Browsing by Author "Mondol, Samrat"

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A Conservation Translocation Success Story: Gaur Supplementation in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2025) Kumar, Gorati Arun; Vishwakarma, Ritesh; Bhadari, Bhaskar; Sharma, Gurudatt; Nanda, Rakhi; Verma, Prakash Kumar; Sahay, Anoop; Krishnamoorthy, L.; Sen, S.; Habib, Bilal; Mondol, Samrat; Nigam, Parag
Abundance and social organization of male Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Rajaji Tiger Reserve
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2024) Madhusudanan, Abhimanyu; Pandav, Bivash; Lakshminarayan, N.; Mondol, Samrat
1. Asian Elephants are complex, social, and polygynous mammals living in fission-fusion societies. Male elephants are known to alternate between leading solitary lives, in all-male groups or associating with mixed-sex herds. All-male groups allow younger males to learn from older males, test strengths and spar with their peers. While much work has been done on female Asian elephant societies, studies focused on male association patterns are limited, but gaining importance in the light of human-elephant conflicts. In this study, I estimated the abundance of adult male elephants in a stretch of forest spanning over 40 km along the east bank of the river Ganga in Uttarakhand using a polygon search-based spatially explicit capture recapture (SECR) framework 2. I invested a survey effort of ~3014 km to estimate the abundance of the adult male segment of the population using a capture-recapture framework. Using a combination of morphological features, I identified 34 adult males from 124 elephant sightings. Association patterns of the male elephants, following behavioural sampling approaches were also recorded during the surveys. 3. Adult male elephant density was 0.05 (SE=0.01)/km2, and a derived abundance of 40 (SE=1.4) for the 475 km2 study area. This demonstrates that polygon search-based SECR is an effective approach in estimating elephant abundance.
Assessment of Swamp Deer Habitat in Pilibhit Habitat Block Uttar Pradesh
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Singh, Lovepreet; Mondol, Samrat; Pandav, Bivash
The study was carried out in terai region of Uttar Pradesh covering the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) and those areas of North Kheri Forest Division (NKFD) which fall between Pilibhit TR and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary
Meta-population Dynamics of Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris) in the Terai-Arc Landscape, India
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Biswas, Suvankar; Mondol, Samrat
This thesis focused to add deeper understanding of populations at a large, contiguous landscape Studying the tiger source-sink population dynamics in relation to current habitat scenarios would be crucial to set the site-specific future management strategies for successful tiger conservation mitigation. In this thesis, a combination of intensive field surveys, non-invasive genetic tools and GIS modelling were used to assess the tiger population connectivity across the TAL. More specifically, genetic diversity, population structure, demographic changes, source and sink populations and the habitat features which help to retain such population dynamics were investigated. Objectives: This thesis has three objecives which have formed three separate chapters. i. Population structure and demographic history of tigers in the Terai-Arc landscape, India. ii. Source-sink dynamics of tigers across different protected and nonprotected habitats in the Terai-Arc landscape, India. iii. Assessment of landscape connectivity of tigers in the Terai-Arc landscape, India.
Movement Ecology of Swamp Deer (Rucervus Duvaucelii) along the upper Gangetic Plains of North India.
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Paul, Shrutarshi; Mondol, Samrat
The study area for this work covers the upper Gangetic plains of north India, mainly along river Ganga, between Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve and Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary. However, for comprehensive assessment of distribution in the states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, surveys were also conducted along river Sharda.
Phylogeography and population genetics of leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) in India
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2024) Bhatt, Supriya; Mondol, Samrat
This study based on assessment of genetic variation, phylogeography and demographic history among Indian leopards. It also deals with the local population dynamics of leopards in the Rajaji tiger reserve where utilization of microsatellite markers was done. MtDNA and Microsatellite markers used for the study. Non-invasive genetic approaches to understand the various aspects of species biology focusing on phylogeography, demography, and local population dynamics in this study. The major objectives of this proposed thesis are: a) To assess the phylogeography of the Indian leopards using mtDNA and microsatellite markers b) To evaluate the population structure and demographic history of leopards in the Indian subcontinent using both mtDNA and microsatellite markers c) To investigate leopard social dynamics using genetic data at the local level and examine how it varies across different densities.
Supplementation of Gaur in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2025) Nigam, Parag; Gorati, A.K.; Vishwakarma, R.; Bhandari, B.; Habib, Bilal; Mondol, Samrat; Nath, A.; Sen, S.; Krishnamoorthy, K.; Sahay, A.; Nanda, R.; Tiwari, V.R.
