Monitoring of Released Eld’s Deer and Hog Deer in Wiang Lor Wildlife Sanctuary, Prayao Province

Abstract

Wildlife rehabilitation is one of the wildlife management targets for social. Some population characteristics monitoring of the released hog deer and Eld’s deer in Wiang Lor Wildlife Sanctuary, Phayao Province released to the wild during 1999 and 2008 started from the founder of 25 individuals of Eld’s deer and 78 individuals of hog deer. A camera trap technique was employed thoughout of this study during August, 2010 and February, 2011. The resulted based on 3 camera trap sets with total of 65 trap nights showed the total of 2,592 photographically recored. It showed 128 photographs of Eld’s deer and 927 photographs of hog deer.  Twenty-four  trap nights consecutively recorded of the Eld’s deer and 19 trap nights consecutively recorded of the hog deer were selected from one set of the 3 camera trap sets to identify the difference of the individual depending on radio collar, sex, age class, antler characteristics and body condition. Individual identification was determined to caculate population size by Capture Program. The results showed that the Eld’s deer poulation was closed (Z=-1.34, P=0.08). M(0) model  was the best model to estimate  population size (P=0.30) that showing 15 individuals (SE=1.08) of the Eld’s deer. Sex ratio of the Eld’s deer population between adult male and adult female was 1: 6.95.   Age structure of the Eld’s deer population was 1:6.95: 1.77:1.86: 2.09 for adult male, adult female, juvenile and fawn, respectively. Adult female and fawn ratio was 1: 0.30. Turnover rate of the population was 40.65% per year. In the case of hog deer, the results also showed closed population (Z=-0.564, P=0.28).  The best model to calculate the population was M(h) (P=0.08). The hog deer population estimated from 1 camera trap set was 21 individuals (SE=6.09).  Adult male: adult female ratio of the population was 1:2.48. Age structure of the population was 1: 2.48: 0.79: 0.44: 0.26 for adult male, adult female, juvenile and fawn, respectively. Adult female and fawn ratio was 1:0.12 and the turn over rate was 16.56% per year. Although, the turnover rate of the deer populations in the area were high. It seems found that both of the populations do not increae dramatically after release in to the wild since 1999. This might be due to high mortality rate and the narrow preferable habitat along the stream is the limiting factor of the population growth. Thus habitat improvement by fire and clearcutting in some area should be procedured.  Population and genetic investigation should be also continued.

Keywords:  Released Eld’s deer, Released hog deer, Wiang Lor Wildlife Sanctuary, Capture recapture method