Preliminary study on cranial measurements and sexual dimorphism in skull bones of gaur (Bos gaurus gaurus, Smith 1827).

Cranial measurements have been widely used in various studies in wildlife sciences, ranging from understanding predator ecology to wildlife forensics. However, detailed description of morphometry and sexual dimorphism of the skull of gaur Bos gaurus gaurus is lacking. The present study was undertaken to determine the sexual dimorphism based on the cranial measurements of gaur. A total of 12 individual gaur skulls of male (n = 6) and female (n = 6) were studied in the field from the naturally deceased animals between January 2018 and December 2021 in different ranges of Bandhavgarh tiger reserve (BTR), Madhya Pradesh, India. The skull measurements were analysed using univariate and multivariate statistics to determine whether cranial dimensions could be used to differentiate male and female skulls reliably. A total of 43 morphometrical parameters grouped into nine indices were calculated. Select morphometrical parameters viz PL, GFL, AKI, LBB, LFB, GBEE, GBAN, BPOP and GTCH were significantly different (p < 0.05) between sexes, whereas GBAN were significantly higher in female skulls. The measurements demonstrated that the skull of the gaur was dolichocephalic as the profile length and the otion to otion breath in both male and female were <75% of the length. Overall, 28 linear measurements of both the sexes were statistically significant (p < 0.05; <0.01). The calculated indices revealed that the foramen magnum index in the female gaur were significantly higher. In calculated cranial indices the facial index (a) was higher in female and facial index (b) were higher in males. The two important parameters, facial breadth in facial index (a) and the greatest breadth in facial index (b) were positively correlated, though facial index (a) was statistically not significant between the sexes. The greater inner length of the foramen magnum in female skull resulted in foramen being oval whereas it was circular in males. These parameters were decisive for sexual dimorphism, skull comparison and craniological studies. This study ascertained that the frontal index and skull index had no significant influence and were not good indices for discriminating skulls between male and female. Based on the Principal Component Analysis, it was found that skull of male and female gaurs exhibits differences in cranial morphology viz. cranial profile length or total length (PL) and the least inner height of the temporal groove (LIHT). The findings of the present study provide baseline information on various craniometrical measurements of skull of gaur, indices and parameters for sex identification that can be effectively used in understanding sex biased predation ecology, provide base line information to describe variation across its geographic range, and in identifying skulls recovered in wildlife offence cases.

Predicting carrying capacity of a large carnivore from prey densities: a new approach.

Background: Large carnivores play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. Successful conservation initiatives have often led to a huge increase in predators which has often led to negative interactions with humans. Without the knowledge of the carrying capacity of the top predator, such decisions become challenging. Here, we have derived a new equation to estimate the carrying capacity of tigers based on the individual prey species density. Methods: We used tiger densities and respective prey densities of different protected areas. Relative prey abundance was used instead of absolute prey density as this could be a better surrogate of the prey preference. We used a regression approach to derive the species-wise equation. We have also scaled these coefficients accordingly to control the variation in the standard error (heteroscedasticity) of the tiger density. Furthermore, we have extended this regression equation for different species to different weight classes for more generalized application of the method. Results: The new equations performed considerably better compared to the earlier existing carrying capacity equations. Incorporating the species-wise approach in the equation also reflected the preference of the prey species for the tiger. This is the first carrying capacity equation where the individual prey densities are used to estimate the carnivore population density. The coefficient estimates of the model with the comparison with prey-predator power laws also reflect the differential effect of tigers on different prey species. The carrying capacity estimates will aid in a better understanding of the predator-prey interaction and will advance better management of the top predator.

Unlocking Insights in IoT-Based Patient Monitoring: Methods for Encompassing Large-Data Challenges.

