Theses and Dissertations
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Item Habitat use by sympatric small carnivore in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India.(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 1998) Mukherjee, Shomita; Johnsingh, A.J.T.The present study on three sympatric carnivores, two felids: jungle cat (Felis chaus), and caracal (Caracal caracal) and one canid, the golden jackal (Canis aureus) aimed at studying their spatio - temporal use of food resources. The hypothesis are as follows : 1) Jungle cat is relatively more eclectic in the kind of habitat it inhabits than the jackal. 2) The felids are mostly nocturnal whereas the jackal is both diurnal and nocturnal ( cathemeral). 3) Diet of the three carnivores differs between seasons. 4) Small mammals «1 kg. body weight) form the major diet of the felids and are taken in proportion to their abundance. 5) Jungle cat and caracal are dietary specialists relative to the jackal. The study was conducted in Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) which is located between 74° 17' to 76° 34'N and 25° 5' to 27° 33' E. STR encompassing an area of BOO km2 has three core areas of which core 1, with an area of 273.B km2 forms. the proposed National Park. This area functioned as the study site and the intensive study area was approximately 30 km2.Item Ecology of the Asiatic Lion Panthera leo persica.(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 1993) Chellam, Ravi; Johnsingh, A.J.T.The major objectives of my study were to assess the predation ecology, habitat use and the ranging patterns of the lions in the Gir forest. The ultimate and long term goal of this research effort was to examine the feasibility of a translocation effort in an attempt to establish a free ranging population of lions away from the Gir forest. The ecological data generated a free ranging population of lions away from the Gir forest. The ecological data generated would enable the assessment of prospective translocation sites and insights gained about lion behavoiur. This study was designed to have an extensive scope to generate base line data for planning and management of gir forest and the lions.Item Relative sensitivity of mammalian carnivores to disturbance in sub-tropical forests of Arunachal pradesh(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2005) Dada, Tamo; Hussain, S.A.Study the impacts of disturbance such as clearing of forests for habitation, presence of domestic livestock, forestry operation such as logging and extracting of non-timber forest products, trapping and hunting for sustenance as disturbance on carnivore populations. The study was conducted in the low land semi evergreen forests of Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh. For this study following objectives were identified • Prepare an inventory of carnivore species occurring in Pakke Tiger Reserve. • Study spatial and ecological distribution in terms of disturbances and environmental variables respectively. Four study sites, Khari, West bank, Dicho and Lanka were selected from within the Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining Papum Reserve Forests, on the basis of various parameters which might have affected the habitat structure of the area. The influences of habitat variables on the occurrences of carnivore species were examined by using Classification tree analysis by using S-PLUS 4.5 software. The final output showed that, distances from village was the most important variable that determines the presence - absence of civets .Civets were absent in areas with more than 65 % shrub cover .Small cats occurred in areas with greater shrub cover and shrub height The occurrence of small cats decreased with the distances from village increased '. Small cat occurred low in areas with high canopy cover.Item Food habits of tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in Sariska tiger reserve, Rajasthan(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2003) Avinandan, D.; Sankar, K.; Qureshi, QamarThe present study aims at understanding relationship between tiger and its prey in a semi arid tract. The study was conducted in Sariska tiger reserve, Rajasthan over a period of six months from November 2002 to April 2003. Density estimation of major wild and domestic prey species was done to assess availability to tigers in terms of density and biomass. The line transect method was used to estimation prey densityItem Home Range, Ranging Patterns and Abundance Estimation of Golden Jackals in the BHAL Region of Gujarat(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2001) Aiyadurai, Ambika; Jhala, Y.V.Studied Golden Jackals (Canis aureus) in the Bhal area of Gujarat using radiotelemetry. Six jackals were trapped in Velavadar.National Park during November and December 2000 using rubber-padded leg-hald traps. The average home range size of jackals was estimated to be 14. 30 ± 4.06 sq. km. The core areas of jackal home ranges were highly correlated with vegetation cover. Habitats preferred for core areas were Prosopis juliflora and grasslands. Jackals ranged an average distance of 6.8 ± 0.91 km in a night. Most movements were out of the park to surrounding villages, which were rich in food resources for jackals. I evaluated two techniques to estimate jackal abundance namely the track plot method and simulated howling responses method in six areas differing in jackal abundances in the Bhal and Kutch regions. The latter technique gave a better resolution of abundance categories within the study sites.Item Habitat Occupancy by tiger Prey Species Across Anthropogenic Disturbance Regimes in Panna National Park, M.P.