EMERGING HUMAN-LEOPARD CONFLICT IN SOUTH WAYANAD FOREST DIVISION, KERALA: IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL LEOPARDS (Panthera pardus) AND THEIR DIET COMPOSITION
| dc.contributor.advisor | Chandy, George | |
| dc.contributor.author | I. K., NIDHIN | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-01-18T10:14:08Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-01-18T10:14:08Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2019-11-29 | |
| dc.description.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. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810160339 | |
| dc.keywords | PREY AVAILABILITY ESTIMATION,INDIRECT RANDOM ENCOUNTER METHOD , | en_US |
| dc.language.iso | English | en_US |
| dc.pages | 38 | en_US |
| dc.publisher | COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, POOKODE WAYANAD | en_US |
| dc.research.problem | HUMAN-LEOPARD CONFLICT IN SOUTH WAYANAD FOREST DIVISION, KERALA | en_US |
| dc.sub | Wildlife Management | en_US |
| dc.theme | EMERGING HUMAN-LEOPARD CONFLICT IN SOUTH WAYANAD FOREST DIVISION, KERALA: IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL LEOPARDS (Panthera pardus) AND THEIR DIET COMPOSITION | en_US |
| dc.these.type | M.V.Sc. | en_US |
| dc.title | EMERGING HUMAN-LEOPARD CONFLICT IN SOUTH WAYANAD FOREST DIVISION, KERALA: IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL LEOPARDS (Panthera pardus) AND THEIR DIET COMPOSITION | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |