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| Shirbhate, M.V. | |
| Quantification of predation and incidence of parasitic infestation in Melghat Tiger Reserve with special reference to tigers | |
| 2008 The Ecoscan (2): 229-235 | |
98 scats of tigers from Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) were analyzed for predator-prey relationship studies. The analysis of scats of tigers revealed that sambar is the major prey base in terms of number as well as biomass. The prey preference on the basis of biomass was Sambar > Wild pig > Domestic animals > Chital > Four horned Antelope. But the order of predation on the basis of prey occurrence in scats was Sambar > Indian hare > Wild pig > Four horned antelope > Chital. Undigested remains of 12 prey species are recorded which showed high preponderance of small and large sized prey species. The scat analysis revealed that tigers in Melghat do not predate on Gaurs (_Bos gaurus_), the larger prey having weight more than the tiger however, there is a very high frequency of predation on Indian hares (_Lepus nigricollis_). Tigers in MTR found to predate on domestic animals, four horned antelopes and langurs infrequently. The biomass consumed by one tiger per day was found to be 2.2856 kg. Tigers were found to be the host of number of gastrointestinal parasites. They get these infections from the herbivores on which they feed as well as crabs on which tigers prey rarely. |
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