IMPACTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY ON WILD MAMMAL DETECTION RATES AND DIEL ACTIVITY PATTERNS IN ENDAU-ROMPIN NATIONAL PARK, MALAYSIA

Abstract

Nonlethal wildlife tourism has potential to support the sustainable use of protected rainforests; however, activities associated with tourism may negatively affect ecology and wildlife behaviour. Abundance and diel activity pattern of wildlife is crucial to understand how they respond to environmental factors. In the present study, we examined whether human activities impact the spatiotemporal patterns of wild mammal communities in a tourist area of Endau-Rompin (Peta) National Park, Malaysia. Using video camera traps, we assessed the detection rates and diel activity patterns of wild mammals along roads in an area near tourist lodgings and a remote area. During a 250-day camera trapping survey, we identified at least 21 species of medium and large mammal. Although the volume of car and motorcycle traffic was significantly higher in the visitor area than the remote area, there were no significant differences in the detection rates of most mammals between the two areas. The diel activity patterns of four species did not differ between the two areas. However, Tragulus species showed different diel activity patterns in the visitor and remote areas, possibly a response to predators, as large carnivores were not observed in the visitor area. These findings emphasise the importance of considering not only direct human impacts but also indirect impacts through interspecific interactions.