Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Livestock losses and hotspots of attack from tigers and leopards in Kanha Tiger Reserve, Central India

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Regional Environmental Change Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Carnivore attacks on livestock are a primary driver of human–carnivore conflict and carnivore decline globally. Livestock depredation is particularly threatening to carnivore conservation in Central India, a priority landscape and stronghold for the endangered tiger. To strengthen the effectiveness of conflict mitigation strategies, we examined the spatial and temporal patterns and physical characteristics of livestock depredation in Kanha Tiger Reserve. We combined livestock compensation historical records (2001–2009) with ground surveys (2011–2012) and carnivore scat to identify when and where livestock species were most vulnerable. Between 400 and 600 livestock were reported for financial compensation each year, and most (91–95 %) were successfully reimbursed. Tigers and leopards were responsible for nearly all livestock losses and most often killed in the afternoon and early evening. Cattle and buffalo were most at risk in dense forests away from villages and roads, whereas goats were most often killed in open vegetation near villages. A spatial predation risk model for cattle revealed high-risk hotspots around the core zone boundary, confirming the significant risks to livestock grazing illegally in the core. Such ecological insights on carnivore–livestock interactions may help improve species-specific livestock husbandry for minimizing livestock losses and enabling coexistence between people and carnivores.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Athreya VR, Odden M, Linnell JDC et al (2014) A cat among the dogs: leopard Panthera pardus diet in a human-dominated landscape in western Maharashtra, India. Oryx. doi:10.1017/S0030605314000106

    Google Scholar 

  • Bahuguna A, Sahajpal V, Goyal SP et al (2010) Species identification from guard hair of selected Indian mammals. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun

    Google Scholar 

  • Balme GA, Slotow R, Hunter LTB (2010) Edge effects and the impact of non-protected areas in carnivore conservation: leopards in the Phinda–Mkhuze Complex, South Africa. Anim Conserv 13:315–323. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2009.00342.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhadauria RS, Singh AN (1994) Cyclic pattern of predation on domestic livestock by the tigers of Corbett National Park, U.P., India. TigerPaper 11:5–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhattarai BR, Fischer K (2014) Human–tiger Panthera tigris conflict and its perception in Bardia National Park, Nepal. Oryx. doi:10.1017/S0030605313000483

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnham KP, Anderson DR (2002) Model selection and multimodel inference: practical information-theoretic approach, 2nd edn. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter NH, Riley SJ, Liu J (2012) Utility of a psychological framework for carnivore conservation. Oryx 46:525–535. doi:10.1017/S0030605312000245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickman AJ (2010) Complexities of conflict: the importance of considering social factors for effectively resolving human–wildlife conflict. Anim Conserv 13:458–466. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2010.00368.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Draper N, Smith H (1993) Applied regression analysis. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutta T, Sharma S, Maldonado JE et al (2013) Gene flow and demographic history of leopards (Panthera pardus) in the central Indian highlands. Evol Appl 6:949–959. doi:10.1111/eva.12078

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garamszegi LZ (2010) Information-theoretic approaches to statistical analysis in behavioural ecology: an introduction. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 65:1–11. doi:10.1007/s00265-010-1028-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodrich JM (2010) Human–tiger conflict: a review and call for comprehensive plans. Integr Zool 5:300–312. doi:10.1111/j.1749-4877.2010.00218.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harihar A, Pandav B, Goyal SP (2011) Responses of leopard Panthera pardus to the recovery of a tiger Panthera tigris population. J Appl Ecol 48:801–814. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.01981.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jhala YV, Qureshi Q, Gopal R, Amin R (2009) Monitoring tigers, co-predators, prey and their habitats. National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India, New Delhi and Dehradun

    Google Scholar 

  • Jhala YV, Qureshi Q, Gopal R (2014a) The status of tigers in India 2014. National Tiger Conservation Authority, Wildlife Institute of India, New Delhi and Dehradun

