BANGALORE: Human presence can affect wildlife behaviour and even alter their basic instincts. A study on striped hyena by a team of Bangalore-based researchers is a case in point. Human presence is indeed affecting the life and habits of the striped hyena in distant Rajasthan.
The study, published in the journal Mammology and undertaken by a team of researchers from NCBS and the Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore chronicles the ways and mannerisms of the striped hyena from India, NCBS researcher Divya Karnad said.
The study, conducted by Priya Singh, Arjun Gopalswamy and Ullas Karanth, involved estimating the population of hyenas in the Kumbalgarh and Esrana regions of Rajasthan. It was based on the hypothesis that hyenas might prefer to den in areas away from humans, particularly when they have cubs, "because they face constant harassment and pressure" in human-dominated landscapes.
To prove the point, researchers installed automatic cameras programmed to take pictures when motion was detected. The cameras were set up both in the protected Kumbalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and in the human-dominated Esrana Forest Range. About 307 sq km within the protected area and 218 sq km in the reserve forest were covered during the study.
Subsequently, more hyenas were spotted in the protected area as compared to the Esrana Reserve Forest, supporting the hypothesis that human harassment was forcing hyenas into the confines of Kumbalgarh.
Also, Karnad points out, hilly terrains, that might support hyena dens, were prominent within Kumbalgarh but there was an abundance of livestock in Esrana.
The findings conclude that though livestock are an important food source for the hyenas, nudging them to live alongside humans, these nocturnal creatures require areas free of human intrusion to survive.
According to the researchers, the scavengers have increasingly begun to depend on carcasses of domestic livestock, resulting in their increased proximity to human habitats. But the fact remains that human presence and harassment affects their behaviour and routine.
Source: Times of India,26-11-2010
The study, published in the journal Mammology and undertaken by a team of researchers from NCBS and the Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore chronicles the ways and mannerisms of the striped hyena from India, NCBS researcher Divya Karnad said.
The study, conducted by Priya Singh, Arjun Gopalswamy and Ullas Karanth, involved estimating the population of hyenas in the Kumbalgarh and Esrana regions of Rajasthan. It was based on the hypothesis that hyenas might prefer to den in areas away from humans, particularly when they have cubs, "because they face constant harassment and pressure" in human-dominated landscapes.
To prove the point, researchers installed automatic cameras programmed to take pictures when motion was detected. The cameras were set up both in the protected Kumbalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and in the human-dominated Esrana Forest Range. About 307 sq km within the protected area and 218 sq km in the reserve forest were covered during the study.
Subsequently, more hyenas were spotted in the protected area as compared to the Esrana Reserve Forest, supporting the hypothesis that human harassment was forcing hyenas into the confines of Kumbalgarh.
Also, Karnad points out, hilly terrains, that might support hyena dens, were prominent within Kumbalgarh but there was an abundance of livestock in Esrana.
The findings conclude that though livestock are an important food source for the hyenas, nudging them to live alongside humans, these nocturnal creatures require areas free of human intrusion to survive.
According to the researchers, the scavengers have increasingly begun to depend on carcasses of domestic livestock, resulting in their increased proximity to human habitats. But the fact remains that human presence and harassment affects their behaviour and routine.
Source: Times of India,26-11-2010
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