The remote monitoring of patients using the internet of things (IoT) is essential for ensuring continuous observation, improving healthcare, and decreasing the associated costs (i.e., reducing hospital admissions and emergency visits). There has been much emphasis on developing methods and approaches for remote patient monitoring using IoT. Most existing frameworks cover parts or sub-parts of the overall system but fail to provide a detailed and well-integrated model that covers different layers. The leverage of remote monitoring tools and their coupling with health services requires an architecture that handles data flow and enables significant interventions. This paper proposes a cloud-based patient monitoring model that enables IoT-generated data collection, storage, processing, and visualization. The system has three main parts: sensing (IoT-enabled data collection), network (processing functions and storage), and application (interface for health workers and caretakers). In order to handle the large IoT data, the sensing module employs filtering and variable sampling. This pre-processing helps reduce the data received from IoT devices and enables the observation of four times more patients compared to not using edge processing. We also discuss the flow of data and processing, thus enabling the deployment of data visualization services and intelligent applications.

Long-distance dispersal by a male sub-adult tiger in a human-dominated landscape.

Conservation of wide-ranging species and their movement is a major challenge in an increasingly fragmented world. Long-distance movement, such as dispersal, is a key factor for the persistence of population, enabling the movement of animals within and between populations. Here, we describe one of the longest dispersal journeys by a sub-adult male tiger (Panthera tigris) through GPS telemetry in Central India. We analyzed movement metrics, directionality, and space use during three behavioral stages of dispersal. We also used the clustering method to identify resting and kill sites (n = 89). T1-C1 dispersed a straight-line distance of 315 km over 225 days, moving an average of 8.38 km/day and covering a cumulative displacement of ~3000 km. Movement rate during post-dispersal was faster (mean = 0.47 km/h) than during dispersal (mean = 0.38 km/h) and pre-dispersal (mean = 0.13 km/h), respectively. The overall movement rate during the night (0.44 km/h) was significantly faster than during the day (0.21 km/h). Likewise, during dispersal, the movement was faster (mean = 0.52 km/h) at night than day (0.24 km/h). The average size of clusters, signifying resting and kill sites, was 1.68 ha and primarily away from human habitation (mean = 1.89 km). The individual crossed roads faster (mean = 2.00 km/h) than it traveled during other times. During the post-dispersal phase, T1-C1 had a space use of 319.48 km2 (95% dBBMM) in the Dnyanganga Wildlife Sanctuary. The dispersal event highlights the long-distance and multiscale movement behavior in a heterogeneous landscape. Moreover, small forest patches play a key role in maintaining large carnivore connectivity while dispersing through a human-dominated landscape. Our study underlines how documenting the long-distance movement and integrating it with modern technology can improve conservation management decisions.

Mitochondrial cytochrome b indicates the presence of two paraphyletic diverged lineages of the blue sheep Pseudois nayaur across the Indian Himalaya: conservation implications.

BACKGROUND: Populations exhibit signatures of local adaptive traits due to spatial and environmental heterogeneity resulting in microevolution. The blue sheep is widely distributed across the high Asian mountains and are the snow leopard's principal prey species. These mountains differ in their evolutionary history due to differential glaciation and deglaciation periods, orography, and rainfall patterns, and such factors causes diversification in species. METHODS AND RESULTS: Therefore, we assess the phylogeographic status of blue sheep using the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (220 bp) across the Indian Himalayan region (IHR) and its relationship with other populations. Of the observed five haplotypes, two and three were from the western Himalayas (WH) and eastern Himalayas (EH) respectively. One of the haplotypes from WH was shared with the population of Pamir plateau, suggesting historical maternal connectivity between these areas. The phylogenetic analyses split the blue sheep into two paraphyletic clades, and western and eastern populations of IHR were within the Pamir and Tibetan plateau clades, respectively. We observed a relatively higher mean sequence divergence in the EH population than in the WH. CONCLUSION: We propose five 'Evolutionary Significant Units' across the blue sheep distribution range based on observed variation in the species' ecological requirements, orography, climatic conditions, and maternal lineages, viz.; Western Himalaya-Pamir plateau (WHPP); Eastern Himalaya-Tibetan plateau (EHTP); Qilian mountains; Helan mountains and Hengduan mountains population. Despite the small sample size, population divergence was observed across the IHR, therefore, we suggest a transboundary, collaborative study on comparative morphology, anatomy, ecology, behaviour, and population genetics using harmonized different genetic markers for identifying the overall taxonomic status of the blue sheep across its range for planning effective conservation strategies.

