906 R. Pillco Huarcaya et al.
of game vertebrates is driving hunting pressure into the upper reaches of the forest within the core reserve area. Subsistence hunting is conducted when the hunter has no viable alternatives, especially where other food options are not readily available (Ripple et al., 2016). During our stay in the communities close to our study site we observed that they reared many animals for personal consumption (chicken, cows, ducks and pigs), and informal conversations confirmed that hunting is practised predominantly as a cul- tural legacy (enjoying bushmeat, collecting trophies and a social activity with family and friends), not for survival. In 2016 we witnessed illegal logging inside the core
area, at 1,250 m. Previously most anthropogenic impact had occurred outside the core area; however, our direct evidence, along with satellite imagery showing canopy loss in the nor- thern reaches of the core zone (Novoa et al., 2016), indicates this is a real threat to the protected core region. The National Service of Natural Protected Areas (SERNANP) is limited in its capacity to patrol large remote forested landscapes. In such cases, remote sensing technologies such as camera traps and acoustic monitoring devices have been proven to be effective as complementary tools for monitoring illegal activities in protected areas (Hossain et al., 2016). The remoteness and rugged terrain of the Cerros del Sira
has so far protected it from extensive human pressure within the core area of the Reserve. However, evidence of defauna- tion of other remote areas (Fa et al., 2002; Galetti & Dirzo, 2013) suggests that we cannot rely on isolation alone to protect this important conservation area. Fragmentation and isolation could be detrimental to the Cerros del Sira; surrounding areas must retain sufficient integrity and con- nectivity between key protected areas of the Oxapampa– Asháninka–Yánesha Biosphere Reserve to facilitate species migration and gene flow for viable populations. Although the surrounding lowlands have been subject to
widespread ecological degradation, the high-elevation areas still maintain a unique assemblage of lowland and highland tropical rainforest mammals, many of which are threatened or poorly known. The presence of these species indicates the Reserve has a high degree of ecological integrity and re- mains one of the fewintact wilderness regions (Watson et al., 2018). Although the species in these highlands have thus far been protected from habitat loss, the increasing human population and demand for economic development are ex- erting increasing pressure on their habitats (Soh et al., 2006). If such pressures are combined with climate change induced range shifts (Forero-Medina et al., 2011), species losses may be catastrophic. There is a need for increased protection of the roadless, intact core area of the Reserve and to ensure the maintenance of connectivity to other key protected areas (Kearney et al., 2018). The development of plans in collaboration with local people and national park authorities to help create viable sustainable livelihoods that limit impacts on biodiversity could foster this, in addition
to providing park rangers with the necessary facilities and resources to implement protection of the Reserve.
Acknowledgements We thank all supporters ofExplorationSira: the Royal Geographical Society, with the Institute of British Geographers; the Neville Shulman Challenge Award; Idea Wild; crowdfunder campaign supporters (
http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/exploration-sira); the authorities of Sira Communal Reserve (SERNANP; permits N°004-2015-SERNANP-RCS & N°003-2016-SERNANP-RCS); Handykam; WildlifeKate; Bushnell Nature; the Scientific Exploration Society for the 2016 Cadogan Tate Explorer Award to AW; B.D. Patterson (Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago) for assistance in identification of Mustela frenata; and the Golondrinas community for providing us with expert local guides.
Author contributions Study design and fieldwork: RPH, AW, CB, JSR; data analysis and writing: RPH, AW, CB.
Conflicts of interest None.
Ethical standards This research abided by the Oryx Code of con- duct; the camera traps did not use flash, and the image of the hunter pictured in Plate 1 was anonymized.
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Oryx, 2020, 54(6), 901–908 © 2019 Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605318001096
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