Gunung Palung National Park
Asia > Indonesia > Gunung Palung National Park
Summary
- Southwest Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) are present in Gunung Palung National Park.
- It has been estimated that 2,500 individuals occur in the site.
- The orangutan population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 1,080 km².
- Key threats to orangutans are deforestation, fires, the illegal pet trade and killings due to orangutan-human conflict.
- Conservation activities have focused on habitat restoration, education, and improving farming methods.
Site characteristics
Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP) is located in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The park comprises many habitat types, including mangrove forest, peat swamp forest, lowland rainforest, and montane forest. The site represents an important area for the conservation of several species, such as Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus), proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), sun bears (Helarctos malayanus), helmeted hornbills (Rhinoplax vigil), agile gibbon (Hylobates agilis), Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), and Horsfield’s tarsier (Tarsius bancanus) (Husna & Helms 2018, GPOCP [1]). The park was first protected in 1937 and comprised an area of 300 sq. km, which was later expanded to 1,080 sq. km (Husna & Helms 2018).
Table 1. Basic site information for Gunung Palung National Park
| Area | 1,080 km² |
| Coordinates | -0.938512, 109.960153 |
| Designation | National Park |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist montane forest |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
The first orangutan survey at the site was conducted in 2001 (Johnson et al. 2005). Average orangutan density was estimated at 3.0 individuals/km2, with densities ranging from 2.4 ind/km2 in montane forest to 4.1 ind/km2 in primary peat swamp (Johnson et al. 2005).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Gunung Palung National Park
| Species | Year | Abundance estimate (95% CI) | Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) | Encounter rate (nests/km) | Area | Method | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii | 2001 | 2,500 | 3.0 | Gunung Palung National Park and buffer zone | Line transects (Distance) | Johnson et al. 2005 |
Threats
Table 3. Threats to apes in Gunung Palung National Park
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Present, but threat severity unknown | In areas near settlements and with low elevation, forests are converted to mixed agriculture, such as paddy farming or gardening. In hilly areas forests are converted into mixed plantations of rubber, durians, chilies, or other products (Husna & Helms 2018). | Ongoing (2018) | |
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Present, but threat severity unknown | Orangutans are sometimes killed when they venture into plantations or crop fields to forage. This human-wildlife conflict is magnified when orangutans flee from forest fires and move into human settlements (GPOCP n.d., Freund, Rahnmann & Knott 2017) | Ongoing (2017) | |
| 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | High | The deforestation rate was 112 ha/year in 2017 and has declined since the late 90s (Husna & Helms 2018). | Illegal logging (Johnson et al. 2005, Fawzi, Husna & Helms 2018). | Ongoing (2018) | |
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
| 7. Natural system modifications | 7.1 Fire & fire suppression | Present, but threat severity unknown | Fires in 1991, 1994, and 1997 burned thousands of hectares in the park and buffer zone (Johnson et al. 2005). Wildfires are hampering habitat restoration efforts (Fawzi et al. 2020). | Ongoing (2020) | |
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Unknown | ||||
| 9. Pollution | Unknown | ||||
| 10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
| 11. Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | ||||
| 12. Other options | 12.1 Other threat | Present, but threat severity unknown | Illegal pet trade; babies are sold as pets. Furthermore, a correlation between the extent of oil palm and the number of poaching/pet trade cases reported has been found (Freund, Rahnmann & Knott 2017) | Ongoing (2017) |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities in Gunung Palung National Park
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Not reported | ||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.11. Farm more intensively and effectively in selected areas and spare more natural land | Help farmers adopt organic methods and increase the efficiency of their existing land (GPOCP). | Ongoing |
| 3. Energy production & mining | Not reported | ||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Not reported | ||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.17. Provide sustainable alternative livelihoods; establish fish- or domestic meat farms | Teaching community groups to set up aquaculture (fish farming) in their villages (GPOCP). | Ongoing |
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Not reported | ||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Not reported | ||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Not reported | ||
| 9. Pollution | Not reported | ||
| 10. Education & Awareness | 10.1. Educate local communities about primates and sustainable use | Activities include in-school programs, field trips to the National Park and our Bentangor Environmental Education Center (GPOCP). | Ongoing |
| 10.5. Implement multimedia campaigns using theatre, film, print media, discussions | Conservation awareness raising via radio shows, social media, billboards, posters, and mobile cinema (GPOCP). | Ongoing | |
| 11. Habitat Protection | 11.2. Legally protect primate habitat | Ongoing (2020) | |
| 11.8. Plant indigenous trees to re-establish natural tree communities in clear-cut areas | From 2009 till 2018, nearly 5000 ha of damaged forest in Gunung Palung National Park were replanted, but with only a 1% restoration success rate, primarily due to wildfires (Fawzi et al. 2020). | Ongoing (2020) | |
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | 13.2. Provide non-monetary benefits to local communities for sustainably managing their forest and its wildlife (e.g. better education, infrastructure development) | Since 2007, Health In Harmony has partnered with Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI) and communities near Gunung Palung National Park. Health in Harmony provides access to affordable, high-quality health care, as much of the income people make from logging goes toward paying medical bills (Health in Harmony). | Ongoing |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Gunung Palung National Park
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Lack of law enforcement | Freund, Rahnmann & Knott 2017 |
Research activities
The Cabang Panti Research Station was established in 1985; the station lies deep within the national park and houses a variety of research projects, including the Gunung Palung Orangutan Project, which began in 1994 (GPOCP ).
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Gunung Palung National Park
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Kiss-squeak with leaves: Using leaves on mouth to amplify sound, then drop leaf | Van Schaik et al. 2003 |
| Kiss-squeak with hands: Using fists (like trumpet) or flathands on mouth to amplify sound | Van Schaik et al. 2003 |
| Play nests: Building nest for social play (no resting occurs) | Van Schaik et al. 2003 |
| Branch as swatter: Using detached leafy branches to ward off bees/wasps attacking subject (who is usually raiding their nest | Van Schaik et al. 2003 |
| Snag crashing: Aimed pushing of dead standing trees | Van Schaik et al. 2003 |
| Bouquet feeding: Using lips to pick ants from fistful of dry,fresh, or rotting leaves (nests) | Van Schaik et al. 2003 |
| Nest destruction: Rummage through old orangutan nests for insects | Van Schaik et al. 2003 |
| Females rubbing their genitals together | Van Schaik et al. 2003 |
| Use leaf to clean body surface | Van Schaik et al. 2003 |
| Sneaky nest approach: Building series of nests, while approaching conspecific in fruit tree | Van Schaik et al. 2003 |
| Leaf bundle while sleeping (“doll”) | Van Schaik et al. 2003 |
| Leaf scoop: Drinking water from the ground, using leaf as vessel (drinking straight from vessel) | Van Schaik et al. 2003 |
References
Johnson A E, Knott C D, Pamungkas B, Pasaribu M and Marshall A J 2005 A survey of the orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) population in and around Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia based on nest counts Biological Conservation
Fawzi, N. I., Helms, J., Emerson, A., & Wibawanto, M. A. (2020). FOREST RESTORATION PROGRESS AND LESSONS LEARNED IN GUNUNG PALUNG NATIONAL PARK, INDONESIA. Journal of Tropical Forest Science, 32(2), 195-205.
Fawzi, N. I., Husna, V. N., & Helms, J. A. (2018, May). Measuring deforestation using remote sensing and its implication for conservation in Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 149, No. 1, p. 012038). IOP Publishing.
Freund, C., Rahman, E., & Knott, C. (2017). Ten years of orangutan‐related wildlife crime investigation in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. American Journal of Primatology, 79(11), 22620.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 18/12/2021