Search

Background: Hepatozoonosis has been reported in many species around the world. Few incidences have been reported in various species of wild felids. Tigers are endangered large cats and are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 under Schedule I. The study was carried out to estimate the positivity rate of hepatozoonosis in tigers of the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India. Methods: Blood (n = 21) or tissue samples (n = 5) were collected from 26 wild captured / zoo-born or dead tigers during the quarantine period/post-mortem examination. Blood smear examination along with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) studies were conducted for the detection of hepatozoonosis. All the amplicons from the positive samples were purified and sequenced, and the sequences were subjected to nBLAST analysis to detect the species of Hepatozoon. The sequences were deposited into public domain database of National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and accession numbers were allotted. A phylogenetic study was undertaken to understand the evolutionary lineage of the pathogen. Tissue distribution studies were carried out on tissue samples received during post mortem. A clinical case in a tiger cub was managed and sub-clinical cases were monitored for relapse. Age-wise, sex-wise, region-wise and captive time-wise positivity rate was estimated. The data was analyzed using statistical tools. Results: A total of 12 tigers were found positive for H. felis during the screening. A clinical case was diagnosed and successfully treated. The age group of 0–3 years reported a positivity rate of 66.66%, and all the cases found positive were reported between the age group of 0–7 years. Males reported a positivity rate of 58.33 per cent, while females reported 35.71%. Taboba and Andhari Tiger Reserve of the state had a positivity rate of 52.94 per cent. However, the statistical analysis for blood parameters and positivity rate by 't' test and Chi-squared test were found to be non-significant. Conclusions: An overall positivity rate of 46.15% indicates the wide distribution of hepatozoonosis among wild tigers of the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India, which is strategically important considering the gene flow and migration of tigers. Hepatozoonosis can progress to clinical outcomes in young animals and require veterinary intervention. Molecular tools and phylogenetic studies can supplement important data on circulating species of Hepatozoon in the field. Further studies on the clinical management and epidemiology of the infection in wild felids will comprehend the cause of wildlife conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A generic, low-cost and fully automated roadkill prevention system (RPS) using lasers was developed. The RPS is designed as a real-time system that adapts to all weather conditions, that can detect and categorize road crossing animals based on their heights and display distinguishable (category based) warning light signals for approaching vehicles. The system can also send animal category-specific short message service (SMS) to preserved mobile numbers for detection data base (DDB) generation and take necessary counteraction by the forest officials. The RPS prototype was installed in Velamundi Reserve Forest in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve on the Sathyamangalam - Mettupalayam state highway in 2019 and its performance has been closely monitored since then. At present, the RPS is the only functioning system of its kind in India or elsewhere and has registered a 60% dip in roadkill at the project site since its installation. The complete details like architecture, operational algorithm, implementation and performance analysis of the RPS system over a year is presented. Once available in the literature with complete details, the RPS is expected to be replicated in other parts of the world, wherever roadkill is a growing threat to the existing biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and tigers (Panthera tigris) share the same landscape in India. Elephants, which range over 239,171 km2, occupy 45.5% of the 433,261 km2 habitat that tigers inhabit. Equally, at least 40% of elephant corridors are used by tigers. A shared landscape offers opportunities for careful, integrated management strategies with shared resources. The species are protected differently in India, with tiger reserves being legal entities dedicated to the protection of tigers and their habitats, and Elephant Reserves being management units with no legal standing. With additional disparities in financial supports to tiger reserves—which receive 10 times more money than elephant reserves—it is obvious that the elephant reserves are being treated inequitably. Since the two species coexist in the same landscapes, efforts to protect tigers can help to make up for elephant conservation gaps and optimise the use of conservation resources by tweaking a few management and policy practices. In addition, the overlay of tigers using elephant corridors can efficiently secure habitat linkages for both species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unprecedented advances in sequencing technology in the past decade allow a better understanding of genetic variation and its partitioning in natural populations. Such inference is critical to conservation: to understand species biology and identify isolated populations. We review empirical population genetics studies of Endangered Bengal tigers within India, where 60–70% of wild tigers live. We assess how changes in marker type and sampling strategy have impacted inferences by reviewing past studies, and presenting three novel analyses including a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel, genome-wide SNP markers, and a whole-mitochondrial genome network. At a broad spatial scale, less than 100 SNPs revealed the same patterns of population clustering as whole genomes (with the exception of one additional population sampled only in the SNP panel). Mitochondrial DNA indicates a strong structure between the northeast and other regions. Two studies with more populations sampled revealed further substructure within Central India. Overall, the comparison of studies with varied marker types and sample sets allows more rigorous inference of population structure. Yet sampling of some populations is limited across all studies, and these should be the focus of future sampling efforts. We discuss challenges in our understanding of population structure, and how to further address relevant questions in conservation genetics. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Celebrating 50 years since Lewontin’s apportionment of human diversity’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the 20 ruling political parties in 2006, the INC was leading with 6.5 states occupied by tigers (comprising a total tiger population of 630), followed by the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP; 4 states with 356 tigers), and the Communist Party of India (CPI; 1.5 states with 33 tigers; Table 1). The Project Tiger was initiated in 1973 during the government of the Indian National Congress (INC) political party. In Chhattisgarh, there were 46 tigers in 2014 during the ruling of the BJP government and this declined to only 19 tigers in 2018 during the ruling of the BJP followed by the INC government. [Extracted from the article]

