Technical Reports/Books/Manuals
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Item Ecological studies in Sariska tiger reserve, Rajasthan(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2009) Sankar, K.; Qureshi, Q.; Mondal, Krishnendu; Worah, T.; Srivastava, S.; Gupta, S.; Basu, S.The objectives of study are : 1. To address the distribution and status of tigers and co-predators. 2. To address the distribution and status of prey species. 3. To prepare vegetation and land cover map of Sariska TR. 4. To study the socio economic profile and resource dependency of local people in the notified national park area and 5. To identify potential areas for 'source' population and areas warranting restorative action for corridor connectivity to facilitate gene flow.Item Demographic outcomes of diverse behavioural strategies assessed in resident and migratory population of black kites Milvus migrans Phase VI(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2024) Kumar, Nishant; Jhala, Y.V.; Qureshi, Q.The Black Kite, an opportunist, facultative scavenger in the South Asian urban ecosystems,； is a highly successful bird of prey, adapting to various habitats from natural landscapes to bustling cities (Fig.1 ).This adaptability makes them one of the most hutnerous raptors globally (Ferguson- Lees & Christie, 2001). In the Old World, these kites are resourceful and opportunistic eaters, thriving on abundant food sources from human refuse and prey species like pigeons and rats in urban areas. They readily exploit human-generated waste, allowing them to maintain a healthy population and favourable conservation status (Galushin, 1971). In Indian cities like Delhi, they reign as the top avian predators within the urban ecosystem. Studies since the 1960s suggest their breeding density has remained stable. While most raptors require specific ecological conditions, Black Kites exhibit remarkable flexibility (Kumar et al., 2020a). They primarily nest in trees, indicating a need for green spaces within the city. However, a small portion (less than 5%) utilise man-made structures for nesting (Fig. 2). The ample availability of trees in Delhi provides suitable nesting grounds (Kumar, 2013; Kumar et al., 2019). The abundance of garbage in cities - often amassing in the form of large landfills - provides kites with a readily available food source. Additionally, the positive attitude of residents in South Asia towards these birds allows them to breed undisturbed near human settlements. This human tolerance translates to moderate breeding success, with around half of breeding Fig. 1. A typical congregation of Black Kites in Old Delhi responding to ritual tossing of meat by Muslims that follow Sufi traditions (Jama Masjid area). Photo Credit: Fabrizio Sergio 2 BlacK Kite Project - Phase - VI pairs raising chicks to fledging (Kumar et al.t 2014). The high density of Black Kites in southern Asian breeding grounds offers a unique opportunity for research. Scientists can compare these populations to European Black Kites, which have been extensively studied since the 1950s. Pioneering research in the 1990s on European populations focused on factors influencing chick survival, including hatching order, sibling competition, and food availability. These studies have become benchmarks for raptor biologists (Ferguson-Lees & Christie, 2001; Newton, 1979). A crucial finding from European studies is the link between food availability and brood reduction (where some chicks die in the nest). When food is scarce, chicks compete more intensely, and some may not survive (Vinuela, 1996). Black Kites in Delhi exhibit hatching asynchrony (chicks hatching at different times) and brood reduction, likely influenced by the varying food availability across the city's diverse urban landscapes. To capture these ecological nuances, researchers have been using trail cameras in nests across different urbanisation gradients to study relationships with urban variables. These data are further combined with observations to assess hatching patterns, chick survival, growth rates, and nesting behaviour. Delhi hosts two subspecies of black kites: the resident breeding Milvus migrans govinda (small Indian kite) and the migratory M. m. lineatus (black-eared kite) that arrives from Central Asia and Southern Siberia via the Central Asian Flyway across the Himalayas. GPS-tagging revealed that M. m. lineatus kites migrate 3300-4700 km from their breeding grounds in Russia, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang (China) and Mongolia to Delhi in 3-4 weeks, crossing the Himalayas at elevations up to 5000-6000 m (Kumar et al., 2020b).Item 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.Item Status of Tigers, Co-Predator and Prey in Pandharkawada Forest Division (Territorial) 2021(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Maharashtra Forest Department, 2022) Habib, Bilal ; Ramarao, S.V.; Jagtap, K.P.; Nigam, P.; Koley, S.The Phase IV monitoring for the Pandharkawada Forest Division (Territorial) was conducted from March –April (2021) as part of the project “Long Term Monitoring of Tigers, Co-Predators and Prey species in Vidarbha Landscape, Maharashtra, India”. The exercise aimed to cover an area of 655.336 km2 of the forested area of the entire division. The objective of the Phase IV Monitoring is to estimate the minimum number of tigers in the Pandharkawada Forest Division using Spatially-Explicit-Capture-Recapture Sampling and density estimation of prey species using Line transect based Distance Sampling. 