ASIAN PRIMATES A NEWSLETTER OF THE IUCN/SSC PRIMATE SPECIALIST GROUP VOL. 4, NO. 1 JUNE 1994 JAVAN GIBBON AND LANGUR POPULATION AND HABITAT VIABILITY ANALYSIS A Javan Gibbon and Langur Population and Habitat Viability Analysis (PHVA) Workshop was held at the Safari Garden Hotel, Cisarua Bogor, Indonesia, on 3-5 May 1994. The PHVA was conceived of as a working session for Indonesian Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (PHPA) staff, Indonesian Primate Society members, and Indonesian Zoological Park's Association (PKBSI) representatives to develop management strategies for wild and captive populations of the endemic Javan or silvery gibbon (Hylobates moloch) and Javan or grizzled langur (Presbytis comata). In the Action Plan for Asian Primate Conservation: 1987-91, H. moloch is assigned the "highest conservation priority rating", while P. comata is assigned a "very high conservation rating". The Workshop was conducted by U.S. Seal, Chairman of the IUCN/SSC Captive Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG), and R.L. Tilson, Director of the Conservation Office, Minnesota Zoo, USA. More than 50 participants took part in working groups on the following topics: Captive Propagation and Management, Capture from the Wild, Habitat and Population, Human Demography, and Population Biology and Modeling. The Habitat and Population Working Group was conducted by Jatna Supriatna, University of Indonesia, Depok, and Kunkun Jaka Gurmaya, UNPAD, Bandung. Participants in the working group included numerous students with advanced training and field experience. Wahjudi Wardojo, head of Gede Pangrango National Park and PHPA staff member, contributed to the discussion. The comments that follow are derived from the working groups and must be considered tentative. The Habitat and Population Working Group estimated the total number of Hylobates moloch to be between 300 and 2000 in 23 subpopulations and the total number of Presbytis comata to be between 400 and 2318 in 22 subpopulations. Both species were found to exhibit decreasing trends in numbers. The lower figures are based on observed populations (individuals), and the higher figures are based on extrapolations. Density/habitat estimates for H. moloch were: lowland rain forest, 1 or 3/km2; hill rain forest, 7/km2; lower montane forest, 2/km2. A conservative density of 5/km2 was used for P. comata. H. moloch appears to prefer hill rain forest at elevations of (500-)1000 meters, while P. comata prefers ecotones, edges and river borders with thicker lower and middle storeys at elevations of 1200-1800 meters. Habitat loss, estimated to be 8 percent over a ten- year period at Ujong Kulong National Park, for example, and poaching were identified as the major threats to H. moloch. The greatest threat to P. comata was identified as habitat destruction and human encroachment; there appears to be little or no poaching or hunting of the species. The Population Biology and Modeling Working Group made the following recommendations, among others: (1) that the combined subpopulations of Hylobates moloch are not sufficiently large to be considered an evolutionary viable population and will need to be managed as a metapoulation, (2) that the removal of one female and young per year from populations of 100 or less will double (or more) the risk of extinction making increased protection of wild populations vitally necessary, (3) and that the history of the decline and the current status of the species support it being classified as Critical by the Mace/Lande criteria. Time did not permit comparable modeling for Presbytis comata , but it also appeared to warrant a Critical classification. These problems were identified by the Habitat and Population Working Group as challenging efforts to manage Javan gibbon and langur habitat in order to conserve the two species: (1) inconsistency of the population data, (2) lack of skills in primate censusing and monitoring in park staff, (3) the high rate of human encroachment in the parks, (4) insufficient law enforcement of protected areas, (5) lack of sufficient funds for primate research, monitoring and management, and (6) uncertain forest status of some gibbon and langur habitats. The following, prioritized recommendations were made, taking into consideration the above problems, to address the most immediate and critical questions and needs of Javan gibbon and langur populations: 1. To assess the current extent of gibbon and langur habitat using recent aerial photographs (scale 1: 25,000), all available technology and GIS. 2. To complete a population and habitat survey for gibbons and langurs at all sites less than 5 km2 and those of uncertain forest status. The Indonesian Primatological Association will form a research team from PHPA, the universities, NGO's and research institutes to assess several sites that have been positively determined to have gibbon and langur populations. The fifteen most important gibbon sites to be surveyed include: Gunung (G.) Jayanti, Lengkong, Porang, G. Salak, Telegawarna, G. Kancana, G. Malang, G. Sanggabuana, Bojongpicung, Pasir Susuru, G. Simpang, G. Tilu, G. Kendang, G. Slamet and G. Wayang. The six most important langur sites to be surveyed include: Gunung (G.) Jagat, Rawa Danau, Patenggang, G. Slamet, G. Halu and Cisolok. Other critical sites include G. Simpang, G. Tilu, G. Telagawarna, G. Bukittunggul, G. Papandayan, Kamojang and Leuweung Sancang. 3. To train and educate forest rangers and local NGO's by the Indonesia Primatological Association with the goal of monitoring primate populations and ecology and collecting field data in their parks and conservation areas. 4. To yearly monitor the gibbon and langur habitat and populations, using PHPA trained staff and primatologists, in the national parks and other conservation areas to be identified after the census/survey. These data will be linked to the National Biodiversity Network Data Base. 5. To integrate management policies to strengthen law enforcement in protected areas and important conservation areas. 6. To increase awareness and encourage particiapation of local people in the conservation of gibbons and langurs by park managers and NGO's as expanded in recommendations of the Human Demography Group. Specific recommendations were made for national parks (Ujong Kulon, Halimun, and Gede Pangrango), nature reserves (Gunung Simpang), and protected forests or those proposed for protection (Gunung Salak, Gunung Sanggabuana, and Gunung Kendang and Gunung Wayang). The number of Hylobates moloch currently held in Javan zoos was identified as 14 (9 males: 5 females). An undetermined number of Javan gibbons also were believed to be held by private parties and registered with PHPA. As a result of the workshop, it was recommended that a regional captive breeding program under the Perhimpunan Kebun Binatang Se Indonesia (PKBSI, or Indonesian Zoological Park's Association) should be developed that is linked with the conservation of the Javan gibbon; there are seven zoos on Java that all belong to PKBSI. Founders should be gibbons already in captivity and not taken from the wild. A recommendation was to be made to PHPA that confiscated gibbons be made available to the captive breeding project. A further recommendation was that relict populations of less than 10 should be evaluated for translocation programs or other purposes directly relating to the conservation of the species, or captive breeding programs. It was felt that the potential for captive breeding of Presbytis comata may be low; none is known to have survived in captivity. At the conclusion of the PHVA Workshop, although an actual Conservation Assessment and Management Plan (CAMP) Workshop was not conducted, the degree of threat to all Javan primates