Third-party vocal intervention in the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus)

Vocal intervention is a triadic social interaction, where a third party responds vocally to a conflict between group members, minimizing the costs of aggression in response to the intervention. Because there is little information on vocal third-party intervention in nonhuman mammals, we investigated whether adult male proboscis monkeys use the bray vocalization as a vocal third-party intervention signal to intervene in intragroup conflicts. First, we audio-recorded 1,811 vocalizations from 17 free-ranging proboscis monkey groups in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, analyzing 378 vocal responses of the adult male to agonistic vocal exchanges (shrieks) of group members. Second, we video- and audio-recorded five habituated groups in the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary investigating the context of these vocalizations and the conflict dyads evoking vocal support. We found that adult males of one-male/multifemale groups mainly uttered bray vocalizations, whereas females, immatures, and infants uttered shrieks in intragroup conflicts or in response to other animal species. The adult male uttered significantly more often brays after agonistic shrieks than expected based on the overall occurrence of brays. Brays ended 65% of agonistic conflicts, which were accompanied by vocalizations of the conflict partners and occurred more often after conflicts between females than between offspring. This suggests that the bray functions as a vocal third-party intervention signal for intragroup conflict resolution. We suggest that living in the high canopies of the tropical rainforest might restrict direct access to conflict partners and prevent physical intervention, favoring the evolution of the bray as a third-party vocal intervention signal.

Exploring the ecotourism service experience framework using the dimensions of motivation, expectation and ecotourism experience

This study explores the ecotourism service experience framework by analysing ecotourists’ motivations and expectations, as well as the dimensions of ecotourism experiences. A total of 51 ecotourists were interviewed in person at ecotourist lodges in Lower Kinabatangan, Malaysia. Interview responses were analysed using thematic analysis, and a multi-data triangulation was carried out to identify key service experience dimensions guided by the co-creation concept. Findings reveal that motivations and expectations of ecotourists are connected to the dimensions of ecotourism experiences. Several findings reveal that key dimensions include ‘wildlife’, ‘nature/environment’ and ‘experiences driven from ecotourism activities’ (such as riverboat cruises and jungle trekking). Based on the interviews, these dimensions can be further interpreted and conceptualised as ‘education’, ‘aesthetic’, ‘escape’ and ‘entertainment’, similar to the four realms of experience in the experience economy model by Pine and Gilmore (1998 , 1999) . Hence, an ecotourism service experience framework, comprising both tangible and intangible elements, is proposed as a sound and practical approach to understanding ecotourism service experiences. This study offers empirical evidence and an innovative approach by identifying the ecotourism service experience dimensions and exploring a relevant framework, which was previously neglected. Ecotourism operators should utilise the four identified service experience dimensions to stage unique ecotourism experiences and enhance destination attractiveness and competitiveness. Experiential marketing can capitalise on these dimensions as innovative selling points and attract ecotourists, thus providing practical value in marketing ecotourism destinations.

Local Community Participation and Responsible Tourism Practices in Ecotourism Destination: A Case of Lower Kinabatangan, Sabah

Recognizing the importance of local community participation in responsible tourism and its benefits, this case study explores and analyses the local community participation and responsible tourism practices at Lower Kinabatangan, Sabah, a premier ecotourism destination from the stakeholders’ perspectives. It also describes the perception and attitudes towards tourism development including the key issues and challenges faced by the local communities. The case study adopted multiple methods involving focus-group interviews and survey questionnaires with the respective local communities residing in Lower Kinabatangan. Findings reveal that local communities recognized that Lower Kinabatangan has great potential to be developed as a sustainable ecotourism destination and to generate economic benefit. Despite this, there is limited participation of local communities in ecotourism development and responsible tourism practices among the local communities. The socio-economic demographic of the local community shows that only 42.4% of respondents have work related to tourism activities. Lack of capital and knowledge in tourism activities are the key barriers for local participation in ecotourism development. For Lower Kinabatangan to be a sustainable ecotourism destination, the participation and engagement of the local community and the practices of responsible tourism can no longer be ignored.

