Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary
Summary
- Pileated gibbons (Hylobates pileatus) are present in Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary.
- The population size is unknown.
- The gibbon population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 1,079 km².
- Key threats to gibbons are human encroachment and expansion of land for agriculture, leading to forest disturbance.
- Conservation activities are not documented.
Site characteristics
Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary (KARN) is located in southeastern Thailand, adjacent to Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary to the east (BirdLife International 2021). The site was established in 1977 and initially covered 108 sq. km; the sanctuary was then enlarged to 1,030 sq.km in 1992 and to 1,079 sq. km in 2001 (Phoonjampa et al. 2011). The climate of KARN is largely influenced by seasonal monsoons. The topography of KARN is characterized by lowlands and low hills divided by large streams (BirdLife International 2021). The site was designated as an Important Bird Area in 2004 (BirdLife International 2021). KARN has a wide diversity of bird species and also supports three globally near-threatened species: Siamese Fireback, Great Hornbill, and Moustached Hawk (BirdLife International 2021). It is also a wintering site for the globally threatened Silver Oriole, Oriolus mellianus. In addition to pileated gibbons, other mammals species of conservation concern found at the site include Asian elephants, tigers, Asian golden cat, banteng, northern pig-tailed macaques, and fishing cats (BirdLife International 2021).
Table 1. Basic site information for Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary
| Area | 1,079 km² |
| Coordinates | 13.207217 N, 101.710734 E |
| Designation | Wildlife Sanctuary |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, permanent rivers/streams/creeks |
Ape status
A 2011 study found that gibbon density was significantly different between areas with different logging/protection histories (Phoonjampa et al. 2011). In areas protected since 1977 density was almost three times higher than in the areas protected since 1992 (1.96 groups/km2 vs. 0.77 groups/km2 on average).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary
| Species | Year | Total number indiv. (95% CI) | Total number groups (95% CI) | Density [groups/km²] (95% CI) | Area | Method | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hylobates pileatus | 2007-2008 | 1.61 (range 0–3.66) | Khao Ang Ru Nai Wildlife Sanctuary | Fixed-point triangulation | Phoonjampa et al. 2011 |
Threats
Forest disturbance is known to have a significant impact on gibbons; forest areas with higher levels of disturbance (very patchy, more exotic tree plantations, and few emergent trees) had lower pileated gibbon density (Phoonjampa et al. 2011). The relatively low gibbon density in the wider landscape at the site is likely a result from past selective logging, clearance of forest and agricultural expansion, and human settlements (Phoonjampa et al. 2011).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary
| 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 | By 2004, approximately 5% of the site had been encroached by agriculture, mainly shifting cultivation (BirdLife International 2021). | Agricultural encroachment (BirdLife International 2021). | Ongoing (2021) |
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | 4.1 Roads & railroads | Medium | Throughout most of the site, gibbons avoid areas closer to roads, likely due to easier access for hunters and higher forest disturbance (Phoonjampa et al. 2011). | Ongoing (2011) | |
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | High | Lower gibbon densities in parts of the sanctuary that had been more recently logged (Phoonjampa et al. 2011). | Ongoing (2011) | |
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Unknown | ||||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Unknown | ||||
| 9. Pollution | Unknown | ||||
| 10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
| 11. Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | ||||
| 12. Other options | Absent |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities in Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Not reported | ||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Not reported | ||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Not reported | ||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Not reported | ||
| 5. Biological resource use | Not reported | ||
| 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 | Not reported | ||
| 11. Habitat Protection | Not reported | ||
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
Phoonjampa, R., Koenig, A., Brockelman, W. Y., Borries, C., Gale, G. A., Carroll, J. P., & Savini, T. (2011). Pileated gibbon density in relation to habitat characteristics and post‐logging forest recovery. Biotropica, 43(5), 619-627.
BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Khao Ang Ru Nai. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/12/2021.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 29/12/2021