Choudhury 2011). The availability of easy

food sources in shifting crop fields along the

protected areas attracts bears and other animals,

causing crop depredation and even retaliation

killing from farmers (Pop et al. 2012, Nazeri et

al. 2012). While evidence on the presence of sun

bear are available form parts of northeast India

(Chauhan and Singh 2006, Choudhury 2011,

Borah et al. 2012), proper demarcation and

information of its distribution, with

photographic evidence for their confirmation is

lacking, that serves as a major constraints for its

conservation and management efforts (Sethy

and Chauhan 2012).

Conservation priorities and strategies in any

region are based on assessments of population

size and distribution trend (Servheen et al. 1999,

Wong et al. 2004). Camera trapping is

recognized as a key method for monitoring

invasive, nocturnal and cryptic species where

climate and landscape act as large-scale

ecological stressors (Schmeller 2015, Steenweg

et al. 2017, Rich et al. 2019). However, reliable

abundance estimation through capture-recapture

is difficult to achieve at larger spatial scales and

is confined to species that are naturally marked

and have a large population size (Mackenzie et

al. 2002, Palai et al. 2015). As the density of sun

bear is perceived to be relatively low in all their

home ranges, it makes mark-recapture technique

as an intricate process for their estimation

(Garshel et al. 1999). Hence, photo-capture rates

or trapping effort serve as the ideal approach for

the valuation of distribution and abundance of

mammals including bears in a tropical forest of

India (Carbone et al. 2001, Trolle and Kery

2005, Palei et al. 2015). There is also increasing

evidence of the linear relationship between

Relative abundancy Index (RAI) and abundance

estimated through more rigorous methodologies

(Rovero and Marshall 2008). Assessing

population density on the incidence of sign

(scats, tracks, marked trees) has been

successfully used for estimation of the small

population (<20) in any given area (Garshel et

al. 1999, Karanth et al. 2006). It may be possible

to account for all individuals through a

comprehensive record of track measurements

and direct observation with an assist from

invasive tools like camera trapping (Karanth and

Nichols 1998, Rowcliffe and Carbone 2008,

Ngoprasert et al. 2012, Wong et al. 2012).

Considering the caveats above, the study aims to

determine the status and assess the spatial-

temporal distribution of Malayan sun bear

(Helarctos malayanus) from secondary

evidence backed with camera trapping. Such

methods are best suited for the tropical forest of

Mizoram, where the presence had been reported

but evidence for its confirmation is still deficient

(Choudhury 2011).

Materials and Methods Study area

Dampa Tiger Reserve (DTR) was selected for

the study as some of the earlier publications had

cited the presence of sun bear in the region. The

area also holds important geographical

characteristics as it shares the border with

Bangladesh where the occurrence of sun bear

was reported by Islam et al. (2013) and Scotson

(2017) already. The reserve lies within the

biodiversity hotspot and stretches over an area

of 550 km2 within latitude 23° 23' to 23° 42’ N

and 92° 16' to 92° 25' E (Fig. 1). The reserve is

home to a rich floral (Sahoo et al. 2010) and

faunal diversity including Clouded leopard

(Neofelis nebulosa), Golden cat (Catopuma

temminckii) and Great hornbill (Buceros

bicornis) (Gouda et al. 2016, Singh and

Macdonald 2017) and contains a profusion of

habitats characterized by diverse biota. The

natural vegetation in the reserve is tropical

evergreen to semi-evergreen. The forest in the

moist valleys is lofty and evergreen, while the

steeper slopes on the west aspect have more

deciduous elements, often with sympodial


bamboos in the understory (Lalrinchhana and

Solanki 2015). The diverse’ vegetation can be

attributed to the villages that were once within

the reserve forest but later relocated to the buffer

region.

Figure 1. Map of the study area showing the international boundary and villages in vicinity

of the reserve


Sampling design and data collection

Different sets of approach were adapted for

collection of samples and evidence on the

presence of Malayan sun bear in the region,

which comprises of the questionnaire survey,

transect survey, bear’s sign survey and camera

trapping.

Questionnaire survey

Inputs from locals are considered as an asset for

obtaining valuable information in any region.

Semi-structured questionnaire surveys were

conducted to gather information on the past and

present status, distribution, the extent of human-

bear interactions and threats to bears population,

etc. Male members of the families were

preferred for the survey as they spend more time

in the agriculture crop fields and surrounding

areas compared to the female members. Women

were also helpful in providing additional

information related to crop depredation and

bear-human interaction.