was assessed. The ebony langur (Trachypithecus auratus), long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), and slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) all were considered to exhibit declining population numbers, although no population estimates were available, and PHVA's were recommended for each. The nocturnal slow loris appears to be exploited in a local pet trade. UPDATE YAKUSHIMA: GOVERNMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPROVES ROAD PROJECT D.S. Sprague Conservation Committee Primate Society of Japan and The Center for African Area Studies Kyoto University Shimoadachi-cho, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku Kyoto 606 JAPAN The Natural Environment Preservation Advisory Council, at its meeting on 1 June 1994, approved a plan to expand a road passing through the Kirishima-Yaku National Park and World Heritage on Yakushima Island in southern Japan. The Primate Society of Japan (PSJ) repeatedly has expressed strong reservations about this road. The PSJ petitioned once more to the Environment Agency, prior to the Council meeting, asking that the road construction not proceed as presently planned. The road plan was submitted by the Environment Agency and Kagoshima Prefecture. The road is under prefectural jurisdiction but must be approved by the Environment Agency because it is within a National Park. The Prefecture intends to expand the road because it is part of the main road encircling the island, an expanded road would allow the largest tourist buses to pass, and the local economy depends heavily on public works. The Council gave permission to expand a 2.5 km section of the last 9.5 km of single-lane road remaining in this area. The Prefecture claims that the "ecoroad" will remain single-lane, "in principle," but the plan includes two large, two-lane tunnels (200m and 230m long), three new bridges (33m, 49m, and 25m long), and turn-outs every 300m. In steep topography, straightened curves will increase the total area of pavement and embankments. As the first initiative by the Environment Agency within the recently designated Yakushima World Heritage, the Council debated the issue at length. In addition to the road, the lack of a comprehensive park plan was criticized. The Chairman verbally instructed the Environment Agency to take extreme care so as not to harm the natural value of the forests where the road passes, and to formulate a comprehensive plan for the Yakushima National Park. The media reported that both debate and verbal instruction were "unprecedented" in the history of the Council. Nevertheless, the road plan itself was approved. The result is ambiguous. No specific legal criteria exist to measure how to "take extreme care" of the environment. The Environment Agency has set forth no clear policy for World Heritage areas in Japan. The approval of the road plan is the first clear indication of actual national policy regarding a World Heritage. The PSJ fears that once again, a public works project in Japan's supposedly protected areas, is proceeding without any comprehensive plan for either nature conservation or appropriate tourist development. Additional information on road expansion in Kirishima-Yaku National Park is contained in Asian Primates, vol. 3, nos. 1 and 2, June/September 1993. Parts of Yakushima Island formally became a World Heritage on December 9, 1993, at the 17th meeting of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Committee held in Cartagena, Columbia. Two sites in Japan had been nominated as natural heritages: Yakushima and the Shirakami Mountains. These are among the first sites to become World Heritages in Japan, following the formal ratification of the World Heritage Treaty by Japan in 1993. (Source: Japan Primate Newsletter, April 1994.) THE YAKUSHIMA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PROJECT David A. Hill Department of Anatomy University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong and Hideyuki Ohsawa and Naoki Agetsuma Primate Research Institute Kyoto University Japan A new collaborative research project has been started, which will examine the influence of logging and conifer plantations on the distribution and ecology of Yakushima macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui) and deer (Cervus nippon yakushimae). Both of these are subspecies endemic to the island of Yakushima. Over the past 30 years they have been subjected to the combined pressures of extensive logging of their forest habitat, and trapping and hunting as agricultural pests (Hill and Sprague, 1991; Hill, 1992). Nevertheless, Yakushima remains the most viable prospect for the conservation of large, continuously distributed populations of macaques and deer in Japan, because the mountainous interior of the 500 km2 island is unsuitable for human settlement or cultivation. At present, restrictions on logging are limited to areas of primary or relatively undisturbed vegetation, most of which is found above 800m above sea level. Thus, protected areas exclude most of the warm temperate broad-leaved forest, which is the major habitat of the macaques and deer. In order to provide recommendations for the extension of protected areas to include secondary forest, data are required on the relationship between the relative impact of logging, the extent of conifer plantations, and the suitability of the resulting mosaic as habitat for forest wildlife. Previous research on Yakushima macaques has focused on a few well- known groups in an area of relatively undisturbed forest. Very little is known about their ecology in the disturbed habitats that are found throughout most of the distribution. Even less is known about the ecology of the Yakushima deer, which has not been systematically studied in any habitat type. The Yakushima Wildlife Conservation Project will examine the influence of logging and conifer plantations on the diet, distribution and grouping patterns of monkeys and deer. Fieldwork will include vegetation surveys, regular censuses of monkey and deer populations, and radio telemetry. The composition of the diet will be estimated from fecal analysis and feeding traces, and the phenology of major food species will be monitored at regular intervals. The Project began in February 1994 with a preliminary survey of monkey groups at seven sites in warm temperate broad-leaved forest. The sites differed in the extent of, and time since logging. Four of these sites will be used for the main survey. Data will be collected simultaneously at all sites by a team of four field assistants. Basic census data are already being collected at three sites, and the Project should be fully underway by September 1994. We plan to continue data collection for two to three years. The YWCP is a collaborative research effort involving scientists form the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University, the University of Hong Kong and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Research to date has been supported by the Toyota Foundation, World Wildlife Fund (Japan), the British Council, Tokyo, and Kyoto University Co-operative Research Fund. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of these organizations. References Hill, D. and D. Sprague (1991) Update on the Yakushima macaque. Asian Primates 1 (3): 5-6. Hill, D.S. (1992) Conservation of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui) in Yakushima: the need for effective protected areas. Pp.395-401 in N. Itoigawa, Y. Sugiyama, G. Sackett and R.K.R. Thompson, eds., Topics in Primatology, vol. 2, Behavior, Ecology and Conservation. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press. CONFERENCE ON ORANG UTANS: THE NEGLECTED APE An international conference entitled Orang Utans: The Neglected Ape was held at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), USA, 5-7 March 1994. The conference was organized by the Anthropology Student Association of CSUF, the Zoological Society of San Diego and the Atlanta/Fulton County Zoo (Zoo Atlanta). The idea for the conference was conceived by Mr. Norm Rosen, Department of Anthropology, CSUF. More than 300 people were in attendance. Keynote addresses were presented by B.M.F. Galdikas ("Pongo in peril"); J.A.R.A.M. van Hooff ("The orang utan: a social outsider? A socio- ecological test case!"); and J. Sugardjito ("Current conservation issues"), while the closing address was made by T.L. Maple. The program included sessions on genetics, reproduction, social behavior, cognition and a number of issues in captive management. Papers by Lu Zhi et al. and O. Ryder and L. Chemnick reported molecular differences between Bornean and Sumatran orang utans consistent with species level divergence while the former paper also suggested the existence of two distinct lineages of Sumatran orang utans. Sessions on the opening day of the conference and the final afternoon dealt with a variety of conservation issues including the following. W.T.M. Smits reported on orang utan rehabilitation at Wanariset research station in East Kalimantan. W.S. Ramono, Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (PHPA), Sub Directorate of Evaluations, presented an Orang-utan Survival Programme Indonesia, of which the overall objective is the conservation of lowland- and hill-forest habitat and orang utan protection. The program includes a project list for 1994- 1997, with priority given to action in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). P. Andau Mahedi, Wildlife Department, Sabah, showed a video documenting the capture and translocation of orang utans from forest patches being converted to agriculture in Sabah, Malaysia. Arrangements for publishing the proceedings of the conference are pending. INDO-US COOPERATIVE PROGRAM ON PRIMATES The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Jainarayan Vyas (JNV) University, Jodhpur, India, have signed an agreement for a five-year cooperative project on primates. Rupees 10,000,000 (approximately US$320,000) are being made available by the Service through the U.S.-India Fund (USIF) to help strengthen Indian institutions. The Service has been cooperating in a program of joint wildlife conservation with the Government of India since the late 1970's. The main emphasis of the primate project will be on endangered and threatened species and their habitats with the intention of addressing problems that will lead to their long-term conservation and survival. The project is an outgrowth of an earlier proposal entitled "Status survey, distribution and habitat evaluation of least known Indian primates, and sociobiological investigations on selected primate taxa with special reference to conservation and management," which was developed by Prof. S.M. Mohnot, Department of Zoology, JNV University, and approved by the Government of India. The project informally started in July 1994 with the release of half of the first year funds to JNV University. The project will be formally inaugurated around December 1994 when the US Ambassador is expected to participate in a ceremony in Jodhpur at which he will hand over the second half of the first year funds. For more information on Indian involvement in the project, please contact: Dr. S.M. Mohnot Department of Zoology Jainarayan Vyas University Jodhpur 342 001 INDIA For more information on U.S. involvement in the project, please contact: Dr. Charles H. Southwick Professor Emeritus Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology University of Colorado at Boulder N122 Ramaley Campus Box 334 Boulder, CO 80309-0334 USA EARTHWATCH GRANTS Earthwatch is a non-profit, international organization that sponsors field research through its system of participant funding. Since its establishment in 1971, Earthwatch has recruited nearly 40,000 paying volunteers to join scientists working to sustain the world's environment, monitor global change, conserve endangered habitats and species, explore the vast heritage of our peoples, and foster world health and international cooperation. Because of its commitment to long-term research and its ability to generate public interest in wildlife biology and nature conservation, Earthwatch has become an important source of support for single species and ecosystem studies. Earthwatch field grants consist of per capita shares of the project expenses paid by participating volunteers. Project grants average $20,000 (range $8,000- $150,00); per capita grants average $800. Volunteers are recruited from the internal membership of Earthwatch. Most are not professional scientists, but laypersons from many walks of life. Each volunteer normally spends 10-20 days in the field. Earthwatch teams can increase the data gathering capacity of field biologists and expand the research questions they address. Effective involvement of Earthwatch volunteers in one's research requires tasks that are quickly learned, straightforward, and objective. In the biological sciences, volunteers have assisted with a variety of tasks such as collecting and preparing herbarium specimens, erecting and patrolling mist- nets to monitor bird populations, radio- collaring and tracking far-ranging carnivores such as mountain lions and timber wolves, and visually surveying and photo-identifying whales and dolphins. Earthwatch is probably best known for its support of sea turtle research and conservation in the United States Virgin Islands. The Center for Field Research is responsible for reviewing and recommending projects for support by Earthwatch. They welcome proposals from advanced scholars of any nationality, covering any geographical region. Host country-nationals must be included in the research staff. To obtain application guidelines contact one of the following offices: The Center for Field Research 680 Auborn Street Watertown, MA 02172, U.S.A. Earthwatch Australia 453-457 Elizabeth St. Melbourne 3000, AUSTRALIA Earthwatch Europe Belsyre Court, 57 Woodstock Rd. Oxford OX2 6HU, U.K. NGO FORUM ON INDOCHINA The Fifth National Conference of the U.S. NGO Forum on Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos was held at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, 2-5 June 1994. This was the first conference held subsequent to the lifting of the U.S. trade ban on Vietnam on 3 February 1994, and the theme of the conference was "Changing Policies, Changing Roles in Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam". Some 400 people participated in the conference, including a significant number affiliated with universities. Thirty-two guests from Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos, representing a broad spectrum of government and indigenous NGO organizations, also participated in the conference. These participants included H.E. Ngo Quang Xuan, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the United Nations, and H.E. Hiem Phommachanh, Ambassador of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to the United States. The environment sectoral group was chaired by Ed Murphy, of Pathfinders Institute, Saratoga Springs, New York. The group was joined by Mr. Yin Kim Sean, General Director of the recently established Cambodian State Secretariat for the Environment, and Mr. Le Van Lanh, director of Ecotourist Department, Center for Natural Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CRES), University of Hanoi and director of the Center for Environment, Tourism and Development (CETD), Hanoi. CETD has developed a project proposal entitled "Decreasing Demand for National Park Resources", a two-year