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2015 - 201822
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End date: 2019 × Start date: 2015 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICT IN SELECTED AREAS OF WAYANAD
    (COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD, 2018) ANANDU R.; George Chandy
    A study was carried out from May 2018 to August 2018 to evaluate human-wildlife conflict and suggest suitable methods for mitigation regarding this issue. The survey areas included high conflict urban and semi-urban areas. An extensive survey was carried out in Kalpetta municipality, since human-monkey conflict was an increasing and rampant problem. Other areas included Kottanadu, Thanjilodu, Karapuzha, Pozhuthana, Ambalavayalu, Pinagod, Koyilamoola, Sugandagiri, Ediyavanvayal, Kaithapoyil, Aanapara, Meppadi, Mundankolli, Kalathuvayil, Kunampetta and Vythiri. Villagers around the forest fringe areas were also interviewed along with the above-mentioned regions. These areas were categorized into three sectors based on Development Block (Kalpetta Block, Sulthan Bathery Block and Kalpetta Municipality). Data regarding the socioeconomic status, wildlife conflict damage, wild animals involved, attitude of people towards wildlife and co-existence, current mitigation measures and traditional conflict mitigation methods were documented. The results indicated that 59 percent of the interviewed people were cultivating crops and 98.7 percent of them faced wildlife conflict issues. The major animals included 32.5 percent Bonnet Macaque and 22.5 percent Wild Pig. Wild animals such as elephant and deer species were reported to enter the human-habitation occasionally 12.5 percent and 11.25 percent respectively. Generalized linear modeling indicated that respondents who had suffered from financial loss by crop damage or by livestock loss had negative attitudes towards co-existence whereas positive attitude towards co-existence were marginally significant among men than women.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    DIVERSITY OF GROUND DWELLING SPIDERS IN SOUTH WAYANAD FOREST DIVISION
    (COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD, 2018) APERNA MOHAN K M; Abdul Azeez C.P.
    Ground dwelling spider species composition, diversity, abundance and environmental factors influencing it were studied in three habitats of South Wayanad Forest Division from April 2018 to June 2018. Spider species abundance and diversity was estimated using plot method of size 5m2 , a total of 60 quadrats were laid in all three habitat types, photographs of spiders were taken for identification. A total of 54 species belonging to 19 families were recorded. Among different spider species recorded, five species were endemic to Western Ghats and six species endemic to South Asia. The majority of the spiders were belonging to Salticidae, Lycosidae and Oxyopidae. Certain species of spiders were more abundant such as Hasarius adansoni, Polyboea zonaformis, Hippasa agelenoides, Tibellus elongates and Ctenus cochinensis. Spider species diversity, richness and abundance varied among habitats with higher diversity in the Semi-evergreen forest followed by Moist deciduous and plantation. Dominance was higher in the MDF and plantations with a few species dominating these regions. The environmental factors such as canopy cover, litter cover, litter depth, grass cover, soil temperature and humidity that influence species abundance were investigated using multiple regression. Among different factors, variables such as soil temperature, humidity and litter depth had significant influence on the species abundance that explained 92% of variability (R2=0.917; F=11; df=3; p<0.05). Among these variables humidity had primary influence followed by soil temperature and litter depth. Spider species forage guild composition showed that they occupy eight different forage guilds, the majority of spiders 81.6% of spiders were Stalkers, Ground runners and Ambushers. The number of foraging guilds varied with higher guilds in the MDF and plantation. Thus present study on spiders provided baseline information on spiders in the South Wayanad Forest Division and influence of environmental factors on spider abundance that is essential for the management.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    POPULATION DENSITY, DIVERSITY AND DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF SELECTED BUTTERFLY SPECIES IN CHIMMONY WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, KERALA
    (COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD, 2018) ANJU V.; Biju S.
