Food Plants for Wildlife in Tabin Wildlife Reserve

Ninety-nine species from 19 families have been identified as food sources for wildlife. Parts eaten depend on which wildlife is feeding on the plant. Some eat the fruits or seeds, others eat the leaves, roots and bark of the trees. Many birds eat fruits as well as seeds. Primates eat fruits and young leaves. Ungulates usually eat fruit, young leaves or shoots and some, such as pigs, eat roots. Some large mammals, such as tembadau, feed on grass and leaves in the herb layer on the forest floor.

Ninety percent of Tabin is secondary forest. This type of forest tends to be beneficial for large mammals in terms of food availability. Plant species such as Macaranga, Ficus, Uncaria (woody climbers), gingers and grass grow more in open areas than enclosed canopy. Most of these species can be found along abandoned logging roads that have been left for several years after logging activities ceased. Some species such as Dimorcarpos longau, which is a favourite food source for many primates, are widespread throughout Tabin.

Ten percent of Tabin is primary forest that is beneficial to certain bird and primate species, as well as some ungulates.

  primates, squirrels, birds

  rhinoceros, primates, flying fox, squirrels

  squirrels, birds, civets, rats

  rhinoceros, deer, squirrels & other animals.

  primates, squirrels, sun bear, hornbills, elephants

  primates, squirrels, civets

  primates, squirrels, barking deer, birds

  Sumatran rhinoceros, tembadau, langurs

  barking deer, mouse deer, squirrels, birds

  pigs, primates, civets

  Sumatran rhinoceros, primates, deer, squirrels, birds

  giant suirrels, civets, birds, wild boar, mouse deer

  primates, squirrels, civets, birds, wild boar, mouse deer

  hornbills, giant squirrels, civets, porcupine, other birds

  orang utan, squirrels, birds, gibbon, other primates

  primates, civets, squirrels, wild boar

  rhinoceros (Antiarus); pig & hornbill (Artocarpus);  deer, partridges, primates

  primates, birds, fish, prawns, crab

  Sumatran rhinoceros, primates, barking deer, mouse deer, squirrels, civets

  primates, squirrels, civets, flying lemur, flying squirrels, pigs

  animals that feed on this family of plants