Human–Felid Conflict in Corridor Habitats: Implications for Tiger and Leopard Conservation in Terai Arc Landscape, India

We use the Rajaji-Corbett corridor in the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) in India to examine the pattern of human–felid conflict in wildlife corridors and its implications for the long-term persistence of tigers (Panthera tigris) and leopards (Panthera pardus) in the landscape. We administered a questionnaire survey of people residing in and around the corridor and also examined forest department records. Results revealed that leopards caused more frequent losses, whereas tigers caused greater economic losses. Local communities perceived leopards as a bigger threat than tigers, due to the intrusive nature of leopards (i.e., entering villages and houses and carrying off livestock and, in some cases, children). Although people currently are tolerant of wild felids, they are likely to become hostile to them in the future; we discuss specific strategies to resolve the conflicts

Glucocorticoid stress responses of reintroduced tigers in relation to anthropogenic disturbance in Sariska Tiger Reserve in India

Tiger (Panthera tigris), an endangered species, is under severe threat from poaching, habitat loss, prey depletion and habitat disturbance. Such factors have been reported causing local extermination of tiger populations including in one of the most important reserves in India, namely Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) in northwestern India. Consequently, tigers were reintroduced in STR between 2008 and 2010, but inadequate breeding success was observed over the years, thus invoking an investigation to ascertain physiological correlates. In the present study, we report glucocorticoid stress responses of the reintroduced tigers in relation to anthropogenic disturbance in the STR from 2011 to 2013. We found anthropogenic disturbance such as encounter rates of livestock and humans, distance to roads and efforts to kill domestic livestock associated with an elevation in fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations in the monitored tigers. In this regard, female tigers seem more sensitive to such disturbance than males. It was possible to discern that tiger’s fGCM levels were significantly positively related to the time spent in disturbed areas. Resulting management recommendations include relocation of villages from core areas and restriction of all anthropogenic activities in the entire STR.S1 Fig. Parallelism between pooled serial dilution of tiger’s fecal extract (square) and respective cortisol standard (circle).S2 Fig. Different levels of anthropogenic disturbance and ST2 tigress movements prior to scat deposition during the study period in Sariska Tiger Reserve (May 2011—January 2013).S3 Fig. Different levels of anthropogenic disturbance and ST3 tigress movements prior to scat deposition during the study period in Sariska Tiger Reserve (May 2011—January 2013).S4 Fig. Different levels of anthropogenic disturbance and ST4 tiger movements prior to scat deposition during the study period in Sariska Tiger Reserve (May 2011—January 2013).S5 Fig. Different levels of anthropogenic disturbance and ST5 tigress movements prior to scat deposition during the study period in Sariska Tiger Reserve (May 2011—January 2013).S6 Fig. Different levels of anthropogenic disturbance and ST6 tiger movements prior to scat deposition during the study period in Sariska Tiger Reserve (May 2011—January 2013).National Tiger Conservation Authority of India (NTCA), Central Zoo Authority of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Ministry of Science and Technology.http://www.plosone.orgam201

Multiscale spatially explicit modelling of livestock depredation by reintroduced tiger (Panthera tigris) to predict conflict risk probability

Understanding the causal factors associated with human/livestock-large carnivore conflict and distribution of conflict risk is key to designing effective preventative and mitigation strategies. Spatial modelling of human-carnivore conflict has recently gained traction, and predictive maps have become a great tool to understand the distribution of present and future conflict risk. However, very few such studies consider scale and use appropriate spatial modelling tools. We aimed to understand the ecological correlates of human-tiger (Panthera tigris) conflict, predict livestock predation risk by reintroduced tigers in Panna Tiger Reserve, Central India and understand the prey-predator dynamics behind the conflict. We modelled livestock kill as a function of various tiger relevant ecological variables at multiple scales employing spatially explicit statistical tools. As a first step, we used geostatistical modelling to create raster layers of covariates (prey, cover, human activities), following which we did univariate scaling. We then modelled livestock loss by tiger using a geoadditive model. Employing this model, we predicted and mapped conflict risk probabilities within our study site. It was found that prey and shrub cover both selected at a fine scale, were key ecological determinants of human-tiger conflict. Prey showed an inverse relationship while shrub showed non-linear relationship with livestock predation. Which lead us to conclude that in habitats where optimum ambush cover is available but prey presence is low at fine-scale, carnivores are more likely to depredate domestic livestock since livestock have lost most of their anti-predator behaviours. Livestock kill by tiger is thus a culmination of predator choice and foraging tactics, and prey vulnerability and defence mechanism. The spatially explicit predation risk map produced in this study can guide adequate human-tiger conflict prevention measures

The study area, Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India.

<p>The study area, Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India.</p

Generalized linear model (with Poisson distribution and identity function) of factors that influenced fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in tigers of Sariska Tiger Reserve (2011–2013).

<p>*—Beta or Coefficient</p><p>^#- Degrees of Freedom</p><p>^$Sig. is Significant level at 95% Confidence Interval</p><p>Generalized linear model (with Poisson distribution and identity function) of factors that influenced fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in tigers of Sariska Tiger Reserve (2011–2013).</p

Percentage of radio location of tigers in different disturbed areas and respective (subset figures) mean faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentration in Sariska Tiger Reserve.

<p>(Red- high disturbance, yellow—medium disturbance, green—less disturbance zones and blue—overall mean +/- SE).</p

Glucocorticoid Stress Responses of Reintroduced Tigers in Relation to Anthropogenic Disturbance in Sariska Tiger Reserve in India

<div><p>Tiger (<i>Panthera tigris</i>), an endangered species, is under severe threat from poaching, habitat loss, prey depletion and habitat disturbance. Such factors have been reported causing local extermination of tiger populations including in one of the most important reserves in India, namely Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) in northwestern India. Consequently, tigers were reintroduced in STR between 2008 and 2010, but inadequate breeding success was observed over the years, thus invoking an investigation to ascertain physiological correlates. In the present study, we report glucocorticoid stress responses of the reintroduced tigers in relation to anthropogenic disturbance in the STR from 2011 to 2013. We found anthropogenic disturbance such as encounter rates of livestock and humans, distance to roads and efforts to kill domestic livestock associated with an elevation in fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations in the monitored tigers. In this regard, female tigers seem more sensitive to such disturbance than males. It was possible to discern that tiger’s fGCM levels were significantly positively related to the time spent in disturbed areas. Resulting management recommendations include relocation of villages from core areas and restriction of all anthropogenic activities in the entire STR.</p></div