WII Technical Reports/Books/Manuals
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Item Biodiversity assessment with emphasis on select faunal groups in the Hasdeo Arand Coal Field, Chhattisgarh(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) WIIIn India, the coal reserves predominantly occur in the Gondwana sediments of the East Central region in the states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and parts of West Bengal. The Hasdeo - Arand coal fields comprising of Tara, Parsa, Parsa East & Kente Basan (PEKB), and Kente Extension (collectively known as HACF henceforth in the report) in Chhattisgarh is one of the identified coal-bearing areas. More than 80% of the HACF and the landscape surrounding it is forested. The coal blocks demarcated HACF and the landscape surrounding it mostly occur in the forests. The Ministry of Forests and Climate Change, Government of India under section 2 (ii) of Forest Conservation Act vide F.Bo.8-31/21 O-FC dated 6th July 2011 granted in-principle (Stage I) forest clearance for diversion of 1898.328 hectares of forest land in Parsa East and Kante Besan captive coal block (PEKB coal block) situated in Surguja Forest Division. This approval was given despite the FAC recommending to reject this proposal in FAC meeting dated 23rd June 2011. Subsequently, the Stage II final forest clearance was granted by Government of India vide MoEF&CC's letter no 8-31 /2010/FC dated 15th March 2012. Aggrieved by the clearance granted by the MoEF&CC, an appeal no 73 of 2012 (Sudiep Shrivastava Vs Union of India Ors) was filed in the Hon'ble National Green Tribunal (NGT) principal bench in Delhi. The Hon'ble NGT pronounced its judgement on 24th March, 2014 directing MoEF&CC to seek a fresh advisory from the FAC with emphasis on seeking answers to the following questions: (reproduced from the order) - (i) What type of flora and fauna in terms of bio-diversity and forest cover existed as on the date of the proposal in PEKB Coal Blocks in question. (ii) is/was the PEKB Coal Blocks habitat to endemic or endangered species of flora and fauna. (iii) Whether the migratory route/corridor of any wild animal particularly, elephant passes through the area in question and, if yes, its need. (iv) Whether the area of PEKB Block has that significant conservation/protection value so much so that the area cannot be compromised for coal mining with appropriate conservation/management strategies. (v) What is their opinion about opening the PEKB Coal Blocks for mining as per the sequential mining and reclamation method proposed as well as the efficacy of the translocation of the tree vis-a-vis the gestation period for regeneration of the flora (vi) What is their opinion about the Wildlife Management plan finally prescribed. (vii) What conditions and restriction do they propose on the mining in question, if they favour such mining? The judgement granted liberty to FAC to get expert opinion/specialized knowledge/advice from authoritative sources such as Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (lCFRE), Dehradun or Wildlife Institute of India (WII). This judgement of the Hon'ble NGT and stage-I clearance granted for prospecting over 1745.883 hectares of forest land of Kente Extension coal block for exploration of coal reserves vide MoEF&CC letter No. F.No 8-46/2017 -FC dated 19th December 2017 impose a condition that a biodiversity assessment study for entire HACF would be conducted by the State Government of Chhattisgarh through ICFRE, Dehradun in consultation with the WII. The condition is reproduced for reference: "(ii) A biodiversity assessment study is to be conducted by the state government through ICFRE, Dehradun in consultation with the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun for the whole Hasdeo Arand coal field comprising of Tara, Parsa, Parsa East, kante to be funded by M/s Rajashthan Rajya Vidyut ll Page Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL). The study is to be awarded by the state Government by associating the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) Dehradun or Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and integrated wildlife management plan (IWMP) will be prepared and conservation area will be identified and mitigation measures will be recommended by the expert committee. The cost of the study and cost of implementation of the recommendations shall be borne by the Mis Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL). The report will be submitted within two years". The main objectives of the biodiversity assessment that ICFRE and WII would jointly focus include: a. Provide details of flora & fauna with special reference to endemic threatened species reported from the study area b. Describe the habitat for such endemic/threatened species and identify likely threats for conservation c. Details of migratory route corridor critical areas for wildlife species especially umbrella species like elephants and tigers d. Document socio-economic values of the affected area vis-a-vis biodiversity values e. Consult with forest department officials, local communities in HACF and f. Identification of conservation areas within HACF Consequently, the biodiversity assessment focusing on faunal aspects of HACF was carried out by WII with ICFRE as the nodal agency for the overall assessment. The biodiversity assessment focusing on faunal aspects carried out by WII in the HACF and the landscape surrounding it using on-foot sign surveys and camera trap surveys (for mammalian baselineassessment); transect surveys (for avifaunal baseline assessment), ad libitum sampling for Herpetofaunain conjunction with secondary data and information obtained from Chhattisgarh Forest Department andthe village interview surveys established the ecological baseline information on faunal biodiversity. It isenvisaged in the ToR that impact assessment would be done for the Hasdeo-Arand coal fieldcomprising of Parsa, Parsa East & Kente Basan (PEKB), Tara Central and Kente Extension coal blocks. Of the four coal blocks mentioned, only PEKB is currently operational. Therefore, Wil's impact assessment (Chapter-7), mitigation of impacts (Chapter-S) and preparation of