To assess the corridor's functionality and prioritize protection of one of the corridors connecting Kaziranga National Park and the forests of Karbi Anglong District in Assam, India, we conducted a camera-trap study from 2011 to 2016. A total of 10,895 trap nights revealed 39 mammal and avian species, several of which were new records for the area. Relative Abundance Index was calculated as a measure of photo-capture rates from the photographic events, and annual trend for selected species and seasonal trend for elephants were analyzed. The indices showed that elephants used the corridor patch most frequently (RAI = 8.81), followed by hog deer (RAI = 2.77), while hog badgers were most rarely recorded (RAI = 0.02). Seasonality of the movement pattern of elephants showed increased use during the monsoon season. Records of nine individual tigers and six individual leopards, along with other rare and endangered species indicate functionality and regular use of the critical corridor by wildlife, crossing over between Kaziranga and Karbi Anglong hills, maneuvering through the busy National Highway—37 that cuts across the historically connected landscape. The results obtained from the study can be used to prepare a conservation action strategy to secure the corridor for safe passage of wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While global mammalian diversity is collapsing due to increased poaching and habitat loss, evidence-based conservation in protected areas is often regarded as a panacea. Tiger reserves in India set an example, where annual camera trap monitoring is conducted for understanding the trends in the tiger population. However, less is known about other co-predators and their prey species that occur in the same area. The fundamental hindrance being the absence of individual pelage pattern within these species (i.e. unique pattern on the body), as well as the absence of species-specific monitoring. As a result, there is a demand in techniques that can avail maximum biodiversity information from the existing monitoring protocols. Here, we conducted camera trapping in Periyar Tiger Reserve to evaluate spatiotemporal overlaps within different carnivores, and between prey-predators. Camera trapping was conducted at high resolution (2 km2) for 30 days at 253 locations that yielded 6092 photographs of 18 mammals. Their temporal overlap was estimated using 'overlap' R package, while the spatial association was estimated using 'co-occur' package. Three large-ranging top predators (tiger, leopard and dhole) were found to have activity peaks segregated temporally. Relationship of these predators with their prey species highlighted the role of body sizes, where largest predator (tiger) had higher overlap with large-bodied prey (gaur and sambar), while small-bodied predator (leopard and dhole) overlapped small-bodied prey (barking deer and wild pig). Results highlight the importance of large-sized prey in conserving the tiger densities of this region. However, selectively conserving only large-bodied prey can have repercussions on other sympatric carnivores, who require different body-sized prey species. Our results have implications for all protected areas in the tropical developing countries, which are mostly smaller in area with species-centered conservation agenda. We highlight the importance of considering species-specific carrying capacity of all co-predators in the region, to optimally conserve the prey-base through habitat restoration, so as to maximize biodiversity conservation within a limited area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several indigenous tribes around the world derive spiritual value from revering fauna and flora species. Species conservation is not a prime objective of such traditions but can be an unintended consequence. Conventional species conservation practices ignore this spiritual value and tribes are often evicted from protected areas. We use the existence value framework to develop a coupled ecological-economic model of the use and non-use, existence values of wildlife for a tribe that derives spiritual value from a wildlife population. We calibrate the model for the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve in India with the resident Soligas tribe who consider tigers as sacred and back out an existence value of tigers in this reserve from a tribe manager's perspective. The model ascertains tiger population dynamics under several management scenarios. Steady-state convergence is observed under secure property rights for the Soligas. Scenarios in which they are evicted from the BRT reserve and lose their property rights yields localized tiger extinction. Finally, we generate a marginal existence value function and discuss the potential for using existence value estimates in guiding conservation policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the Kilpura–Khatima–Surai corridor area within the Terai Arc Landscape, India for tiger presence. Monitoring of tiger presence and movement was recorded by photo-captures generated by deploying camera traps in corridor area in the years of 2012 and 2014. This corridor is the only connectivity between Nandhour WLS and Pilibhit tiger reserve. A total of 17 tigers were recorded in all of the three forest ranges of the corridor assessed even utilizing the bottlenecks of the corridor, which indicates functionality of this important conduit between two bigger forest patches i.e. Nandhour wildlife sanctuary and Pilibhit tiger reserve. We highlight the importance of corridors for large mammals like tigers and elephants and discuss some key points in terms of management implications which could provide a way forward to maintain the functionality of the Kilpura Khatima