Tigers in a multi-use forest: Prey, diet and conflict

Abstract

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.