biodiversity conservation and management plan (Chapter-g) focuses on PEKB coal block. Nevertheless, landscape-level suggestions for managing wildlife in HACF and the landscape surrounding it have been detailed in the report. Opencast mining and associated developmental activities in forested habitats could potentially affect a variety of taxonomic groups. Nevertheless, measurement of every aspect of biodiversity in forested landscapes that span several hundred squares kilometers of mosaic habitats in a short period of time is seldom easy. In order to overcome this constraint, short-cut approaches that focus on monitoring large mammal populations, which serve as keystone, flagship or umbrella species have been advocated. As biodiversity assessment, impact assessment and mitigation strategies are to be studied at a landscape level, this study emphasized specially on the "umbrella species concept". The umbrella species concept is a globally accepted concept wherein conservation efforts targeted for a well -chosen representative species can confer a protective umbrella to numerous other co-occurring species in the landscape. Asian elephant and tigers serve as umbrella species in the tropical forested landscapes. Both tigers and elephants are long ranging and have specific ecological needs. Understanding the ecological requirements of these species can augur well for all other species found in the landscape.The results of the assessment show that HACF and the landscape surrounding it is rich in fauna. The HACF and landscape surrounding it supports over 25 species of mammals. The mammals of the Order Chiroptera and Rodentia (except for Ratufa indica that is included in the list) were not surveyed as that would require a long term duration and thus, the number of species reported in the assessment is best considered minimal. Among the mammal species recorded the Hasdeo - Arand area, nine species are listed in the Schedule - I, which are accorded the highest level of legal protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Mammalian species diversity includes threatened large carnivores like common leopard, Indian grey wolf, striped hyena, sloth bear, and others that appears to be widely distributed as evidenced by camera trap captures as well as detections during sign surveys. The Hasdeo Arand area is spread across three districts, viz. Surguja, Surajpur and Korba. The Korba district has two Forest Divisions (FD) viz. Korba FD and Katghora FD. The Korba FD had reported occurrence of tigers. The habitat connectivity between HACF along with the landscape surrounding it, and Achanakmar TR, Boramdeo WS and Kanha TR is strong, and may support sporadic tiger dispersal. Elephant occurrence was reported by the Forest Department in 148 out of 647 compartments in HACF and the landscape surrounding it with an area of 363.98 km2 during the period 2018 to 2020. The elephant occurrence is not restricted to any particular area and is spread across the landscape (Map- 21 , page 56). A conservative estimate of about 40 to 50 elephants could use different parts of the landscape at different times of the year. Human-elephant conflict in the form of crop losses and occasional property damage is widespread too. Elephant conservation and management in the landscape hinges on effective conflict resolution strategies by actively engaging with local communities and at the same time enriching the habitat condition for elephants. Chhattisgarh human-elephant conflict situation is a paradox with a relatively low number of elephants «300, which is <1 % of India's wild elephant population) but high levels of HEC with over 60 human lives are lost every year due to conflict (>15% of the reported human deaths due to HEC). In addition to loss of human lives, crop loss and damage to property due to HEC are severe. There is continuous dispersal of elephant herds from the neighbouring states of Jharkhand and Odisha. The study carried out by WII in collaboration with Chhattisgarh Forest Department from the year 2017 onwards clearly highlight that elephants have large home ranges. The forests that elephants currently occur are highly fragmented and degraded due to incompatible land-use. Infrastructure development and mining are further fragmenting the habitats making conflict mitigation a huge challenge. In fragmented habitats conventional fencing approaches minimally work due to high perimeter to area ratio of habitats. The EC region harbours less than 1/10th « 3000) of country's elephants, but loses over 40% (over 200HEC-related deaths) of reported 500 HEC-related human fatalities in the country. The HEC-related human fatalities reported in the region are highly disproportionate to its elephant population in the country. The increasing levels of HEC have resulted in considerable public resentment against the management and elephant conservation as a whole. HEC resolution is challenging in EC region due to fragmentation, loss and degradation of intact elephant habitats. In highly fragmented areas, the elephant home ranges tend to be large as small, degraded forest patches cannot sustain herds. It is observed that home range size is a function of habitat quality - in areas that support good intact habitats, the elephant home ranges are relatively small (eg. Rajaji, Mudumalai etc). However, in fragmented areas, elephant home ranges are typically large. The elephant herds are generally interlinked and home ranges spread over two or more states. One of the main reasons as to why elephants start dispersing into human-use areas is the threat to habitat. In particular, threat to elephant home ranges. While threat to habitat can be identified and sometimes even addressed, threats within individual home ranges of elephants are hard to evaluate and hence, difficult to mitigate. The latter threats are more insidious and lasting. Major disturbances to habitats such as mining not only cause habitat loss and fragmentation (as understood generally) but can affect individual herd's home ranges. Such disturbances can lead to abandonment of habitats as threats to home ranges have a threshold limits. The effect of mining on elephant habitat may not reflect in the same habitat, but