Surai corridor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated landscape management of key population areas along with the corridors linking them is important for tiger conservation in the Indian subcontinent. Relationships between gene flow and landscape patterns, however, cannot be generalized given that different limiting factors influence movement in different spatial contexts. Here, we study the landscape features affecting tiger gene flow in the Western Ghats, and examine how and why limiting landscape features differ between Central India and the Western Ghats. We also assess whether these landscape features have been altered by land use changes in the last five decades. Our study area covers 30 000 km2 from Bhadra Tiger Reserve to the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in India. We used genetic data of 115 tigers and landscape resistance model optimization to create a resistance surface to gene flow in the Western Ghats. Tiger gene flow, both in Central India and the Western Ghats, is primarily related to topographic roughness and secondarily to diffuse disturbance, however these relations are inverted in the two landscapes ‐ in Central India, gene flow correlates with rough terrain, whereas in the Western Ghats, it correlates with smooth, forested terrain with minimal human disturbance. Topographic complexity is an important factor affecting tiger dispersal, but tiger's response to topography seems to be dependent upon interactions with human‐related disturbance. Tigers in Central India favor rough terrain for dispersal primarily because it is the only part of the landscape without heavy human footprint and the last refuge for natural vegetation, whereas in the Western Ghats, forest cover is more extensive in flatter terrain and human footprint is generally lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine distemper virus (CDV) was reported in wild tigers from Russia and recently from India. Very few studies, however, have been carried out to gain an insight into the prevalence of the disease in India, particularly in the wild. CDV is the etiological agent of one of the most infectious diseases of domestic dogs. With the aim of exploring the threat CDV poses for tigers, a preliminary assessment was carried out to determine its prevalence from villages near Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan, India. Free-roaming dog populations within a 4-km-radius of the park's periphery were tested for antibodies against CDV. The seroprevalence of CDV antibodies in the sampled dogs was 86% (95% CI 78-91 %), indicating the probability of the dogs acting as a reservoir and having been exposed to CDV in the past. The seroprevalence of CAV antibodies was 44.23% (95% CI 35-54 %) and CPV antibodies was 95.19% (95% CI 91-99 %). This could threaten the tiger populations in the park, considering the close proximity of dogs to tigers. It is, therefore, crucial to assess disease threats at the domestic-wildlife interface and to establish management strategies for more effective conservation practices in the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional hunting methods, despite their simple design pose a serious hazard to wild animals. Keeping in view, the negative impacts of traditional hunting methods including wire snares on the survival of wildlife, especially tigers that are endangered, anti-snare walks were carried out in Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR). We used a stratified random sampling method to walk a total of 142.71 km on 23 tracks along the forest fringes of eight forest ranges in the VTR. A total of 132 hunting incidences were encountered out of which 44 were wire snares, followed by 35 bird snares, 27 other hunting tools (axe, bow, arrows, sickles, and knife), 14 nets for mammals, 6 spears, 4 jaw traps, and only 2 electric wires. The detection rate of hunting incidences was 0.92 ± 0.32 per kilometre. The majority of snares were made of clutch wire (89 %), and the rest were made of galvanised iron wire (11 %). The average diameter of a snare loop was 37.75 ± 6.79 cm, while the average length was 219.52 ± 20.99 cm. The result showed that the snare loop and anchor plant girth have a linear relationship (i.e., positive correlation) with the number of snares. The detection rate of snares increased in the VTR boundary zones, with the highest density (66 %) found at the international border (Nepal) and interstate (Uttar Pradesh), India. We developed a kernel density estimation map to show hunting hotspots in the VTR, with the darker the red, the more the dense the event locations of the hunting incidences. We involved 268 people in the anti-snare walk, including representatives from various law enforcement agencies and local volunteers, in order to build capacity by providing participants with direct field-based practice. Our findings are expected to add valuable ground-based data to fill current knowledge gaps on the deleterious impact of hunting methods including snares on wildlife in VTR. • Here we provide a detailed study on the quantification of hunting methods as a threat to wildlife in Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Bihar India • We observed snaring was the common hunting method used by local poachers in the landscape with detection rate of 0.32 ±0.23 per km. • We provided participants with direct field-based training for future detecting hunting incidences along forest fringes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disproportionately high support for conservation of charismatic species is well-documented. However, available data demonstrate substantial discrepancies in funding for conservation even among charismatic species, and these differences are poorly understood. We use two survey experiments to explore explanations for differences in demand for conservation between charismatic species by comparing Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) with tigers (Panthera tigris) in India and with African elephants (Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis) globally. Through social media, we collect data from conservation enthusiasts to measure (a) relative demand for conservation, (b) awareness about conservation status, (c) relative favourability, and (d) perception of which species faces greater conservation challenges ("risk perception"). Overall, respondents allocated significantly more funds to the species/taxon they perceive to be more at risk and 41–54 % more to the species/taxon they say they like more (though about 70 % of respondents claimed to like both species/taxa