The conservation of tigers and other wildlife in oil palm plantations

Figure 7 - Distribution of study techniques. Crosses mark patrol transect start and end points. Black
dots denote randomly placed cameras, green non-random. Red squares mark occupancy cells.
Wildlife tracking
Capturing wildlife
In most cases humane Aldrich snares, also known as leg-hold traps, were used. These
consist of a loop of cushioned heavy-duty wire laid over a hole in the ground and
attached to a tree, with tension provided by a spring. They are triggered when weight
is placed on a trigger in the middle of the loop. Triggering the trap is painless. To
minimise stress and injury subsequent to capture, traps were modified by padding the
foot-loop with plastic tubing and by attaching a weight between the loop and the tree
to act as a shock absorber. Most importantly, all leg-holds were also fitted with Telonics
trap transmitters. These give a signal when traps are triggered and were monitored
twenty four hours a day when traps were live, ensuring the capture team could respond
as quickly as possible and minimise the time animals spent in the trap. One sun bear
capture was carried out by the Department of Forestry using their own box trap.
All wildlife captures were carried out under the supervision of either the Jambi KSDA,
Bart Schleyer (a professional wildlife trapper) or Dr. John Lewis (a veterinarian from
Wildlife Vets International specialising in large mammal anaesthesia). For some
captures all three were in attendance.
Wildlife conservation in oil palm plantations 19