    Google Scholar 

  • Jhala YV, Qureshi Q, Vettakevan J et al (2014b) Spatial and population ecology of tiger co-predator and their prey in Kanha Tiger Reserve. Progress report 2005–2013. Wildlife Institute of India, National Tiger Conservation Authority and Kanha Tiger Reserve, Dehradun, New Delhi and Madhya Pradesh

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson CJ, Nielsen SE, Merrill EH et al (2006) Resource selection functions based on use-availability data: theoretical motivation and evaluation methods. J Wildl Manag 70:347–357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kala C, Kothari K (2013) Livestock predation by common leopard in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, India: human–wildlife conflicts and conservation issues. Hum Wildl Interact 7:325–333

    Google Scholar 

  • Karanth KU, Sunquist ME (1995) Prey selection by tiger, leopard and dhole in tropical forests. J Anim Ecol 64:439–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karanth KU, Sunquist ME (2000) Behavioural correlates of predation by tiger (Panthera tigris), leopard (Panthera pardus) and dhole (Cuon alpinus) in Nagarahole, India. J Zool 250:255–265. doi:10.1017/S0952836900002119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karanth KK, Gopalaswamy AM, DeFries RS, Ballal N (2012) Assessing patterns of human–wildlife conflicts and compensation around a central Indian protected area. PLoS One 7:e50433. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050433

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karanth KK, Naughton-Treves L, DeFries RS, Gopalaswamy AM (2013) Living with wildlife and mitigating conflicts around three Indian protected areas. Environ Manag 52:1320–1332. doi:10.1007/s00267-013-0162-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katel ON, Pradha S, Schmit-Vogt D (2014) A survey of livestock losses caused by Asiatic wild dogs, leopards and tigers, and of the impact of predation on the livelihood of farmers in Bhutan. Wildl Res 41:300–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kissling WD, Fernández N, Paruelo JM (2009) Spatial risk assessment of livestock exposure to pumas in Patagonia, Argentina. Ecography 32:807–817. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0587.2009.05781.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolowski J, Holekamp KEK (2006) Spatial, temporal, and physical characteristics of livestock depredations by large carnivores along a Kenyan reserve border. Biol Conserv 128:529–541. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2005.10.021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laundré JW, Calderas JMM, Hernandez L (2009) Foraging in the landscape of fear, the predator’s dilemma: Where should I hunt? Open Ecol J 2:1–6. doi:10.2174/1874213000902010001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lichtenfeld LL, Trout C, Kisimir EL (2014) Evidence-based conservation: predator-proof bomas protect livestock and lions. Biodivers Conserv 24:483–491. doi:10.1007/s10531-014-0828-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lovari S, Ventimiglia M, Minder I (2013) Food habits of two leopard species, competition, climate change and upper treeline: a way to the decrease of an endangered species? Ethol Ecol Evol. doi:10.1080/03949370.2013.806362

    Google Scholar 

  • Madhusudan MD (2003) Living amidst large wildlife: livestock and crop depredation by large mammals in the interior villages of Bhadra Tiger Reserve, South India. Environ Manag 31:466–475. doi:10.1007/s00267-002-2790-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malviya M, Ramesh K (2015) Human–felid conflict in corridor habitats: implications for tiger and leopard conservation in Terai Arc Landscape, India. Hum Wildl Interact 9:48–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Manly BF, McDonald LL, Thomas DL (2002) Resource selection by animals: statistical analysis and design for field studies, 2nd edn. Springer, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller JRB (2015) Mapping attack hotspots to mitigate human–carnivore conflict: approaches and applications of spatial predation risk modeling. Biodivers Conserv. doi:10.1007/s10531-015-0993-6

