News

WildCRU’s Myanmar Clouded Leopard Project

The study in Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, Sagaing Region, Myanmar, started in full on 1^st December 2014 after a thorough reconnaissance of the study area by the field team. It is now approaching halfway complete and already proving to be a great success, thanks to our local partner, WildCRU Diploma 2010 Alumni, Saw Htun, now Deputy Director Myanmar Programme Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), permission from the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry (MOECAF) and support from the Park Warden of Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, U Khin Maung Hla, and Partnership for Change without which this study would not be possible. The team of 11 field staff, led by Hla Naing the technical coordinator, includes a forester, a forestry community ranger and a WCS research assistant and other staff with vast amounts of field experience. The team brought together more than 100 years of camera trapping experience between them, and comprised of all Myanmar ethnicities from the region. Also in the team, Kyaw Moe (inset, who took the photo), WCS Site Coordinator of Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary.

Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary covers 2151 km², mostly comprised of tropical evergreen forest, between the Chindwin and Uyu Rivers. When Prof David Macdonald and Dr Dawn Burnham visited the remote field site on 8th January the cameras had been out for 30 days out of the total 90 day camera trapping period and they were privileged to be able to check the first 2 camera locations with the team in situ. Initial results exceeded our wildest expectations, including a tiger on the first camera, and the same tiger, clouded leopard, golden cat, large Indian civet and yellow throated marten on the second, as well as prey species at both locations including muntjac, wild boar and gaur.