development project to be initiated as a pilot study in September 1994, contingent on funding, in buffer zones of Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam. Cuc Phuong National Park is the site of a study on Trachypithecus francoisi delacouri supported by the Frankfurt Zoological Society and a rescue center for endangered Vietnamese primates. The sectoral group concluded that environmental problems increasingly will become a concern of U.S. NGO's operating in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia as normalization of political relations proceeds between the United States and the three countries. ROGER O. AND BARBARA E. BROWN PRIMATE RESEARCH FACILITY CHICAGO FIELD MUSEUM Bruce D. Patterson, Curator of Mammals Chicago Field Museum of Natural History Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL 60605-2496 USA In 1991, the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History received $25,537 from the U.S. National Science Foundation to enhance the usefulness of a new storage area for its collections of New World and Old World primates. Formerly, these extensive collections had been installed with other mammals in "compact storage", which limited research access by the many resident and visiting scientists who study primates. Newly allocated space solved the access problem by trebling the number of access aisles. However, the new area lacked adequate lighting, electrical outlets, and counters to permit all desired research functions. NSF support and significant matching commitments by the Field Museum were used to: 1) paint and seal the floor; 2) add work counters equipped with electrical outlets for computers, microscope lights, and other devices; 3) add fluorescent lighting throughout the collection area and over counters; and 4) open shutters on exterior windows to permit the specimens to be examined under natural light. The facility is now fully equipped and is one of the most accessible worldwide for the study of nonhuman primates. It has been named the "Roger O. and Barbara E. Brown Primate Research Facility" in honor of two of the Museum's most active and dedicated benefactors. International Academy of Animal Welfare Sciences The International Academy of Animal Welfare Sciences (IAAWS) has been established as a subsidiary charity of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW). UFAW has been in existence for over sixty years as a rational, scientific and technical animal welfare organization. It is concerned with the welfare of animals in zoos, laboratories, on farms and as domestic pets. Although UFAW is based in the United Kingdom, it receives a large number of requests for information from overseas. It has become clear that scientific animal welfare is becoming of increasing importance world-wide. UFAW perceives that there is a need for an international network of specialist who could advise those trying to improve particular aspects of animal welfare in their own countries. As a result, it decided to found IAAWS. The aim is to recruit those who are able to provide expertise on, or actively promote, animal welfare, to membership of the Academy. An essential feature of IAAWS is that members are expected to donate time and share expertise so there is no monetary subscription. However, it is important to emphasize that the Academy is not simply an information network because the advice which it provides will have been evaluated. Membership of the Academy is free, but to ensure that its members are recognized experts, a proposer is needed to confirm the applicant's position and guarantee the member's credibility. Formal academic qualifications, are not a prerequisite to membership because skills and practical experience often are equally important. IAAWS intends to establish contacts with other organizations relevant to animal welfare and already has developed formal links with the Zoo Outreach Organisation in India and the Wildlife Information Network in southeast Asia. The first, annual IAAWS Newsletter (no. 1, March 1994) is designed to inform readers about IAAWS objectives and to recruit new members. For more information contact: IAAWS 8 Hamilton Close South Mimms, Potters Bar Herts EN6 3QD UNITED KINGDOM Tel: 44-707-658202 Fax: 44-707-649279 PRELIMINARY RESULTS ON THE DIET OF THE RED-SHANKED DOUC LANGUR (PYGATHRIX NEMAEUS) 1 Pham Nhat Forestry College [Dai Hoc Lam Nghiep] Xuan Mai, Ha Tay Vietnam Introduction The red-shanked Douc langur (Pygathrix nemaeus) is one of five colobine monkey species found only in Vietnam and Laos. The distribution of the Douc langur is from Nghe An Province in the north to Tay Ninh Province in the south (19!00' N - 11!00'N). The Douc langur is decreasing in population numbers due to a variety of causes, including habitat loss and hunting pressure. This paper presents the results of a study of the food of the Douc langur. This information is intended to be used in planting of food trees to improve the habitat of the species. Method, location and time The study was carried out in Huong Son District (Ha Tinh Province) from May to June 1985, on the Son Tra Peninsula (Quang Nam - Da Nang Province) in August 1988, and in Mad Rak in June 1992. Two methods of data collection were used: field study and the analysis of the stomach contents of Douc langurs.2 Results The food from five stomachs was collected and weighed. The results show that: (1) The quantity of food consumed every day varied from 450 grams to 650 grams, with an average of 554 grams. (2) The diet consisted of leaves, buds, fruit and flowers only. Sour fruits were not eaten as frequently as such fruits as Averrhoa carambola, Garcina oblongata, G. pediculata, but the seeds from some of these fruits were eaten. Table 1 lists the fruits eaten by the Douc langur in these studies. 1 This article was translated initially from Vietnamese for publication in Australian Primatology and has been edited further for inclusion in Asian Primates. 2 It is assumed that stomach contents were obtained from monkeys which had been shot by hunters. References Consulted Forest Inventory and Planning Institute. 1971- 1986. Cay Go Rung Viet Nam [Forest wood species of Vietnam]. Hanoi: Agricultural Publishing House. Pham Nhat. 1992. Thong Tin Khoa Hoc Ky Thuat [On the food for Rhinopithecus avunculus]. Scientific and Technical Review of the Forestry College 1992 (2): 21-24. Vo Van Chi, Duong Duc Tien. 1987. Phan Loai Thuc Vat [Botanical Classification]. Hanoi: Higher and Secondary Publishing House. Table 1. List of forest tree species used by Pygathrix nemaeus. l, leaf; b, bud; fl, flower; fr; fruit; sh, bamboo shoot Scientific name parts used as food Guttifferaceae Garcilinia multiflora l, b G. oblongifolia l, b, sh G. cowa l, b G. mangostana l Fagaceae Castanea mollissima fr Castanopsis boisii fr Pasania ducampi fr Quercus platycalyx fr Sapotaceae Madhuca pasquieri fr Eberhardtia tonkinesis fr Sarcosperma laurina fr Moraceae Ficus vasculosa l, fr F. chrysocarpa l, fr F. hispida b, fr F. retusa l, fr F. variegata l, fr F. glomerata l, fr F. religiosa fr Teonongia tonkinensis l, fr Broussonetia papyrifera fr Euphorbiaceae Endospermum chinense fr Bischofia trifoliata l, fr Phyllanthus emblica l, fr Bacaurea sapida l, fr Anacardiaceae Dracontomelum duperreanum l, fr Allospondias lakonensis l, fr Choerospondias axillaris l, fr Dubanga sonneratiodes fr Burceraceae Canarium tonkinense l, fr C. album l, fr C. nigrum l, fr Sapindaceae Nephelium bassacense fr N. chryseum fr Euphoria longana fr Myrtaceae Eugenia brachiata fr Caesalpinaceae Peltophorum tonkinense fr, fl Mimoraceae Adenanthera microsperma l, fl Annonaceae Polyalthia nemosalic l, fr Scientific name parts used as food Meliaceae Chisocheton paniculatus l, fr Ananamixis grandifolia l Oxalidaceae Averrhoa carambola l, fl, fr Dillenaceae Dillenia heterocephala fr Rutaceae Clausenia lancium l, fr Arecaceae Caryota urens fr Podaceae Bambusa spinosa sh Dendrocalmus pattelaris sh Neohouzeaua dullosa sh Gnetaceae Gnetum montarum fr Musaceae Musa coccinea l, fr Tillaceae Grewia paniculata fr NEW PERIODICALS Tangkasi This is a newsletter ("kalawarta") of Yayasan Bina Sains Hayati Indonesia (YABSHI), or the Indonesian Foundation for the Advancement of Biological Sciences (IFABS). It is written in both Indonesian and English. The newsletter is seen as a compliment to the YABSHI publicationTropical Biodiverstiy. YABSHI has chosen Tangkasi kalawarta as the name of the new publication, after the "tangkasi" or "monyet hantu" (the spectral tarsier orTarsius spectrum), which is one of Sulawesi's endemic primates. Tangkasi will focus on biodiversity survey reports, research planning and proposals, research progress reports and other activities related to biodiversity conservation efforts in Indonesia. The editor in chief is Darmawan, and the managing editor is Mirza Ronda. Funding assistance has been provided by the Canadian University Service Organization (CUSO). Issue No. 1 was published in September 1993. For more information contact: TANGKASI JL. Nusantara Raya No. 174 Depok 16421 INDONESIA Tropical Biodiversity This is a publication of Yayasan Bina Sains Hayati Indonesia (YABSHI), or the Indonesian Foundation for the Advancement of Biological Sciences (IFABS). Articles of importance to Asian primate conservation in Vol. 1, No. 3 include the following: Achmad Yanuar, Dwi Bekti and Chaerul Saleh, "The Status of the Karimata Primates Presbytis rubicunda carimatae and Macaca fascicularis carimatensis in Karimata Island, Indonesia"; Nigel M. Asquith, "The Status of the Silvery Gibbon Hylobates moloch in Ujung Kulon National Park, Jawa"; Carel P. Van Schaik and John Terborgh, "Production Forests and Protected Forests: The Potential for Mutualism in the Tropics". Inquiries about subscriptions, manuscripts and editorial correspondence should be addressed to: Tropical Biodiversity PO Box 103 Depok 16401 INDONESIA In North America, subscription orders may be sent to: Indonesian Foundation for the Advancement of Biological Sciences 158 Louis Lane Davis, CA 95616 USA Japan Primate Newsletter This newsletter is a condensed and revised version of the Japanese language newsletter of the Conservation Committee of the Primate Society of Japan (PSJ) and is edited by T. Maruhashi and D.S. Sprague. The April 1994 issue includes examination of the following problems: Yakushima Road Issue Unresolved; Japanese Monkey Management Still Inadequate; Japanese Monkeys: Capture and Habitat Loss. Send correspondence to: J. Yamagiwa Secretary, PSJ Conservation Committee c/o Kyoto University Primate Research Institute Inuyama, Aichi 484 JAPAN OWM TAG Newsletter This is the newsletter for the Old World Monkey Taxon Advisory Group. It is replacingLion-Tales, the lion-tailed macaque newsletter, in order to focus attention on all Old World monkeys. The editors are Helena Fitch-Snyder and Eve Watts. The newsletter is published biannually with financial support from the Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species (CRES), Zoological Society of San Diego. Volume 1, Number 1 was published in March 1994. For more information contact; OWM TAG Newsletter Helena Fitch-Snyder - Editor Zoological Society of San Diego P.O. Box 551 San Diego, CA 92112-0551 USA The SASEANEE Circular This is a newsletter of the South and Southeast Asia Network for Environmental Education - SASEANEE. SASEANEE is a network of agencies and individuals involved in or interested in networking, initiating or supporting environmental education programs in the region. The Secretariat of the network is at Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad, India. SASEANEE was launched through a workshop organized by CEE in collaboration with the IUCN Commission on Education and Communication in February 1993. The main objective of CEE is to create environmental awareness among children, youth and the general community. For information on membership in SASEANEE contact: SASEANEE Cell Centre for Environment Education Thaltej Tekra Ahmedabad 380054 INDIA ENVIS Newsletter This is the newsletter of the ENVIS Centre on Animal Ecology located in the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta. In the beginning of 1993, the Zoological Survey of India was awarded a grant by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to set up an Environmental Information System (ENVIS) Centre on Animal Ecology. Subsequently, the scientists of the Survey, in collaboration with CMC Ltd., Calcutta, developed application softwear for storage, retieval and disseminating data on the concerned subject. Volume 1, No. 1 of the newsletter was published in October 1993, and contains salient features of mammalian fauna of the state of West Bengal, extracted from a recently published series on the fauna of the state; updated information on the hoolock gibbon (Hylobates hoolock), the only living ape in India; and information on new releases of ZSI books and journals and some highlights of current events. For more information contact: ENVIS CENTRE ON ANIMAL ECOLOGY Zoological Survey of India Prani Vignan Bhavan 'M' Block, New Alipore Calcutta 700 053 INDIA RECENT PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST The Taxonomic Affinities of the Mentawai Islands Sureli, Presbytis potenziani (Bonaparte, 1856) (Mammalia: Primata: Cercopithecidae). Douglas Brandon- Jones. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 41(2):331-357 (1993). Abstract: A review of the skeletal and external morphology of Presbytis potenziani demonstrates that, although marginal in some respects, the species is referable to the genus Presbytis (sensu stricto). Its cranial, pelage and adult male vocal characteristics indicate that its closest affinities are with the Bornean and Sumatran populations of Presbytis comata. The type locality restriction for the nominate subspecies is amended, but the collector and date of collection of the holotype remain obscure. The generically atypical characters of P. potenziani are interpreted as the result of its being the sole representative of its genus to survive a severe cold and dry stadial of the most recent glaciation. The maritime climate of the Mentawai Islands enabled the archipelago to sustain the requisite Presbytis (sensu stricto) habitat when this had been eradicated elsewhere. Characters such as the polychromatism and reduced supraorbital torus of the rest of the genus are attributed to a relaxation of genetic stability during the rapid dispersal process that succeeded the glaciation, when the genus expanded geographically to its present distribution. Asian Prosimian North American Regional Studbook, 1992, Second Edition. Helena Fitch-Snyder, Studbook Keeper. Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species, Zoological Society of San Diego, P.O. Box 551, San Diego, CA 92112-0551, U.S.A. (1994). Introduction: This is the second edition of the North American Regional Studbook for Asian Prosimians and contains records of all the captive lorises and tarsiers held by zoological institutions, research collections, private owners and dealers in North America. This volume provides an update of all successive importations, births, deaths and other transactions through December 31, 1992. Loris bibliographies and tarsier bibliographies also are included. A number of new listings were found in the historical records kept at the Oregon Primate Center between 1963 and 1983. These previously unreported animals include 40 slow lorises, 22 slender lorises, and 13 Philippine tarsiers. Since several old records were discovered after publication of the first edition, complete historical listings of each species are included in this volume. All known specimens of the following species ever housed in North America are listed in the historical records, even of they were subsequently transferred outside North America: slow loris (N. coucang), lesser slow loris (N. pygmaeus), slender loris (L. tardigradus), western tarsier (T. bancanus), Philippine tarsier(T. syrichta). In addition, all known ancestors are listed in the studbook, regardless of location. Ecology and Behaviour of Hoolock Gibbons of Bangladesh. Mohammad Mostafa Feeroz and Mohammad Anwarul Islam. Centre for Nature Studies (CNS) and Multidisciplinary Action Research Centre (MARC), under a project on Environmental Education being implemented by MARC with IUCN/NORAD support. BRAC Printers, Dhaka, Bangladesh (1992). Summary: The hoolock gibbon (Hylobates hoolock), the only ape in south Asia, is found only in Bangladesh, Assam and Burma. The hoolock gibbons of Bangladesh, currently estimated at less than 200 in number, are in danger of extinction as a result of rapid deforestation, poor environmental education and the absence of any conservation measures. The tropical rain forests of Bangladesh are diminishing at an alarming rate. The tree cover of the country, once reputed for its dense forests, has now dwindled to only 7 percent of the total land area. The contributing factors have been a subject of passionate debate but not of any objective study. Population growth and illegal logging are both blamed, but never supported by hard data. This book is based on an M.Sc. level research work at Jahangirnagar University. Painstaking fieldwork on the ecology and behavior of hoolock gibbons was undertaken by Mohammad Mostafa Feeroz under the guidance of Mohammad Anwarul Islam in two rainforest areas of Bangladesh: Lawachara, Srimangal and Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Chittagong, from February 1990 to January 1991. Information was obtained on various aspects of gibbon behavior, including feeding, ranging, formation of groups and interrelationships within and between species. The primary intention of this book is to generate interest among people who eventually could contribute towards the conservation of gibbons in particular and wildlife in general in Bangladesh. The Ecology and Behaviour of the Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus) in the Lower Kinabatangan, Sabah. Ramesh Boonratana. Ph.D. dissertation (Biology), Faculty of Graduate Studies, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand (1993). Abstract: Nasalis larvatus is a large, sexually dimorphic, monotypic arboreal colobine, endemic to the island of Borneo, where it is largely restricted to riverine, peat swamp and mangrove forests of the coastal lowlands. The aims of the study were to assess the ecology and bahavior of N. larvatus in relation to the botany and phytochemistry of the habitat flora. This involved two years field work in the mangrove and riverine forests in the Lower Kinabatangan area. The basic social unit of N. larvatus is a relatively stable harem, comprising a single adult male, several adult females and their offspring. The social structure of N. larvatus in the Lower Kinabatangan is flexible, and comprised relatively stable harem, all-male and predominantly male non-breeding groups. Different groups frequently selected riverside sleeping sites that were close to one another. Some groups associated more than others, implying a secondary level of social organization, the band. Intra-group agonistic and social interactions were rare, implying that intra- group competition was low. This, in turn suggested that food was abundant and available. All colobines, including N. larvatus, possess specialised digestive physiology and sacculated stomachs with anaerobic, cellulolytic bacteria in their fore-stomachs. This adaptation allows them to break down cell wall constituents and defensive chemicals found in plant foods. N. larvatus is a folivore-frugivore, with a strong preference for seeds. They are highly selective feeders, avoiding items with high levels of digestion inhibitors. Nasalis larvatus groups in the Lower Kinabatangan were wide-ranging, returning to sleep by the Kinabatangan River or its tributaries every evening. N. larvatus are not territorial, and the ranges of different groups completely overlapped each other. The home range size of the focal harem group, SU1. at Sukau was observed to be 221 ha. SU1 increased its day range lengths as high quality foods became scarcer, and the group selected particular quadrats on days when its members ate high quality foods. This suggested that food resources were unevely distributed and highly clumped. Differences in home range size, group size, population density of N. larvatus between sites, and the fact that groups were non- territorial, with completely overlapping ranges and low level of intra-group interactions, strongly implied that these variables were influenced by ecological pressures, particularly by the distribution, size and abundance of food resources. BORNEO RESEARCH COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE The Borneo Research Council Third Biennial International Conference will be held 10-14 July 1994 in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The Third Conference is a follow-up to the First Biennial Conference which took place in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, in August 1990 and to the Second Biennial Conference in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, in July 1992. The objectives of the conference are: (1) to allow scholars and scientists from all parts of the world, who have done research in Kalimantan/Borneo, to meet with local scholars and scientists to share their research and exchange ideas; (2) to permit scholars and scientists to interact with members of the various government departments, to undertake relevant research and assist the government in formulating policies for development. The conference will focus on the following issues: economic development, including eco-tourism in Kalimantan/Borneo; natural resources conservation, including traditional knowledge and its uses and problems with preservation; human resources development; and a number of topics addressing the cultural diversity and traditions in Kalimantan/Borneo. Please address all correspondence to: Professor Vinson H. Sullive, Jr. Executive Director Borneo Research Council Department of Anthropology College of William and Mary Williamsburg, VA 23185 USA Tel. 804-221-1055 FAX. 1-800-221-1066 OR LP3S-IDRD (Institute of Dayakology Research and Development) Jalan Alianyang No. 73, PO Box 1228 Pontianak 78116 Kalimantan Barat, INDONESIA Tel. 62-0561-36141 FAX: 62-0561-33749 FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT IPS/ASP 1996 JOINT MEETING The joint meeting of the International Primatological Society (IPS) and the American Society of Primatologists (ASP) will be held at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 11-16 August 1996. The Conference will be hosted by the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, and the venue will be the Memorial Union buildings on the shores of Lake Mendota. Scientific and social events will be based at this setting to encourage a cohesive conference. For more information contact: Ms. Edith Chan, Congress Coordinator Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center 1223 Capitol Court Madison, WI 53706 USA Phone: 608-263-3500 Fax: 608-263-4031 FORT WAYNE'S CHILDREN'S ZOO CONTRIBUTES TO ASIAN PRIMATES The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, Franke Park, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, in recognition