This study investigates the spatial ecology and conservation need of critical habitat refugia of a large carnivore, striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), in Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) within the Aravalli Range in Rajasthan, India. Striped hyena plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem health through scavenging and occasional predation, yet faces significant threats from habitat loss, decrease in denning refugia, and increased human disturbance in human-interspersed landscapes. The research focuses on understanding the occupancy patterns and den-site use of striped hyenas in STR, their adaptability to human presence, and their interactions with co-occurring large carnivores such as tigers and leopards, which will provide insights into their persistence in this landscape of coexistence.The study was conducted in an occupancy framework covering 130 survey units of 9 Km2 each. Single season single species occupancy was modeled using environmental and ecological covariates. Den-site use was analyzed using binomial generalized linear models (GLM) incorporating first only environmental covariates, and later both environmental and ecological covariates combined to look if striped hyena shows a tradeoff in utilizing the available denning refugia. Spatial interaction with tigers and leopards was also analyzed through conditional occupancy estimates and species interaction factors (SIF) to look at the change in their spatial ecology over a decade. The best-fit occupancy model (AIC = 435.38) identified open habitat as the strongest positive influence (β = 1.607 ± 0.417, p<0.001), followed by wild prey index (β = 1.226±0.434, p<0.005), closed habitat (β = 0.668, p < 0.05), and ruggedness, which showed a negative effect (β = -0.584±0.285, p < 0.05). Striped hyenas exhibited a higher probability of site utilization in the presence of tigers (0.73 ± 0.09) and leopards (0.83 ± 0.06), with SIF values of 1.18 for tigers and 1.29 for leopards, indicating co-occurrence and potential resource sharing. Compared to a 2014 study when tiger numbers were lower (n=11), site utilization in the presence of tigers increased from 0.53 to 0.73, revealing behavioral adaptations following tiger reintroduction in STR. High SIF with leopards suggested that high prey availability in STR mitigates interspecific competition. This challenges the mesopredator release hypothesis, as both striped hyena and leopard populations have increased alongside rising tiger numbers, likely due to abundant resources and available habitat refugia. Den-site selection was analyzed using two approaches: environmental predictors alone and a combination of environmental and ecological predictors. The best environmental model (AIC = 132.47) included elevation (β = -1.0961, p < 0.01), ruggedness (β = 0.5166, p < 0.0 ), distance to road (β = 0.6249, p < 0.05), and distance to village (β = 0.4363, not significant), indicating a preference for moderate elevations, rugged terrain, and areas away from roads. The combined model (AIC = 131.07) included elevation (β = -0.9766, p < 0.01), ruggedness (β = 0.5452, p < 0.05), and human disturbance index (HDI, β = -1.0113, p < 0.05), which indicated towards the striped hyena’s ability to tolerate moderate human disturbance. The shift in the denning refugia, after including ecological variables- Human Disturbance and Wild prey index, indicated towards the tradeoff in the den-site selection by striped hyena that would offer both security and access to essential resources. The findings suggested that open habitats facilitate foraging due to enhanced carcass visibility, while closed habitats and rugged terrain provide secure denning and resting sites. The Aravalli Range, particularly STR, serves as a critical refugia, supporting one of India’s highest striped hyena densities (15.44 ± 2.48 individuals/100 km²). High wild prey abundance and scavenging opportunities from tiger and leopard kills would have likely reduced the reliance on livestock, which too occur in high density. These spatially explicit results showing critical denning refugia in STR as well identifying intensively utilized areas would allow managers to develop evidence-based habitat monitoring program, that would allow to delineate critical habitats as well as include it in the village relocation plan to create more inviolate spaces for wildlife and reduce the anthropogenic pressure on forests as well as check the spread of invasives in the protected area

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Striking a balance: Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) in the human-interspersed semi-arid landscape of Rajasthan	34

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