could be a silent trigger for HEC in some other area within the landscape. In general, one of the reasons for HEC being disproportionately high in EC region is the elephant dispersal from forest habitats through fragmented human use areas. This large scale elephant dispersal out of intact forests coincide with commencement of large-scale mining projects and associate infrastructure developments in the EC region, particularly in the states of Odisha and Jharkhand. During the biodiversity assessment, a total of 92 species of birds were recorded with in HACF and the landscape surrounding it. The list is best considered minimal. As per the ebird (https:/Iebird.org/) a total of 406 species of birds have been reported in the three districts of Surguja, Surajpur, and Korba - the districts in which the HACF and the landscape surrounding it occurs. It is quite likely that many of the species of birds reported in HACF either use or pass through it. However, it may be noted that HACF and the landscape surrounding it just supports - 12.4% of the combined area (- 15,110 km2) of the three districts. Local communities in HACF and the landscape surrounding it are predominantly tribal. The livelihood of local communities is closely dependent on forest resources. The NTFP collection (of four major commodities) contribute nearly 46% of the monthly income reported by the households. This does not include the fuelwood, fodder, medicinal plants, water and other resources that local communities collect from the forests. If such resources are pooled as income to local communities, it may be conservatively mentioned that over 60 to 70% of the total annual income of local communities come from forest-based resources. Thus, forest dependence substantially adds to income security of local communities. In addition to financial gains, forest produce collection is critical for medicine, food and other health benefits thereby providing food security and overall well-being. The local communities have reported coming across a variety of wildlife in and around their settlements. A few respondents (n = 4) have even sighted tiger in and around their settlements. They expressed concern about human-wildlife conflict involving crop losses, loss of livestock, loss of property and occasional loss of human lives. Garnering the support of local communities for wildlife conservation would be conditional on addressing human-wildlife conflict on a real-time manner. In general, the local communities are apprehensive of mining, which is perceived as a threat to livelihood as the land as well as forests are lost in the process of mining. The community respondents interviewed expressed concern and were anxious over loss of forests (and consequently material base for livelihood) and loss of land due to mining. The loss of forests due to mining is perceived as a direct threat to livelihood by the local communities. The local communities express positivity towards forest conservation and at the same-time insist on timely resolution of human-wildlife conflicts. Conservation initiatives in the landscape need to be participative and actively involve local communities. Considering this, as part of the biodiversity assessment, and as envisaged in the ToR of the study, the impact of the ongoing mine of PEKB in the HACF has been assessed. It may be noted that the impact assessment carried out by WII for PEKB coal block is not a true Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as PEKB coal block is already operational covering nearly 1000 hectares of the 1898 hectares cleared for mining. Coal extraction is already being done and is in operational stage. Therefore, visualizing the true picture of the likely impacts on the physical environment as well as the wildlife the area supports is not possible. Nevertheless, selected impacts of the physical environment that are likely to impact directly on select biodiversity and social values in the PEKB operation have been identified. For this purpose, the faunal biodiversity list provided by Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) as part of the EIA for PEKB (IIFM, 2009) was used as the baseline for evaluating the impacts. In general, the impact assessment methods argue that the foremost step in impact appraisal must consider and identify project actions that are likely to bring significant changes in the project environment. Such impacts include: physical, biological and social environments. The potential impacts due to ongoing mining operations of PEKB on physical environment, fauna and local communities have been elaborated. The possible mitigation strategies for addressing the impacts of PEKB include progressive restoration, development of grass and leaf fodder plots, livelihood options to increase income sources, bio-filter check dams in the streams of the project sites, green-belt development - phytoremediation, development of "Green Gallery Belt", eco-restoration of waste dump, construction of underpasses, construction of pipe and box culverts as safe passages in the roads as mitigation strategies for reducing road mortality. The detailed mitigation strategies have been provided. The biodiversity conservation and management for PEKB focusing on species groups, threatened plant & animals, resource base of local communities along with the social values have been given. The Human-Elephant conflict mitigation strategies in the HACF and surrounding landscape should include the following: 1. Maintaining the ecological integrity of intact natural habitats without fragmentation and degradation is critical. Any additional mining leading to loss of habitat would escalate HEC unpredictably high 2. Formation of landscape-level Rapid Response Teams by engaging village youth with adequate remuneration is essential. The RRT members should be adequately trained in elephant behaviour and conflict management methods. 3. Judicious use of mobile barriers in select areas of HACF and surrounding landscape where HEC is high need to be experimented with active community participation. 