On the move: spatial ecology and habitat use of red fox in the Trans-Himalayan cold desert.

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the most widespread wild carnivore globally, occupying diverse habitats. The species is known for its adaptability to survive in dynamic anthropogenic landscapes. Despite being one of the most extensively studied carnivores, there is a dearth of information on red fox from the Trans-Himalayan region. We studied the home range sizes of red fox using the different estimation methods: minimum convex polygon (MCP), kernel density estimator (KDE), local convex hull (LoCoH) and Brownian-bridge movement model (BBMM). We analysed the daily movement and assessed the habitat selection with respect to topographic factors (ruggedness, elevation and slope), environmental factor (distance to water) and anthropogenic factors (distance to road and human settlements). We captured and GPS-collared six red fox individuals (three males and three females) from Chiktan and one female from Hemis National Park, Ladakh, India. The collars were programmed to record GPS fixes every 15-min. The average BBMM home range estimate (95% contour) was 22.40 ± 12.12 SD km2 (range 3.81-32.93 km2) and the average core area (50% contour) was 1.87 ± 0.86 SD km2 (range 0.55-2.69 km2). The estimated average daily movement of red fox was 17.76 ± 8.45 SD km/d (range 10.91-34.22 km/d). Red fox significantly selected lower elevations with less rugged terrain and were positively associated with water. This is the first study in the Trans-Himalayan landscape which aims to understand the daily movement of red fox at a fine temporal scale. Studying the movement and home range sizes helps understand the daily energetics and nutritional requirements of red fox. Movement information of a species is important for the prioritisation of areas for conservation and can aid in understanding ecosystem functioning and landscape management.

Feeding ecology of the endangered Asiatic wild dogs (Cuon alpinus) across tropical forests of the Central Indian Landscape.

Studies on resource utilisation by carnivores are essential as they aid in assessing their role in a community, by unravelling predator-prey relationships. Globally, prey depletion is one of the primary causes of declining Asiatic wild dog (dhole) populations. Therefore, it is essential to examine their diet across their range. Our study presents insights into dhole feeding ecology across multiple sites from the central Indian landscape of Maharashtra, India, for the first time. We conducted scat analysis using a subset of genetically identified scats and collected additional data from kills observed while tracking radio-collared dholes and other known packs from 2 study sites. We analysed 861 scats, and 191 dhole kills to identify species and age class of prey. We estimated the relative contribution of various prey, utilising non-linear biomass models of prey consumption. Overall, wild ungulates like sambar and chital were the principal prey in terms of biomass (sambar 61.08%; chital 19.08%) and number of prey consumed (sambar 39.28%; chital 13.83%). An analysis of kill data also suggested that dholes strongly preferred the two deer species; and differential selection of age classes was observed at the 2 study sites. Our study can potentially help manage and conserve this important population of an endangered carnivore.

Comparative Study of Externalized Ureteral Catheter Versus Double-J Stent on Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: External ureteral catheter (EUC) and double-J stent are both commonly used to drain upper urinary tract in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). We compared the outcomes of using EUC versus double-J stent in performing PCNL in patients with renal stones in our settings in order to identify a better technique for the management of renal stones in terms of postoperative stent-related symptoms. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Department of Urology, PAEC General Hospital, Islamabad, from January 2020 to December 2020. A total of 80 patients of either gender between ages 18 and 70 years planned for PCNL were enrolled and randomized into group I (double-J stent) and group II (EUC). Outcomes of the procedure were compared in both groups. RESULTS: There were 62.5% of patients in group I who demonstrated stent-related symptoms compared to 22.5% in group II (p=0.001). No statistically significant difference was noted in other outcome variables like urinary leak (10% vs. 20%, p=0.210), post-procedure fever (25% vs. 22.5%, p=0.793), mean analgesia requirement (60.8 mg vs. 58.5 mg, p=0.685), and mean length of hospital stay (3.9 days vs. 4.2 days, p=0.330). CONCLUSION: Stent-related symptoms were demonstrated by a significantly lesser number of patients who underwent PCNL with EUC when compared with patients who underwent PCNL with double-J stent. For other outcome variables (urinary leak, post-procedure fever, mean analgesia requirement, and mean length of hospital stay ), no significant difference was noted among both the groups.

