IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Maharjan, A. | |
| Principal diet analysis and habitat suitability mapping of Royal Bengal tiger in Parasa wildlife reserve | |
| 2012 Tigerpaper (39): 8-12 | |
The tiger (_Panthera tigris_), the largest of all living cats and Asia's largest predator (Seidensticker & McDougal, 1993), is widely considered to be one of the most charismatic species on Earth. The tiger is now listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List (2007) and despite extensive conservation efforts this iconic species continues its relentless decline (IUCN, 2007). The Royal Bengal tiger (_Panthera tigris tigris_) is a sub-species of tiger, numbering 3,176-4,556 individuals, found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, and Nepal. (TCAPN, 2008- 2012). It is one of the world's most magnificent mammals, is highly endangered and faces extinction in the near future if the present trend of poaching and habitat degradation continues (DNPWC/MoFSC/GoN 2007). Therefore, tiger is in Appendix I of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and Appendix I of IUCN's Red Book. In Nepal, the species is listed as protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973 (DNPWC/MoFSC/GoN 2007). Tiger are specialized predators of large ungulates. A single tiger has to kill and eat about one deersized prey animal, every week, just to survive through a full year. A tiger makes 40-50 kills a year, representing approximately 3,000 kg of prey (McDougal et al., 1998). In Nepal, specifically, the tiger preys upon a wide variety of prey species, including Sambar (Cervus unicolor), Spotted deer (Axis axis), Hog deer (Axis porcinus), Barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), Wild pig (Sus scrofa), etc. The Sambar is the most preferred prey species (Seidensticker et al., 1993). Based on a comparison of prey occurrence, spotted deer - a medium-sized tiger prey species - is dominant among the ungulates in the Terai Landscape (Shrestha, 2004). Sometimes domestic livestock like cow, goat, buffalo, etc. are also preyed upon in fringe habitats. |
|
 |
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) |