Zoos Victoria has been actively involved in this conservation program since its need was first recommended in 1998 and chairs the Board of the Tenkile Conservation Alliance (TCA). In this role, Zoos Victoria plays a key role in guiding the field conservation program.

Melbourne Zoo staff were part of the field team that established the first hunting moratorium, signed by some of the local villages in 1999. The TCA has two staff members in the field responsible for developing and implementing the program.

The program is working with local communities to protect the biodiversity of the Torricelli Mountains for future generations. Using two tree kangaroo species as flagships, the program takes an integrated approach to conservation, coupling support for community development with conservation outcomes.

When the main program goals are achieved, the Torricelli Mountain Ranges will become a legally protected Conservation Area, ensuring the conservation of their biodiversity into the future.

The Program Focus

The Torricelli Mountain Ranges in Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) Sandaun Province, the site of this project, constitute one of the world's last wild frontiers. This area is home to two threatened tree kangaroos, the Scott's Tree Kangaroo (known locally as the Tenkile) and the Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroo (locally known as Weimang). The Tenkile was first described to the scientific community by Dr Tim Flannery in 1989. At that time its population was thought to be around 100 animals in the wild. Concern from the local communities about this decline prompted an international workshop in 1998, which led to the formation of the Tenkile Conservation Alliance (the Alliance), as the body responsible for implementing the recovery program.

The Alliance is working with the local communities who own the land on which these two tree kangaroos occur. Their approach encompasses not only direct protection of the tree kangaroos and other wildlife, but also helping communities to develop other more sustainable methods of meeting their protein needs, and developing mechanisms to have the Torricelli Mountains protected as a legislated Conservation Area.

The Conservation Issue

Traditionally hunter/gatherer societies, populations of people in the Torricelli Mountain Ranges have nearly trebled in the past 50 years. This has led to a dramatic increase in the need for people to hunt and eat native wildlife for food. Combined with changes in traditional beliefs and hunting methods, this has led to the decline in wildlife in the area. Most species have reduced in numbers and distribution, and there have been local extinctions of some species.

The two most endangered species in the Torricelli Mountain range are the Scott's Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus scottae) and the Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroo, locally known as Weimang (Dendrolagus goodfellowii pulcherimus). Both are listed as Endangered, but this will be upgraded to Critically Endangered when the next global list is produced. Their distribution has probably been reduced by 70–80% within the last 30–50 years. When the conservation commenced, the Tenkile population was thought to be as few as 100–120 animals.

The decline in wildlife is compromising the health and wellbeing of the people in the area whose diets are increasingly deficient in protein. Levels of malnutrition in this area are among the highest in PNG. Gaining the support and active participation of the local communities is essential to achieving the program’s objectives, as more than 97% of land in PNG is under customary ownership.

Zoos Victoria’s Conservation Field Partners

With the active support of Zoos Victoria, the Tenkile Conservation Alliance (TCA) was founded in 1999 in response to concerns expressed by local communities about declining tree kangaroo numbers. The TCA is an alliance between zoos, government and local PNG communities, and is responsible for the delivery of this program on the ground. Zoos Victoria holds the position of TCA Board Chair.

The TCA is registered in PNG as a non-government organisation. With the valuable support of Australian Volunteers International, the TCA has two dedicated staff members, Jim and Jean Thomas – former Zoos Victoria employees, based in PNG full-time. Their commitment over the past five years has been crucial to the program’s success.

In addition to Zoos Victoria’s support, the program is supported by the Australasian zoo community, as well as being listed by the World Association of Zoos & Aquaria as an endorsed in situ conservation program.

Project Plan

Through working closely with the 36 villages on whose land the Tenkile and the Weimang occur, the TCA aims to help communities to conserve these tree kangaroos and other biodiversity of the Torricelli Mountains. The key program focus is to:

• Facilitate the short-term protection of both tree kangaroo species through a hunting moratorium signed by all the villages
• Develop sustainable alternative livelihood strategies within the local communities to reduce hunting pressure on wildlife and enable sustainable use of natural resources. The development of local rabbit farms (using a strain of rabbit that does not present a risk of establishing in the wild) and gardening workshops will improve nutrition and benefit the long-term food security of local communities
• Establish the Torricelli Mountain Range as a legislated Conservation Area

The main goal of all of these activities is the legal establishment of a Conservation Area, which will encompass the range of both the Tenkile and Weimang and secure over 750km2 of land. This is a community-led process, which recognises the importance of the forests to these communities, both spiritually and to their livelihoods. Each village decides which areas of forest they will protect and which areas they are allowed to use for gardens, collection of forest products, etc. The community then prepares their own rules and regulations, which they enforce locally, ensuring compliance with these decisions from the entire community.