Synthesizing habitat connectivity analyses of a globally important human-dominated tiger-conservation landscape.

As ecological data and associated analyses become more widely available, synthesizing results for effective communication with stakeholders is essential. In the case of wildlife corridors, managers in human-dominated landscapes need to identify both the locations of corridors and multiple stakeholders for effective oversight. We synthesized 5 independent studies of tiger (Panthera tigris) connectivity in central India, a global priority landscape for tiger conservation, to quantify agreement on landscape permeability for tiger movement and potential movement pathways. We used the latter analysis to identify connectivity areas on which studies agreed and stakeholders associated with these areas to determine relevant participants in corridor management. Three or more of the 5 studies' resistance layers agreed in 63% of the study area. Areas in which all studies agree on resistance were of primarily low (66%, e.g., forest) and high (24%, e.g., urban) resistance. Agreement was lower in intermediate resistance areas (e.g., agriculture). Despite these differences, the studies largely agreed on areas with high levels of potential movement: >40% of high average (top 20%) current-flow pixels were also in the top 20% of current-flow agreement pixels (measured by low variation), indicating consensus connectivity areas (CCAs) as conservation priorities. Roughly 70% of the CCAs fell within village administrative boundaries, and 100% overlapped forest department management boundaries, suggesting that people live and use forests within these priority areas. Over 16% of total CCAs' area was within 1 km of linear infrastructure (437 road, 170 railway, 179 transmission line, and 339 canal crossings; 105 mines within 1 km of CCAs). In 2019, 78% of forest land diversions for infrastructure and mining in Madhya Pradesh (which comprises most of the study region) took place in districts with CCAs. Acute competition for land in this landscape with globally important wildlife corridors calls for an effective comanagement strategy involving local communities, forest departments, Appendix 1 and infrastructure planners. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Natural and human-driven selection of a single non-coding body size variant in ancient and modern canids.

Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are the most variable-sized mammalian species on Earth, displaying a 40-fold size difference between breeds.1 Although dogs of variable size are found in the archeological record,2-4 the most dramatic shifts in body size are the result of selection over the last two centuries, as dog breeders selected and propagated phenotypic extremes within closed breeding populations.5 Analyses of over 200 domestic breeds have identified approximately 20 body size genes regulating insulin processing, fatty acid metabolism, TGFß signaling, and skeletal formation.6-10 Of these, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) predominates, controlling approximately 15% of body size variation between breeds.8 The identification of a functional mutation associated with IGF1 has thus far proven elusive.6,10,11 Here, to identify and elucidate the role of an ancestral IGF1 allele in the propagation of modern canids, we analyzed 1,431 genome sequences from 13 species, including both ancient and modern canids, thus allowing us to define the evolutionary history of both ancestral and derived alleles at this locus. We identified a single variant in an antisense long non-coding RNA (IGF1-AS) that interacts with the IGF1 gene, creating a duplex. While the derived mutation predominates in both modern gray wolves and large domestic breeds, the ancestral allele, which predisposes to small size, was common in small-sized breeds and smaller wild canids. Our analyses demonstrate that this major regulator of canid body size nearly vanished in Pleistocene wolves, before its recent resurgence resulting from human-imposed selection for small-sized breed dogs.

Genetic analyses reveal demographic decline and population differentiation in an endangered social carnivore, Asiatic wild dog.

Deforestation and agricultural intensification have resulted in an alarming change in the global land cover over the past 300 years, posing a threat to species conservation. Dhole is a monophyletic, social canid and, being an endangered and highly forest-dependent species, is more prone to the loss of favorable habitat in the Anthropocene. We determined the genetic differentiation and demographic history of dhole across the tiger reserves of Maharashtra using the microsatellite data of 305 individuals. Simulation-based analyses revealed a 77-85% decline in the major dhole sub-populations. Protected areas have provided refuge to the historically declining dhole population resulting in clustering with strong genetic structure in the remnant dhole population. The historical population decline coincides with the extreme events in the landscape over the past 300 years. The study highlights the pattern of genetic differentiation and diversity of a highly forest-dependent species which can be associated with the loss of forest cover outside tiger reserves. It also warrants attention to develop conservation plans for the remnant surviving population of dholes in India.