4. Ex gratia payment for crop, property and other losses due to elephants have adequate and timely. The overall process of filing and obtaining compensation by villages should be made smooth and transparent 5. Habitat enrichment by improving surface water availability in carefully selected locations, development of grasslands and fodder base based on the list of plants suggested in the report and protection of critical micro-habitats such as riparian tracts are critical (Refer Table 9.23). 6. Human-elephant conflict is dynamic in nature. The above mentioned mitigation measures need to be experimented in smaller areas and based on the evaluation of efficacy can be scaled up. As certain portions of the PEKB block has already been opened for mining, the miningoperation may only be permitted in the already operational mine of the block. The other areasin HACF and landscape surrounding it should be declared as Uno-go areas" and no mining should be carried out considering the irreplaceable, rich biodiversity and socio cultural values. The HACF and the landscape surrounding it support rich biodiversity with a multitude of mammalianspecies including elephants and also harbours forest-dependent communities. Therefore, sustaining the forest cover and maintaining its overall ecological integrity is essential. It is pertinent that Chhattisgarh Forest Department with due consultation and involvement of local communities identify areas within HACF and the landscape surrounding it for declaration as Conservation Reserve (CR) under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Under the ambit of a CR, habitat improvement activities such as restoration of grasslands and restoration of degraded forests; improving surface water availability in relatively drier tracts during summer, regulating forest fires, and improving overall protection can benefit biodiversity. 2 The response pertaining to this query shall be provided by ICFRE as it deals with nora and efficacy of translocation of the tree vis-a-vis the gestation period for regeneration of the nora The coal mines along with the associated infrastructure development would result in loss and fragmentation of habitat. Mitigating such effects on wildlife, particularly the animals with large home ranges such as elephants is seldom possible. The human-elephant conflict in the state is already acute and has been escalating with huge social and economic costs on the marginal, indigenous local communities. Any further threat to elephants' intact habitats in this landscape could potentially deflect human-elephant conflict into other newer areas in the state, where conflict mitigation would be impossible for the state to manage. Opening up of coal blocks for minging in the HACF would compromise the imperatives of biodiversity conservation and livelihood of forest-dependent local. Even the effects of the operational PEKB mine need to be tactfully mitigated too, wherever possible. The assessment findings are in conformity with the study undertaken jointly by the Ministry of Coal and Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change across nine coal fields across the country during the year 2009, where it was concluded that the Hasdeo-Arand coal fields in north-central Chhattisgarh is identified as a 'no-go' area. The findings of this joint study of 2009 culminated into an important policy decision towards facilitating an objective, transparent and informed decision regarding forest lands being diverted for coal mining projects. However, the findings of the study were set aside during 2011 . Considering the need to reconcile country's developmental needs with conservation priorities, the recommendations of the 2009 joint study holds substantial importance for ecologically balanced sustainable growth.Item Phylogeography and population genetics of leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) in India(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2024) Bhatt, Supriya; Mondol, SamratThis 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.Item Recovery of Dugongs and their habitats in India : an integrated participatory approach - Annual Progress Report III(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) WIIDugong (Dugong dugon), also called 'Sea Cow', occurs in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, and Gulf of Kutch in India. These marine mammals are herbivores which spend their full life in the sea. They are the only extant species of the family Dugongidae. All existing members of the order Sirenia (including the Dugong) are listed as vulnerable to extinction. All populations of Dugong are also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). Several reasons have been attributed to their population decline, some of which include seagrass habitat loss and degradation, gill netting, disease, chemical pollutants, consumptive use, and hunting. 2. Major objectives of this program is to a) Assess dugong population status through advanced census techniques and determine its abundance and distribution, identify critical habitats, classify threats and develop site-specific monitoring plan to reduce poaching and incidental entanglements, b) Characterize the critical dugong habitats, reduce direct and indirect threats, c) Raise awareness on the species and encourage the participation of the local communities; and d) Enhance the capacity of the State Forest Department staff and develop/implement smart patrolling tools to improve protection enforcement; train forest staff and local communities in underwater surveys for long-term habitat monitoring. 