(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 1999) Mathai, Manu Verghese; Chundawat, R.S; Qureshi, QamarEffect of anthropogenic disturbance on habitat occupancy by tiger prey species was studied in Panna National Park, Madhya Pradesh. The study was conducted between November 1998 and April 1999. Line transect method and Pellet count technique were used to estimate abundance for all ungulates. Abundance estimates were used as a measure for intensity of habitat use by all species. The density estimates from line transects are associated with high coefficient of variation, which is largely a function of the small sample size resulting form extremely low densities. Ordination of habitat parameters grouped the transects based on habitat quality and structure, disturbance and topography. Anthropogenic disturbance was found to be an important factor, influencing habitat quality and differential use of habitats by animals. Sambar associated strongly with low disturbance hill habitats and poorly with relocated village sites and disturbed plateau transects. Indications from line transects and pellet count method concur in the case of sambar. Chital were very localised in their distribution being strongly restricted to secondary successional stages and ecotones between relocated village sites and woodland. Nilgai was a generalist in terms of habitat occupancy. In case of nilgai the two methods complement each other with the information they provide. The information from pellet-group counts was found to reflecting patterns that are not detected by direct sampling methods like line transects. Chinkara was strongly associated with the disturbed areas, largely because of its openness, but also found in the undisturbed areas. Wild pig, like nilgai, was a generalist, but showed preference for fringe areas of forest adjoining agricultural fields. Langur showed a marked preference for hill habitats and did not differentiate between disturbed and undisturbed hill habitats. Langur also showed the strongest association with water. The distribution of preferred prey, sambar and chital is localized. Nilgai, which is distributed throughout the study area, is found in habitats not favorable for tigers. Such a distribution would probably only support dispersing and transient animals. Therefore habitat management should be aimed at maintaining and expanding habitats suitable for cervids. Disturbance in the form of livestock grazing and woodcutting are largely responsible for maintaining poor habitat quality. The cause for these disturbances cannot be disconnected from the socio-economic and cultural reality of the people, both near and far, and therefore the conservation of the tiger has to address these aspects rather than restricting only to the biology of the animal.Item Food Habits of Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 1999) Biswas, Sayentan; Sankar, K.; Chundawat, R.S.Food habits of tiger was studied in a dry deciduous forest area in Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh over a period of 6 months from November 1986 to April 1999. Density estimation of major prey species was done to assess availability to tigers. Line transect method was used for estimation of prey density. Scat analysis revealed that chital constituted the major part of is tiger prey followed by sambar and wild pig.Item Environmental Influences on Space Utilisation and the Activity Budget of Captive Leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) in Five Zoos in Southern India(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 1999) Mallapur, Avanti; Chellam, Ravi; Qureshi, QamarA behavioural study was conducted on leopards in five zoos situated in Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Mysore and Bangalore between November 1998 and March 1999. Twenty six leopards were studied in five zoos of which sixteen were singly housed and ten were housed in groups. There were 16 males and 10 females. Only three of the 26 animals were captive born, 10 were captive reared and 13 were wild caught. Fourteen singly housed leopards were studied in on-exhibit and off exhibit enclosures on days with visitor presence and also on zoo holidays, two singly housed leopards were studied in the off-exhibit enclosures only. The group of ten at Bannerghatta Zoological Gardens, Bangalore was studied only in the on exhibit enclosure. Scan sampling method was used to record the behavioural patterns in leopards. The ethogram, which consists of all behaviour observed in five zoos lists 12 behavioural states and 29 behavioural events. The leopard enclosures were divided into imaginary blocks and the utilisation of these grids by the leopard was recorded alongwith behaviour at five-minute intervals. . Each leopard was studied for two days on-exhibit. two days off-exhibit and one zoo holiday. The leopard at Childrens' Park. Guindy was also studied for two excess visitor days during the Pongal festival. Information on each leopard was obtained from zoo records. No significant difference in behaviour was observed between males and females. and wild caught and captive-reared individuals. The behavioural repertoire of female leopards was significantly associated with their period of anoestrus. Stereotypic pacing was found to increase with enclosure size. Leopards housed in larger enclosures exhibited higher levels of activity and stereotypy behaviour. Smaller enclosures housed leopards that rested for longer proportions of time. Activity and resting behaviour peaks in the daily activity budget of the leopards were due to their crepuscular nature. The peaks in stereotypic behaviour in the daily activity budget were influenced by zookeepers' presence. Food-anticipatory behaviour was observed in all leopards before and during feed time. Individuals that were studied on-exhibit and off-exhibit exhibited higher levels of stereotypic behaviour off-exhibit and higher levels of activity behaviour on-exhibit. The presence of visitors also influences the behaviour repertoire of captive leopards. All singly housed leopards studied on days with visitor presence and zoo holidays exhibited higher levels of activity on zoo holidays and higher levels of resting behaviour on days with the presence of visitors. Six individuals were studied singly and then as pairs. The proportion of activity and resting behaviour exhibited when they were housed in pairs was higher and stereotypic behaviour, though not statistically significant, was lower than when they were singly housed. The utilisation of space differed between singly and group-housed leopards. Singly housed individuals utilised the "edge" and "back" zones of their enclosures more and the sructurally "enrich" zone less than group-housed leopards. Most of the leopards utilised the "edges" of their enclosure for stereotyping. the "back" zone for resting and the "rest" of the enclosure for activity behaviour. The structural features found within the enclosures that housed leopards were of two categories; sleeping platforms. trees and sheds that stimulated resting behaviour and logs. snags and tree trunks that stimulated activity behaviour. In enclosures that were structurally enriched with sleeping platforms, sheds or trees, leopards utilised the "enrich" zone of the enclosure for resting instead of the "back" zone. Enclosures having logs and snags. the "enrich" zones is utilised to exhibit activity behaviour. The utilisation of the structurally enriched zones of the enclosures was positively correlated with enclosure complexity. Leopards in structurally enriched enclosures exhibited higher levels of activity and lower levels of resting than the barren enclosures The factors that were found to influence the behavioural repertoire of captive leopards have been taken into consideration while recommending environmental enrichment techniques for the renovations of old enclosures and the construction of new ones.Item Distribution and movement patterns of the Himalayan Black Bear (Selenarctos thibetanus Cuvier) in Dachigam National Park, Kashmir(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 1989) Saberwal, Vasant; Johnsingh, A.J.T.This study investigates the distribution patterns of the Himalayan Black Bear (Selenarctos thibetanus) in Dachigam Rational Park, Kashmir. It involved basically two components. (i) looking at the differential usage of different parts of the park by bears over a five month study period. and (ii) the spatio-temporal variation in the distribution and availability of fruit during the study. Dachigam National Park of 141 sq. km ranges in altitude from l800m to 4400m. It is divided into Lower (2& sq km) and Upper (115 sq km) Dachigam. Lower Dachigam (LO) is characterized by a broad valley flanked by steep hillsides. Upper Dchigam (UO) is composed of several gullies separated by fairly steep ridges. The valley vegetation is broad leaved, moist deciduous forest with an unusually high abundance pf fruit species. The slopes on either side are dominated by grass (south facing slopes) or a combination of grass, conifers and shrubs (north facing slopes). The vegetation of Upper Dachigam is mainly composed of coniferous species, with alpine meadows in the higher areas. Transects were walked through Lower Dachigam, considered to have over 90% of the Black Bear population of the park. to record animal locations and signs. especially droppings. 100m segments were marked along these transects and sightings and signs plotted accordingly. These segments were the basis of the habitat mapping exercise. A subjective estimate of the abundance of key fruit species was made for each segment. A phenology study looked at the timing of fruiting of key species. Data analysis shows a good, though not significant correlation between sighting frequencies and fruit availability. However there is strong suggestive evidence to indicate that anilla1 movements are largely Controlled by the spatial distribution and phenological status of five to six key fruit species. The lack of significance is probably due to the small data set. The study indicated the lack of defended territories. Instead, as reported from studies on the American Black Bear (Ursus americanus), there are marked seasonal shifts in the use of the home range. Feeding aggregations of up to 20 bears in one hectare are common. Densities of over 1.5 bears per sq km were recorded in Lower Dachigam at times of high fruit abundance. For two months of the year, May and August, black bears disperse out of the park due to very low food availability. Crop raiding (apple, cherry, and maize) is common at this time. The unusually high abundance levels of fruit in Lower Dachigam (due to oak, walnut, and mulberry plantations, over 70 years old) supports a high density of bears at certain times of the year. However, the lack of sufficient fruit at other times of the year is resulting in increasing levels of conflict with the local human population. Problems of oak and walnut regeneration, and the implications of extremely localized oak distribution are discussed. A more detailed study investigating the problem is suggested.Item Ecological separation of four sympatric carnivores in Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 1989) Mukherjee, Shomita; Johnsingh, A.J.T.The study conducted from 5th May 1989 to 9th October 1989 covering summer and monsoon looked at the ecological separation of four sympatric carnivores in Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan. The four carnivores were - Jungle cat (Felis chaus), Fishing cat (Felis viverrina), Jackal (Canis aureus) and otter (Dutra perspicillata). Objectives of the study were to determine differences in dietary composition, habitat occupancy and time of activity as well as to tryout methods for studying sympatric lesser carnivores. Five methods were tried out to obtain these Objectives. Line transects and searches during mornings and nights were used to collect data on prey abundance, location of carnivores and their tine of activity. Scats were collected and analyzed to determine dietary composition and see how they differed among jackal, fishing cat and Jungle cat. Otter spraints were not found. The following conclusions are although some amount of overlap is evident an overall difference in habitat use, time of activity and dietary composition is seen. Jackals and Jungle cats are habitat generalists but dietary specialists. "The fishing cat and otter are habitat as well as dietary specialists . Jungle cat and fishhing cat are largely nocturnal Out the Jackal and otter are active throughout the day. Behavioural observations added to the results obtained from the other methods . 100 methods however were found unsuitable for studying lesser carnivores.