IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Bagchi, S.; Goyal, S.P.; Sankar, K. | |
| Prey abundance and prey selection by tigers (_Panthera tigris_) in a semi-arid, dry deciduous forest in western India | |
| 2003 Journal of Zoology (London) (260): 285-290 | |
Food habits of tigers _Panthera tigris _in terms of prey abundance were studied in the semi-arid deciduous forests of Ranthambhore National Park, western India, between November 2000 and April 2001. Wild prey availability was assessed by line transects (_n _= 8) and prey selection by the tigers was determined from analysis of scats (_n _= 109). Compared to some other parts of the country, prey abundance was found to be high at 96.65 animals km-2. Chital _Axis axis _was the most abundant wild prey in the study area, followed by common langur _Presbytis entellus_, sambar _Cervus unicolor_, nilgai _Boselaphus tragocamelus_, wild pig _Sus scrofa _and chinkara _Gazella bennetti. _Chital (_c. _31%) and sambar (_c_. 47%) constituted the bulk of the tigers' diet and were preferred prey. Nilgai and chinkara contributed minimally to the tigers' diet (_c_. 5-7% and _< _1%, respectively) and were used less than their availability. Domestic livestock made up 10-12% of the tigers' diet. The average weight of an animal consumed was between 107 and 114 kg reflecting a preference for large prey. The analysis reveals that parts of Ranthambhore have high prey abundance, thus making it important for long-term tiger conservation. Despite the high prey abundance, tigers were still considerably dependent on domestic livestock, posing challenges for the park management to resolve potential areas of conflict. |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |