M Sc Dissertation(WII)
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Item Understanding the efficacy of enrichment intervention from behavioural responses in captive Sloth Bears(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2024) Sudhakar, MukulIn this study, I tried to understand how enrichment activities affect the behavior and well-being of captive sloth bears. The study aimed to determine if enrichment intervention helps bears exhibit more natural behaviors and reduce stress-related behaviors, improving their overall welfare. Six Sloth bears were studied in two zoos, Delhi and Mumbai, and were observed before and after introducing enrichment intervention in the form of Pitfall feeder. These Feeders, helps in providing novel feeding methods and interactive object, and were designed to encourage the bears to engage in natural behaviors like exploring, digging and foraging etc. The study used various parameters to track changes in the bears' behavior, including different activity levels such as Proportion of time Active, Inactive and Stereotypic, usage of different zones of their enclosures, and behavior diversity. A comprehensive welfare index was computed from these parameters using Principal Component Analysis. The results showed that enrichment activities had some positive effect on the bears' behavior. The bears became more active and explored more areas of their enclosures after the enrichment activities were introduced. However, the response varied among individual bears, with few showing a decline in stress-related behaviors, while others did not exhibit significant changes or even showed an increase in such behaviors. This variability highlights the need for tailored enrichment plans that cater to the unique needs of each bear. The study also found differences between the two zoos, wherein markers of behavioural well-being were better in Mumbai Zoo compared to Delhi Zoo. This was attributed to better management practices and more complex enclosures in Mumbai. Thus, factors such as long-term management practices and the overall complexity of the enclosures play a crucial role in the well-being of captive sloth bears. In conclusion, while enrichment activities are beneficial for captive sloth bears, their design and implementation should be tailored to the individual needs of each bear to maximise their positive impact on well-being. This research supports the importance of regular and varied enrichment intervention in zoos to increase the wellbeing of captive animals. However, it also underscores the need for comprehensive management practices that ensure the long-term welfare of these animals consisting of enrichment plans and studies to be incorporated in the management plan of the zoos.Item HABITAT SELECTION BY DESERT FOX (Vulpes vulpes pusilla) IN HUMAN MODIFIED LANDSCAPE OF THAR DESERT(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2024) Krishnapriya, M.; Dutta, Sutirtha; Talukdar, GautamKnowledge about habitat use and selection helps to assess the impact of land use change on wildlife and inform conservation management. This study aims to understand habitat use and den site selection of Desert Fox (Vulpes vulpes pusilla) in the human modified landscape of Desert National Park and it adjoins in Rajasthan. The study was conducted from January 2024 to April 2024 that include the fox breeding season. Species occupancy inside and outside protected areas were examined to understand the effectiveness of protection. Den site selection was examined by comparing habitat, resource, and disturbance variables at the scale of core usage around the den and random control points. Protected area showed a positive effect on occupancy of foxes. Desert fox was found to be using diverse habitat types for denning, however, scrubland tended to be used more than availability and grassland was used less than availability, in the study area. Agriculture did not influence den site. Foxes showed strong avoidance to areas with high human and livestock disturbances and strong preference to areas with abundant Capparis fruiting for denning. Increase in human footprint in the landscape could potentially lower the survivability and reproductive success of foxes by making them prone to direct threats from humans and subsidized predators such as dogs.Item Spatial and Temporal Responses of Leopard (Panthera pardus) in the Presence of Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in Rajaji National Park Uttarakhand(2021) Krishna, Anubhuti; Lyngdoh, SalvadorLeopards co-occur with tigers in several parts of Asia as well as over a major portion of their geographical distribution in India. A clear dominance hierarchy establishes between the two felid species in regions of sympatry with tigers, owing to stark body size differences, holding higher ground. The striped felid, thus, invokes numerical as well as functional responses in their less dominant counterparts. The current study aims at understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of leopards in the presence of tigers. Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand offers an excellent natural setup for understanding such intra-guild interactions as the western part of the Park hosts leopards but is devoid of tigers and the eastern region has sympatric populations of the two felid species. These act as control and experimental setups respectively, and hence this site was chosen for conducting the field sampling. It was found that leopards exhibit some degree of spatial segregation from tigers as was evidenced by differences in the activity hotspots of the two felids in Eastern Rajaji. This is attributable, at least in part, to tigers as a negative relationship was obtained between space use by tigers and leopard occupancy under the occupancy framework. Temporal patterns, on the other hand, revealed a rather interesting trend. The diel activity of leopards in Eastern Rajaji, i.e., in the presence of tigers was very different from that of leopards in the western part of the Park. The activity of the latter was distributed throughout the day with nocturnal peaks of low intensity. The former, however, showed an activity pattern restricted to the nocturnal hours with very little activity during the day. The temporal peaks for this population also showed greater intensity than that of the pattern observed in the western leopard population.These peaks of activity, however, contrary to expectations, coincided with those of tigers in the landscape. Since predator-prey interactions also play an important role in shaping the temporal activity patterns of carnivores, the temporal overlaps between the two felids and their potential prey was also analysed. This too failed to offer an explanation to the rather unexpected leopard diel pattern in ER. It was subsequently observed that though leopards might have similar temporal activity to that of tigers, they are rarely at the same place at the same time. A clear lag was observed between leopard captures at camera traps following photo-captures of tigers at the same location. Hence, a combination of spatial and temporal segregation might be at play at a finer scale than at the population level and requires further examination in order to elucidate the interactions and mechanisms of sympatry between leopards and tigers in this landscapeItem Investigating the Social Structure of Female Asiatic Lions(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Borah, Doli; Kolipakam, Vishnupriya; Jhala, Y.V.In this study the social structure of lion prides in the Gir landscape through behavioural observation discussed. the study was carried out in and around Gir protected area of Gujarat. In India the Gir forest only has the last free ranging population of Asiatic lion.Item Dogs Finally have their Day? Aspects Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary Ladakh(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2019) Subhashini, K.; Kawlni, Lallianpuii; Jhala, Y.V.In a country with increasing numbers of free-ranging dogs that often times foray into wildlife habitats, even their presence has been established as a threat for biodiversity conservation in any landscape. Stated that they pose a problem, the means and extent of the problem needs an understanding of their ecology. This study aims to understand the effect of anthropogenic subsidies on the population, ranging, and subsidy resource usage patterns of free-ranging dogs. Placing subsidies in the centre of the ecology of these dogs, the study also attempts to understand inter-species interactions and potential for dogs to act as disease reservoirs in the unique trans-Himalayan landscape.Item A Countryside carnivore: aspect of leopard ecology at Jawai, Rajasthan(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2017) Sharma, Ravi Kumar; Qureshi, Qamar; Das, Abhijit1.Increasing human population and habitat fragmentation has impacted the large carnivore population across India. Leopard among pantherine is more tolerant to human disturbance and co-occur with humans in the wide variety of habitats. 2. Study was undertaken to understand status of leopard and factors responsible for its survival in human-dominated landscape. 3. Study was conducted in Jawai Dam Community Conservation Reserve from December 2016 to April 2017 in a semi-arid region of Pali, Rajasthan, India We examined villager's perception towards leopard by taking out the percentage of each response of respondents. Tolerance and religious view toward leopards was found significantly similar with each other, villagers has higher economic losses (livestock loss by leopards) than benefits (tourism activities) generated by hotel lobby. Villagers were examined to have minimal loss of human life and injuries by leopards, so it's easy to say about existence than co-existence or co-occurrence of both leopard and human in Proposed lawai Leopard Community Conservation Reserve.Item Response of Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) in Varying Density of Tiger (Panthera tigris) in Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2015) Rathore, Harshvardhan Singh; Pandav, Bivash; Habib, BilalApex predators hold a special position in ecosystems due to their well known top down effects. Intra-guild competition is an integral process that affects population dynamics of large carnivores and may cause trophic cascades. In India tiger and leopard are two large sympatric felids undergoing intra-guild competition. The two co-exist by segregating in their spatial, temporal and dietary niche. Rajaji National Park (RNP) provides an ideal condition to study interaction amongst large predators. Following human settlements relocation in the past decade, the tiger . population has recovered in eastern RNP whereas due to lack of connectivity it has declined in western RNP. Thus, RNP provides a perfect ecological setup to study responses of leopard and prey in varying tiger density gradient. I assessed prey abundance in RNP using line transect based distance sampling using software Distance 6.2. Leopard and tiger density- were also estimated by using camera trap pictures on a capture- mark recapture framework using spatially explicit capture- recapture models. Spatial separation was seen between the two carnivores by using density surface models. Principal prey, prey selection and their dietary overlap was also assessed. High abundance of major prey was seen with the density of chital ranging from 23.61±9.21 Isq.km in eastern RNP to 21.77±4.32/sq.km in western RNP and sambar ranging from 10.61±3.21/sq.km in eastern RNP to 15.65±2.52/sq.km in western RNP. The density estimates of leopard were 29.01± 4.00/100 ~q.km and 25.37 ± 2.63/100 sq.km for the eastern and western sector respectively. The density estimates of tiger were 3.03±0.95/100 sq.km and 0.28±0.23/100 sq.km (only two tiger) for the eastern and western sector respectively. Leopard diet was primarily composed of chital in eastern RNP, in the western sector it was dominated by sambar. Chital was the principal prey species of tiger in RNP. Spatial separation was seen between tiger and leopard in both the sectors of the park with leopards clearly avoiding the high intensity usage areas of tigers. This study has created baseline data for predator and prey in RNP and would be helpful in managing the park better and for future monitoring.Item Factors Governing the Spatial Distribution and Density of Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica) in Gir Protected Area(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2015) Gogoi, Keshab; Jhala, Y.V.; Qureshi, QamarThis study is based on population estimation and spatial distribution of Asiatic lion.Item A Whistle Amongst Growls : Dholes in a Multi Predator System in Dry Deciduous Forests of India(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2015) Ghaskadbi, Pallavi; Habib, Bilal; Qureshi, QamarA significant amount of research has proved that there is a positive correlation between habitat heterogeneity/diversity and animal 'species diversity owing to the availability of more exploitable niches (Tews et al. 2004). On a spatial scale for free ranging large carnivores, a place like the Tadoba- Andhari Tiger Reserve has a low habitat heterogeneity, however, it shows a variety of species of both predators and prey in a small area. Studying the prey- predator interactions in such a system would lead to a better insight into large carnivore ecology. In contrast with the African Wild dog which enjoys much more attention of researchers and biologists, the Dhole has clearly not been a favourite. Being a social carnivore, there is a complex and dynamic fission and fusion of packs amongst Dholes. However, there is a grave lack of information on the pack dynamics of the Dhole. I attempted to conduct experiments to study one of the fundamental factors of social behaviour which is individual recognition.Item Estimating the Status and Impact of Hunting on Tiger Prey in Bardia National Park, Nepal(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2009) Malla, Sabita; Jhala, Y.V.; Qureshi, QamarA study was undertaken to understand the status of tiger prey species in relation to the hunting pressure in Bardia from November 2008 to April 2009. The prey densities were estimated using distance sampling