Abstract
The conservation of endangered and rare mammal populations requires accurate inventorying. Traditional live-trapping methods can be labor-intensive, time-consuming and prone to errors, while camera trapping (CT) offers an effective alternative, enabling conservation efforts to focus on what is needed most. The current study utilized CT to understand the species richness and relative abundance of mammals in Kali Tiger Reserve, India. The sampling period was from March to May 2021, divided into three phases, each lasting 25 days and covering three different regions of the study area. The Rarefaction technique proved that 364 out of 462 camera stations was adequate effort for accurately estimating the composition of 22 mammal species comprising of eight herbivores, two omnivores, and six carnivores. The eastern region had a higher concentration of mammal species with the highest captures occurring at elevation ranging from 400 to 800 m. The study also noted the extensive presence of domestic animals and human activities, including hunting and poaching of wildlife within the reserve. The findings serve as a baseline for future assessments of conservation management interventions in Kali Tiger Reserve.
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Data Availability
We have provided the maps as supplementary files, while the raw data for this study cannot be shared due to restrictions on camera trap images,. For access to the camera trap images, researchers may submit a formal request to the Field Director of Kali Tiger Reserve (directordatr@gmail.com or imranpatel@aranya.gov.in).
Change history
03 April 2024
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-024-01674-w
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Acknowledgements
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Conservator of Forests, Kanara Circle (Shri Vasant Reddy KV), Deputy Conservator of Forests and Director, Kali Tiger Reserve (Shri Maria Christu Raja D) and Assistant Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Research and Training Centre (Amarashakar V M) for their diligent oversight of the project and invaluable suggestions during manuscript preparation. We would also like to express our appreciation to the dedicated Range Forest Officers and frontline staff of Kali Tiger Reserve for their exceptional efforts in installing camera traps, conducting regular checks, and collecting the vital data that made this research possible.
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Imran Patel, Kavya H Das and Bismay Ranjan Tripathy conceived the idea and designed the study. All Frontline field staff of Kali Tiger Reserve conducted the field survey, installed camera traps, collected and managed the camera trapping data. Bismay Ranjan Tripathy, Kirti Kumar Mahanta and Kavya H Das analyzed the data, and elaborated on the results. Bismay Ranjan Tripathy, Kavya H Das and Pavan Kumar wrote the first draft of the manuscript under Maria Christu Raja D and Imran Patel supervision. All the authors participated in writing the final drafts. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Tripathy, B.R., Patel, I., Pai, O. et al. Establishing a baseline of mammal diversity in Kali Tiger Reserve, India through camera trapping. Biologia (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-024-01668-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-024-01668-8