Water Quality and Phytoplankton Distribution of the Lower Kinabatangan River Catchment, Sabah

A study on water quality and phytoplankton distribution was carried out at the Lower Kinabatangan River Catchment, Sabah in November 2013, January 2014 and March 2014. The objectives were to study the surface water quality of the Lower Kinabatangan River Catchment; to identify the composition of phytoplankton in three different types of land use in Sukau, Kinabatangan; and to determine spatial and temporal variations of water quality in Sukau, Kinabatangan. Three sampling stations were selected to represent different types of land use, consisting of oil palm plantation (OP), secondary forests (SF) and oxbow lake (OB). Based on Interim National Water Quality Standards (INWQS) for Malaysia, the parameters were categorized within Class I to Class IV. Statistical analyses ANOVA one-way, paired sample t-test and discriminant analysis have been carried out to both water quality and total monthly precipitation data sets. The distribution of phytoplankton in Kinabatangan River consisted of 5 divisions: the Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta, Cryptophyta and Euglenophyta. Chlorophyta recorded the highest diversity, with 10 species recorded out of 17 species found of the Lower Kinabatangan River Catchment. Discriminant analysis suggested that UV-visible absorption coefficients at 254 and 340 nm were dominant in samples from OP and SF. Temporal variations showed that parameters suspended sediment, UV-visible absorption coefficients at 254 and 340 nm were dominant in samples from collected in January 2014.

Measuring the exposure of primate reservoir hosts to mosquito vectors in Malaysian Borneo

Several vector-borne pathogens of primates have potential for human spillover. An example is the simian malaria Plasmodium knowlesi which is now a major public health problem in Malaysia. Characterization of exposure to mosquito vectors is essential for assessment of the force of infection within wild primate populations, however few methods exist to do so. Here we demonstrate the use of thermal imaging and Mosquito Magnet Independence Traps (MMIT) to assess the abundance, diversity and infection rates in mosquitoes host seeking near long-tailed macaque (Macaca fasicularis) sleeping sites in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Malaysian Borneo. The primary Plasmodium knowlesi vector, Anopheles balabacensis, was trapped at higher abundance near sleeping sites than control trees. Although none of the An. balabacensis collected (n=15) were positive for P. knowlesi, two were infected with another primate malaria Plasmodium inui. Analysis of macaque stools from sleeping sites confirmed a high prevalence of Plasmodium infection, suspected to be P. inui. Plasmodium inui infections have not yet been reported in humans, but its presence in An. balabacensis here and previously in human-biting collections highlight its potential for spillover. We advocate the use of MMITs for non-invasive sampling of mosquito vectors that host seek on wild primate populations.

STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT OF CONSERVATION IN LOWER KINABATANGAN SABAH

Effective conservation measures are essential to protect nature and wildlife which act as flagship attraction for ecotourism to flourish. The study focuses on conservation management of natural forests and wildlife by multiple stakeholders in Lower Kinabatangan Sabah. Rare and endangered wildlife species is the main attraction for ecotourism development in this area. The study employed a mixed method research by integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. Analyses revealed contradictory findings whereby local indigenous communities were unaware about progress of established Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and thereby requested for enhancing current conservation management. However, other stakeholders reported that the sanctuary fulfilled its objectives. The study further proposed solutions to improve current conservation by considering the viewpoints of all stakeholders involved in conservation initiatives in the Lower Kinabatangan Sabah.

First description of male worms of Enterobius (Colobenterobius) serratus (Nematoda: Oxyuridae), the pinworm parasite of proboscis monkeys

Males of Enterobius (Colobenterobius) serratus Hasegawa et al., 2003 (Nematoda: Oxyuridae) are described for the first time based on six individuals collected from the feces of proboscis monkeys, Nasalis larvatus, in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. The males show identical cephalic morphology to females, being readily distinguishable from their congeners by the serrated inner margins of the lips. The bicolored esophageal corpus, long thin spicule and developed spicular pouch with paired muscular bands are also remarkable characteristics, presumably shared by other Asian members of the subgenus.

Preprint: Piloting Close-Range Remote Sensing of Endangered Borneo Pygmy Elephants Using Photographs Ecotourists Share via Social Media

This pilot study explores the potential of using a citizen science approach for sourcing volunteered geographic information via social media to research wildlife tourism interactions with endangered Borneo Pygmy Elephants on the lower Kinabatangan River in Sabah, Malaysia. Such information is critical if the lower Kinabatangan region is to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through a sustainable tourism industry based around viewing the pygmy elephants. Guests and guides from the Sukau Rainforest Lodge were encouraged to become close-range remote sensors by sharing geotagged photographs of pygmy elephant sightings on Flickr. A ten week on-ground trail generated 247 photographs shared by 17 individual contributors with approximately two-thirds (65%) of photographs being georeferenced for the time and location of the elephant sighting. Plotting those sighting to explore the vegetation matrix (i.e. remnant forest or oil palm plantation) showed almost three-quarter (73%) of the sightings occurred within 1 km of an oil palm plantation. Of greater concern is that one in two sightings (50%) along the river occurred within the 500 m of an oil palm planation, which is inside the riparian buffer that the Sabah Government recommended for conservation of the elephants in their Lower Kinabatangan range. This study therefore demonstrates proof of concept for this research method and its further application at the nexus of wildlife conservation and sustainable ecotourism research.