Theses and Dissertations

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Author: search.filters.author.Pandav, BivashSubject: search.filters.subject.Prey species

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    Tigers in a multi-use forest: Prey, diet and conflict
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2025) Chauhan, Aayush; Pandav, Bivash; Habib, Bilal
    This study provides a comprehensive assessment of tiger prey, dietary dynamics, and human-wildlife interactions in the Ramnagar Forest Division, a critical area outside protected areas in the Western Terai Arc. Despite a notable increase in tiger numbers—from 39 adults in 2015 to 67 in 2022—density surface modeling revealed persistently low populations of key wild prey species such as chital and sambar, primarily due to habitat degradation from historical timber-focused management. Diet analysis of genetically confirmed tiger scats demonstrated a strong reliance on large-bodied prey, with sambar and livestock comprising a significant portion of tiger biomass intake, reflecting both prey scarcity and ecological stress. The detection of plastic in both sambar and tiger digestive tracts further highlights the emerging threat of environmental pollution in multi-use forests. Human-tiger conflict remains acute, with 353 livestock depredation events and 28 attacks on people recorded over recent years, concentrated near settlements where prey and livestock overlap are highest. These findings underscore the urgent need for integrated conservation strategies that prioritize habitat restoration—such as grassland recovery—community-based conflict mitigation, improved waste management, and a shift in forest policy from timber production to biodiversity and coexistence. Only through such landscape-level, participatory approaches can the long-term viability of tigers and their prey be secured in shared, human-dominated areas like Ramnagar.
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    Determinants of occurrence of snow leopard and its prey species in the Indian Greater and Trans Himalaya.
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2017) Ghoshal, Abhishek; Pandav, Bivash; Bhatanagar, Yash veer
    Understanding patterns of species occurrences and how their distribution and abundance are affected by abiotic and biotic factors have been a major theme of ecological research. The range and changes in the distribution of a species are important parameters to assess conservation status. Robust assessment of factors affecting species distribution and abundance contribute to the identification of conservation issues, appropriate scale(s) for species conservation and key stakeholders. This study is attempted to understand how distribution and abundance of a large-ranging and difficult-to-sample carnivore and its primary wild-prey species are affected by topographic, vegetation and land-use variables, at wide and fine spatial scales. Study is focused on the snow leopard (Panthera uncia), the elusive, rare and endangered apex predator of the Central and South Asian mountain systems, and its main prey, blue sheep or bharal (Pseudois nayaur) and Asiatic ibex (Capra sibirica) for the work. I have utilized tools from quantitative ecology and social sciences through the thesis.
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    Occupancy and abundance of tigers and their prey in Terai Arc Landscape, Nepal.
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2012) Karki, Jhamak Badur; Jhala, Y.V.; Pandav, Bivash
    The occupancy, distribution and tiger density are important information for management and conservation policy formulation. Realizing this need, this study was undertaken. The major wild prey species of tiger are spotted deer (Axis axis), wild pig (Sus scrofa), sambar (Rucervus unicolor), swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelli duvaucelli), barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), hog deer (Heylaphus porcinus) and gaur (Bos gaurus) in Nepal. To evaluate the occupancy of tiger in Nepal's Terai Arc landscape (TAL), sign survey was conducted in 96 grids (area 225 Km2 ) in 14 districts, including PAs. To assess correlation of the tiger occupancy with the availability of wild prey, and the human disturbance with the habitat use by the tiger, the sign of human disturbances (fire, timber cut, fuel wood collection, sign of poaching) and prey presence were recorded during the winter season. To estimate the density of tigers wild prey in PAs of Nepal's TAL, distance sampling was conducted along the predefined line transects during the summer season