presented equally). On average, respondents in India allocated 5.6 % more for tigers than Asian elephants, a far smaller discrepancy than found in public data from key real-life funders. Internationally, respondents allocated 14 % more funds for African than Asian elephants (despite there being fewer Asian elephants) and generally overestimated how endangered African elephants are compared to Asian elephants. Our study suggests (i) conservation enthusiasts wish to donate more to more endangered charismatic species but are sometimes misinformed about the level of endangerment of even very well-known species, and (ii) discrepancies in actual funding levels across charismatic species appear to be greater than conservation enthusiasts believe they should be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The illegal trade in wildlife is a serious threat to the existence of wild animals throughout the world. The short supply and high demand for wildlife articles have caused an influx of many different forms of fake wildlife articles into this trade. The task of identifying the materials used in making such articles poses challenges in wildlife forensics as different approaches are required for species identification. Claws constitute 3.8% of the illegal animal parts (n=2899) received at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) for species identification. We describe the identification of seized suspected tiger claws (n=18) using a combined approach of morphometric and DNA-based analysis. The differential keratin density, determined using X-ray radiographs, indicated that none of the 18 claws were of any large cat but were fake. We determined three claw measurements, viz. ac (from the external coronary dermo-epidermal interface to the epidermis of the skin fold connecting the palmar flanges of the coronary horn), bc (from the claw tip to the epidermis of the skin fold connecting the palmar flanges of the coronary horn) and the ratio bc/ac, for all the seized (n=18), tiger (n=23) and leopard (n=49) claws. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. A scatter plot generated using canonical discriminant function analysis revealed that of the 18 seized claws, 14 claws formed a cluster separate from the clusters of the tiger and leopard claws, whereas the remaining four claws were within the leopard cluster. Because a discrepancy was observed between the X-ray images and the measurements of these four claws, one of the claw that clustered with the leopard claws was chosen randomly and DNA analysis carried out using the cyt b (137bp) and 16S rRNA (410bp) genes. A BLAST search and comparison with the reference database at WII indicated that the keratin material of the claw was derived from Bos taurus (cattle). This is a pioneering discovery, and we suggest that a hierarchical combination of techniques be used for identifying claws involved in wildlife offences, i.e. that an X-ray, morphometric and DNA-based analysis be carried out, to ascertain whether the claws are of tigers or leopards. To identify species in the illegal wildlife trade morphometric and genetic reference database should be developed. Morphological features as well as DNA profiles need to be used for better implementation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India and other laws/treaties in South-east Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Connectivity models for animal movement frequently use resistance surfaces, but rarely incorporate actual movement data and multiple scale drivers of landscape resistance. Objectives: Using GPS data, we developed a multi-scale model of landscape resistance for tiger ( Panthera tigris) dispersal in central India and evaluated the performance, interpretation and predictions against single scale models. Methods: Six dispersing tiger paths were subjected to a path level analysis with conditional logistic regression to parameterize a resistance surface. We evaluated for 21 scales of available habitat and selected the best scale for each variable. We derived a scale-optimized multivariate path selection function and predicted landscape resistance across the landscape. Results: The tigers preferred to move along areas with forest cover at relatively high elevations along the ridges with rugged topography at broad scale, while avoiding areas with agriculture-village matrix at fine scale. We found that the scale that was most supported by Akaike's information criterion was not always the scale that maximized the magnitude (effect size) of the relationship. Further, the multi-scale optimized model differed substantially from the single scale models in terms of variable importance, magnitude of coefficients and predictions of connectivity. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that the variables in landscape resistance models produce markedly different predictions of population connectivity depending on the scales of analyses and interpretation. Thus, scale optimization in parameterization is critical for appropriate inferences and sound management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, most studies of the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) are of biological research, techniques, conservation, population modeling, or tiger– human conflicts. Few studies have attempted to understand the rural population that share a region with the tigers, and some of the villages are even displaced in the name of conservation. Hence, we undertook a survey of 10 villages that are located in the buffer zone of the Bor Tiger Reserve (BTR). Most of the villagers interviewed had encountered tigers, most considered them a boon and beneficial to their livelihood, and almost all displayed environmental awareness and stressed the necessity to conserve tigers in order to ensure their own continued survival. Some stressed the religious connotation and significance because the tiger is the animal of transport of the Goddess Durga. A minority expressed a negative attitude that resulted not from damages incurred by the tigers, but from discontent following inept handling of property losses by the authorities, who did not provide compensation in time, or paid only a small part of the original value of the loss. We conclude that in order to ensure the continued goodwill of the local stakeholders, it is important that the state and national governments react in a timely manner and ensure that the farmer is compensated in full. Support of the villagers who cohabit with tigers will ensure the continued survival of the two entities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Dispersal