Line transect

Forty-three transects of varying length (3-5 km)

were laid in a stratified manner covering

different habitats of DTR (Fig. 2). Each transect

was traversed and covered at least 2-3 times in

every season (summer, rainy and winter) with

15-20 days interval. During the transect walks,

bear signs (claw marks, footprints, feeding

signs, feces and crop-raiding signs) were

searched. Bear’s nest, broken bee’s nest, digging

sites, scat, tracks, and trails were also

extensively looked for. Claw marks of bears

while climbing on trees were recorded as one

sign. In the situation where claw marks of

different age categories were observed on one

tree, the most recent sign was recorded

following Steinmetz and Garshelis (2008),

Steinmetz (2009) and Islam et al. (2013). Claw

mark measurements were recorded and

photographs were taken for species

identification. GPS coordinates of the tree with

claw marks were also noted. Based on the

sightings of sun bear and their signs, distribution

map was prepared for sun bear in DTR.

Figure 2. Map showing the transect tracts within the

study area

Camera trapping

Based on preliminary survey and sign survey,

areas with evidence of the presence of Malayan

sun bear were identified and selected for

deployment of camera traps. A grid size of 8 km2

was selected to match the scale of other camera-

trapping surveys in South-east Asia (O’Brien et

al. 2003, Kawanishi and Sunquist 2004,

Grassman 2005, Jackson et al. 2006). Of the 40

grids covering the study area, 20 grids were

randomly selected for camera trapping. Sun bear

was photo-captured using 10 passive camera

trap units between May 2015 and March 2016.

All camera traps were operational for 24 hours

per day, time and date for each exposure were

preset, and had a 15-sec delay between

photographs. Camera traps were placed on trees

at ~50 cm from the ground and 1-2 m from the

monitoring area. Sensors were aimed at ground

to monitor a conical area approximately 1 m in

diameter at 10 m distance. Independence of

photo capture was determined following

O’Brien et al. (2003) and Jenks et al. (2011)

suggesting that two photo-capture images can be

considered as independent if photo-captured


after a minimum time gap of 30 minutes. The

photo capture was determined using the method

suggested by Rovero and Marshall (2008).

Block wise density

While estimating the density it may be noted that

different animal shares their minimum limit for

their habitat and it solely varies with the species.

Further, the number of captures was far too less

to perform other calculations to assess the

populations with more conviction. However, if

it is considered that bears that were captured by

independent camera traps at least once are

separate individuals, then a crude density of sun

bears in different forest blocks may be

calculated as block wise density (BWD) from

the following equation:

𝐵𝑊𝐷 =Photos captured atleast once by a camera in a block

Area of the block in which the camera was set up

Results A total of 469 respondents from 7 villages were

interviewed during the questionnaire surveys. In

the survey, 70.0% of respondents (n=338)

confirmed the presence of sun bear in the reserve

while 26.8% (n=117) respondents accepted the

possibilities of sun bear and 3.2% denied its

occurrence (Table 1). High percentage of

sighting was reported in the semi-ever green

forests and forest edges due to the richness of the

fruit trees and availability of anthropogenic food

sources in agricultural crop fields in the vicinity

of DTR (Sati and Rinawma 2014). During the

survey, the respondent had sighted single bears

32 times, bears in a pair was sighted three times

and mother with cubs for five times in and

around the reserve.

Based on the reconnaissance survey and local

knowledge on the distribution of bears in the

reserve, 43 linear transects were set randomly

encompassing in seven different habitat types

including dry mixed forest, tropical semi-

evergreen forest, tropical wet-evergreen forest,

tropical moist deciduous, wet temperate forest,

dry temperate forest, and bamboo forest (Raman

1998, Raman 2001). Along each transect of 3-5

km length, sampling circular plots of 10 m

radius with 200 m interval were laid for

evidence and determining forest types. Bear

signs were recorded from 236 of the 310 plot

sites. In forms of evidence, claw marks were

highest in number (60.23%) of different age

categories. Other signs recorded from the study

sites include scats (25.81%), nests (3.56%),

cavity (6.23%) and footprints (4.15%) (fig. 3).

Claw marks were found on trees with 12- 86 cm

in diameter at breast height (DBH). The mean

DBH was calculated 39 cm, and the mean height

of trees was 26 m.

