Villagers conserving tree kangaroos

Introduction Changes and population growth Tenkile Conservation Alliance Hunting moratoriums Community programs Monitoring success Conservation area Conclusion Introduction The Torricelli Mountain Ranges in the north-west of Papua New Guinea are home to the Scott's tree kangaroo (known locally as the 'tenkile') and the golden-mantled tree kangaroo (locally known as 'weimang'). Tree kangaroos are large, shy marsupials with long tails, which live in damp forests 900 metres above sea level. They have traditionally been hunted for food. The tenkile was first described to the scientific community by Dr Tim Flannery in 1989. Populations of both species have been reduced by 70-80% within the last 30-50 years and both are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The tenkile is very difficult to see in the dense rainforests of Papua New Guinea’s Torricelli Mountains. Matt Vincent/Zoos Victoria Changes and population growth After the Second World War, missionaries arrived in the Sanduan province and brought many changes to the lives of the local Olo people. Better medical supplies and improved hygiene led to a trebling of the human population, which dramatically increased the hunting of native wildlife for food. There was also a decrease in warfare between villages, so that people felt free to hunt on other people's land and in the traditional conservation areas known as ples masalai (evil places) which had been strictly off-limits for fear of evil spirits. The introduction of guns and torches also made hunting much easier. By 1999, there was only around 100 tenkile left. Tenkile Conservation Alliance After local communities expressed concern about the declining tenkile population, the Tenkile Conservation Alliance (TCA) was launched in 2001 to implement a recovery program. The TCA is managed by a board of local community representatives and scientific advisors from Papua New Guinea, Australia and the United States of America. Its field conservation program is managed by Jim and Jean Thomas, two ex-Zoos Victoria employees, who are supported by Australian Volunteers International. They have been based at the small remote community of Lumi since early 2003. Hunting moratoriums In 1999, 14 local villages bordering the Torricelli Mountain Ranges agreed to stop hunting tenkile by signing a hunting moratorium. By 2003, a further 22 villages had signed the moratorium, with the result that no tenkile have been hunted since. Community programs New food sources were needed as a result of the hunting moratoriums. Workshops on establishing local rabbit farms and improving gardening were introduced to improve nutrition. Local experts provide training and follow-up visits to help villagers overcome problems and improve techniques. Some villagers have been so successful in breeding rabbits that they have been able to earn additional income by selling excess rabbits to other communities. The introduction of a rotational gardening system has meant less clearing of surrounding forest. Rabbit farming has replaced the hunting of tenkile and provides a good source of food. The breed of rabbit has a very lethargic nature and so presents virtually no pest risk. Jim Thomas/TCA Education activities, designed to involve and support villagers in making changes include village meetings, school activities, a weekly radio program, village puppet shows, a community newsletter and teacher training. More than 100 local villagers are now employed as conservation officers, which helps generate income for the village communities and build ownership of the program. Water tanks were installed to provide a more secure water supply to improve the health of villagers and rabbits. They have also decreased women's workload in water collection and the incidence of gastric illnesses in children. Ongoing training is helping to improve the protection of water sources through the building of pit toilets, installing tanks and constructing tippy taps. Tippy taps are a simple technology designed to encourage hand washing in areas with limited water supplies. They are constructed from a plastic container or length of bamboo filled with water suspended from a branch. By pulling the string attached to the neck of the container, water flows from small holes in the handle so that it acts like a tap. This uses less water and is much more hygienic than washing hands in a bowl of water. Monitoring success Seven research sites have been established on the ridges of the Torricelli Mountains . Teams of local people have been trained to set up transect lines and count tenkile scats (droppings) along these lines to estimate the numbers of tenkile. After lots of tok tok (long discussions), language differences and tribal hostilities have been overcome and the teams are working well. Increased densities of scats indicate that tenkile numbers increased from around 150 in 2001 (the year TCA began operating) to over 240 at the end of 2005. Local trainers are increasing the knowledge and capacity of village communities to manage the conservation area themselves in the long-term. Jim Thomas/TCA Conservation area The villagers strongly believe that the tenkile habitats should be protected from over-hunting and harvesting, as well as from large scale commercial developments such as logging and mining. Each village decides which areas of forest they will protect and which areas should be allocated to gardens, the collection of forest products, and so on. The community then maps their land and prepares their own rules which they enforce locally, ensuring compliance with these decisions from the entire community. This is a crucial step in finalising the conservation area proposal to have the Torricelli Mountains protected as a legislated conservation area. Conclusion Villagers are enthusiastic about the holistic conservation program, and sightings of tenkile are increasing -some in areas where they have not been seen for over 30 years. This creates great excitement. With the installation of water tanks and improved diets (rabbits and more vegetables), villagers are healthier too. The new skills they are learning contribute to the development of the area in a number ways. Sources: Australian Volunteer, Zoos Victoria Going further: http://www.tenkile.com http://www.zoo.org.au/Conservation/Programs/International/Tenkile_Conservation_Program