3. A participatory approach to recover dugongs and their habitat in India: Year 2018-19 was excellent because of active involvements of major stakeholders in this project. All state Forest Departments, Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Police, State Fisheries Departments, State Education Departments, local universities and NGOs could actively participate in implementing this project in the field that not only helped to minimise the dugong mortalities and helped to conserve overall marine biodiversity of the region. We involved the Indian Navy, the Coast Guard, Fisheries and Marine Police personals in our volunteering network by conducting several short orientation workshops with them on dugongs and seagrasses. For example, 15 Indian Navy officers from INS-Utkrosh participated in the program where the CAMPA-Dugong team (ANI) briefed them about basic data documentation on sighting a dugong and other marine mammals in the logbooks distributed. Similarly, integrated trainings towards marine biodiversity monitoring and management was given to group of frontline staff from Forest, Fisheries, Marine Police and local youths in all three regions. An orientation program was conducted with the glass bottom boat operators, to sensitize them about the importance of this stretch for dugongs in terms of controlled boat speeds when a dugong is spotted. Further, these operators were included as a part of the dugong monitoring network. All these efforts helped us in reporting of dugongs by these trainees including fishermen from these regions otherwise those sightings were never reported earlier. Further, volunteer release of incidentally captured dugong by fishermen, identification of leaking site of dugong in Palk Bay, sightings of dugongs by Navy and Coast Guard are all few examples for the outcomes of this participatory approach.Item Human wildlife conflict: Assessment of Socio-psychological perspectives and actual threat from Leopard in Motichur range, Rajaji Tiger Reserve(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Yadav. S.; Mohan, M.; Sandilaya, D.; Boro, P.; Sharma, A.; Sanatan, S.; Ramesh, K.As the proverbs go, “the deeper the roots, the greater the fruits” & “the devil is in the details”, for conservation management to be successful, one must look at multiple aspects and require comprehensive approach. Human-wildlife conflict is not a singular issue of management since it has wider implications and more so, in cases where species restoration in the form of conservation is involved, because social acceptance and better preparations are keys for success of such programs. In this report, information gathered from three different but linked studies carried out under the larger and long-term framework are synthesized, providing an overview of (1) socio-economic conditions and Quality of Life of people, (2) temporal landscape change and people perception on the conflict and (3) comparative status of leopard behavior in the conflict versus non-conflict zones. By studying “Quality of Life”, one can assess the impact of forest resources on the living conditions of people and vice versa. Chapter 1 shows the results of “QOL” study conducted within the villages falling under the 1 km buffer in the Eco-sensitive zone villages of Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand from January 2019 to June 2019. This study evaluates the socio-economic dimension of people and focused on demographic status, human dependency on utilization of forest resources and the role of people in management actions. The utilization of forest resources was found to be high in the three districts and there is hardly any participation of the people in the management inputs. The qualitative wellbeing assessment revealed that people are less satisfied with their living condition. The global environment change is increasingly forcing the already dwindled wildlife areas to be even more susceptible to disturbances. Localisation, shifting or disappearance of resources can severely impact wildlife and can even lead to local extinctions. There are many evidences to support this narrative. A study analysing the “changes in landscape” from 1995 to 2018 was also undertaken, which showed an increase in barrenness. Because “Human-Wildlife Conflict” explicitly revolves around the costs of sharing land with dangerous wild animals, it is important to understand the patterns of landscape change. While highlighting the landscape changes over a 20 years period, the second study also focused on the damages done by wild animals, the compensatory schemes, and most importantly the perception of people about wild animals. Though one can never truly eradicate human-wildlife conflict completely, any conflict is a situation of paramount importance to be solved, because any conservation effort does require the support of public at large, particularly the local people who share the space with wildlife. Any spike or change in trend of conflict requires further investigation not for the sole reason saving human fatalities but also for building better human relationships between wildlife managers and public. Since 2014, Motichur range of Rajaji Tiger Reserve has experienced 31 attacks on humans by the resident leopard (Panthera pardus) population. It resulted in 19 human deaths and grievous injuries to 12 people. The epicenter of the conflict is the space surrounding national highway 58, connecting the cities of Rishikesh and Haridwar. Rajaji forest department has been deploying camera traps in the conflict space to reckon the leopard movement patterns and to circle out any suspect animals responsible for the conflict. We intensified the camera trap study focusing on entire Motichur range (excluding the conflict locations) from November 2018 to February 2019. In addition, we visited each conflict site with the forest department officials, and collected information on various attributes related to the site. We found an extremely high leopard count for the winters i.e. 47, with a very high density of 45 animals per 100 square kilometers. We listed down the most suspected leopards involved in conflict based on 3-point criteria. The results of our work will increase our understanding of the adaptability of leopards. The results also reiterate the imperative to shift from a PA centric to a landscape level conservation approach, analyzing the source and drivers of conflicts, including the carrying capacity analysis. There is also an urgent need to include engage communities more closely and develop a short-term and long-term conservation programs.Item Status of tigers, co-predators and prey in India 2018 : Summary report(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Jhala, Y.V.; Qureshi, Q.; Nayak, A.K.Item Spatial analysis of livestock predation by leopards in the Greater Gir Landscape(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Jhala, Y.V.; Vasavada, D.T.; Gogoi, K.; Chakrabarti, S.Data on