Monitoring Success

The effectiveness of this program is being evaluated using two methods. Trends in the numbers of Tenkile and other wildlife in the mountains are being monitored through a long-term research program using a technique called Distance Sampling. Using systematic scat counts along a number of different transects, the relative densities of the Tenkile can be calculated. And, more importantly, changes in these relative densities over time resulting from the changed hunting practices of the communities can be also be detected.

The other assessment enables the TCA staff to collect direct feedback from the villagers about their attitudes towards the program and its activities. Recording of Most Significant Change Stories provides villagers with a means of giving their candid opinions about what they see as the positive and negative outcomes, and how they would like to see the program develop.

Zoos Victoria's Role

As Chair of the TCA Board, Zoos Victoria is responsible for overseeing and guiding the project's direction and activities in close collaboration with field staff. In addition to our project management activities, our direct staff contribution includes securing external donor support, preparation and submission of grant applications and the provision of technical advice, such as research expertise to assist the biological monitoring component of the project. Zoos Victoria provides financial support for this project through direct funds and through securing grants.

Key Achievements

• All 39 villages in the Torricelli Mountains have signed agreements to stop hunting tree kangaroos.
• No Tenkile have been killed since 2003 and there has been a significant reduction in Weimang deaths since those villages joined the program in late 2006.
• Preliminary analysis of the Distance Sampling data indicates a 50% increase in the Tenkile population from 2004 to 2006.
• Installation of water tanks in the Tenkile villages has reduced women’s workload (collecting water) by 30% and the incidence of diarrhoea in children by almost 40%.
• Training programs for managing rabbit farms have resulted in some of the Tenkile villages producing enough rabbits to help other villages.
• Three local Conservation Officers have been appointed to strengthen the program throughout the communities.
• More than 100 villagers across the mountains are employed in the program in a range of roles, bringing significant income to the communities.
• All the Tenkile villages have completed their preliminary Conservation Area maps.
• Two TCA bases have been established – at Lumi for the Tenkile villages and at Sibilanga for the Weimang villages.
• The Most Significant Change stories highlight the strength of the relationships between the TCA staff and villagers.

References

Alcon, J.B. (ed.) (1993) Papua New Guinea; Conservation Needs Assessment (Volume 1). Biodiversity Support Program, Washington, D.C., USA; and Department of Environment & Conservation, Boroko, Papua New Guinea.
 
Bonaccorso, F.P., Clark, P. Miller, P. & O. Byers (1999) Conservation Assessment & Management Plan for the Tree Kangaroos of Papua New Guinea; and Population & Habitat Viability Assessment for Matschie's Tree Kangaroo: Final Report. Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (SSC/IUCN), Apple Valley, MN.
 
Flannery, T.F. (1990) The Mammals of New Guinea. Robert Brown & Associates (Aust.) Pty. Ltd., Carina.
 
Vincent, M., Slater, G., Clark, P., Bonaccorso, R. & S. Hamilton (2000) Recovery Plan for the Scott's Tree-kangaroo, Dendrolagus scottae, and Golden-mantled Tree-kangaroo, Dendrolagus goodfellowi pulcherrimus. Zoological Board of Victoria, Parkville.

Thomas, J. & J. 2004 Project Report. Tenkile Conservation Alliance.

Thomas, J. & J. 2008 Project Report. Tenkile Conservation Alliance.

		Tenkile Conservation Alliance – Report November 2004 2004 Project Report.pdf  ( 25.6 KB )
		Tenkile Conservation Alliance – Report February 2008 2008 Report to Zoos Victoria.pdf  ( 3.4 MB )