Table 1. Respondents view on distribution of

Malayan Sun bear in vicinity areas of DTR. NIP,

CA, PA and DA stand for Number of people

interviewed, confirmed occurrence, probable

occurrence, denied occurrence respectively.

The transect study revealed that the number of

bear signs per unit area varied with the forest

types in the reserve. The mean occurrence of

bear signs was 17.2 ± 0.8. The density of signs

was highest in the bamboo forest (39.51%),

followed by tropical semi-evergreen forest

(17.74%), semi-evergreen forest (12.5%),

tropical wet-evergreen forest (12.5%), mix

forest and temperate forest (12.0 %). Density of

bear signs per hectare was found to be highest in

the bamboo forest (113.5/h) followed by tropical

semi-evergreen forest (112.1/h), tropical wet-

ever green forest (109.6/h), semi-evergreen

forest (98.7/h), mix forest (93.4/h) and

temperate forest, (84.9/h) (Table 2).

Villages NIP CA PA DA Teirei 51 32 19 0

Damparengpui 170 148 19 3

Serhmun 59 45 12 2

Tuipuibari 96 75 18 3

Phuldungsei 21 18 2 1

Saithah 27 17 9 1

Khawhnai 45 3 38 4

Total 469 338 117 14


Table 2. Secondary shreds of evidence collected on Sun bear from different habitat in DTR

The occurrence of bears signs also varied along

transects of different altitude gradients.

Elevations were categories as lowland ranged (0

to 500 msl), Mid-elevation (501-1500 msl) and

temperate (1500- above). Percentage of bear

signs was highest at an elevation of 501-1000

msl (53.1%) followed by 0-500 msl (26.0%) and

1001-1500 msl (13.2%).

Figure 3. Number of bear signs recorded during the

transect survey in different forest habitat

The percentage of bear signs was lowest at an

elevation of 1500 and above (7.8%). There was

a distinct relationship between the season,

elevation and density of bear signs per unit area

(r2 = 0.81488). The density of bear signs showed

an increasing trend with the increase in elevation

in Dampa TR. The high density of signs can be

attributed to the presence of a large number of

the fruiting trees like Actocarpus heterophyllus,

Trema orientalis, Syzygium cumini where the

highest numbers of claw marks were also

observed. Similar results were recorded by

Wong et al. (2012) and Islam et al. (2013), in

which bears were found to mostly feed on

papaya (Carica papaya), jackfruit (Actocarpus

heterophyllus), eucalyptes (Eucalyptus grandis,

E. robusta) and banana (Musa paradisa) in the

low lying forest patches. The habitat selection

by the sun bear in the reserve can be backed by

works of Fredriksson et al. (2006), in which

plants from families of Moraceae, Burseraceae,

and Myrtaceae contributed more than 50% of

the diet of sun bear. Preference of the bamboo

forest and degraded habitat types by the bear

species may be due to the higher abundance of

insects such as termites (Isoptera), beetles

(Coleoptera), and beetle larvae (Coleoptera)

causing bears to use these areas more intensively

(Fredriksson et al. 2006, Wong et al. 2002, Joshi

et al. 1997, Wong 2002). The distribution map

of Malayan sun bear in Dampa TR is presented

in figure 4.

Habitat category No. of plots

(n=310)

No. of bear signs (%) in

sample plots (n=248)

No. of plots with

bear signs (n=236)

Density of signs

(signs/ha)

Mix forest 30 8.87 20 93.4

Tropical wet-ever

green forest

50 12.5 39 109.6

Tropical semi-

evergreen forest

50 17.74 41 112.1

Semi-evergreen

forest

40 12.5 27 98.7

Temperate forest 30 8.87 15 84.9

Bamboo forest 110 39.51 94 113.5


Figure 4. Distribution map of Malayan Sun bear in Dampa Tiger reserve based on primary and

indirect evidences

Sun bear was found to use both disturbed and

undisturbed habitats to a varying extent. The

majority of bear signs (74.1%) were observed in

undisturbed forest regardless of sites (r2=

0.8291, df= 3, p< 0.2713). In areas with higher

intensities and extents of disturbance, fewer bear


signs (25.9%) were observed. Matthews et al.