livestock kill by leopard were collected from the districts of Junagadh, Amreli, Gir Somnath and Bhavnagar, accounting for 711 villages between 2012 to 2016. These data were further translated into English, digitized and spatially mapped in GIS. We obtained remotely sensed as well as spatial covariate layers of forest cover, refuge patches, drainages and nigh-light intensity. We conducted a fixed Kernel analysis of spatially explicit livestock predation events at the village resolution to obtain a consolidate “predation risk map” by leopards of the landscape and used it for subsequent analysis. The tehsils of Talala, Sutrapada, Kodinar, Visavadar, Palitana, Gir Gadhada, Junagadh, Una and Mendarada recorded highest livestock predation by leopards. A temporal increasing trend was observed for number of leopard-predation events as well as in the spatial extent of predations. However, the intensity (number of livestock kills/village/year) of livestock predation did not show any increasing trend, this suggests that though there is an increase in the geographical extent of conflict, the intensity in a given area has remained constant. This could be interpretate as geographical range exapansion of the leopard without increasing its density within occupied areas. Proximity to wildlife habitats, proportion of wildlife area and urbanization enhanced chances of leopard predation. A significant deficit between the market rate and compensated amount for leopard predation was observed with an increasing trend. As a management strategy we recommend a revision of compensation rates to match the market price and an efficient system to pay compensation promptly. Improved husbandary practices and, as well as managing leopard density below social carrying capacity is recommended. This would help maintaining tolerance towards leopards under an increasingly conflict scenario. iiItem E-Bird technology for tiger conservation: development and integration of unmanned Aerial vehicles as Surveillance and Monitoring tool for protection of tigers and capacity building of the Frontline staff(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Ramesh, K.; Singh, B.; swan, S.; Krishnakumar, T.; Mondal, T.; Ghosh, R.; Mathur, V.; Verma, N.; Williams, A.C.; Yadav, S.P.; Nayak, A.K.; Mathur, V.B.Un-manned Aerial Vehicles also known as Remotely Piloted Aerial Vehicles (RPAV), have the potential to solve many problems related to wildlife research and conservation. UAVs are small and medium-sized aircraft, which are equipped with advanced electro-optics (EO) such as thermal, night-vision and various other sensors for remote-sensing and surveillance activities. Objectives: The project was conceived as a new initiative, collaboratively by Wildlife Institute of India and National Tiger Conservation Authority in order to (1) integrate Un-manned Aerial Vehicle (UAV or Drone) for surveillance in selected tiger reserves based on pilot testing experience in the reserve, (2) undertake need and feasibility analyses for integration of Drone technology in tiger reserves, (3) map locations of poaching and conflict-prone areas, which would serve as a basis for drone implementation, (4) experiment and implement specialized drone units in a phased manner, and (5) build capacity of frontline staff for integration of drone technology as a part of regular management efforts.Item Preliminary assessment of tigers, co-predators and prey in Pranhita Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra, India for exploring options for conservation translocation(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2020) Habib, B.; Nigam, P.; Joshi, K.; Panwar, P.As part of the project “Preliminary assessment of tigers, co-predators and prey species in Pranhita Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra, India for exploring options for conservation translocation”, the study was carried out in Pranhita Wildlife Sanctuary in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. The fieldwork was carried from January 2019 to June 2019 covering an area of 418.85 km2 in southern Gadchiroli. The Eastern Vidarbha Landscape (EVL) holds a high density of carnivores both inside and outside protected areas leading to an increase in human-wildlife interactions. Pranhita Wildlife Sanctuary (PWLS) is a part of EVL and could be an important corridor. To explore new habitats for carnivore species, we conducted a preliminary assessment of tigers, co-predators, and prey in PWLS. The sanctuary mainly is dominated by Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous forest. We conducted carnivore and ungulate sign surveys and deployed camera traps (n=25) in 40 km2 area in Bahmni range. The area was divided into different 1.42 × 1.42 km2 grids and at least one pair of camera trap was placed in each 2.0164 km2 grid at 20 sites and operated for 24-27 days in Bahmni range. Apart from that random camera traps were placed at 5 sites in Kamlapur and Pranhita ranges for 1 to 7 days during the study period. The camera traps sampling effort was 1030 trap nights and around 33000 images were captured. For prey species density estimation, 24 line transects of 2 km length were walked in 43 beats with 5-7 replicates. For vegetation quantification, we laid a total of 144 circular plots of a 10-meter radius and recorded 43 trees, 37 shrubs, and 13 grass species. We used both spatial and temporal data for occupancy estimation. Data were analyzed using the software Presence for occupancy estimation and Distance 7.2 for density estimation. A total of 10 carnivore species were recorded directly or indirectly during the study period. According to the IUCN Red List of threatened species, 2 are Endangered and Near Threatened, and 2 are vulnerable. The major carnivore species are leopard, Asiatic wild dog, sloth bear, Indian grey wolf, jungle cat, Indian fox, and rusty-spotted cat. The occupancy estimate (ψ) of leopard in the null model was 0.20 while for other carnivore species like sloth bear, jungle cat and wild dog were 0.70, 0.74, and 0.68 percent respectively. A total of 14 prey species were recorded during the line transect and sign survey. The major prey species are sambar, Indian gaur, chousingha, Indian