Ancient divergence of Indian and Tibetan wolves revealed by recombination-aware phylogenomics.

The grey wolf (Canis lupus) expanded its range across Holarctic regions during the late Pleistocene. Consequently, most grey wolves share recent (<100,000 years ago) maternal origins corresponding to a widespread Holarctic clade. However, two deeply divergent (200,000-700,000 years ago) mitochondrial clades are restricted, respectively, to the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau, where remaining wolves are endangered. No genome-wide analysis had previously included wolves corresponding to the mitochondrial Indian clade or attempted to parse gene flow and phylogeny. We sequenced four Indian and two Tibetan wolves and included 31 additional canid genomes to resolve the phylogenomic history of grey wolves. Genomic analyses revealed Indian and Tibetan wolves to be distinct from each other and from broadly distributed wolf populations corresponding to the mitochondrial Holarctic clade. Despite gene flow, which was reflected disproportionately in high-recombination regions of the genome, analyses revealed Indian and Tibetan wolves to be basal to Holarctic grey wolves, in agreement with the mitochondrial phylogeny. In contrast to mitochondrial DNA, however, genomic findings suggest the possibility that the Indian wolf could be basal to the Tibetan wolf, a discordance potentially reflecting selection on the mitochondrial genome. Together, these findings imply that southern regions of Asia have been important centers for grey wolf evolution and that Indian and Tibetan wolves represent evolutionary significant units (ESUs). Further study is needed to assess whether these ESUs warrant recognition as distinct species. This question is especially urgent regarding the Indian wolf, which represents one of the world's most endangered wolf populations.

Cross-amplification of ungulate microsatellite markers in the endemic Indian antelope or blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) for population monitoring and conservation genetics studies in south Asia.

The Indian antelope or blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) is endemic to the Indian subcontinent, inhabiting scrublands and dry grasslands. Most of the blackbuck populations are small, isolated, and threatened by habitat fragmentation and degradation. Management of such disjunct populations requires genetic characterization, which is critical for assessing hazards of stochastic events and inbreeding. Addressing the scarcity of such information on the blackbuck, we describe a novel panel of microsatellite markers that could be used to monitor blackbuck demography and population genetic parameters using non-invasive faecal sampling. We screened microsatellites (n = 40) that had been reported to amplify in bovid and cervid species using faecal samples of the blackbuck collected from Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, India and its vicinities. We selected 12 markers for amplification using faecal DNA extracts (n = 140) in three multiplex reactions. We observed a mean amplification success rate of 72.4% across loci (92.1-25.7%) with high allele diversity (mean number of alleles/locus = 8.67 ± 1.03). Mean genotyping error rates across the markers were low to moderate (allelic drop-out rate = 0.09; false allele rate = 0.11). The proportions of first- and second-order relatives in the study population were 0.69% and 6.21%, respectively. Based on amplification success, genotyping error rates and the probability of identity (PID), we suggest (i) a panel of five microsatellite markers (cumulative PID = 1.24 × 10-5) for individual identification and population monitoring and (ii) seven additional markers for conservation genetics studies. This study provides essential tools capable of augmenting blackbuck conservation strategies at the landscape level, integral to protecting the scrubland-grassland ecosystem.

Firewood, forests, and fringe populations: Exploring the inequitable socioeconomic dimensions of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) adoption in India.