of the opening of its new exhibit, The Indonesian Rain Forest, is contributing to the publication and distribution of volume 4 of Asian Primates. The Zoo also has contributed to in situ action to conserve the endangered endemic primate fauna of the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia. The grand opening of Phase I of the Indonesian Rain Forest, which was constructed at an expense of US$4.75 million, took place on 18 June 1994. The exhibit encompasses two acres and includes such features as a 100-foot diameter acrylic-domed Butterfly Jungle; Dr. Diversity's Rain Forest Research Station, where visitors will learn how scientists live and work in the rain forest; and a 400-foot long elevated Tree Tops Trail boardwalk. Primates in the exhibit include siamang (Hylobates syndactylus), agile gibbon (H. agilis), and dusky or spectacled langur (Trachypithecus obscurus). The exhibit also includes various species of mammals, reptiles, birds, insects, and fish. Phase II of the Indonesian Rain Forest, featuring orang utans (Pongo pygmaeus), is scheduled to open in June 1995; and Phase III, a habitat for Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae), is scheduled to open in June 1996. Founded in 1965, the Fort Wayne's Children's Zoo offers recreational and educational experiences to more than 450,000 visitors annually. The purpose of the zoo is to foster in visitors a greater appreciation of wildlife through naturalistic exhibits of more than 1,000 animals, hands-on displays, and educational programs. The zoo is self- supporting, receiving no tax subsidy. DEVELOPMENTS OF INTEREST On 25 March 1994, industrialized nations agreed to ban the practice of dumping toxic wastes in developing countries at a five-day U.N. conference in Geneva, Switzerland, held to review the hazardous waste treaty that has been ratified by 64 nations. The ban on waste exports for final disposal - incineration or burial - was made effective immediately. Exports of wastes for recycling, about 90 percent of toxic-waste exports, will be illegal as of 31 December 1997. The United States, Japan and Germany opposed the ban. The United States has not ratified the treaty and was at the conference only as an observer. The United Nations estimates about 400 million tons of hazardous waste are produced every year, 98 percent of it in the 24 wealthy nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. On 28 March 1994, Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong arrived in Myanmar (Burma), ending the diplomatic isolation the ruling military junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council or SLORC, has endured since it crushed a national pro-democracy uprising in 1988. In 1992, Laotian Prime Minister Gen. Khamtay Siphandone became the first head of government to visit Myanmar since 1988. Subsequently, Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar whose National League for Democracy party won a landslide election victory in 1990, entered her sixth year of house detention under a law against "subversive elements" on 20 July 1994. On 8 April 1994, the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, the first bridge over the lower reaches of the 4,000 km Mekong River, was inaugurated officially and subsequently opened to commercial traffic on 23 April. Australia financed the US$30 million, 1,174-meter bridge which has been under construction since 1991. The bridge will provide an important door to the outside world for landlocked Laos, whose only route to the sea is through ports on the Gulf of Thailand and in Vietnam. It is also a key link in a planned road network that will eventually stretch from Singapore to Beijing. On 10 April 1994, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia laid the foundation stone of a 4.8 km, multipurpose bridge across the Jamuna River in Bangladesh. The US$700 million project, expected to be completed in 1997, is the first step towards the development of the country's eastern and western regions. The World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Japan will provide loans of US$200 million each for the bridge. On 11 April 1994, President Bill Clinton announced that the United States would impose limited trade sanctions against Taiwan, R.O.C., for the nation's failure to halt trade in products from endangered tigers and rhinos. About $20 million in yearly trade from Taiwan would be affected by the sanctions, which bar the importation of wildlife and wildlife products, including shoes, handbags and other items made from exotic leathers, shell and coral products, skins, trophies and bird eggs and feathers. Mr. Clinton stated that the steps taken by Taiwan to limit the rhino and tiger trade were not yet sufficient. No trade actions were taken against the People's Republic of China in recognition of its recent progress in stemming internal trade in rhino and tiger parts, although the United States will continue to monitor Chinese progress and review the decision next December. Earlier, on 26 March 1994, the standing committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) had decided to give Taiwan another eight months, until the next CITES meeting in November 1994, to increase wildlife protection before considering whether to recommend trade sanctions against Taiwan to its 122 members. On 7 May 1994, The Nation, Bangkok, Thailand, announced that a survey conducted in October 1993 by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) showed that about 100 department stores in Bangkok in one month consume approximately 200 megawatts of electricity, equal to the production of four major hydro-electric plants: Ubonrat Dam, Sirindhorn Dam, Chulaphorn Dam and Bang Lang Dam. Electricity demand in Thailand is reported to increase by 10,000 megawatts, or 10-15% annually. An average rate of increase of 1% is reported in industrialized countries. Without a cutback in electrical consumption, Thailand will have to construct 35-40 power plants in the next 10 years, impacting extensively on investment, electricity fees, the environment and natural resource consumption. On 7 May 1994, The Nation, Bangkok, Thailand, reported that the tourism authority of Laos, in order to promote the country's growing tourism industry, will open offices in 1994 in England, France, Malaysia, Thailand, southern China's Yunnan Province, and Vietnam, and station regional representatives in the Laotian provinces of Phongsaly, Borikhamsay, Attapeu and Xegong. The authority has drawn up a new national tourism strategy and divided the country into three geographical tourism areas. The North takes in the provinces of Luang Prabang, Bokeo, Oudomsay, Huaphan (Vieng Xai), Xiang Khoung (Plain of Jars); the Central region covers the provinces of Vientiane (Vang Vieng and Nam Ngum Reservoir), Vientiane Prefecture, Khammoun and Savannakhet (Route 9); and the South includes the provinces of Champasak (the ancient Khmer temple of Wat Phu, Khon Phapheng Waterfall) and Salavan. Tourism brought in US$6.3 million in 1993, an increase of US$1.6 million over 1992. More than 100,000 tourists visited Laos in 1993, up more than 15,000 from 1992. On 26 May 1994, Vietnam and the United States announced an agreement for opening diplomatic missions in each other's capital. The two nations will not exchange ambassadors, but the opening of liaison offices is considered to be an important step toward normalization of relationships. U.S. investments in Vietnam had nearly quadrupled from $20 million on 3 May 1994 to $78 million according to a statement released by the Vietnamese State Committee for Cooperation and Investment on 27 May 1994. On 26 May 1994, U.S. President Bill Clinton, abandoning a central foreign policy principle of his Administration, announced