giant squirrel, chital, wild pig, nilgai, barking deer, langur sp., rhesus macaque, and Indian peafowl. Among these, 3 species are listed as Vulnerable and 1 as Near Threatened by IUCN Red List. Overall density estimation of major ungulate species was 14.82/km2. The encounter rate of cattle was 0.17/km, nilgai 0.039/km, chital 0.059/km, chousingha 0.016/km, and wild pig 0.022/km. Individual density estimate of major ungulate species like chital 2.27/km2, wild pig 11.55/km2, nilgai 0.72/km2, langur 0.55/km2, Indian hare 1.78/km2, peafowl 0.44/km2, grey jungle fowl 1.87/km2, chousingha 0.28/km2 and cattle were 28.61/km2. Occupancy estimate of ungulate species like sambar 0.27%, chital 0.44%, chousingha 0.51%, Indian gaur 0.07% and nilgai were 0.59%. The major threats in the sanctuary areas are hunting for local consumption, tree cutting, livestock grazing, forest fire, roadkill, and electrocution. We have got 28 % usable images of cattle grazing and 4 % of hunting. Other administrative lacunas are impractical beat boundaries, unequipped frontline staff, lack of legal action against the guilty, inadequate infrastructure, lack of training and capacity building. There is a consistent trepidation of left-wing extremism in the minds of locals and forest officials. It prevents or demotivates them from working efficiently in the PWLS. These activities directly or indirectly affect wildlife conservation and management in PWLS. This was the first-ever scientific study conducted to document prey and predator presence in PWLS. Further detailed and long-term studies are required for a better understanding of species ecology and their habitat. Such studies will help not only in better management and conservation of species in the area but also in decision-making on conservation translocations. Based on the preliminary study and SWOT analysis following are measures to be taken before translocation of any large carnivore species to Pranhita Wildlife Sanctuary: 1. Capacity building of local staff for effective wildlife management.2. Enhancement of protection measures in the Sanctuary to reduce poaching, hunting, and other illegal activities. 3. Habitat improvement by grassland management and eradication of lantana and other invasive species. 4. Reducing threats due to electrocution by illegal power fences used for local hunting and protection of crop fields by local farmers. 5. Special forest protection force for Gadchiroli considering extremism issues.6. Augmentation of the prey base to enhance fast recovery of prey species.7. Maintaining full-strength dedicated forest staff across all range offices of the division.8. Building infrastructure such as patrolling roads, forest chowkis etc., across the sanctuary.9. Involving local people in conservation measures across the sanctuary.10. Establishment of local ecodevelopment committees. 11. Wildlife-oriented management across the Gadchiroli forest division.12. The special financial package for Gadchiroli for enhancing wildlife-oriented management.13. Mitigation measures on the existing roads through the sanctuary and other critical wildlife corridors across the division.14. Implementation of Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Jan Van Vikas Scheme for development of villages across the forested landscape of Gadchiroli to achieve sustainable development of these villages and reduce the man-animal conflict.15. Identification of potential areas within the district for designation as Sanctuary, National Park, Conservation Reserve, Community Reserve.Item Current population status, distribution and threats to Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in Terai Arc Landscape, Uttarakhand: a pilot study(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2020) Lyngdoh, SalvadorThis pilot study to provide information on the current distribution of Indian pangolin and major poaching hotspots throughout its ranges to suggest appropriate conservation strategies and protection measures for the species. The proposed objectives for this pilot study are the following: a. To review the current status, distribution and threats to the Indian pangolin population in the study area. b. To prepare a standard protocol for the survey and population estimation of Indian pangolin. c. To formulate effective anti-poaching strategies and devise conservation measures for Indian pangolin to help Uttarakhand Forest DepartmentItem Long term conservation plan for hangul Part II Hangul movement pattern study using GPS satellite telemetry - final report(2016-20)(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2021) Ahmad K.The globally viable single population of Kashmir Red Deer or Hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu), one of the critically endangered subspecies of the Central Asian Deer is restricted to a confined area of 141 km2 Dachigam National Park (34°05ʹ to 34°32ʹN; 74°50ʹ to 75°16ʹE) in the Greater Himalayan mountain range of the Northwest Himalayan biogeographic region zone 2A, with some stray populations occurring in the adjoining relic range areas (Ahmad et al. 2009; Qureshi et al. 2009). Earlier, the species was widely distributed in the mountain of Kashmir Himalayas along the entire Greater Himalayan mountain range (Gee 1965; Schaller 1969; Prater, 1993; Nowak, 1999) declined drastically in the recent past from 5000 Individuals prior to 1947 to less than 200 Individuals at present. Current trends in the Hangul population indicate that the species could go extinct if necessary serious interventions are not made immediately and as such there was need to undertake urgent measures to hold the declining trends in the Hangul population (Ahmad et.al. 2009: Qureshi et.al. 2009; Ahmad et.al 2013). Therefore, understanding the ecology and biology particularly the movement ecology of this critically endangered deer species with small single population was fundamental to develop better strategies for conservation and management practices. The present study duly funded by the MOEF & CC, Government of India was as such initiated to understand the lesser known aspects of movement ecology and behaviour of this last viable population of the Hangul for its effective management, conservation planning and species population recovery under the following objectives: 1) Studying the seasonal Home range size and ranging and movement patterns of Hangul in and outside Dachigam National Park vis-à-vis Hangul migration route, important stop-over sites, and barriers and corridors to migration into the Hangul’s relic areas.2) Studying the lesser known aspects of Hangul ecology viz., habitat use, activity patterns, behaviour and predation prerequisite for effective long term management and conservation of Hangul and its habitats. 