Status and distribution of the Endangered banteng Bos javanicus birmanicus in Vietnam: A conservation tragedy

From January 2005 to December 2007 field surveys were conducted in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam to assess the status of banteng Bos javanicus birmanicus. The population of banteng was estimated to be 74-103. It has declined by at least 50% since the mid- 1990s and the species is likely to go extinct in Vietnam in the near future. Remaining herds are small, although recruitment still exists. Large portions of the species' range in the early 1990s are no longer occupied and the maximum area of occupancy of the species in Vietnam is c. 2,670 km2. Only five disconnected populations persist. The most important are in Yok Don National Park (30-44 individuals) and Ea So Nature Reserve (23-31). However, our surveys suggest that these populations are exposed to risks of disease outbreak and will only be viable if there is active management to facilitate recovery. Interviews carried out at the survey sites indicate that the status of banteng in Vietnam is determined by commercial poaching in response to demand for trophies. Future conservation actions need to target poor governance, the root cause of banteng decline, which precludes effective management of protected areas in Vietnam and places several species of large mammals at risk of extinction nationally. (Résumé d'auteur