Answering the call! Adapting a traditional hunting practice to monitor duiker populations

Abstract

In several regions of the Congo Basin the call of an endangered duiker is traditionally used by hunters to attract animals. We explore the possibility to standardize this call method to improve day time transect counts. Our study shows that the call is particularly efficient for the most common duiker species [Philantomba monticola (previously Cephalophus monticola), Cephalophus callipygus and Cephalophus dorsalis]. The call increases the number of direct sightings in secondary forests and counterbalances the bias caused by vegetation density in classic day time counts. The method is more effective during the first 4 min of the call and from 9.00 to 11.00 hours, particularly during the dry season. Hunting using the call does not significantly increase the sex bias (more males killed) obtained without the call. Compared with day time visual counts, the call method ensures a more reliable species identification because animals are better seen and for a longer time. Derived from a traditional practice, the call can be easily appropriated by local communities in participatory duiker surveys. However, the method is not recommended when multi-species surveys are to be carried out or when densities are to be estimated because the area surveyed per unit call is unknown.

Camera trapping reveals trends in forest duiker populations in African National Parks

“…; van Vliet et al. ,; Breuer and Hockemba ). Direct observations on line‐transects, either audio or visual, are challenging to collect in rainforest environments (Breuer and Hockemba ).…”

“…Call counts using distress calls as a lure have potential, but to date have been used as indices only (van Vliet et al. ) because of uncertainty about the area affected by the calls. Buckland et al.…”

Birdlime in Western Myanmar: Preparation, Use, and Conservation Implications for an Endemic Bird

“…Such information not only enhances our understanding of indigenous folkways and patterns of resource exploitation among traditional societies (Shaffer 1996), but on occasion can be adapted by professional biologists to meet research objectives (McClure 1956;van Vliet et al 2009). …”

Night and day: evaluating transect methodologies to monitor duikers in the Dzanga‐Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic

“…Call methods have also been used as a cost‐effective means of estimating duiker abundance using individual observations. This method mimics a duiker distress call, drawing duikers and other species of wildlife in to view where they can be more easily identified and counted (Van Vliet et al ., ). While the calling method of hunting, ndjango , is often practiced within RDS, this method was not employed during this study given documented changes in antipredator response.…”