Elephant (Elephas maximus) temporal activity, distribution, and habitat use patterns on the tiger's forgotten trails across the seasonally dry, subtropical, hilly Churia forests of Nepal.

Understanding spatial distribution, habitat use, and temporal activity patterns is important for species conservation planning. This information especially is crucial for mega herbivores like elephants as their ranging patterns encompass a myriad of habitats types. Churia habitat is geological fragile yet important for wildlife in Nepal and India. We used camera trapping and sign surveys covering 536 km2 of Churia and surrounding areas within Chitwan National Park. Across 152 trapping locations, we accumulated 2,097 trap nights in a 60-day survey during the winter season of 2010-11. We used a non-parametric kernel density function to analyze winter activity patterns of elephants detected in camera-traps. Additionally, we walked 643 km over 76 grid cells in two surveys (winter and summer) to estimate elephant distribution and intensity of habitat use using an occupancy framework. Multi-season models allowed us to make seasonal (winter versus summer) inferences regarding changes in habitat use based on covariates influencing use and detection. We photographed 25 mammalian species including elephants with calves with a trapping rate of 2.72 elephant photos events per 100 trap nights. Elephant winter activity pattern was found to be mainly nocturnal, with crepuscular peaks. Covariates such as normalized differential vegetation index and terrain ruggedness positively influenced elephant spatial distribution and habitat use patterns within the Churia habitat. We also found lower elephant habitat use ([Formula: see text]) of Churia in winter 0.51 (0.02) than in summer 0.57 (0.02). Elephants heavily used the eastern portion of Churia in both seasons (67-69%). Overall, Churia habitat, which is often ignored, clearly is used by elephants, with increases in summer use in the west and high use year-round in the east, and thus should no longer be neglected or forgotten in species conservation planning

Nature and extent of human–elephant Elephas maximus conflict in central Nepal

Human-elephant conflict is one of the main threats to the long-term survival of the Asian elephant Elephas maximus. We studied the nature and extent of human-elephant interactions in the buffer zones of Chitwan National Park and Parsa Wildlife Reserve in Nepal, through household questionnaire surveys, key informant interviews, site observations, and analysis of the reported cases of damage during January 2008-December 2012. During this 5-year period 290 incidents of damage by elephants were reported, with a high concentration of incidents in a few locations. Property damage (53%) was the most common type of damage reported. Crop damage was reported less often but household surveys revealed it to be the most frequent form of conflict. There were also human casualties, including 21 deaths and four serious injuries. More than 90% of the human casualties occurred during 2010-2012. More than two thirds of the respondents (70%) perceived that human-elephant conflict had increased substantially during the previous 5 years. Despite the increase in incidents of human-elephant conflict in the area, 37% of respondents had positive attitudes towards elephant conservation. Our findings suggest that public awareness and compensation for losses could reduce conflict and contribute to ensuring coexistence of people and elephants in this human-dominated landscape

Rapid behavioral responses of endangered tigers to major roads during COVID-19 lockdown

Roads pose a major, and growing, challenge for the conservation of endangered species. However, very little is known about how endangered species behaviorally respond to roads and what that means for road mitigation strategies. We used the nation-wide lockdown in Nepal during the COVID-19 pandemic as a natural experiment to investigate how dramatic reductions in traffic volume along the national highway affected movements of two GPS-collared tigers (Panthera tigris)—a globally endangered species. This work is the first systematic research on tigers in Nepal using radiotelemetry or GPS tracking data since the 1980s. We found that the highway more strongly constrained the space use and habitat selection of the male in Parsa National Park than the female in Bardia National Park. Over the entire study period, the female on average crossed 10 times more often per week than the male, and when he was near the highway, he was over 11 times more probable to not cross it than to cross during the day. However, we also found that the cessation of traffic during the pandemic lockdown relaxed tiger avoidance of roads and made the highway more permeable for both animals. They were 2–3 times more probable to cross the highway during the lockdown than before the lockdown. In the month following the lockdown, the space use area of the male tiger tripled in size (160–550 km2), whereas the female’s shrunk to half its previous size (33–15 km2). These divergent patterns likely reflect differences between the two parks in their highway traffic volumes and regulations as well as ecological conditions. Our results provide clear evidence that vehicle traffic on major roads impede tiger movements, but also that tigers can respond quickly to reductions in human pressures. We conclude by identifying various actions to mitigate road impacts on tigers and other endangered species

Tigers in the Terai: Strong evidence for meta-population dynamics contributing to tiger recovery and conservation in the Terai Arc Landscape - Fig 2

<p>Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) from multiyear camera trap surveys carried out in a) core area of Suklaphanta National Park; b) Babai valley within Bardia National Park.</p

Trend in minimum population size (M_t+1) of the tiger population based on adhoc camera trap tiger population surveyed in between 2006 and 2016 in the core area of Babai Valley within Bardia National Park.

<p>Trend in minimum population size (M_t+1) of the tiger population based on adhoc camera trap tiger population surveyed in between 2006 and 2016 in the core area of Babai Valley within Bardia National Park.</p

Fitted polynomial growth curve based on 3%, 10%, 21% growth rates regressed on minimum population size (M_t+1) of camera trap tiger population surveyed in between 2009 and 2014 in core area of Suklaphanta National Park.

<p>Fitted polynomial growth curve based on 3%, 10%, 21% growth rates regressed on minimum population size (M_t+1) of camera trap tiger population surveyed in between 2009 and 2014 in core area of Suklaphanta National Park.</p

Infrastructure development (railways, highways and postal roads) along the transboundary tiger habitat between Nepal and India across Terai Arc Landscape.

<p>Infrastructure development (railways, highways and postal roads) along the transboundary tiger habitat between Nepal and India across Terai Arc Landscape.</p

A male tiger captured along the Bardia-Katerniaghat forest matrix connected through Khata corridor forest in the western part of Terai Arc Landscape.

<p>A male tiger captured along the Bardia-Katerniaghat forest matrix connected through Khata corridor forest in the western part of Terai Arc Landscape.</p

Terai Arc Landscape showing network of 16 protected areas in Nepal (5) and India (11) and forest corridor identified within the Nepal side of the landscape.

<p>Terai Arc Landscape showing network of 16 protected areas in Nepal (5) and India (11) and forest corridor identified within the Nepal side of the landscape.</p