is a life history trait that plays a key role in population dynamics. We used camera traps to estimate the distance male and female tigers (Panthera tigris) dispersed from Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR) in semi-arid habitats of western India from 2003 to 2010. We deployed camera traps whenever tiger tracks were found in places adjacent to protected areas where tigers had not been recently reported. We identified tigers by matching strip patterns by using their photographs with the database of camera-trapped tigers of RTR at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. We determined the aerial distance (straight line) between the last location of photo-capture in the natal area (in RTR) and the location of the most recent photo-capture. One female and three male tigers that dispersed from RTR were identified from photographs. The longest distance dispersed by a tiger was 148.4 km, and the average dispersed distance was 124.2 ± 23.7 km (n = 3) for male tigers and 78.4 km for the female tiger. The minimum age of the male tigers when they dispersed was 24 months. These data are important for making conservation and management decisions for restoration of potential connectivity between landscapes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We quantified inter-patch connectivity among habitat patches for tiger in the Terai Arc Landscape of India and Nepal. [•] An individual-based, spatially explicit dispersal model was used to assess connectivity. [•] Connectivity is an outcome of the interplay between tiger behavior and landscape composition. [•] Several of the habitat patches are likely to be island-like and already effectively isolated for tiger. [•] Restoration of corridors is needed to connect most of the patches in India and between India and Nepal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We examined human and ecological attributes of attacks by tigers Panthera tigris and leopards Panthera pardus on humans in and around the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in the Chandrapur District of central India to provide recommendations to prevent or mitigate conflicts between people and large carnivores. During 2005–2011 132 carnivore attacks on humans occurred, 71 (54%) of which were lethal to humans. Tigers and leopards were responsible for 78% and 22% of attacks, respectively. Significantly more victims were attacked while collecting minor forest products than during other activities. Probability of attack significantly decreased with increasing distance from forests and villages, and attacks occurred most frequently in the forested north-eastern corridor of the study area. Human activities near the Reserve need to be regulated and limited as much as possible to reduce human mortality and other conflicts. Increasing access to alternative fuel sources (e.g. biogas, solar) may reduce the pressure of timber harvesting on protected areas. Residents should be trained in identifying carnivore sign and in ways to reduce their vulnerability when working outdoors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

India, a mega-diverse country in terms of both biodiversity and people, is battling environmental problems on many fronts: chronic dependence on natural resources, dwindling ecosystem services, declining environmental quality, effects of climate change and a biodiversity crisis., We review the current focal areas and infrastructure for ecological research and education in India, along with the surrounding legal and policy aspects of related socio-economic issues., Currently, ecological and applied research is predominantly focused on charismatic species within protected areas. This scope could be broadened beyond organismal biology towards functional landscapes and ecosystems; the education system also needs to promote ecology as a career choice for scientists. Expectedly, many environmental challenges are generic in nature, occur in other regions of the world, are primarily biophysical in origin but extend into human dimensions; some challenges are socio-political and have implications for biodiversity conservation., Synthesis and applications. India's environmental concerns include, but are not restricted to, the biodiversity crisis. The biodiversity crisis, in turn, includes, but is not restricted to, the most charismatic species. Greater integration and alignment among the mandates of government agencies, scientists, policymakers and educators are needed to meet contemporary environmental issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the extermination of tigers in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Western India in 2004, three tigers were re-introduced in Sariska during 2008–2009. The present study examined the prey selection and dietary overlap between leopard and tiger after re-introduction of tiger in the study area. Scat analysis revealed the presence of nine prey species in leopard scat (n = 90 scats) and five prey species in tiger scats (n = 103 scats). Percentage frequency of occurrence of sambar (45.5%) was found to be the highest followed by chital (15.2%) > nilgai (8.9%) > cattle (7.1%) > common langur (6.3%) > peafowl (6.3%) > rodent (5.4%) > wild pig (2.7%) and hare (2.7%) in leopard diet. In the diet of tiger, sambar contributed maximum (41.7%) followed by chital (26.2%), cattle (19.4%), nilgai (10.7%) and common langur (1.9%). The present study revealed that both the predator utilized and preferred prey species in similar way, though there was difference in selection of prey species in terms of sex and age class as observed by kill records. The dietary overlap between leopard and tiger was found to be 94%. The results suggested considerable overlap between the two carnivores along diet axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forests of the Sundarbans, located in the southernmost parts of West Bengal in India and south-western Bangladesh, remain synonymous with the Royal Bengal Tiger and, to some extent, the mangrove forests unique to South Asia. The principal strands in the story of the region centre around the contest between the tiger and the forest dweller—in other words, the conflict between and co-existence of man and nature. This struggle took the form of reclamation and of putting the forests to the plough. Down the ages there have been several efforts to reclaim forests and set up human habitation in this region. Before the advent of British rule in India most were individual efforts. Those made during British rule were largely successful in bringing in people of various origins into the region. Despite the slow pace of development compared to the rest of Bengal, the face of the Sundarbans then changed forever. Changes in settlement patterns and the stratification of society led to changes in human relations. The region suffered denudation and deforestation. In fact, ultimately as social stratification increased and exploitation intensified, tensions exploded in the form of the Tebhaga movement (1946). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

