Population status of the Southwest China Serow 'Capricornis milneedwardsii': A case study in Cat Ba Archipelago, Vietnam

Abstract

The Southwest China Serow is a browsing caprine that, although found in Myanmar, Cambodia, northern Thailand, Laos, central and southwest China and Vietnam, is listed as near threatened and is in decline throughout its range. This animal also lives in an isolated population on the Cat Ba Archipelago in northern Vietnam. Anecdotal reports suggest that it is declining rapidly in that location and there is little chance that natural immigration will sustain the population. This study applied a systematic approach to provide a holistic view of conservation status of the Southwest China Serow in its range and determine the number of serow that may currently live in Cat Ba national park, and to quantify the factors that affect its distribution. There are no estimates of the population size and status of the Southwest China Serow over its range so far. A comprehensive census survey was initially conducted in Cat Ba Archipelago. Only 26-28 serows were found in the archipelago and these were clustered close to ranger stations and further from villages as a result of high hunting pressure. This suggests that poaching is an important determinant of the distribution and survival of this species on Cat Ba Archipelago. It also supports the deployment of more rangers to protect the remaining serows from hunting. These findings also suggest it is necessary to improve farming practices for local people through financial and technical support so they have no need to exploit wild serows. Key words: Cat Ba Archipelago, conservation planning, isolated population, karst landscape, poaching, population status, threatened species, Vietnam.