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller JRB, Jhala YV, Jena J, Schmitz OJ (2015) Landscape-scale accessibility of livestock to tigers: implications of spatial grain for modeling predation risk to mitigate human–carnivore conflict. Ecol Evol 5:1354–1367. doi:10.1002/ece3.1440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mukherjee S, Goyal SP, Chellam R (1994) Standardization of scat analysis techniques for leopard (Panthera pardus) in Gir National Park, Western India. Mammalia 58:139–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Negi HS, Shukla R (2010) Tiger conservation plan for Kanha Tiger Reserve (2012–2022). Report for Kanha Tiger Reserve Forest Department, Mandla

    Google Scholar 

  • Nugraha RT, Sugardjito J (2009) Assessment and management options of human–tiger conflicts in Kerinci Seblat National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia. Mammal Study 34:141–154. doi:10.3106/041.034.0303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nyhus PJ, Tilson R (2004) Characterizing human–tiger conflict in Sumatra, Indonesia: implications for conservation. Oryx 38:68–74. doi:10.1017/S0030605304000110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nyhus PJ, Osofsky SA, Ferraro PJ et al (2005) Bearing the costs of human–wildlife conflict: the challenges of compensation schemes. In: Woodroffe R, Thirgood S, Rabinowitz A (eds) People wildlife conflicts or coexistence?. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 107–121

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Odden M, Wegge P, Fredriksen T (2010) Do tigers displace leopards? If so, why? Ecol Res 25:875–881. doi:10.1007/s11284-010-0723-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odden M, Athreya VR, Rattan S, Linnell JDC (2014) Adaptable neighbours: movement patterns of GPS-collared leopards in human dominated landscapes in India. PLoS One 9:e112044. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0112044

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Post G, Pandav B (2013) Comparative evaluation of tiger reserves in India. Biodivers Conserv. doi:10.1007/s10531-013-0554-9

    Google Scholar 

  • Ripple WJ, Estes JA, Beschta RL et al (2014) Status and ecological effects of the world’s largest carnivores. Science 343:1–11. doi:10.1126/science.1241484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson EW, Forrest J, Loucks C et al (2006) Setting priorities for the conservation and recovery of wild tigers: 2005–2015. WCS, WWF, Smithsonian, and NFWF-STF, New York and Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Sangay T, Vernes K (2008) Human–wildlife conflict in the Kingdom of Bhutan: patterns of livestock predation by large mammalian carnivores. Biol Conserv 141:1272–1282. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2008.02.027

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seidensticker J (1976) On the ecological separation between tigers and leopards. Biotropica 8:225–234. doi:10.2307/2989714

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma RK, Jhala YV, Qureshi Q et al (2010) Evaluating capture–recapture population and density estimation of tigers in a population with known parameters. Anim Conserv 13:94–103. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2009.00305.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma S, Dutta T, Maldonado JE et al (2013) Forest corridors maintain historical gene flow in a tiger metapopulation in the highlands of central India. Proc R Soc B 280:20131506. doi:10.1098/rspb.2013.1506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shivik JA (2006) Tools for the edge: what’s new for conserving carnivores. Bioscience 56:253–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shrader AM, Brown JS, Kerley GIH, Kotler BP (2008) Do free-ranging domestic goats show “landscapes of fear”? Patch use in response to habitat features and predator cues. J Arid Environ 72:1811–1819. doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2008.05.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair ARE, Mduma S, Brashares JS (2003) Patterns of predation in a diverse predator–prey system. Nature 425:288–290. doi:10.1038/nature01977.1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh R, Nigam P, Qureshi Q et al (2015) Characterizing human–tiger conflict in and around Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, western India. Eur J Wildl Res. doi:10.1007/s10344-014-0895-z

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith J, McDougal C, Miquelle DG (1989) Scent marking in free ranging tigers, Panthera tigris. Anim Behav 37:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soh YH, Carrasco LR, Miquelle DG et al (2014) Spatial correlates of livestock depredation by Amur tigers in Hunchun, China: relevance of prey density and implications for protected area management. Biol Conserv 169:117–127. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2013.10.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suryawanshi KR, Bhatnagar YV, Redpath S, Mishra C (2013) People, predators and perceptions: patterns of livestock depredation by snow leopards and wolves. J Appl Ecol 50:550–560. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12061