    Population density, diversity and developmental stages of selected butterfly species in Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala was studied from April to June 2018. A total of 141 species of butterflies belonging to two orders, six families and 103 genera were recorded. Among different butterflies, 15 species were recorded as endemic and 20 species were reported under various schedules. The majority of butterfly species were belong to family Nymphalidae and Lycanidae. The species richness and species diversity was higher in Semievergreen forest (114) and the dominance was higher in the moist deciduous forest (0.09). Endemic species recorded were Indian Ace, Orchid Tit, Shiva sunbeam, Blue oakleaf, Danid eggfly, Gladeye bushbrown, Malabar tree nymph, Tailed palmfly, etc. Common lineblue and Common crow and Common Emigrant are the most abundant butterflies in the study area. The size of butterflies varies significantly among families with the largest sized butterflies recorded in Papilionidae and Nymphalidae and smallest sized butterflies from Hesperidae and Lycanidae. The factors that determine butterfly detection during the count was determined using multiple regression. The number of detections had linear relation with abundance and size of the butterflies. The model was highly significant and explained 31.3% of variation in the detection of butterflies (F=41.08; df=3; p<0.00). Abundance had primary influence on detection followed by size of the butterflies. Further studies on relative detectability of difference species of butterflies in the diversity and abundance estimation would help in refining methods of assessment. Developmental stages of Grass demon (Udaspes folus) and Nilgiri Grass Yellow (Eurema nilgiriensis) were studied. Nilgiri grass yellow butterfly eggs were hatched on third day and there were two rapid growth phase and complete development took 21 days. Development of Grass demon was monitored in three different host plant Red ginger (Alpinia purpurata), Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and Turmeric (Curcuma longa). The number of days for the development varied in different host with lowest in Red ginger followed by Turmeric and Ginger with 48 18, 20 and 23 days. There were significant difference in the larval growth between the Ginger and Red ginger (t=-3.09; df=17; p<0.01). Nutrient content of host plants of Grass demon, such as crude protein, total ash, crude fat and moisture content were higher in Ginger followed by Turmeric and Red ginger. Crude protein, total ash and crude fat and moisture content was higher in the Ginger. The mean size increase of caterpillar was higher 0.278 in Ginger than other two host plants, but the number of days took for development was higher. Higher protein content in the host plant could have resulted in the increased size of the caterpillar and longer duration of development. The major threats for the butterfly species recorded were the invasion of weed plants, fire and cattle grazing that threatens the host plant abundance and butterfly abundance in the study area.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    CLINICO-PHYSIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF KETAMINE AND LIGNOCAINE AS CONTINUOUS RATE INFUSION (CRI) FOR PROPOFOL ANAESTHESIA IN DOGS.
    (COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD, 2018) AVINASH E.M; Dinesh P. T
    General anaesthesia with sustained analgesia is inevitable for most of the surgical procedures performed. Additional analgesia without deepening anaesthesia, could be attained by administering analgesic drugs as continuous rate infusion (CRI). A CRI with analgesics will also help in reducing the total anaesthetic requirement during a surgical procedure. Accordingly, the study was conducted to find out the clinico-physiological effects of ketamine and lignocaine as continuous rate infusion for propofol anaesthesia in dogs. The study was carried out in twelve dogs presented for neutering at the surgery out-patient unit of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. Female dogs presented for spaying, were selected and randomly divided into group I and group II with six animals each. All the animals were premedicated with injection of tramadol @ 4 mg/kg body weight and xylazine @ 1 mg/kg body weight mixed together in a single syringe and given as intramuscular injection. General anaesthesia was induced in all the animals using injection of diazepam @ 0.2 mg/kg body weight intravenous, immediately followed by propofol injection given intravenously “to effect”. In group I animals, anaesthesia was maintained using propofol given intravenously as bolus injection as and when required “to effect”. In group II animals, anaesthesia was maintained using ketamine @ 10 µg/kg/min and lignocaine @ 30 µg/kg/min mixed in 100 ml normal saline and administered intravenously as continuous rate infusion (CRI) throughout the period of surgery using a flow regulator set at 100 ml per hour speed. Propofol, if required was administered intravenously. The quality of anaesthetic induction was excellent in all the animals studied. There was profound sedation in all the twelve animals studied, following intravenous administration of diazepam and propofol. Transition to anaesthesia was calm and smooth in all animals with profound jaw muscle relaxation, which facilitated an easy endotracheal intubation. Time taken for induction had no significant variations between group I and group II. Rectal temperature, rate of respiration and capillary refill time recorded were within normal limits in all the animals. Heart rate and pulse rate were found to be elevated in group I and group II throughout the anaesthetic period. Blood pressure was observed to be enhanced and stabilised in group II than in group I. The values were observed within the normal range. Electrocardiogram recordings did not reveal any kind of cardiac abnormalities throughout the study period instead a tachycardia could be observed in animals of both the groups. The EtCO2 values were higher with non-significant difference between the groups. An improvement in the saturation of oxygen in peripheral blood could be observed in group II animals which was not observed in group I animals during the period of study. All the animals had a calm recovery except for two animals of group II, where a short period of paddling have been observed prior to the attempts to stand. The time taken for recovery was prolonged in animals of group II as compared to the animals of group I. The dogs which received CRI required less amount of propofol top up for the maintenance of anaesthesia, which proves the sparing effect of ketamine-lignocaine CRI on the requirement of propofol and hence the protocol is proven to be economic. It could be thus concluded that the dogs sedated with intramuscular injection of xylazine-tramadol, followed by an induction with diazepam-propofol and maintained with a continuous rate infusion of ketamine and lignocaine provided excellent analgesia, adequate muscle relaxation, improvement in the saturation of oxygen in peripheral blood, smooth quality of induction and recovery and an enhanced hemodynamics with minimal adverse effects on cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The protocol is also proven to be economic due to the sparing effect of ketamine-lignocaine CRI on the requirement of propofol.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    MULTIMODAL ANALGESIA AND BALANCED ANAESTHESIA WITH MELOXICAM- BUTORPHANOLMIDAZOLAM- KETAMINE COMBINATION IN INDIAN PIGEON (Columba livia)
    (COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD, 2018) RASHMI S. GOKHALE; Sooryadas S.
    of the surgical procedures performed in avian practice. Practitioners often perform general anaesthesia by giving an injectable or inhalant agent, with or without a sedative. Intraoperative response to pain is often misunderstood as lightening of anaesthesia and managed by administration of incremental doses of the anaesthetic agent, resulting in alarmingly deeper planes of anaesthesia. Instead, balanced anaesthesia with multimodal analgesia would be a better anaesthetic practice to follow for surgical interventions involving deep pain in birds. Keeping this in view, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the analgesic and anaesthetic effects of meloxicam- butorphanol- midazolamketamine combination for balanced anaesthesia in Indian pigeon (Columba livia) and compare it with that of the existent diazepam-ketamine anaesthetic protocol in practice. Twelve adult pigeons presented for surgical correction of pategium ligament injuries were randomly assigned to two groups – group I and group II, of six birds each. In Group I, thirty minutes following pre-emptive analgesia with meloxicam at the rate of 0.5 mg/kg, anaesthesia was induced with butorphanol, midazolam and ketamine at the dose rate of 1 mg/kg, 1 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg respectively as a single intramuscular injection. Birds of Group II were anaesthetised with a drug combination of diazepam and ketamine at the rate of 2 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg body weight respectively as a single intramuscular injection. Physiological, anaesthetic and analgesic parameters were recorded immediately after induction and every 10 minutes thereafter, throughout the anaesthetic period. All the birds were observed till complete recovery from anaesthesia. Loss of righting reflex, loss of wing fluttering, loss of voluntary head movement, eyelid closure, reduced spontaneous blinking and loss of palpebral reflex, successively, were noted as the signs of induction in all the twelve birds. Induction of anaesthesia was significantly quick for birds anaesthetised with meloxicam- butorphanol- midazolam- ketamine combination when compared to birds anaesthetised with diazepam-ketamine. The balanced anaesthetic combination provided excellent analgesia. Cardiorespiratory functions were well preserved. The balanced anaesthetic combination provided significantly quick recovery when compared to that in practice. To conclude, the anaesthetic protocol of pre-emptive analgesia with meloxicam at the rate of 0.5 mg/kg intramuscularly, followed by combination of butorphanol-midazolam-ketamine at the dose rate of 1 mg/kg, 1 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg as a single intramuscular injection, provides quick anaesthesia, excellent analgesia and speedy recovery in Indian pigeons (Columba livia) for surgical correction of pategium ligament injuries.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    POPULATION AND FORAGING ECOLOGY OF NILGIRI LANGUR (Trachypithecus johnii) IN RANNI DIVISION OF PATHANAMTHITTA, KERALA
    (COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD, 2017) DEVAPRIYA DILEEP; Abdul Azeez C.P
    Nilgiri langur (Trachypithicus johnii) (Fischer, 1829), black leaf monkey is an endangered species (Tikadar, 1983) and it is endemic to the rainforests of the Western Ghats of India. The present study mainly focused on the population estimation and foraging ecology of Nilgiri langur in Ranni division of pathanamthitta, Kerala. Field sampling was carried out June to August. Four sampling sites were selected for the study based on the presence of langur. Observations were made by line transect method. Estimated group density of langur in the study area was 0.52/km2 with mean group size of 6.75±1.93. Estimated individual density of langur was 3.5±1.01/km2 . A total of four sightings of Nilgiri langur the adult females were reported highest. Adult male and female sex ratio was 1:2.5. Sex ratio in sub adult was 1:1.6. The study indicate that the langur spent most of the time for feeding followed by moving and resting 24.9 per cent and 24.5 per cent respectively. Social interactions such as grooming, vocalization and playing were observed with 6.1 per cent 6.1 per cent and 3.4 per cent respectively. Lesser proportion of time spent on vigilance. The per cent time spent on foraging was highest in the morning with peak foraging was observed during seven and eight hrs. There was smaller peak in the evening hours. Nilgiri langur observed to forage on 25 plant species in the Ranni Reserve forest. They foraged mainly on leaves of 84 per cent of plant species.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    PREVALENCE OF ENDOPARASITES IN ASIAN ELEPHANTS (Elephas maximus indicus) OF SOUTH WAYANAD FOREST DIVISION, KERALA
    (COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD, 2017) ABHIJITH T.V.; George Chandy
    The prevalence of endoparasites in Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) was studied in South Wayanad Forest Division from March to August, 2017. Fresh elephant dung samples (n=55) were screened for identification and quantification of endoparasites by centrifugal sedimentation–floatation method. The prevalence of parasite was 74.5 per cent and mean total parasite load ranged between 128.6/epg and 1757.1/epg across different samples. Endoparasites classed as nematode and cestodes were identified. Strongyles, strongyloides sp., anoplocephala sp., and ancylostoma sp., were the major parasites recorded from the samples. Strongyloids sp. And strongyle type egg were recorded to be the most prevalent parasites with 58.1 per cent samples testing positive. Mixed parasitic species infections in South Wayanad may be associated with the free movement of elephants between landscapes. The frequency distribution of parasitic load in individual elephants, samples from outer surface and inner region of dung showed skewed distribution of propagules. Centrifugal sedimentation and floatation method of fecal examiantion of outer surface and inner region of dung did not show significant difference in number of propagules. The highest number of parasitic propagules were recorded with floatation method when compared with sedimentation method. Flotation method appeared to enhance the detectability of propagules. The number of propagules varied among different herd dung samples collected from different localities. There were no relation between the parasitic load and age of elephants. The mean density of parasite eggs was higher in the individual animals (214.3  155.4 epg) than herd elephants (147.78  111.1 epg). Though parasitic load was higher in males based on occurrence of parasites using logistic regression it was found that females are 1.83 times higher occurrence for parasitic infection than males. The other variables such as place of collection, age-sex classes were not statistically significant. The parasite egg size classes were used to classify the parasitic egg into different taxonomic groups using discriminate function analysis (DFA). Three distinct size clusters were identified. Nematode and cestode eggs were classified correctly with 95.7%. Whereas, the egg size was similar within nematode group and separation into genus was difficult. Further, inclusion of stages of development of egg and larval stages could enable the better separation.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    SCREENING FOR DISEASES IN ASIATIC WILD DOGS (Cuon alpinus) IN SOUTH WAYANAD FOREST DIVISION, KERALA
    (COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD, 2017) KARKARIA TUSHNA SAROSH; Chintu Ravishankar
    Screening for diseases in Asiatic wild dogs (Cuon alpinus) in Wayanad, Kerala was done from May to July 2017. The study area was South Wayanad forest division of Wayanad district of Kerala. Fresh faecal samples were collected after identification from different regions including forest paths, tea estates etc. The study was conducted to test for presence of CPV-2 in scat samples of Asiatic wild dogs in Wayanad district and to isolate and phylo-group E. coli from the samples. For detection of CPV-2, total DNA was extracted from the faecal samples by phenol – chloroform method. A PCR to detect a fragment of VP2 gene of CPV-2 was carried out. Out of the 41 samples collected 17 were positive for CPV2 (41.46%) when tested by PCR. Out of the positive samples, six were collected from tea estate (Aisha and Kurchiyarmala plantation) and seven were collected nearby KVASU campus. The faecal samples collected were also cultured on agar media to isolate E. coli. The bacteria were characterized based on the Grams staining and biochemical characteristics. The phylogrouping was then carried out employing the quadruplex PCR method described by Clermont et al. (2013). Seventeen isolates of E. coli were obtained from the 41 samples collected. Out of the 8 phylogroups A, B1, B2, C, D, E, F and Clade I, II, III, IV, V that could be detected by the quadruplex PCR methods, isolates of phylogroup A, B1, B2 and E could be detected. The identity of one isolate was unknown. Majority of the isolates belonged to group E (35.294%) followed by group B1 (29.411%) then A (23.529%) and one B2 (5.882%) and unknown (5.882%). There was no sample showing group C, D, F or clade I, II, III, IV, V.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    MOLECULAR DETECTION OF BACTERIA OF MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS COMPLEX (MTBC) AND MYCOBACTERIUM AVIUM COMPLEX (MAC) IN INDIAN GREY MONGOOSE (Herpestes edwardsii)
    (COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD, 2017) BINDYA A.; Chintu Ravishankar
    In India, TB is a highly prevalent disease, which causes high mortality among humans. This study was undertaken to detect the presence of MTBC and MAC organisms in free ranging Indian Grey Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Twenty one faecal samples were collected from free-ranging mongoose in Zoological Garden, Thiruvananthapuram. The DNA from the faecal samples was extracted by Qiagen stool minikit. The extracted DNA was subjected to PCR to detect any mycobacterium (PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene), MTBC (PCR targeting IS6110 and MAC (PCR targeting IS1311). Out of 21 samples, 16 (76.19 percent) were found positive for mycobacteria. None of the samples were positive for bacteria belonging to MTBC and MAC. Therefore it was concluded that the mongooses in the selected area are free from any pathogenic mycobacteria of MTBC and MAC.