Factors associated with co-occurrence of large carnivores in a human-dominated landscape

Abstract

We investigated the factors facilitating co-occurrence of two large carnivores, tigers (Panthera tigris) and common leopards (Panthera pardus), within a human-dominated landscape. We estimated their density and population size using camera-trap photographs and examined spatial segregation of habitats, temporal activity pattern, and diets in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. A Bayesian spatially-explicit capture-recapture model estimated densities of 3.2-4.6 (3.94 ± 0.37) tigers and 2.6-4.1 (3.31 ± 0.4) leopards per 100 km 2 with abundance of 70-102 tigers and 66-105 leopards. Tigers occupied the prime habitats (grasslands and riverine forests) in alluvial floodplains of the Park whereas leopards appeared in Sal forests and marginal areas where livestock are present. Both tigers and leopards showed crepuscular activity patterns with a high overlap but tigers were less active during the day compared to leopards. Leopards' activity in the day increased in the presence of tigers. Tiger and leopard diet overlapped considerably (90%). Compared to leopards, tigers consumed a higher proportion of the large prey and a smaller proportion of livestock. Our study demonstrates that sympatric large carnivores can coexist in high densities in prey rich areas that contain a mosaics of habitats. To increase the resilience and size of the Chitwan carnivore population, strategies are needed to increase prey biomass and prevent livestock depredation in adjacent forests. Long-term monitoring is also required to obtain a detailed understanding of the interaction between the large carnivores and their effects on local communities living in forest fringes within the landscape.

Population status and threats to fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus (Bennett, 1833) in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Eastern Nepal

“…The images of fishing cats were considered as independent events if photographs were taken in the time interval of one hour (Mishra et al 2018;Negrões et al 2010). We used spatially explicit capture-recapture analysis using program SPACECAP to estimate the population and density of fishing cats in KTWR (Gopalaswamy et al 2012;Lamichhane et al 2019). This program is a user-friendly software package for estimating animal densities using closed model capture-recapture sampling based on photographic captures.…”

A Camera-Trap Home-Range Analysis of the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) in Jaipur, India

“…Jhalana proves to be a very interesting and complex forest for the study of the Indian leopard. In Nepal, leopard density was estimated to range between 1.5/100 km 2 in the Terai region [82] and 3.31 and 3.45/100 km 2 in the Chitwan National Park [83,84], and 3.48/100 km 2 in Parsa National Park [85]. Athreya et al [46] reported a density of 4.8/100 km 2 in Maharashtra, India.…”

Wetlands are keystone habitats for jaguars in an intercontinental biodiversity hotspot

“…These protected wetlands overlap several key tiger ( Panthera tigris ) conservation units such as the Sunderbans in Bangladesh and the Beeshazar region of the Terai landscape in Nepal [73]. In the Terai, tiger occupancy is positively correlated with wetlands, particularly the highly productive alluvial floodplains and riverine forests, both of which harbor high densities of ungulate prey [74–75]. Similarly, the Osceola National Forest-Okefenokee Swamp ecosystem provides important foraging habitat for one of the largest remaining black bear ( Ursus americanus ) populations in the southeastern USA [76].…”