Estimating Leopard Panthera pardus fusca (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) abundance in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India
Reliable population estimate of apex predators, such as the Leopard Panthera pardus fusca, is important as they indicate ecosystem health, enable evaluation of the effectiveness of conservation efforts and provide a benchmark for future management decisions. The present study is the first to estima...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society
2019-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Threatened Taxa |
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| Online Access: | https://www.threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/4774 |
| _version_ | 1828157430869000192 |
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| author | Devavrat Pawar Howard P. Nelson Divya R.L. Pawar Sarika Khanwilkar |
| author_facet | Devavrat Pawar Howard P. Nelson Divya R.L. Pawar Sarika Khanwilkar |
| author_sort | Devavrat Pawar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Reliable population estimate of apex predators, such as the Leopard Panthera pardus fusca, is important as they indicate ecosystem health, enable evaluation of the effectiveness of conservation efforts and provide a benchmark for future management decisions. The present study is the first to estimate abundance of Leopard along with possible prey profile in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), in central Madhya Pradesh (M.P.), India. For systematic sampling, two study habitats, 15km² each, were identified, one close to the park entrance and the other away from the park entrance. Sampling was carried out between March and April 2017, for a period of 18 days in each of the two study habitats, ‘good’ and ‘poor’, initially based on situation in reference to park-entry. Each habitat was divided into five blocks each, and each block subdivided into three, 1km² observation units. In all, 16 trail cameras were placed in pairs, one set at a time in five of the blocks, over a six–day period. The total sampling effort was 180 trap-nights. The trigger speed was set to 3 frames per 10 seconds, and repeated only after 20 minutes interval on infra-red detection of object. The data was analysed using closed population capture–recapture analyses in Program MARK, to estimate Leopard abundance. Seventy-eight Leopard detections representing eight unique individuals were found in the 30km² study site. Seven Leopards were detected in the good habitat and one in the poor habitat. The estimate for Leopard abundance for the good habitat was 11 Leopards (SE 4.6, 95% CI = 8 – 31 individuals). Due to limited captures/recaptures in the poor habitat, abundance could not be estimated for this habitat class. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:28:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d047823c4a84400fadd00324dddc74a9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0974-7893 0974-7907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:28:08Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Threatened Taxa |
| spelling | doaj.art-d047823c4a84400fadd00324dddc74a92022-12-22T03:57:15ZengWildlife Information Liaison Development SocietyJournal of Threatened Taxa0974-78930974-79072019-03-01115135311354410.11609/jott.4774.11.5.13531-135444774Estimating Leopard Panthera pardus fusca (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) abundance in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, IndiaDevavrat Pawar0Howard P. Nelson1Divya R.L. Pawar2Sarika Khanwilkar3Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester, CH1 4BJ, U.K.Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester, CH1 4BJ, U.K.Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112, U.S.A.Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, NY 10027, U.S.A.Reliable population estimate of apex predators, such as the Leopard Panthera pardus fusca, is important as they indicate ecosystem health, enable evaluation of the effectiveness of conservation efforts and provide a benchmark for future management decisions. The present study is the first to estimate abundance of Leopard along with possible prey profile in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), in central Madhya Pradesh (M.P.), India. For systematic sampling, two study habitats, 15km² each, were identified, one close to the park entrance and the other away from the park entrance. Sampling was carried out between March and April 2017, for a period of 18 days in each of the two study habitats, ‘good’ and ‘poor’, initially based on situation in reference to park-entry. Each habitat was divided into five blocks each, and each block subdivided into three, 1km² observation units. In all, 16 trail cameras were placed in pairs, one set at a time in five of the blocks, over a six–day period. The total sampling effort was 180 trap-nights. The trigger speed was set to 3 frames per 10 seconds, and repeated only after 20 minutes interval on infra-red detection of object. The data was analysed using closed population capture–recapture analyses in Program MARK, to estimate Leopard abundance. Seventy-eight Leopard detections representing eight unique individuals were found in the 30km² study site. Seven Leopards were detected in the good habitat and one in the poor habitat. The estimate for Leopard abundance for the good habitat was 11 Leopards (SE 4.6, 95% CI = 8 – 31 individuals). Due to limited captures/recaptures in the poor habitat, abundance could not be estimated for this habitat class.https://www.threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/4774camera trapcapture-recapturekuno wildlife sanctuaryleopard abundanceprey diversity |
| spellingShingle | Devavrat Pawar Howard P. Nelson Divya R.L. Pawar Sarika Khanwilkar Estimating Leopard Panthera pardus fusca (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) abundance in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India Journal of Threatened Taxa camera trap capture-recapture kuno wildlife sanctuary leopard abundance prey diversity |
| title | Estimating Leopard Panthera pardus fusca (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) abundance in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| title_full | Estimating Leopard Panthera pardus fusca (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) abundance in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| title_fullStr | Estimating Leopard Panthera pardus fusca (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) abundance in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Estimating Leopard Panthera pardus fusca (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) abundance in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| title_short | Estimating Leopard Panthera pardus fusca (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) abundance in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| title_sort | estimating leopard panthera pardus fusca mammalia carnivora felidae abundance in kuno wildlife sanctuary madhya pradesh india |
| topic | camera trap capture-recapture kuno wildlife sanctuary leopard abundance prey diversity |
| url | https://www.threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/4774 |
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