IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Jyotsna, B. | |
| Genetic studies of wild populations of tiger _Panthera tigris tigris_ | |
| 2007 Full Book | |
The Indian or Bengal tiger _Panthera tigris tigris, _is the National Animal of India. Though tiger populations were high at the tum of the last century, the numbers have reduced drastically. An estimated 3,200-4,500 Bengal tigers exist in the Indian subcontinent, Burma and western China as of 1998. These are restricted largely to protected areas that comprise about 4.3% of India's land area. Conservation decisions about any species require information about its demographics, behaviour and genetics. Such information can be difficult to gather in case of rare animals, cryptic animals or animals that are sensitive to capture or cannot be captured because of their endangered status. Studies of such species traditionally have made use of indirect methods like studying signs and tracks to estimate relative abundance. In the past, pugmarks, camera traps and prey densities have been used to estimate tiger populations in Indian jungles, but all methods used so far have been criticised for some drawbacks. Non-invasive genetic methods for population estimation are routinely used for estimating populations of grizzly bear in North America. A DNA based non-invasive method for population inventories has one great advantage over the other methods in that the genetic status, such as inbreeding and intra and inter-population differentiation, can also be ascertained in addition to the abundance and density estimate. Non-invasive genetic methods require minimal intrusion into the habitat of the animal under study and can be used in difficult terrains or in areas with human disturbance. A non-invasive genetic method for tiger population estimation which has been used in the present study has not been attempted before was the primary objective of this thesis. In addition, genetic diversity analyses in the mitochondrial hypervariable region and the microsatellite markers have been carried out in the present study for determining population differentiation and extent of inbreeding. The field study was conducted at Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. |
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