HOPE report

Number:20-003

Investigation of Ecology and Social Structure of Proboscis Monkeys in Lower Kinabatangan

Report:Matsuda Ikki

Date:2008/09/16 - 2008/10/15

To better understand ecology and social structure of proboscis monkeys, I studied harem groups of proboscis monkeys in Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary since January 2005. The purpose of this trip was to collect mature and young leaves of the 20 most abundant plant species in our study site and the 20 most frequently consumed plant species by proboscis monkeys in a former study. After completing sample collection, I dried all leaf samples at the Forest Research Center, Sabah, Malaysia, and obtained permission from the director of Herbarium Section to bring plant samples back to Japan. Nutritional analysis of samples collected on this trip will be conducted in Japan. In addition to leaf sampling in the forest, I visited the Sabah Wildlife Department and the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, University Malaysia Sabah and discussed findings from this research with Malaysian collaborators.

Leaf sampling using long sickle


Drying leaf samples at the Forest Research Center

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