decade back, almost 300,000 km of forests in India were estimated to be potential tiger habitat. But consistent degradation and unsustainable anthropogenic pressures have adversely affected tiger presence in most of the forests outside the better protected tiger reserves. Here we use Geographic Information System data to analyze the degree of vegetation loss and landscape changes over the last decade (1998-2006), and ascertain the presence of tigers in a degraded forest like the Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India, by non-invasive fecal DNA analysis. Vegetation cover maps show a clear degradation of the sanctuary within a decade. DNA analysis of scat samples reveals tiger presence in areas where closed dense forest canopy has persisted with minimal human disturbance during the last decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prey preferences of large carnivores (tiger ( Panthera tigris), leopard ( Panthera pardus) and dhole ( Cuon alpinus)) in the tropical forest of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) were evaluated. This was the first study in ATR to estimate the density of prey and the food habits of these large carnivores. The 958-km intensive study area was found to have a high mammalian prey density (72.1 animals per square kilometre) with wild boar (20.61 animals per square kilometre) and chital (20.54 animals per square kilometre) being the most common species, followed by nilgiri tahr (13.6 animals per square kilometre). When the density figures were multiplied by the average weight of each prey species, a high biomass density of 14,204 kg km was obtained for the intensive study area. Scat analysis and incidental kill observation were used to determine the dietary composition of these predators. During the study from the period of March 2001 to April 2004, 1,145 tiger scats, 595 leopard scats and 2,074 dhole scats were collected and analysed. Kill data were based on direct observation of 66 tiger kills and 39 leopard kills. Sambar, with a density of 6.54 kg km was the preferred prey for these carnivores. Sambar constitutes 35% of the overall diet of tiger, whereas it constitutes 17% and 25% in leopard and dhole diets, respectively. Chital was utilized less than sambar in the range of about 7%, 11% and 15% by tiger, leopard and dhole, respectively. Predator diet was estimated more accurately by scat analysis, which reveals 30% of smaller prey species in leopard's diet, which was not observed by kill data. This study reveals that ATR harbours high prey density, and these large carnivores seem mostly dependent on the wild prey rather than on domestic livestock as in some other areas in the subcontinent. These factors make ATR a potential area for long-term conservation of these endangered carnivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Large mammals face high risks of anthropogenic extinction owing to their larger body mass and associated life history traits. Recent worldwide mammal declines have highlighted the conservation importance of effective assessments of trends in distribution and abundance of species. Yet reliable data depicting the nature and extent of changes in population parameters is sparse, primarily due to logistical problems in covering large areas and difficulties in obtaining reliable information at large spatial scales, particularly over time. We used key informant surveys to generate detection histories for 18 species of large mammals (body mass>2kg) at two points in time (present and 30years ago) in the Southern subregion of the Western Ghats global biodiversity hotspot. Multiple-season occupancy models were used to assess temporal trends in occupancy, detectability and vital rates of extinction and colonization for each species. Our results show significant declines in distribution for large carnivores, the Asian elephant and endemic ungulates and primates. There is a significant decline in detectability for 16 species, which suggests a decline in their abundance. These patterns of change in distribution and abundance repeat in our assessments of spatial variation in occupancy dynamics between the three contiguous forest complexes and two human-dominated landscapes into which the southern Western Ghats has been fragmented. Extinction rates are highest in the human-dominated landscapes. Declines in abundance for several species suggest the presence of extinction debts, which may soon be repaid with imminent range contractions and subsequent species extinctions unless immediate remedial conservation measures are taken. Detection/non-detection surveys of key informants used in an occupancy modeling framework provide potential for rapid conservation status assessments of multiple species across large spatial scales over time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

India, with its huge human population and fragmented wildlife habitat, is plagued with human-animal conflicts. In conflict areas, large carnivores are often primary targets for malicious poisoning. The effects of certain poisons do not stop with the target animal but also affects other species of wildlife in the form of secondary poisoning. This paper describes incidences of secondary poisoning of a tiger ( Panthera tigris) and a black panther (melanistic Panthera pardus) in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Wild boars ( Sus scrofa), which are considered pests in horticultural plantations, were the primary targets in both cases and were poisoned using phorate, a highly toxic organophosphorus compound. Tigers and leopards hold significant position in the upper most trophic level of the ecological pyramid and are grouped in schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of India. The tiger, as a species, is currently waging a grim battle of survival in the wild. The world over, leopard populations are also dwindling. The implications of the death of these endangered apex predators due to the increase in population of the ubiquitous wild boars are analysed. The merits of introducing a policy of selective culling of wild boars in conflict areas