Mesocarnivores of Sumatra
The Mesocarnivores of Sumatra Project aims to understand the diversity, distribution, ecology, and coexistence of medium-sized carnivores across the island. Rather than focusing only on wild cats, the project considers the broader mesocarnivore community, including Asiatic golden cat, marbled cat, leopard cat, flat-headed cat, fishing cat, Sunda clouded leopard, dhole, Malay civet, masked palm civet, common palm civet, binturong, yellow-throated marten, Malay weasel, and other small and medium-sized carnivorous mammals. These species play important ecological roles as predators and scavengers, yet many remain poorly studied and face increasing pressures from habitat loss, fragmentation, hunting, prey depletion, and human disturbance.
The project will combine systematic camera-trap monitoring with Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) from communities living around forests and protected areas. Camera traps will document species presence, distribution, activity patterns, habitat use, and potential interactions among mesocarnivores and their prey. At the same time, interviews, participatory mapping, and community observations will capture local knowledge about animal movements, tracks, behavior, seasonal occurrence, and changes in wildlife populations. Bringing these two sources of knowledge together will help identify important habitats and wildlife corridors, detect species that may be overlooked by conventional surveys, and understand how mesocarnivore communities respond to landscape change. Ultimately, the project seeks to build the first broader picture of Sumatra’s mesocarnivore community, providing evidence for more connected and effective conservation of the island’s forests and the diverse predators that depend on them.