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Treves A, Karanth KU (2003) Human–carnivore conflict and perspectives on carnivore management worldwide. Conserv Biol 17:1491–1499. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2003.00059.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Treves A, Wallace RB, Morales A (2006) Co-managing human–wildlife conflicts: a review. Hum Dimens Wildl 11:383–396. doi:10.1080/10871200600984265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Treves A, Martin KA, Wydeven AP, Wiedenhoeft JE (2011) Forecasting environmental hazards and the application of risk maps to predator attacks on livestock. Bioscience 61:451–458. doi:10.1525/bio.2011.61.6.7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valeix M, Fritz H, Loveridge A et al (2009) Does the risk of encountering lions influence African herbivore behaviour at waterholes? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 63:1483–1494. doi:10.1007/s00265-009-0760-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang SW, Macdonald DW (2006) Livestock predation by carnivores in Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, Bhutan. Biol Conserv 129:558–565. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2005.11.024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wikramanayake ED, Dinerstein E, Robinson JG et al (1998) An ecology-based method for defining priorities for large mammal conservation: the tiger as case study. Conserv Biol 12:865–878

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodroffe R, Ginsberg JR (1998) Edge effects and the extinction of populations inside protected areas. Science 280:2126–2128. doi:10.1126/science.280.5372.2126

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Woodroffe R, Thirgood S, Rabinowitz A (2005) People and wildlife: conflict or coexistence?. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Yumnam B, Jhala YV, Qureshi Q et al (2014) Prioritizing tiger conservation through landscape genetics and habitat linkages. PLoS One 9:e111207. doi:10.5061/dryad.c7v41.Funding

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zarco-González MM, Monroy-Vilchis O, Alaníz J (2013) Spatial model of livestock predation by jaguar and puma in Mexico: conservation planning. Biol Conserv 159:80–87. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2012.11.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Rajesh Gopal and the National Tiger Conservation Authority for permissions and facilitation for carrying out this research. We acknowledge the Madhya Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, H. S. Pabla, for granting research permission and the Wildlife Institute of India for institutional support. We are very grateful to the Kanha Forest Department for providing historical records and field support, especially Field Director J. S. Chauhan, Research Officer Rakesh Shukla, and the wireless controllers, forest guards, and chowkidars who helped us survey sites. We thank Naseem Khan, Arvind Thakur, Ashish Bais, Amol Khumbar, and Ashish Prasad for assisting with data collection. This manuscript benefited from discussions with Oswald Schmitz, Anne Trainor, and Meghna Agarwala as well as feedback from several anonymous reviewers. Maya Lim assisted with graphic design. We thank Ruth DeFries, Trishna Dutta, and Sandeep Sharma for coordinating and editing this special issue. Funding was provided by the American Institute for Indian Studies; American Philosophical Society Lewis and Clark; Association of Zoos and Aquariums; John Ball Zoo Society; Yale Tropical Resources Institute; and the National Science Foundation GRFP.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Jennifer R. B. Miller

    Present address: Panthera, Lion and Leopard Programs, 8 West 40th Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY, 10018, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    Jennifer R. B. Miller

  2. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001, India

    Jennifer R. B. Miller & Yadvendradev V. Jhala

  3. Satpuda Maikal Landscape Programme, WWF-India, Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, 481661, India

    Jyotirmay Jena

Authors
  1. Jennifer R. B. Miller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yadvendradev V. Jhala
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jyotirmay Jena
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer R. B. Miller.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOC 518 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Miller, J.R.B., Jhala, Y.V. & Jena, J. Livestock losses and hotspots of attack from tigers and leopards in Kanha Tiger Reserve, Central India. Reg Environ Change 16 (Suppl 1), 17–29 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-015-0871-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-015-0871-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation