Overview:



We've failed to spot otter in the Templer park river system in our last 4 hikes there. When you can't actually see the animal, another way to find out if a particular species of animal is present and active in an area is to try to spot its poop [1]. To be more professional, we should use the term "scat" for poop, so technically this is a scat-spotting hike. This is not as easy as it may sound as scat is hard to find in equatorial jungles as it is a resource that is quickly used by many levels of flora and fauna. Spotting scat is a job that requires a sharp eye ( and perhaps a well trained nose as well ). Some people get paid big bucks for it. Some even get paid to look for fossilized dung [2], more professionally known as coprolites [3]. On this hike, we'll be focussed on trying to spot otter poop (of course, it would be even better if we can actually spot the otter itself!). We should also take pictures of any scat we find as it may help identify other species present in the area.



[1] https://www.panthera.org/sites/default/files/STF/1998-0093-061.pdf



[2] https://student.societyforscience.org/article/dino-sized-poop



[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprolite



This hike will start with the main trail to Templer waterfall which is about 2.5km. After checking out the 3 levels of the waterfall, we will reach the main river and start river hiking / stream scrambling. This section of the trail is rarely travelled. Further up, the streams connect up to the Batu Dam area which is still well forested where we've even seen evidence of larger predators such as sun bear (Malayan honey bear) [4] footprints and also larger mammals such as tapirs. Don't worry, our chances of encountering these are very very low and only if you're very very lucky will you even have a chance to video them like this guy [5].



[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_bear



[5] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mto-tWa9y10



Advice:



If using phone app, please ensure your app can read all items. Please ensure you've read and understood the following checklist items before signing up for this hike. Failure to pay attention to details may be fatal.



1. If you are sure you want to join this hike, after reading all of the items below, then click RSVP Yes.



2. Then wait. Keyword is coprolite.



3. You will then be on a waiting list until the organizers check your responses and then move you to the attending list.



4. We will start at 7:00am sharp at the Templer Park carpark no matter rain or shine. Please be on time and be packed and warmed up to start at 7:00am.



5. Templer Park is in Rawang. Templer Park's entrance is the one with the gerbang/gateway (The sign will say Taman Rimba Templer as shown below) just after a U-turn (if you're coming from KL/PJ on Jalan Ipoh-Rawang). Make sure you don't go to Templer Saujana or somewhere else also called Templer. After the entrance, you'll see about 100m road and then it will be a left turn to get into the carpark. If you're not sure about the directions, please ask before. Calling on the morning of the hike will be messy as people will be driving and it is not safe.



Picture of the entrance gate on Jalan Ipoh-Rawang



Picture of the carpark



6. There is limited parking and there may be other groups so please carpool. We want to encourage more drivers to take passengers. Passengers please pay the carpooling fee of RM15 per person to your driver, and don't wait for the driver to ask. The carpooling spreadsheet is here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Av2k_JZ5gGI4dEd6ajFrQ1NGTFJGb3ZHeVpfOXlROUE&usp=drive_web#gid=0



7. Passengers please make sure you confirm with your driver before you put yourself in their list. Passengers please check with your driver for any specific etiquette (eg: no eating/drinking in car, no perfume, etc) and bring newspaper, towel, change of clothing to avoid dirtying the car.



8. The first part of this hike will be a 2.5km trail run to the waterfall which can be done in under 30 minutes. The terrain is quite flat and the trail is relatively free of trip roots. However, be careful when crossing the bridges and sections with soil ledges, and naturally if it is raining, it will get slippery. The route we will take is the default trail. Those who would not like to run, are welcome to hike at your preferred pace. You will catch up to the trail run folks at the waterfall. We then river recce while looking for traces of otters. Distance should be around 4-5km one way. When we return after the waterfall and river recce, we will use the same trail back to the carpark. Here is the GPS map picture and elevation profile.



Elevation profile:



9. Anticipated schedule



7:00am - start



7:30-8am - reach waterfall, brief rest, and start river recce



11am - turn around and head back to waterfall



1pm - everyone out of trail and go home



10. For your safety and everyone else's, please ensure you have sufficient water (I'd estimate 2 liters should be good for this one), appropriate footwear (sufficient grip, I highly recommend adidas kampung but that's just me), appropriate bags for your non-waterproof camera/phone/etc.



11. You must bring a whistle and headlamp. Although it is a day hike, you should always carry this just in case something goes horribly wrong. Safety first please. Carrying basic first aid kit (bandaids, dettol, bandage) is also good.



12. Initially, we don't have to cross any streams which requires taking off the shoes but this may depend on the condition of the bridges and water level of the streams. During the river recce, naturally, this will involve being in ankle level or knee level water. You can also try to use the banks if you want to spend less time in the water.



13. We haven't heard of any security issues at Templer but please be aware of your surroundings and who is around you so that you can protect yourself. Always have a buddy within earshot. There may or may not be a sweeper depending on who's available.



14. Registration is free. Every attendee is expected to register. At many occasions in the past, guests were not properly briefed by their respective hosts. If you want your guests to participate, ask them to sign up as a member; it's free. They can cancel their membership after the hike if they want to.



15. Please bring a parang / pruning shears if you have one in order to help clear the trail along the river.



16. Our hikes are intended to start on-time meaning if you're not there at the time specified, we may leave without you. Please don't call the organizer and ask that they wait.



17. If you change your decision whether to attend, please ensure you change your RSVP to No. Otherwise, we'll mark you no-show and you'll be added to our unreliable-hiker list which we share with all organizers. Also remember to inform your carpool host or passengers. Failure to do so, and a corresponding complaint from the carpool host or the passengers will lead to an automatic ban.



18. Keeping the trail clean.



Should go without saying that you must be responsible and don't litter. Be very sure not to leave any rubbish along the track and at the waterfall. We will also be very grateful to group members and volunteers who will also help take out rubbish that is already present.



19. Minimizing chemical pollution



We discourage the use of insect repellent, perfume, pain relief chemicals, deodorants, as they may contaminate the trail and decrease our chances of spotting (or smelling) wildlife. We also discourage the use of audible music as it is disruptive (if you can't stand the sound of nature and want to listen to "music", use headphones).



20. Penalties



KL Hiking Meetup members: free of charge.



Not bringing whistle: RM10



Not bringing headlamp: RM10



Members not on attendance list: RM20.



Non-members: RM50.



Penalty in case of not signing in and/or signing out: RM100.



21. Enjoy yourself.



Other notes:



- there are restrooms at the car park, but they might be locked



- leech protection will be advisable, at least for the first quarter of the hike.



- Geology:

The waterfall itself appears to be formed from granite and has a relatively shallow gradient with a few places where small pools have formed from erosion of softer/more intrusive rock. The streams appear to carry out lots of little flakes of mica which can be seen glimmering on the sandy river banks.



- Flora:

Templer Park is mostly secondary forest with pioneer trees typical of Malaysian jungle. Lots of different varieties of wild ginger can be spotted, mengkuang, lumbah, pua, varieties of senduduk are also easily spotted on the trail.



- Fauna:

There is some evidence of wild boar wallows, rooting and hoof prints on the trail but we have never encountered them during the day. Siamang (gibbon) can also be heard. There are some claims that the hairy nosed otter (an extremely endangered species and very rare) may be present on these streams but unproven. Leeches are present on some parts of the trail but relatively rare.



Siamang (gibbon):



Regular Otter (note the lack of a hairy nose)



Taken from: http://www.riverotterecology.org/otter-spotter-field-guide-signs-tracks-and-scat.html



Otter scat description: Irregular, sometimes short, rounded segments, sometimes flattened masses, containing fish bones, scales, or crayfish parts; when fresh, often greenish and slimy. Scat most often found on banks of stream or pond, on logs, or on rocks in water.



Otters sometimes eat caecilians (often mistaken as worms). Here's a previous Templer park river recce where we spotted a piece of a yellow striped caecilian (a rarely spotted type of amphibian, not a worm) in the river.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkZdE9pdXHo&hd=1



Differentiate otter poop from civet poop which is more globular (more fruits/seeds/nuts).