Humans and tigers can coexist in the same area with minimal conflict, finds a new study that raises hopes for big cat conservation.
The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by an international team of scientists, used camera traps to examine tiger density in and around Chitwan National Park in Nepal during 2010 and 2011. It found that tiger density “remained high despite the ubiquitous presence of people on foot or in vehicles”, indicating that tigers and humans overlapped spatially.
“Tigers have adapted to human presence by becoming more active at night and less active during the day, when human activities peak,” explained a statement released by PNAS.
The authors, led by Neil Carter of Michigan State University, say the findings could inform efforts to conserve tigers. For example, villagers could be encouraged to pen their livestock at night to reduce losses to tigers, while authorities could place restrictions on car traffic in sensitive areas at night to reduce disturbance.
“Conservation plans informed by fine-scale spatial and temporal insights can help address a major global challenge—meeting human needs while sustaining wildlife in an increasingly crowded world,” the authors conclude.
Scientists estimate there are less than 4,000 tigers left in the wild, down from roughly 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century. Habitat destruction, loss of prey, and poaching are the biggest threats to tigers.
CITATION: Neil Carter, Binoj Shrestha, Jhamak Karki, Narendra Man Babu Pradhan, and Jianguo Liu. Coexistence between wildlife and humans at fine spatial scales. PNAS Early Edition for the week of September 3, 2012 www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1210490109
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