Understanding the spatial distribution and hot spots of collared Bornean
elephants in a multi-use landscapeN. K. Abram, B. Skara, N. Othman, M.
Ancrenaz, K. Mengersen & B. Goossens Scientific Reports July 27,
2022 Abstract
In the Kinabatangan floodplain, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, oil palm and
settlements have reduced and fragmented lowland tropical forests, home to
around 200 endangered Bornean elephants (Elephas maximus borneensis). In
this region, elephants range within forests, oil palm and community areas.
The degree to which elephants are using these areas remains unclear. We
used GPS telemetry data from 2010 to 2020 for 14 collared elephants to map
their entire known ranges and highly used areas (hot spots) across four
land use categories and estimate time spent within these. The use of land
use types across elephants varied significantly. Typically, females had
strong fidelity to forests, yet many of these forests are threatened with
conversion. For the three males, and several females, they heavily used oil
palm estates, and this may be due to decreased landscape permeability or
foraging opportunities. At the pooled level, the entire range and hot spot
extents, constituted 37% and 34% for protected areas, respectively, 8% and
11% for unprotected forests, 53% and 51% for oil palm estates, and 2% for
community areas. Protecting all forested habitats and effectively managing
areas outside of protected areas is necessary for the long-term survival of
this population.
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PAPER WEB LINKhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-16630-4
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-16630-4