Title of article :
Tigers in the Himalayan foothills: Possible linkage between two tiger population clusters in Terai Arc Landscape, Nepal
Author/Authors :
Subedi ، Naresh National Trust for Nature Conservation , Lamichhane ، Babu Ram National Trust for Nature Conservation , Dahal ، Yajna Nath National Trust for Nature Conservation , Kandel ، Ram Chandra Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation , Karki Thapa ، Madhuri Department of Forests and Soil Conservation , Regmi ، Rajan President Chure-Terai Madhesh Conservation Development Board , Shrestha ، Binod National Trust for Nature Conservation
Abstract :
Conserving tigers (Panthera tigris) in highly fragmented landscapes is a daunting task. Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) at the base of the Himalayas aims to connect the remaining Tiger habitats in southern Nepal and northwestern India. Tiger population clusters in central (Chitwan-Parsa) and western (Bardia-Banke) Nepal are distinct with limited connectivity in recent past. We present the photographic evidence of Bengal tiger (P. tigris tigris) from forest patch between these population clusters for the first time. The photographs were obtained during camera trap survey across Chure region of Nepal in 2018. Two adult tigers–a female and a male—were photographed ~40 km apart. This record indicates the possibility that tiger habitat extends outside the protected areas in Nepal and natural linkages between Chitwan-Parsa and Bardia-Banke tiger population clusters through forest corridors along the Chure region. Conservation efforts should also focus on the forests outside protected areas especially the critical biological corridors to conserve tigers in TAL via a meta-population approach.
Keywords :
Camera traps , Chure region , habitat connectivity , meta , population , Terai Arc landscape , tigers
Journal title :
Journal of Animal Diversity
Journal title :
Journal of Animal Diversity
