Technical Reports

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Author: search.filters.author.Ramesh, K.Subject: search.filters.subject.Tiger

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    Status of tiger and prey species in Panna Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh: capture-recapture and distance sampling estimates
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2013) Ramesh, K.; Johnson, J.A.; Sen, S.; Murthy, R.S.; Sarkar, M.S.; Malviya, M.; Bhardwaj, S.; Roamin, S.
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    Evaluation of prey availability and habitat suitability for tigers and its ranging patterns in Sanjay Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2017) Ramesh, K.; Sankar, K.; Kumar, Deleep; Nigam, Parag; Qureshi, Qamar; Raman, K.; Rajasekar, R.; Chaudhuri, Sankarshan; Sundaram, Snehaa; Hazra, Poushali
    Tiger conservation in human dominated landscape such as Sanjay Tiger Reserve (STR) has always been challenging for the managers and conservation planners. Anthropogenic factors have affected the area negatively, causing habitat degradation, depletion of prey base and unviable tiger population. STR is considered to be low density tiger population area and require recovery strategy, involving translocation from other areas, since natural colonization is not possible to boost the population to viable state. As a precursor to active population recovery, the project was conceived and implemented to establish baseline on prey availability and habitat suitability for tigers, which also involved understanding ranging patterns of tigers using radiotelemetry. Prey availability in terms of density of wild ungulate was estimated and was found to be low (8.2 ± 0.8 animals per km2), but there is an increasing population trend during the study period (2014- 2017), largely owing to active protection measures. Amongst the wild ungulates, density of chital was the highest (3.0±0.6/km2) followed by wild pig (2.0±0.6/km2), nilgai (1.8±0.3/km2), chinkara (1.1±0.3/km2) and four horned antelope (1.0±0.4/km2). Livestock (11.6±5.5/km2) was the most abundant animal using the reserve throughout, also contributing to prey base to some extent. Home range of one radio-collared adult male tiger was estimated to be 208.6km2 during May 2015 to July 2015 and the animal got killed to a territorial fight with another male tiger. Similarly, home range of radio-collared (captive-raised) tigress was estimated to be 154.1 km2 during October 2016 - May 2017. Exploring large areas could be attributed to limitation of mate choice and a depleted prey base. Habitat suitability of tiger was assessed based on habitat covariates and it was found that 44% of the total area of tiger reserve is potentially suitable habitat in the current status of prey availability, but the suitability can increase to 61% if prey base can be restored in other areas of the reserve. Carrying capacity of tiger was determined for STR based on the current prey density. It was found that STR can support 11 tigers in this present situation. Population Viability Analysis (PVA) with the carrying capacity of 11 tigers and current population (four individuals, one adult male, two adult females and one juvenile) of tiger in STR showed a poor survival probability (0.12 ±0.03) over a time span of 25 years. However, given the availability of habitat space and potential to increase prey base, doubling of carrying capacity from 11 to 22 tigers is possible with a supplementation of two tigers in every three years until year ten and it will ensure very high survival probability (0.87±0.03). Active recovery strategy should target the futuristic carrying capacity and management actions would have to be geared towards this. In this context, active population recovery and long-term monitoring strategy has been proposed towards successful population recovery and establishment of viable tiger population, along with other habitat covariates.
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    Tiger Recovery Strategy and long term monitoring in Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra: Feasibility Assessment and Strategic Action Plan
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2018) Ramesh, K.; Ben, V.C.; Jelil, S.N.; Gaykar, A.; Pal, R.S.; Pokhariya, K.; Sherwani, N.; Kale, R.; Mujawar, A.
    The Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, nestled in the northern Western Ghats in India, is the only tiger reserve in western Maharashtra. Sahyadri boasts a long and glorious history of the reign of Shivaji Maharaj and his successors. This study deals with the habitat assessment undertaken in STR. We used GIS and RS to better understand the landscape. We also carried out field vegetation surveys to understand of the density of trees and look at the overall vegetation and forest cover of STR. The status of tiger and carnivore prey present in STR were studied. Wild ungulate density was estimated to be 9.5 (2.79 SE) per km2, livestock density 10.81 (6.00 SE) per km2 and primate density 11.18 (5.00 SE) per km2. The major ungulate species recorded were the gaur, sambar, barking deer, wild boar, mouse deer and four horned antelope. Other preferable prey carnivores are primates and livestock.
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    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.