Monitoring threatened wildlife
Establishing baselines for key faunal groups
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People
Funding
- Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund, USA
- National Geographic Society (Conservation Trust grant), USA
- The Rufford Small Grants Foundation, UK
- Wildlife Conservation Society-NY, USA
Publications
- Journal Article2013Records of small carnivores from in and around Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India.Small Carnivore Conservation 49: 1-8.Download
PDF, 2.17 MB
For most of Northeast India’s diverse assemblage of small carnivores, direct observations and ecological information are limited. Opportunistic direct observations and camera-trap records from 2008 to 2013 in eastern Arunachal Pradesh recorded 11 small carnivore species of the 20 likely to occur. Observations included the first confirmed Small-toothed Palm Civet Arctogalidia trivirgata sighting from India; dietary observations of five species and hunting of two species.
- Journal Article2008Empty forests: Large carnivore and prey abundance in Namdapha National Park, north-east IndiaBiological Conservation 141: 1429-1435.Download
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Illegal hunting poses a dual threat to large carnivores through direct removal of individuals and by prey depletion. We conducted a camera-trapping survey in the Namdapha National Park, north-east India, conducted as part of a programme to evaluate carnivore and prey species abundance. Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) was the only large carnivore detected by camera-trapping. Indirect evidences indicated the presence of the wild dog (Cuon alpinus) and leopard (Panthera pardus), however, there was no evidence of tigers (Panthera tigris), suggesting their possible extinction from the lower elevation forests. Of the major ungulate prey species, sambar (Cervus unicolor) and wild pig (Sus scrofa) were the only large prey detected, while the Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) was the only small prey species detected. Relative abundances of all species were appreciably lower than estimates from other tropical forests in south-east Asia. We suspect that illegal hunting may be the cause for the low carnivore and prey species abundance. An ongoing community-based conservation programme presents an opportunity to reduce local people’s dependence on hunting by addressing their socio-economic needs and for using their skills and knowl- edge of the landscape for wildlife conservation. However, long-term wildlife monitoring is essential to assess the efficacy of the socio-economic interventions in bringing about wild- life recovery.
- Journal Article2008Diversity, abundance and conservation status of small carnivores in two Protected Areas in Arunachal Pradesh.Small Carnivore Conservation 39: 1-10.Download
PDF, 867 KB
- Popular Article2008Eastern PromisesSimplifly - Deccan inflight magazineDownload
PDF, 5.17 MB
- Book Chapter2007Protecting with people in Namdapha: threatened forests, forgotten people.In: G. Shahabuddin & M. Rangarajan (Eds.) Making Conservation Work, Permanent Black, New Delhi.
- Popular Article2007Namdapha: beyond the tiger.The Hindu Survey of the Environment 2007, pp. 89-95.
- Popular Article2006Making headway: Lisus, Namdapha officials 'talk' in Arunachal.Down to Earth. April 15. pp. 44.
- Popular Article2005Fading fauna, forgotten people.Down to Earth. Sept 15.Download
PDF, 463 KB