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Background: Medical research is the foundation for gaining scientific information and learning. However, in developing countries like Nepal, it is given low priority, mostly due to inadequate research funding. This study was aimed to assess the attitude and the barriers associated with medical research. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the medical professionals of Nepal from 10th October to 10th November 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Collected data included demographics, a questionnaire related to attitude and barriers to research among medical professionals of Nepal. The data was collected, compiled, and analyzed by using Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) version 26. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: In total 83 participants with a mean age of 32.8±4.7 years participated in the study. More than 90% of the participants were having a positive attitude regarding the role of research enriching medical education and that it promotes critical thinking. The majority of them believed that research is also helpful for securing a better academic position. More than 90% agreed that research should be included in the MBBS/BDS curriculum. The major obstacles reported were lack of adequate funding (72.3%), lack of well-equipped laboratory (65.1%), non-inclusion of research as a subject in the medical curriculum (62.7%). Conclusions: The majority of participants were positive towards research. The major obstacles faced by medical professionals were lack of adequate funding, non-inclusion of research as a subject in the medical curriculum, lack of a well-equipped laboratory, lack of mentorship and incentives.

Intraguild interactions have important implications for carnivore demography and conservation. Differences in how predators respond to different forms of disturbance might alter their interaction patterns. We sought to understand how human and livestock disturbance impact co-occurrence of sympatric large carnivores such as tiger (Panthera tigris) and leopard (P. pardus) and thereby mediate the intraguild interaction pattern to enable coexistence of the species in a human-dominated landscape. We surveyed 361 locations in Chitwan National Park, Nepal, to examine how prey abundance and disturbance factors such as human and livestock presence might influence habitat use by tigers and leopards independently and when co-occurring. Single-species single-season models and two-species single-season models were developed to examine hypotheses on unconditional detection and occupancy and species interaction respectively. Pervasive human use of the park had negative impacts on tiger occupancy while the abundance of prey had a positive influence. Despite significant prey overlap between tigers and leopards, none of the native prey species predicted leopard habitat occupancy. However, habitats used extensively by livestock were also used by leopards. Further, we found strong evidence of intraguild competition. For instance tiger occupancy was higher in prey-rich areas and leopard occupancy was low in the sites where tigers were present. These findings, and a species interaction factor of

Measures of absolute animal abundance may be estimated by capture-recapture, removal, or distance sampling methods. We investigate the usage of binomial mixture models to estimate local group abundance of major prey species that is frequently used as a surrogate for prey abundance to study predator or prey-mediated ecological interactions such as predator-prey relationships. We evaluate mixture models using data from a camera-trapping survey intended for a tiger Panthera tigris census in Chitwan National Park, Nepal, where the entire park was surveyed in 361 4-km2 quadrats. We chose four prey species (chital Axis axis, sambar Rusa unicolor, muntjac Muntiacus muntjac, and wild boar Sus scrofa) that collectively account for > 75% of prey biomass consumed by tigers. Abundance of prey group was modeled as a random variable with a Poisson or a negative binomial distribution, with the mean abundance affected by distance from water sources, elevation, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Except for wild boar, the top models for all other species included the hypothesized covariates while the null model was the most parsimonious model for the wild boar. The most parsimonious chital model included effects of distance from water sources (−) and elevation (−). The sambar model supported all three covariates: distance from water sources (−), elevation (+), and NDVI (+). Only distance from water sources (−) was supported by the most parsimonious muntjac model. Our abundance estimates also conformed to the results obtained from recently conducted labor-intensive distance sampling procedure. We conclude that camera-trapping survey data can be effectively utilized adopting the binomial mixture model framework to understand animal abundance-habitat relationships and estimate abundance of animal that are not identifiable individually.

Small populations with restricted geographic ranges such as rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) are prone to extinction due to anthropogenic factors. The identification of factors underpinning the survival of such species is of critical importance for population persistence. We used VORTEX population viability analysis (PVA) to assess rhino population viability in Nepal. We simulated deterministic single-population models under different scenarios to assess viability of two distinct rhino populations in Nepal: a source population in Chitwan National Park and an augmented population in Bardia National Park. The impacts of poaching on the populations and the potential for rhino translocation from one population to another were assessed under the PVA framework. Population and demographic data were obtained from censuses and from published literature. The model output suggested that the Chitwan population is stable and capable of supplying at least 10 rhinos every 3 years for translocation provided poaching is ...

Context Source populations of many large carnivores such as tigers (Panthera tigris) are confined within small wildlife refuges in human-dominated landscapes. Appropriate management of these populations may warrant understanding fine-scale use of habitat. Aims The aim of the present study is to understand the fine spatial-scale habitat associations of tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Methods We conducted camera-trap surveys across the park and applied an occupancy modelling approach to assess the probability of tiger detection and occurrence as a function of fine-scale habitat covariates. Results Tiger detection probability as a function of fine-scale habitat covariates was ≤0.20 compared with that of a constant detection model. Detectability patterns were best explained by models incorporating the effect of prey, slope and landcover type. Similarly, the best occupancy model incorporating the detection probability included prey, landcover type, water and slope. Tiger occurrence patterns were positively associated with prey availability and certain landcover types such as grasslands. Contrary to expectation, occurrence probability decreased further from human settlements. However, as expected, the occurrence of tigers was higher in proximity to water sources. Conclusions Both tiger detection and occurrence are influenced by fine-scale habitat factors, including prey availability. In small protected areas, individuals may persist at high population densities by intensively focusing their activity on small portions of their home ranges. Implications Our study provided insight into the fine spatial-scale occurrence probability of tigers, and thereby aids in developing appropriate habitat management strategies at the protected-area level. Our approach is broadly applicable to the robust assessment of fine-scale wildlife–habitat associations of many wide-ranging species that are ecologically ‘confined’ in smaller protected areas.