IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Karki, J.B. | |
| Occupancy and abundance of tigers and their prey in the Terai Arc Landscape, Nepal | |
| 2011 Full Book | |
Nearly 3,500 wild tigers (_Panthera tigris _Linnaeus 1758) occur in Nepal as well as 12 other range countries in Asia. In Nepal, they are restricted in isolated Chitwan - Parsa, Bardia - Khata and Suklaphanta populations in a land base of about 4,700 km2 of National Park, buffer zone and corridor forests where the prey densities are still high in few Protected Areas (PAs). Camera trap was used in the past to document the minimum tiger numbers but the estimation of more realistic number is crucial when number declined to two fifth of its population in the last decade (1996-2006). The occupancy, distribution and tiger density are important information for management and conservation policy formulation. Realizing this need, this study was undertaken. The major wild prey species of tiger are spotted deer (_Axis axis_), wild pig (_Sus scrofa_), sambar (_Rucervus unicolor_), swamp deer (_Rucervus duvaucelli duvaucelli_), barking deer (_Muntiacus muntjak_), hog deer (_Heylaphus porcinus_) and gaur (_Bos gaurus_) in Nepal. To evaluate the occupancy of tiger in Nepal's Terai Arc landscape (TAL), sign survey was conducted in 96 grids (area 225 Km2) in 14 districts, including PAs. To assess correlation of the tiger occupancy with the availability of wild prey, and the human disturbance with the habitat use by the tiger, the sign of human disturbances (fire, timber cut, fuel wood collection, sign of poaching) and prey presence were recorded during the winter season. To estimate the density of tigers wild prey in PAs of Nepal's TAL, distance sampling was conducted along the predefined line transects during the summer season. |
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