are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the status of tigers Panthera tigris and their prey in Panna Tiger Reserve using occupancy surveys, camera-trap mark-recapture population estimation, and distance sampling along foot transects, in 2006. Forest Range tiger occupancy in the Panna landscape (3,500 km²) estimated by 1,077 surveys of 5 km each was 29% ± SE 1. Within occupied Ranges of the Reserve a mean of 68% ± SE 7 of forest Beats had tiger signs. A total of 800 camera-trap nights yielded 24 captures of seven individual adult tigers within an effective trap area of 185.0 ± SE 15.8 km-2. The best model incorporating individual heterogeneity (Mh) estimated the tiger population to be 9 ± SE 2. Tiger density was 4.9 SE 1.5 per 100 km² and was lower than that reported in 2002 (6.49 tigers per 100 km²). Both occupancy and density indicated a decline of the tiger population in the Reserve. Mean ungulate density was 42.4 - SE 8.4 km-2 and comparable to other tiger reserves. Since our survey in 2006 tiger status in Panna has deteriorated further because of poaching. Panna was occupied by dacoits in late 2006 and anti-insurgent activities caused further disturbances. In late 2008 there was a single male tiger left in Panna but he has not been seen since January 2009. The Madhya Pradesh Forest department has reintroduced three tigers to Panna from neighbouring tiger reserves. Panna, along with Sariska Tiger Reserve, exemplifies the vulnerability of small, isolated tiger populations to local extinctions caused by poaching, even in areas with suitable habitat and sufficient prey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) as a tool has assumed an immense significance in habitat suitability modelling for various wildlife species and now a days these are widely used in conservation biology and wildlife management. This paper evaluates habitat suitability for tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) in Chandoli National Park, India. This research provides information about potential areas that can be declared as Tiger Reserve, a federal designation of protection. Habitat evaluation was completed in the Chandoli National Park (17° 04′ 00″ N to 17° 19′ 54″ N and 73° 40′ 43″ E to 73° 53′ 09″ E) using habitat suitability index (HSI). Remotely sensed data of satellite IRS-P6, LISS-III of 25th February 2005 was procured from National Remote Sensing Agency, India. The satellite imagery data was digitally processed and collateral data were generated from topographic maps in a GIS framework. Various layers of different variables such as land use land cover, forest density, measures of proximity to disturbances and water resources and a digital terrain model were created based on ground truthing. These layers, GPS location of animal's presence and “binomial multiple logistic regression (BMLR)” techniques were integrated in a GIS environment for the HSI modelling. Results indicate that approximately 160.48km2 (55%) of the forest of Chandoli National Park is highly suitable for herbivores population, and 176.52km2 (50%) of the Park is suitable for tigers. Therefore, this study concludes that forest areas within the Chandoli National Park are appropriate for consideration as Tiger Reserve. Furthermore, the identification and mapping of wildlife corridors and other forest patches lying in between neighboring protected area like Koyana sanctuary, suggests that these region of Sahyadri range of Western Ghats should be included into the proposed Tiger Reserve. This will be a benefit for tigers, as tigers require larger and least disturbed forest habitats for establishing and maintaining their high-density population. Fortunately, in May 2008 the Government of India declared Chandoli NP as tiger reserve. Thus declaration of Chandoli National Park as a Tiger Reserve reflects that the habitat suitability model developed by us for tiger was not only statistically sound but also has potential to be considered while taking any decision regarding wildlife habitat management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Geospatial tools supported by ancillary geo-database and extensive fieldwork regarding the distribution of tiger and its prey in Anchankmar Wildlife Sanctuary (AMWLS) were used to build a tiger habitat suitability model. This consists of a quantitative geographical information system (GIS) based approach using field parameters and spatial thematic information. The estimates of tiger sightings, its prey sighting and predicted distribution with the assistance of contextual environmental data including terrain, road network, settlement and drainage surfaces were used to develop the model. Eight variables in the dataset viz., forest cover type, forest cover density, slope, aspect, altitude, and distance from road, settlement and drainage were seen as suitable proxies and were used as independent variables in the analysis. Principal component analysis and binomial multiple logistic regression were used for statistical treatments of collected habitat parameters from field and independent variables respectively. The assessment showed a strong expert agreement between the predicted and observed suitable areas. A combination of the generated information and published literature was also used while building a habitat suitability map for the tiger. The modeling approach has taken the habitat preference parameters of the tiger and potential distribution of prey species into account. For assessing the potential distribution of prey species, independent suitability models were developed and validated with the ground truth. It is envisaged that inclusion of the prey distribution probability strengthens the model when a key species is under question. The results of the analysis indicate that tiger occur throughout the sanctuary. The results have been found to be an important input as baseline information for population modeling and natural resource management in the wildlife sanctuary. The development and application of similar models can help in better management of the protected areas of national interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on a study that suggested that three-dimensional surface model could be used to trace the origin of a tiger skin by searching a central database of living tigers' images for matches to an image of the skin. It illustrates the resulting reduction in effort required to generate capture histories from a large database of camera trap images, using camera trap images from the Nagarhole and Bandipur tiger reserves in Karnataka, India. It discusses the material and methods used in the study.

Rajaji National Park, which forms the north-western limit of the range of the tiger Panthera tigris in India, is bisected into western and eastern sectors by development activities along the banks of the river Ganga. Following a voluntary pastoral Gujjar resettlement programme initiated in the Park by the Uttarakhand Forest Department, we assessed the status of the tiger and its prey. We used sign surveys for tigers, leopards Panthera pardus and their prey, estimated prey densities using line transects and distance sampling, and estimated the density of tigers using photographic capture-recapture analysis. Our results indicate that the use of the area by tigers differed significantly between the two sectors of the Park, with pug mark encounter rates per 250 m segment from sign surveys of 0.07 ± SE 0.04 in the west and 1.6 ± SE 0.3 in the east. Although the high estimated prey densities (> 80 km -2 ) in the Park have the potential to support high densities of tigers, we photo-captured only one tigress in the western sector and five adult tigers and two cubs in the east (the latter with a mean density of 5.12 ± SE 0.7 per 100 km 2 ). Whereas recovery of the tiger population in the eastern sector following the resettlement of Gujjars is evident, the lack of connectivity to source populations (Corbett Tiger Reserve and eastern Rajaji National Park) and increased anthropogenic pressures appear to have inhibited the recovery of tiger populations in the western sector. Restoration, therefore, of the Chilla-Motichur corridor to facilitate the dispersal of tigers from the eastern to the western sector of the Park is of critical importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal hunting poses a dual threat to large carnivores through direct removal of individuals and by prey depletion. We conducted a camera-trapping survey in the Namdapha National Park, north-east India, conducted as part of a programme to evaluate carnivore and prey species abundance. Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) was the only large carnivore detected by camera-trapping. Indirect evidences indicated the presence of the wild dog (Cuon alpinus) and leopard (Panthera pardus), however, there was no evidence of tigers (Panthera tigris), suggesting their possible extinction from the lower elevation forests. Of the major ungulate prey species, sambar (Cervus unicolor) and wild pig (Sus scrofa) were the only large prey detected, while the Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) was the only small prey species detected. Relative abundances of all species were appreciably lower than estimates from other tropical forests in south-east Asia. We suspect that illegal hunting may be the cause for the low carnivore and prey species abundance. An ongoing community-based conservation programme presents an opportunity to reduce local people’s dependence on hunting by addressing their socio-economic needs and for using their skills and knowledge of the landscape for wildlife conservation. However, long-term wildlife monitoring is essential to assess the efficacy of the socio-economic interventions in bringing about wildlife recovery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We conducted a field study of diets of three sympatric large carnivores, the tiger Panthera tigris, the leopard Panthera pardus and the dhole Cuon alpinus in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, India, based on analyses of 381, 111 and 181 scats, respectively. The frequency of occurrence of prey items in scats was converted to relative biomass and number of prey consumed using regression equations based on earlier feeding trials. The results showed that although these predators kill ∼11–15 species of vertebrate prey, relatively abundant ungulate species provide 88–97% of biomass consumed by them. Although the dietary niche overlap among the three species was high (Pianka's index of 0.75–0.93), some specialized predation was observed. The largest ungulates, gaur Bos gaurus and sambar Cervus unicolor, provided 73% of biomass consumed by tigers, whereas medium-sized chital Axis axis and wild pig Sus scrofa formed 65 and 83% of the biomass intake of leopards and dholes, respectively. In terms of the relative numbers of prey animals killed by the three predators, chital, which is the most abundant prey species, dominated their diets (tiger=33%, leopard=39% and dhole=73%). The results of the study, in conjunction with earlier work, support the prediction that abundance of ungulate prey species, as well as their availability in different size classes, are both critical factors that facilitate sympatry among the three predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing livestock grazing in forests has intensified human-wildlife conflicts and caused habitat degradation for threatened species. To balance conservation and local community development, it is crucial to understand if livestock loss in natural habitats plays a role in household livelihood decisions. We used the giant panda habitat in China and the tiger habitat in India as case studies to investigate if livestock loss impacts livestock holding size and if higher loss rate shifts households away from livestock grazing in the future. We applied negative binomial regression and cost-benefit analysis to household level data from 281 Chinese households and 369 Indian households. We found that the livestock loss rate did not impact the number of livestock in China, but it did negatively impact the number of livestock in India. Chinese households were more constrained by labor availability for livestock expansion, while Indian households were limited by financial capacity. However, households tended to ignore the potential livestock loss in future livelihood decisions for both landscapes. Emerging livestock types could change the dynamic and the Indian case indicates a possible win-win solution. New hybrid cattle produced more than seven times the net benefit, but with only 46% potential cost of livestock loss compared to traditional cattle. Therefore, households can simultaneously produce more profits and reduce livestock loss by shifting to hybrid cattle. As higher profit is more important than perceived livestock loss risk in deciding the livelihood practices, better market instruments and assistance should be provided to promote the change. • Livestock loss in forests affects the livestock holding size in areas with high predation risk • The livestock number in China is more constrained by labor availability while India is more constrained by financial capacity • Past livestock losses do not influence the decision to continue raising livestock or not • The new type of cattle could reduce human-wildlife conflicts while improving profits [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]