3) To identify the potential habitats used by Hangul outside Dachigam and assess and evaluate the extent and magnitude of habitat conditions and threats therein. 4) To identify threats, anthropogenic pressures and other factors particularly predation pressure by leopard and meso-carnivores that impact Hangul distribution and movement patterns. The capture and Satellite collaring of five Hangul (2 males, 3 female) successfully conducted for the first time under this project has been a milestone achievement in the field of satellite telemetry. The findings of this research study indicated that the Home range size varied from 4.98 Km2 in spring to 7.83 Km2 in summer. One of the female collared Hangul showed movement patterns outside Dachigam National Park towards Sindh forest division crossing the river Sindh and covering an area of 137.94 km, with area use of 10.86-12.26 Km2 in summer 2019 to 137.94 km in summer 2020 and a maximum home range of 124.4 km2 in Summer 2020 to colonize and establish its new summer habitat in the erstwhile range area of Wangath-Naranag Conservation Reserve (CR). The data and information generated has enabled us to identify the corridor areas of movement of the Hangul from Dachigam National Park and outside in the 3 Long Term Conservation Plan for Hangul Part II: Hangul Movement Pattern Study Using GPS-Satellite Telemetry adjoining erstwhile range areas in north and south and habitats assessment therein. The data generated also indicated that Hangul shows two activity peaks in morning and evening hours with significant seasonal variations. The findings of the study are of great ecological significance as the significant information generated through this research on the lesser known aspects of movement ecology including animal home ranges and habitat use, biology and behaviour of the Hangul deer would go long way in supporting the management interventions for population recovery and long term survival of this endemic deer of India in Dachigam National Park and its erstwhile range areas in Kashmir Himalayas. Major management and conservation Intervention recommendations 1. The study revealed that major and viable population of Hangul are confined to Dachigam National Park. Despite availability of ideal summer habitats for the Hangul in upper Dachigam, these alpine meadow habitats are not being explored or used by Hangul. The satellite collared Hangul movements indicated that the animals showed upward movements to Dagwan alpine meadows of upper Dachigam but restricted their movements further in to the alpine meadows, possibly due to heavy disturbances of excessive livestock grazing there. 2. Management interventions are as such required towards expansion of Range of Hangul to alpine meadows of Upper Dachigam and potential corridor areas outside Dachigam NP identified through this research, so that these ideal summer habitats are recuperated and used by Hangul in summer as it used to in the past and to ensure gene flow between the Dachigam and adjoining range populations. 3. Hangul conservation breeding-cum- reintroduction programme is imperative to expand the range of Hangul by restocking and augmenting the small isolated Hangul populations in its relic range areas outside Dachigam National Park starting with the Overa Wildlife Sanctuary which has ideal disturbance free habitats available. 4. The Hangul species recovery programme through a project mode by initiation of Project Hangul on the pattern of Project Tiger is crucial to ensure Hangul species recovery and long term survival of the species and its landscapes in the region. 5. This research study as indicated by earlier studies by the Investigator (s) has revealed that besides poaching and continued degradation of Hangul summer habitats in Upper Dachigam, along with biotic interference in winter habitats, low breeding, female biased sex ratio, the problem of survival of the young and inadequate recruitment of calf to adulthood due to factors such as considerable predation by common Leopard, Asiatic Black Bear, dogs and meso-carnivores (Fox and Jackal) are major challenges for the long term survival of the Hangul in the landscape. 6. The study revealed a significant contribution of Hangul in the diet of Golden jackal (9.09%) and Red fox (6.45%). These ecological issues threatening the long term survival of Hangul need to be investigated and addressed further on long term basis through initiating a breeding biology study to better understand the causes of low breeding and fawn/calf survival in the Hangul population in Dachigam National Park and the adjoining landscape. 7. This research study and the earlier studies by the Investigator (s) has indicated that species due to its small population size, restricted range distribution, critically endangered status, ecological threats long Term Conservation Plan for Hangul Part II: Hangul Movement Pattern Study Using GPS-Satellite Telemetry and potentially low genetic variation is at the brink of extinction and needs immediate management interventions to reverse the declining trend in the population. The regulated monitoring of the Hangul populations on a long-term scientific basis using latest techniques of satellite collaring, camera trapping and population genomics is imperative. 8. Strengthening Hangul genome sequencing to understand the DNA mitochondrial based phylogeography of the species and Skull based genetic investigations to link the mitochondrial DNA analysis findings with the nuclear genetic analysis to further establish the degree of closeness or divergence between Hangul and the Bactrian deer.
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