Improving Connectivity for Tigers and Other Large Carnivores in the Western Ghats

WCT’s long-term study in the Sahyadri Tiger Landscape in the northern Western Ghats has shed light on how the four large carnivores – tiger, dhole, leopard, and sloth bear – are faring in the region. It helps us to understand: a) how these animals are persisting within and outside the Protected Areas in the landscape; b) if the corridors provide the necessary habitat and connectivity for the carnivore populations; and c) how the fragmentation of these corridors impacts the species’ use of the landscape. In 2020 and 2021, five new Conservation Reserves were notified by the Government of Maharashtra in the Sahyadri Tiger Landscape, collectively bringing over 500 sq. km. of forested area under some degree of legal protection.

The study further pointed towards the need for improved protection levels for large carnivores in the already existing and newly declared Protected Areas in the landscape. WCT is working closely with the Maharashtra Forest Department to draft the Management Plan for the northern Western Ghats corridor, including the newly declared Conservation Reserves. Further, to improve the capacity of frontline forest staff in the region, WCT has been conducting training sessions for the forest staff on Wildlife Crime Scene Investigation, Forensics and Wildlife Law Enforcement, and equipping the frontline staff with the necessary field gear.

“Designing conservation interventions at large landscape scales is essential for wide-ranging mammalian wildlife. Our work in the northern Western Ghats provides a macro-level perspective which can guide conservation interventions to improve populations of the Tiger and three other large carnivores in the landscape. This should benefit the larger ecosystem as well, of which humans are the primary beneficiaries.”

Girish Punjabi, Conservation Biologist, WCT