that he had decided to "de-link" China's trading status from its human rights record and would renew China's most-favored-nation status. The decision was reached on the grounds that broader American strategic interests justify the policy reversal. In 1993, China exported about $31 billion worth of goods to the United States, while the United States exported $8 billion in goods to China. The only limit imposed on the China trade is a ban on U.S. sales of Chinese-made guns and ammunition, which amounted to about $100 million in 1993. On June 10 1994, the People's Republic of China exploded an underground nuclear device, according to an announcement by the Foreign Ministry. The device was estimated by the Verification Technology Information Centre in London to have a yield of 10 to 60 kilotons: a kiloton is the explosive force of 1,000 tons of TNT. China last detonated a nuclear device on 5 October 1993. Japan and the United States had led international appeals to China to refrain from both tests. On 21 June 1994, the Indonesian Information Department announced that the government was revoking the publishing licenses of the country's three leading news-magazines. Tempo, Indonesia's best known and most respected newsweekly, was accused of violating journalistic ethics and pitting one person against another to the point where it affected national security. Detik, a rapidly expanding tabloid, and Editor, another news magazine, were banned for "administrative" reasons for failing to operate within the terms of their licenses. On 28 June 1994, the U.S.-based Unocal Corp. announced that it is negotiating to sell its California oil and natural gas assets. The divestment would sever 103-year-old ties to oil fields that helped to make it one of the world's largest oil companies. The company reportedly will invest any sale proceeds in "significant growth opportunities in Unocal's strategic areas of interest, such as the Gulf of Mexico and southeast Asia." Unocal is planning to speed development of the Salak and Sarulla geothermal projects in Indonesia, to expand natural gas fields and develop new fields in Thailand and Indonesia, and to develop the Yadana gas field off the coast of Myanmar (or Burma). On 29 June 1994, Tomuchi Murayama was elected prime minister of Japan, by a vote of 261-214 (with 29 void ballots) in a runoff election. His election was vigorously opposed by two former prime ministers, Toshiki Kaifu and Yosuhiro Nakasone. He became the first member of the Japan Socialist Party to hold the position of prime minister since 1947. Mr. Murayama's victory was made possible through a coalition with the conservative Liberal Democratic Party and the New Party Harbinger. Mr. Murayama had never before served as a cabinet minister. Both the Socialists and the New Party Harbinger have opposed Japan joining the U.N. Security Council as a permanent member with veto rights. Mr. Murayama was preceded as prime minister by Morihiro Hosokawa, who resigned on 8 April 1994 because of controversies over his personal finances, and Tsutomu Hata, who resigned on 25 June 1994 because of lack of confidence in his leadership. On 30 June 1994, thousands of Muslim fundamentalists demanding the execution of feminist novelist Taslima Nasreen clashed with opponents and police on the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Earlier, fundamentalist groups in the southwestern town of Khulna and the eastern town of Sylhet had offered rewards of US$2,500 and US$1,250 respectively for her death: the per capita GDP of Bangladesh is reported to be less than US$240. The 10 May 1994 edition of the Calcutta, India newspaper The Statesman had quoted Nasreen as saying that the Koran should be revised, although a correction was published the next day when she informed The Statesman that she had suggested only that Islamic law, not the Koran itself, should be revised to give women the same rights as men. On 4 June, the author went into hiding after a Dhaka court ordered her arrest on charges of offending the religious feelings of Bangladeshis, 90% of whom are reported to be Muslim. On 3 July 1994, the government of Cambodia announced that it had foiled an attempted coup led by former Interior Minister Sin Song and Prince Norodom Chakrapong, a son of King Norodom Sihanouk. There was no evidence of fighting in the capital of Phnom Penh. Earlier, following the victory of the royalist FUNCINPEC party in May 1993 elections, the two men had announced a movement to split off several provinces from the rest of Cambodia. On 10 July 1994, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who in 1991 became Nepal's first democratically elected leader in three decades, resigned after the government's annual policy statement was voted down 86 to 74 in the 205- seat lower house of Parliament. Thirty-six members of Mr. Koirala's Nepali Congress Party abstainied. According to a royal communique issued on 11 July 1994, new elections will be held on 13 November1994 and will be organized by Mr. Koirala as caretaker premier. Nepal had been ruled by King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, until he delegated sovereignty to his subjects in 1990 following a long political struggle. Nepal remains one of the world's poorest countries, with a reported per capita income of US$180 and more than four-fifths of the population engaged in subsistence farming. On 1 July 1994, fifty years had elapsed since 730 delegates from 44 nations assembled for three weeks in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA, to lay the groundwork for the post-World War II reconstruction of Europe, for a global money and trade system and for the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). MEETINGS 1994 The Borneo Research Council Third Biennial International Conference, 10-14 July 1994, Pontianak West Kalimantan Indonesia. Contact: Professor Vinson H. Sullive, Jr., Executive Director, Borneo Research Council, Department of Anthropology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185 USA, Tel: 804-221-1055, Fax: 1-800-221-1066.. Or: LP3S-IDRD (Institute of Dayakology Research and Development), Jalan Alianyang No. 73, P.O. Box 1228, Pontianak, 78116, Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia. Fax: 62-0561- 33749. XVth Congress of the International Primatological Society, 3-8 August 1994, Bali, Indonesia. Contact: SECRETARIAT, The 15th IPS Congress, PT. Bayu Buana Travel Service Ltd., Wisma Bank Dharmala 19th Fl., Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 28, Jakarta 12910, INDONESIA. Fax: 21-521-2332. The Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, 7-18 November, 1994, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Contact: Simon Stuart, Head, Species Survival Commission/ IUCN Rue Mauverney 28 CH- 1196 Gland SWITZERLAND. Fax: 41-22-999 00 02. The Exploitation of Mammals Symposium, 25-26 November, 1994, Zoological Society of London, ENGLAND. Contact: Victoria Taylor, UFAW, 8 Hamilton Close, South Mimms, Potters Bar, Herts, ENGLAND EN6 3QD. 1996 1996 IPS/ASP Joint Meeting, 11-16 August, 1996, Madison, Wisconson, USA. Contact: Ms. Edith Chan, Congress coordinator, Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center 1223 Capitol Court Madison, WI 53706. Fax: 608-263-4031. Asian Primates is published by the Primate Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, IUCN - The World Conservation Union, and Conservation International. Please direct all questions, comments and materials for submission to: Ardith A. Eudey Vice-chairwoman for Asia IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group and Editor, Asian Primates 164 Dayton Street Upland, CA 91786 USA Tel. & Fax: (909) 982-9832 Asian Primates is printed on recycled paper Artwork by Stephen D. Nash