EMERGING HUMAN-LEOPARD CONFLICT IN SOUTH WAYANAD FOREST DIVISION, KERALA: IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL LEOPARDS (Panthera pardus) AND THEIR DIET COMPOSITION
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Date
2019-11-29
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD
Abstract
Individual identification of conflict leopards, their diet composition and
prey density were studied in South Wayanad Forest Division from April 2019 to
July 2019.The camera trap images obtained from the conflict areas were used to
identify conflict animals and estimation of the prey density by random encounter
method. Non-invasive faecal sampling methods were employed for sample
collection to determine the food habits of leopards. A total of 20 samples were
collected from forest roads and animal trails in Meppadi and Kalpetta ranges.
Images of only two distinct leopards were captured in the camera trap at
Kalpetta range during the sampling period. 38.9 % of the camera trap images
captured belonged to wild species, followed by cattle (30.54 %) and people (25.12
%). Random Encounter Method estimation showed that Barking Deer had the
highest population density of 0.68/km2
, followed by the Wild Boar (0.46/km2
).
Activity period of wild animals peaked during early in the morning (4:00 to 9:00
hours) and late evening (17:00 to 22:00 hours) when there were no movements of
humans and domestic animals.
Diet composition of leopards was estimated using microscopic analysis of
hair samples collected from scats. The leopard scats contained hairs of nine species
of animals. Among different prey consumed, wild prey constituted 69.7 per cent,
which indicate that major prey biomass contribution in the leopard diet was by wild
animals and only 30.3 per cent was by domestic animals. Among wild animals the
most predated one was Sambar Deer (38.6 %), followed by the Black-naped Hare
(13.2 %). Other wild animals predated were Barking Deer, Bonnet Macaque and
Nilgiri Langur. Among domestic animals, dogs, cattle and domestic cats constituted
17.2, 8.6 and 4.5 per cent, respectively. This shows that major diet composition of
leopard in the South Wayand Forest division composed of mainly wild animals.
Available patchy forest areas with higher abundance of wild prey support leopard
population in South Wayanad Forest Division. Local hunting of wild animals
should be controlled to reduce human - leopard conflict.