Liquified petroleum gas (LPG) is an important clean fuel alternative for households that rely on burning biomass for daily cooking needs. In India, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has provided poor households with LPG connections since 2016. We investigate cooking fuel use in households to determine the impact of the policy in the Central Indian Highlands Landscape (CIHL). The CIHL has a large population of marginalized social groups, including Indigenous, Scheduled Tribe, Schedule Caste, and Other Backward Caste people. We utilize survey data from 4,994 households within 500 villages living in forested regions collected in 2018 and a satellite-derived measure of forest availability to investigate the household and ecological determinants of LPG adoption and the timing of this adoption (pre- or post-2016). In addition, we document patterns of firewood collection and evaluate the extent to which households acquiring LPG change these activities. The probability of cooking with LPG was lowest for marginalized social groups. We observe that households recently adopting LPG, likely through PMUY, are poorer, more socially marginalized, less educated, and have more forest available nearby than their early-adopter counterparts. While 90% of LPG-using households continue to use firewood, households that have owned LPG for more years report spending less time collecting firewood, indicating a waning reliance on firewood over time. Policies targeting communities with marginalized social groups living near forests can further accelerate LPG adoption and displace firewood use. Despite overall growth in LPG use, disparities in access to clean cooking fuels remain between socioeconomic groups in India.

Dhole pack size variation: Assessing the effect of Prey availability and Apex predator.

In multipredator systems, group sizes of social carnivores are shaped by the asymmetric intraguild interactions. Subordinate social carnivores experience low recruitment rates as an outcome of predation pressure. In South and Southeast Asia, the Tiger (Panthera tigris), Dhole (Cuon alpinus), and Leopard (Panthera pardus) form a widely distributed sympatric guild of large carnivores, wherein tigers are the apex predators followed by dhole and leopard. In this study, we attempted to understand the variation in pack size of a social carnivore, the dhole, at two neighboring sites in the Central Indian landscape. We further evaluated local-scale patterns of variation in pack size at a larger scale by doing a distribution-wide assessment across the dhole ranging countries. At the local scale, we found an inverse relationship between the density of tiger and pack size of dhole while accounting for variability in resources and habitat heterogeneity. Larger dhole packs (16.8 ± 3.1) were observed at the site where the tiger density was low (0.46/100 km2), whereas a smaller pack size (6.4 ± 1.3) was observed in the site with high tiger density (5.36/100 km2). Our results for the distribution-wide assessment were concordant with local-scale results, showing a negative association of pack size with the tiger densities (effect size -0.77) and a positive association with the prey abundance (effect size 0.64). The study advances our understanding to answer the age-old question of "what drives the pack size of social predators in a multipredator system?" This study also highlights the importance of understanding demographic responses of subordinate predator for varying competitor densities, often helpful in making informed decisions for conservation and management strategies such as population recovery and translocation of species.

Identifying unknown Indian wolves by their distinctive howls: its potential as a non-invasive survey method.

Previous studies have posited the use of acoustics-based surveys to monitor population size and estimate their density. However, decreasing the bias in population estimations, such as by using Capture-Mark-Recapture, requires the identification of individuals using supervised classification methods, especially for sparsely populated species like the wolf which may otherwise be counted repeatedly. The cryptic behaviour of Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) poses serious challenges to survey efforts, and thus, there is no reliable estimate of their population despite a prominent role in the ecosystem. Like other wolves, Indian wolves produce howls that can be detected over distances of more than 6 km, making them ideal candidates for acoustic surveys. Here, we explore the use of a supervised classifier to identify unknown individuals. We trained a supervised Agglomerative Nesting hierarchical clustering (AGNES) model using 49 howls from five Indian wolves and achieved 98% individual identification accuracy. We tested our model's predictive power using 20 novel howls from a further four individuals (test dataset) and resulted in 75% accuracy in classifying howls to individuals. The model can reduce bias in population estimations using Capture-Mark-Recapture and track individual wolves non-invasively by their howls. This has potential for studies of wolves' territory use, pack composition, and reproductive behaviour. Our method can potentially be adapted for other species with individually distinctive vocalisations, representing an advanced tool for individual-level monitoring.

Not a cakewalk: Insights into movement of large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes in India.