(2006) and Mattson (1990) in their studies had

highlighted the use of buffer area more often by

adult females and sub adults primarily because

of their ability to virtually consume all human

foods that have been established in former

wildlands and also to avoid a clash with male

bears. Pop et al. (2012) in their study found that

GPS-collared brown bears preferred to remain

longer inside the buffer zone than subadults who

are more present outside the buffer area.

Camera trapping

Random sites in grids with positive signs of bear

activity were selected for the deployment of

camera traps in the study area. However, in grids

with no sign, trap sites were selected according

to the best-assumed capture success, e.g. at

termite colonies or fruiting areas, along trails.

From a combined trapping effort of 647 trap-

nights with a total of 361 independent photos of

25 mammalian species were obtained from the

camera trapping process. Sun bear was recorded

in 47 trap-nights during the systematic survey

period. The photo-capture rate or the least

number of days requires to get an individual

photo of sun bear was found to be least in the

deserted villages of Dampa TR (12- 14 trap

nights) (Table 3 and Fig. 5). The photo-capture

and block wise distribution index shows that Old

Chikha (Deserted village) has the highest index

of 1.89, followed by Chilka road (1.23) with an

overall mean value of 5.26 in all the block of

DTR (Table 3 and Fig. 5). Fruiting phenology

with trees such as Jackfruit (Artocarpus

heterophyllus), Charcol tree (Trema Orientalis),

Chaplash (Artocarpus chama), Hairy Fig (Ficus

hispida), Beal (Aegle marmelos), Banyan (Ficus

benghalensis) that sun bears feeds were

abundant in the deserted villages, thereby

serving as an excellent source of frugivory

within the reserve. These areas also have large

wooden logs that hold termites, beetles, and

other insects. Stingless bees and honey comb are

also abundant in deserted areas that act as

attractant for sun bears.

Table 3. Photo capture rate and block wise

distribution of Sun bear in DTR

Figure 5. Photo-capture of Malayan sun bear in

different forest zones of DTR

Discussion Sun bear giving more preferences to honey and

other sweet fruits over insects and termites were

also reported in several studies (Wong et al.

2002, Kelvin et al. 2006, Datta et al. 2008,

Steinmetz et al. 2013). The photo capture rate

and block wise distribution of sun bear in DRT

was found to vary with the forest habitat types.

Habitat with mixed vegetation has a higher

chance of photo-capturing bear compared to wet

or moist habitat. The variation was noted to be

influenced by the disturbance of humans in the

area along with the availability of feeding trees

or plants for bear species as evidenced by

Area Total

photos

Independent

photos RAI1 RAI2

Old Chikha 17 7 15 1.89

Malpui 5 2 21 0.23

Tuichar 2 2 37 0.05

Chikha

road 11 3 12 1.23

Pathloi 0 0 0 0

IR camp 1 1 31 0.12

Tuilut 4 1 21 0.45

New

chikha 7 2 14 0.78

Total/Mean 47 18 21.54 5.26


findings of Nazeri et al. (2012). The block wise

distribution suggests that the density of sun bear

in the reserve is very low and has been confined

to a relatively small area in the reserve (fig. 5).

The fact that inhabitants of different villages

surrounding DTR are solely dependent on the

reserve and indigenous people regularly enter

the forest for hunting furthers puts sun bear and

their habitat in grave danger. Management and

conservation of sun bear in the reserve requires

urgent addressing and immediate steps from the

concern authorities and stakeholders.

Conclusion Dampa Tiger Reserve (DTR) has a rich faunal

diversity and harbors several number of

endangered and threatened species. However,

due to the continuous degradation of forest

resources, expansion of agriculture land, illegal

hunting and increase in human population in

surrounding villages, a sharp and continuous

decline in animal species has been recorded. The

introduction of camera-trap surveys has greatly

increased the amount of information on

secretive and cryptic species in tropical

rainforest habitats. Well-designed monitoring

programs along with regular patrolling from

forest guards and local information can help to

estimate precise information on the abundance

of sun bears and their distribution in the reserve.

Apart from the protection of habitat, awareness

about sustainable agricultural practice,

sustainable usage of forest resources and

evading human-bear conflict will be key for the

safeguard of the species and their habitat.

Acknowledgment The authors would like to thank the Ocean Park

Conservation Foundation for funding the

project. We are also grateful to the forest

department and forest staff of Dampa Tiger

Reserve for the necessary permission and

support throughout the study period.

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