Reintroduction and supplementation programs have been implemented worldwide to improve the conservation status of wildlife that have experienced a significant decline due to overexploitation, habitat destruction and fragmentation. Genetic drift and inbreeding are the two processes particularly relevant in reintroduction efforts that lead to reduced fitness, deceased survival rates and increased susceptibility to diseases. The MPFD in collaboration with WII has initiated a three year project (2024-2027) titled : Population management strategies for gaur (Bos gaurus gaurus) conservation: supplementation of gaur in Bandhavgarh tiger reserve, Madhya pradesh''. This project aims to ensure the long term viability of the species by enhancing its genetic diversity. To facilitate the smooth execution of field operations, an action plan was developed and released during the Inception cum planning workshop held at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. Conservation translocation have become an important tool in recovering the threatened and locally extinct population. Species translocation are increasing all around the globe to reverse biodiversity loss and restore ecosystem functions. Reintroductions require careful planning as small population size experience inbreeding depression, which leads to decreased fitness and demographic stochasticity. Although genetic diversity is not directly linked to species extirpation, low gene pool results in low species recovery. To enhance the gene pool and long term viability of the restored species, supplementations are crucial, especially in small and isolated populations. The addition of new individuals amplify the gene flow in reintroduced species.
Understanding the impacts of ecological and anthropogenic factors on stress physiology of wild tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) in Terai-Arc landscape, India
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2023) Patel, Shivkumari; Mondol, Samrat
This study was conducted on Indian part of TAL, which can be further categorized as western, central and eastern TAL. Western TAL consists of Rajaji-Corbett TCU (level I) with Rajaji tiger reserve (RTR) at the westernmost boundary and Corbett tiger reserve (CTR) towards east as major source population connected and surrounded by reserve forest areas. Rajaji-Corbett TCU with multiple core protected areas connected by forest lands is a macro reserve harboring the largest tiger population in this landscape. I conducted my study with following objectives: Objective 1: Assessing effects of faecal inorganic content variability on quantifying glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone metabolites in large felines. Objective 2: Evaluating the impacts of ecological and anthropogenic factors on tiger stress physiology within Terai-Arc landscape, India. Objective 3: Spatio-temporal analyses of leopard physiological responses to varying tiger density in Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand, India. The present study quantified various fine and broad scale ecological and anthropogenic factors that can potentially impact physiological health measures of tigers at landscape level and evaluated impact of each factor and discussed the factors, areas and population in immediate need of conservation attention. In this study discussed the need for species specific standardization and validation of hormone extraction and quantification procedure. I looked at a potential factor that can confound hormone metabolite measures from faecal samples and provided solutions to control that factor in free ranging large carnivores. Study quantified physiological responses of leopard to changing competition intensity from dominant predators (tigers). I assessed and discussed the reasons of past and present physiological status of leopard in light of diet quality, competition intensity and habitat productivity. This study with its methodological improvement, landscape level approach and an attempt to provide physiological evidence of cost of interspecies competition (first for tiger-leopard dynamics) is an important contribution in the field of conservation physiology
Vigilance Architecture and Temporal Variation in Emergence-Return of a Keystone Bat : The Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus)
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Das, Pratik; Mondol, Samrat; Nair, Manoj V.
The current study investigated the function of vigilance in terms of environmental vigilance (anti-predatory), social vigilance and environmental cues bats used to synchronize their emergence and return. I found that the Pteropus giganteus fruit bats showed varying levels of vigilance according to roosting architecture. Bats showed significant increase in environmental vigilance towards the periphery of the roosts (n=3), thus confirming the edge effect hypothesis. Bats however, displayed no significant variation with respect to guard effect or social vigilance as roosting positions were observed from periphery to core. Bats also displayed increasing social vigilance from core to peripheral areas of the roosting colony
Welfare status assessment of captive Asiatic Lions in Gujarat : An Integrated approach.
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Goswami, Sitendu; Mondol, Samrat
This thesis aims to a. address the welfare state of Asiatic lions Panthera leo persica) based on environmental factors and individual-level differences, and b. propose a methodological framework for evaluation and improvement welfare in captive environments. In this chapter, I will set up the context for this study with a brief chronology of our understanding of the origin of animal welfare and the science of zoo biology and their relevance to the Asiatic lion conservation breeding programme (CBP)