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Evaluating a Survey Landscape for Tiger Abundance in the Confluence of the Western and Eastern Ghats


Affiliations
1 BRT Tiger Reserve, Karnataka Forest Department, Government of Karnataka, Chamarajanagara 571 127, India
2 Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru 570 002, India
 

Due to the current depleting trends in tiger population, range countries have committed to double tiger numbers by the year 2022. However, some areas, including source sites, across the range countries lack scientifically estimated tiger numbers both at the larger landscape and at the protected area level. Here we report a population of tigers, from Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve (BRTTR), using camera trap based capture-mark recapture in a spatially explicit likelihood and Bayesian analyses that yielded an estimate of ~55 tigers with a density of about 6.8 tigers/100 km2. BRTTR nestled in a larger tiger landscape, perhaps contributes dispersing individuals to the adjoining forests, calling for integrated monitoring and management efforts for the entire landscape. This data set could help in designing long-term, landscape level plans and outcomes.

Keywords

Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve, Camera Trapping, Capture–Recapture Method, Tiger.
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  • Evaluating a Survey Landscape for Tiger Abundance in the Confluence of the Western and Eastern Ghats

Abstract Views: 246  |  PDF Views: 63

Authors

S. S. Lingaraja
BRT Tiger Reserve, Karnataka Forest Department, Government of Karnataka, Chamarajanagara 571 127, India
Swayam Chowdhary
BRT Tiger Reserve, Karnataka Forest Department, Government of Karnataka, Chamarajanagara 571 127, India
Rashmi Bhat
Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru 570 002, India
Sanjay Gubbi
Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru 570 002, India

Abstract


Due to the current depleting trends in tiger population, range countries have committed to double tiger numbers by the year 2022. However, some areas, including source sites, across the range countries lack scientifically estimated tiger numbers both at the larger landscape and at the protected area level. Here we report a population of tigers, from Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve (BRTTR), using camera trap based capture-mark recapture in a spatially explicit likelihood and Bayesian analyses that yielded an estimate of ~55 tigers with a density of about 6.8 tigers/100 km2. BRTTR nestled in a larger tiger landscape, perhaps contributes dispersing individuals to the adjoining forests, calling for integrated monitoring and management efforts for the entire landscape. This data set could help in designing long-term, landscape level plans and outcomes.

Keywords


Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve, Camera Trapping, Capture–Recapture Method, Tiger.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv113%2Fi09%2F1759-1763