Factors associated with human-killing tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Gurung, Bhim; Smith, James L.; McDougal, Charles; Karki, Jhamak Bahadur; Barlow, Adam

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2008.09.013

Cited by 141 publications

(190 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…More than 3.5 million people living around the Sundarbans are directly or indirectly dependent on its various ecosystem services (Giri et al, 2007;Uddin et al, 2013). Working in the forest is the only potential source of income for many people living along the forest border, and those killed are normally the main providers of income for a family (Azad et al, 2005;Gurung et al, 2008). Moreover, human-tiger conflict also strains relationships between local communities and the authorities, and may impede management activities in protected areas.…”

Section: Parks Vol 201 March 2014mentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns and extent of threats to the protected areas of Bangladesh: the need for a relook at conservation strategies

Chowdhury¹,

Nazia²,

Izumiyama³

et al. 2014

PARKS

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Section: Parks Vol 201 March 2014mentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns and extent of threats to the protected areas of Bangladesh: the need for a relook at conservation strategies

Chowdhury¹,

Nazia²,

Izumiyama³

et al. 2014

PARKS

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“…Whenever mentioned in literature, only socioeconomic impacts are recognized (Gurung et al 2008). They can be either positive, due to improved infrastructure, scenery or job opportunities (Wittemyer et al 2008), or negative, due to restrictions on rights relative to the use the land.…”

Section: Influence Of the Protected Area On The Surrounding Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological, Legal, and Methodological Principles for Planning Buffer Zones

Perello¹,

Guadagnin²,

Maltchik³

et al. 2012

Nat. Conserv.

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The use of the land around protected areas may pose risks as well as benefit the conservation of biodiversity. Nevertheless, little attention has been given to their management, in the form of clearly established buffer zones (BZ). Moreover, a great deal of confusion exists around their objectives, dimension and location. In this study we review the scientific and technical literature on BZ planning and the related legislation of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Current literature emphasizes the threats to biodiversity from the lands around protected areas, and their role to promote life quality of neighboring communities. On the other hand, neglect the negative impacts of protected areas on the use of land around them, and the potential role of these lands in supplementing or complementing the protection of species and habitats. In the countries which legislation we surveyed, the BZ guidelines are superficial and confusing. The reviewed literature does not present an applied guide for the implementation of BZ. The lack of a comprehensive perception of the relationship between protected areas and their surroundings, clear objectives for buffer zones, and scientific rules for delimitation precludes the integration of these key areas in the effort to conserve biodiversity.

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“…Unlike much of the tiger's geographical range, Chitwan represents a controlled environment where military presence limits the prevalence and impact of poaching and livestock pressures (1). The failure of the authors to place their inferences in context (1,3,4) falsifies the representation of Chitwan as a park that sustains high tiger densities but lacks conflict with humans.…”

mentioning

confidence: 83%

Conflict of human–wildlife coexistence

Goswami¹,

Vasudev²,

Karnad³

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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et al. (1) used data on spatial overlap of tigers and people to conclude that human-tiger coexistence is possible at fine spatial scales. The question then is whether spatial overlap suggests that human-tiger coexistence is in fact a viable strategy for their mutual well-being in the long run. Coexistence, or rather its absence between large carnivores and humans, is an oft-repeated theme in conservation biology. The results presented by Carter et al.(1) support this recognition; tigers were detected less frequently near human populations and the probability of their detection increased with distance from human settlement. Although this finding is indicative of a scenario where tigers are being pushed into areas of low human activity, the authors argue that it is a mechanism by which tigers coexist with people. We contend that the same result could just as easily be interpreted as increasing anthropogenic pressures hemming in a tiger population that is deprived of alternative habitats.Human-wildlife conflict is recognized as an important driver of large carnivore population declines (2). However, this aspect is entirely ignored in the study, despite growing evidence that human-tiger conflict exists both within and adjacent to Chitwan National Park (3). In addition, the study (1) implicitly recognized that human land-uses are unsuitable for tigers by not sampling in such areas. As a result, the authors provided an inaccurate picture of the real extent and nature of spatial overlap-or the lack thereof-in human and tiger activity. Interestingly, Carter et al.(1) failed to report that their estimate of tiger density in these "forests of coexistence" is only half that of other ecologically similar parks in the Terai landscape (4). Unlike much of the tiger's geographical range, Chitwan represents a controlled environment where military presence limits the prevalence and impact of poaching and livestock pressures (1). The failure of the authors to place their inferences in context (1, 3, 4) falsifies the representation of Chitwan as a park that sustains high tiger densities but lacks conflict with humans.Carter et al.(1) documented behavioral adaptations of tigers to different types and levels of human activity. The real merit of this study could have been to discuss possible reasons behind these adaptations. For example, there is a growing body of science, which suggests that even nonlethal human activities constitute a predation risk, affecting the fecundity and behavior of animals (5). In addition, nuanced discussions on ecosystem effects, for example prey species that selectively occurred in the core area, could further our understanding of the underlying factors that drive tiger population viability in human-dominated landscapes.Claims made by Carter et al.(1) have serious, real-world implications for management and policy. The issue these authors address is extremely sensitive to the conservation of an endangered species and the well-being of thousands of people living in close proximity to these large carnivor...

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Factors associated with human-killing tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Cited by 141 publications

References 28 publications

Patterns and extent of threats to the protected areas of Bangladesh: the need for a relook at conservation strategies

Patterns and extent of threats to the protected areas of Bangladesh: the need for a relook at conservation strategies

Ecological, Legal, and Methodological Principles for Planning Buffer Zones

Conflict of human–wildlife coexistence

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