110 pairs of camera traps were placed in the forested area of Pandharkawada Forest Division following a sampling grid of 2 km2 in all four blocks. The camera traps were active for average 30 days in each block yielding a sampling effort 3508 of trap nights of data which is used for further analysis. From the camera trap photographs 11 tigers (unique to Pandharkawada Forest Division) and 10 leopards have been identified. Tiger density per 100 km2 based on the Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture (SECR) model was 2.356 (SE ± 0.727) in the forest division while that of leopards based on the same method was 2.99 (SE ±1.03). To estimate prey density, 84 line-transects were laid randomly all over the division and were sampled 7 times during the sampling period, with a total walking effort of 1176 km was invested. The observations include chital (Axis axis), nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), chousingha (Tetracerus quadricornis), langur (Semnopithecus sp), wild boar (Sus scrofa), chinkara (Gazella bennetii), Indian hare (Lepus nigricollis) and peafowl (Pavo cristatus). As per the observations, Nilgai (n=278) is the most observed species followed by Wild boar (n=77), Peafowl (n= 54), Indian hare (n=45) and Chital (n=44). The overall prey density of Pandharkawada Forest Division is 10.977 (SE± 1.19). Due to very low observations (n<20) densities of chousingha and chinkara could not be estimated. To study the activity, we used the camera trap images. The times recorded on camera trap photos provide information on the period during the day that a species is most active. Species active at the same periods may interact as predator and prey, or as competitors. Sensors that record active animals (e.g. camera traps) build up a record of the distribution of activity over the day. Records are more frequent when animals are more active and less frequent or absent when animals are inactive. The area under the distribution of records thus contains information on the overall level of activity in a sampled population. We used IDW (Inverted distance weighted) to map the intensive area used by different animal species.Item Status of Tigers, Co-Predator and Prey in Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary 2021(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Maharashtra Forest Department, 2022) Habib, B.; Nigam, P.; Banerjee, J.; Puranik, S.; Jagtap, K.; Koley, S.Phase IV monitoring for the Tipeshwar Wildlife sanctuary was conducted from March –April (2021) as part of the project “Long Term Monitoring of Tigers, Co-Predators and Prey species in Vidarbha Landscape, Maharashtra, India”. The exercise aimed to cover an area of 148.63 km2 of the entire sanctuary. The objective of Phase IV Monitoring is to estimate the minimum number of tigers in the Tipeshwar WLS using Spatially-Explicit-Capture-Recapture Sampling and density estimation of prey base using Distance Sampling. 62 pairs of camera traps were placed in the forested area of Tipeshwar WLS following a sampling grid of 2 sq. km. in one block. The camera traps were active for 30 days yielding a sampling effort of 2206 trap nights of data which is used for further analysis. Tiger density per 100 km. sq. based on the Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture (SECR) model was 7.07 (SE ± 0.218) in the sanctuary while that of leopards based on the same method was 3.86 (SE ±0.165). To estimate prey density, 13 line-transects were laid randomly all over the division and were sampled 7 times during the sampling period, with a total walking effort of 182 km was invested. The observations include chital (Axis axis), sambar (Rusa unicolor), nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), chousingha (Tetracerus quadricornis), langur (Semnopithecus sp), wild boar (Sus scrofa), chinkara (Gazella bennetii), Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), Indian hare (Lepus nigricollis) and peafowl (Pavo cristatus). As per the observations, Nilgai (n=50) is the most observed species followed by Chital (n=27). The overall prey density of Tipeshwar WLS is 17.82 (SE± 3.81). Due to low number of observations densities of chousingha, chinkara, blackbuck, langur, Indian hare, peafowl, sambar, wild boar could not be estimated. To study the activity, we used the camera trap images. The times recorded on camera trap photos provide information on the period during the day that a species is most active. Species active at the same periods may interact as predator and prey, or as competitors. Sensors that record active animals (e.g. camera traps) build up a record of the distribution of activity over the day. Records are more frequent when animals are more active and less frequent or absent when animals are inactive. The area under the distribution of records thus contains information on the overall level of activity in a sampled population.Item Trichotaxonomy of tiger prey from Terai Arc landscape, India: A comprehensive manual(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2024) Kumar, Shrewshree; Biswas, Suvankar; Pandav, Bivash; Mondal, SamratThis manual deals with the systematic protocol in identification of prey species from the feces of tiger collected across the Indian part of the Terai-Arc landscape, using morphological techniques. It presents the microphotographs of the undigested hair of various prey species in different resolution for easy and unambiguous identification for other researchers working in this field.