Large carnivores play an important role in the functioning of ecosystems, yet their conservation remains a massive challenge across the world. Owing to wide-ranging habits, they encounter various anthropogenic pressures, affecting their movement in different landscape. Therefore, studying how large carnivores adapt their movement to dynamic landscape conditions is vital for management and conservation policy. A total of 26 individuals across 4 species of large carnivores of different sex and age classes (14 Panthera tigris, 3 Panthera pardus, 5 Cuon alpinus, and 4 Canis lupus pallipes) were GPS collared and monitored from 2014-19. We quantified movement parameters (step length and net squared displacement) of four large carnivores in and outside protected areas in India. We tested the effects of human pressures such as human density, road network, and landuse types on the movement of the species. We also examined the configuration of core areas as a strategy to subsist in a human-dominated landscape using BBMM. Mean displacement of large carnivores varied from 99.35 m/hr for leopards to 637.7 m/hr for wolves. Tigers outside PAs exhibited higher displacement than tigers inside PAs. Moreover, displacement during day-night was significantly different for tigers inside and outside PAs. Similarly, wolf also showed significant difference between day-night movement. However, no difference in day-night movement was found for leopard and dholes. Anthropogenic factors such as road length and proportion of agriculture within the home range of tigers outside PAs were found to be significantly different. All the habitat variables in the home range showed significant difference between the social canids. The core area size for tiger outside PA and wolf was found greater than PAs. The study on movement of large carnivore species across landscapes is crucial for conservation planning. Our findings can be a starting point for interlinking animal movement and landscape management of large carnivore conservation in the current Anthropocene.

Integrating large mammal behaviour and traffic flow to determine traversability of roads with heterogeneous traffic on a Central Indian Highway.

Roads impact wildlife in multiple ways, most conspicuous amongst which are animal-vehicle collisions (AVCs). Mitigation measures to reduce AVCs at the local scale are often centred on species-specific crossing zones and collision hotspots. However, at the road network scale, consideration of interactions among road, species and traffic characteristics influencing AVC occurrence is required to design effective mitigation strategies. We modelled traversability-the probability of an animal successfully crossing a road- across an Indian highway for six large mammal species under different scenarios of road and traffic characteristics. Among the study species, group-living and slow-moving animals had higher AVC probabilities that increased significantly with increasing traffic volume and proportions of heavy vehicles in the traffic flow. The risk of AVC was higher for species that were active near roadside habitat during peak traffic hours. Our approach could help identify roads that pose potential mortality risks to animals using empirical data on animal and traffic characteristics. Results suggest that regulating traffic volume and heterogeneity on existing road stretches could potentially reduce animal mortality and barrier effect. Mitigation on roads expected to carry heavy traffic loads passing through ecologically-sensitive areas should be prioritised to ensure traversability for animal communities.

Blue Sheep Resource Selection in Alpine Grasslands of a Western Himalayan Landscape - A Point Process Approach.

In-depth knowledge of distribution and factors influencing it is important for species conservation and management. Many forms of such data have led to the development of new analytical techniques for better interpretation. For mountainous terrains with certain limitations, species data are obtained in the presence-only form. The point process model is one of the recent approaches for modelling such data, taking care of pseudo-absences and spatial independence. For conservation in regions with limited resources and species with similar ecological requirements, it is important to properly assess the extent of competition extent between wild and domestic species. We attempted to use point process framework to estimate the function of resource selection in blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) in areas influenced by pastoralism in a western Himalayan region. Our study is the first attempt to use this framework to estimate resource selection on a dataset not collected using radio-telemetry. Spatial locations of blue sheep and livestock and a background sample of random points with six topographic covariates were used to model resource selection probability via intensity function. Blue sheep showed its predicted presence in areas with open vegetation coinciding with alpine meadows, influenced by southern aspect keeping a threshold distance of 600-1000 m from cliffs (escape terrain). Livestock, also showed presence probability in open vegetation, but at lower altitudes, mainly on valley floors. Our results suggest that though blue sheep continued to use the same habitat type after livestock arrival, they selected different resources based on topographic factors. Livestock were in areas where it was convenient for pastoralists to establish campsites and where nutritious grasses were present, making it feasible to graze. Thus, we argue that the probable shift in habitat for blue sheep from optimal areas occurs due to livestock presence, which might disturb their nutritional balance. Our study provides helpful insights for managing rangelands, which when tied with dietary patterns will give a better idea for proper conservation measures in the future.