Human–Wildlife Interactions 12(2):186–197, Fall 2018 • digitalcommons.usu.edu/hwi Livestock depredation by Bengal tigers in fringe areas of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, Assam, India: implications for large carnivore conservation Jimmy Borah, World Wide Fund for Nature-India, 172-B, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi-110003, India [email protected] Pranab Jyoti Bora, World Wide Fund for Nature-India, Parvati Nagar, Tezpur-784001, Assam, India Amit Sharma, World Wide Fund for Nature-India, Parvati Nagar, Tezpur-784001, Assam, India Soumen Dey, World Wide Fund for Nature-India, Parvati Nagar, Tezpur-784001, Assam, India Anupam Sarmah, World Wide Fund for Nature-India, Parvati Nagar, Tezpur-784001, Assam, India Niranjan Kumar Vasu, Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, Bokakhat-785612, Assam, India Nadisha Sidhu, World Wide Fund for Nature-India, 172-B, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi-110003, India Abstract: Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris) have cohabited with humans in India for centuries. However, with increasing human populations, human–tiger conflicts (HTC) have increased. Impacts of such conflicts are loss of human life, livestock depredations, and retaliatory killings of tigers. Considering that tiger populations are in decline throughout their range, accurate information regarding the magnitude of the impacts of HTC is needed for tiger conservation. We analyzed livestock depredation data collected over 3 years (April 2008 to March 2011) from villages near the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (KTR) to determine impacts of HTC. During the study period, we documented 518 livestock depredations by tigers. Cattle (Bos taurus) were the primary livestock depredated, with a mean loss of 1.2 livestock head per year per household. Livestock depredation was highest in winter (χ2 = 74.2, df = 3, P < 0.05) and occurred mostly at night (χ2 = 44.9, df = 3, P < 0.05). The average interim relief amount paid per depredation was US$27.78, whereas the average interim relief amount paid per year was US$4,726.44. We discuss the significance of our findings for mitigating livestock losses by tigers through improved livestock management and the formation of a core team to oversee conflicts and to implement education programs. Key words: compensation, conservation, human–wildlife conflicts, human–tiger conflicts, India, interim relief, Kaziranga, livestock depredation, Panthera tigris Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris), humans, most commonly in areas where natural prey and their livestock have long cohabited in populations have been depleted (Goodrich India. With increasing human populations, 2010). Increased HTC has been implicated in human–tiger conflicts (HTC) have increased declining tiger populations across the species’ dramatically (Graham et al. 2005). In India, range (Goodrich et al. 2011); thus, reducing tigers are among the most common species of HTC is critical for successful tiger conservation large carnivores involved in conflicts (Karanth efforts (Treves and Karanth 2003, Woodroffe and Gopal 2005, Barlow et al. 2010, Goodrich et al. 2005, Inskip and Zimmermann 2009) and 2010, Nyhus and Tilson 2010). Within the for conserving tiger populations (Kenney et al. tiger’s distributional range, conflicts are more 1995, Chapron et al. 2008, Goodrich et al. 2008). severe in the Indian sub-continent where both In response to the rangewide decline of tiger tiger and human population densities are populations, conservation organizations have highest (McDougal 1987). The consequences increased their efforts to mitigate HTC (Treves of HTC may include loss of human life and and Karanth 2003, Nyhus and Tilson 2010). livestock depredations. These consequences The Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (KTR) is an contribute to increased retaliatory killings important tiger reserve of the Brahmaputra of tigers (Nikolaev and Yudin 1993, Karanth Valley in Assam, India (Sanderson et al. 2006). and Gopal 2005, Miquelle et al. 2005, Nyhus Tigers from KTR are considered a source and Tilson 2010). Tigers attack livestock population for the entire region (Jhala et al. Human–tiger conflicts • Borah et al. 187 Figure 1. The study concentrated on the fringe areas under the jurisdiction of Agoratoli, Bagori, Burapahar, Biswanath Ghat, and Kohora Range Offices (RO) of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (KTR), the Dolamara and Parkup Pahar Ranges of Karbi Anglong East Division, the Salna Range, and Laokhowa and Burhachapori Range Offices of Nagaon Wildlife Division. The KTR is an important Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) reserve of the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, India. 2011). The reserve contains some of the highest need and urgency for tiger conservation. In densities of tigers (32.6 per 100 km2) in the this paper, we summarize the impacts of HTC world (Karanth et al. 2004, Ahmed et al. 2010). in fringe areas of KTR, report on the IRS, and Beginning in 2004, villager attitudes towards recommend additional measures that could KTR, forest department personnel, and tigers mitigate future HTC. We hypothesized that became increasingly negative as the number the IRS would improve community attitudes of depredation incidences increased (Bora et toward tigers and KTR, and provide immediate al. 2009). In response, in 2008, World Wide information on tiger depredations from affected Fund (WWF) India’s Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong areas. Thus, partners hoped the IRS would Landscape Conservation Program in Assam also help to mitigate conflict cases and reduce initiated an interim relief scheme (IRS). retaliatory killings of tigers. The purpose of the IRS was to document the magnitude of depredation cases as well Study area as to provide immediate financial relief This study focused on the fringe areas under to villagers against a confirmed case of the jurisdiction of Agoratoli, Bagori, Burapahar, livestock depredation by tigers. The IRS was a Biswanathghat, and Kohora Range Offices (RO) collaboration between the park authorities and of the KTR Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, the local communities, aiming to mitigate HTC Dolamara and Parkup Pahar Ranges of Karbi in the fringe areas of KTR (Bora et al. 2009). Anglong East Division, the Salna Range, and We assumed that the IRS would accurately Laokhowa and Burhachapori Range Offices of document the magnitude of tiger depredation Nagaon Wildlife Division (Figure 1). incidents, which in turn would reduce the The KTR (26° 34' N to 26° 46' N and 93° 08' retaliatory anger of the villagers. The IRS was E to 93° 36' E) encompasses the administrative also designed to increase awareness among districts of Golaghat, Nagaon, and Sonitpur in villagers and other area stakeholders on the the state of Assam, India, with the Brahmaputra 188 Human–Wildlife Interactions 12(2) River on the northern border and the Karbi staff, and 2 WWF staff to monitor livestock Anglong hills on the southern border. The total depredation. The local villagers were selected area of the KTR is 860 km2, which includes a from different villages, the KTR forest core area of 460 km2 as the Kaziranga National department staff were selected based on their Park. The vegetation of the park is classified as expertise and experience in identifying the 66% grassland, 28% woodland, and 6% aquatic predators involved in incidents, and the staff of vegetation (Vasu 2003). The KTR lies in the WWF included a biologist and a field assistant. floodplain of the Brahmaputra River, sloping The team used pre-designed field formats very gradually from east to west against a to standardize data collection and recorded backdrop of the foothills and peaks of the photographic evidence. The data collected eastern Himalayas. There are 4 main types at the depredation site included name and of vegetation found here: alluvial inundated address of livestock owner, date of depredation grasslands and reed beds, alluvial savannah (season), time of depredation, type and number woodland, tropical moist mixed deciduous of livestock killed, nearest range office, and forests, and tropical semi-evergreen forests mode of payment. (Talukdar 1995). The riverine habitat consists The IRS process was initiated by the village primarily of dense, tall grassland interspersed representatives who provided information with open forests, interconnecting streams, and to the local forest office about any livestock numerous small flood-formed lakes or beels depredation occurring in any village within that cover 5% of its area. the study area. Following this report, the The KTR also supports significant floodplain local forest staff investigated to determine the biodiversity in the region and holds populations presence of the predator near the village. The of Indian one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros depredation was confirmed by the presence of unicornis), Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), scat or pugmarks at the attack sites and canine swamp deer (Cervus duvaucelli ranjitsinghi), puncture marks in livestock (Schaller 1967, Asiatic water buffalo (Bubalus arnee), and the Seidensticker and McDougal 1993, Karanth and Bengal tiger. A low mountain range to the Sunquist 1995, Karanth and Sunquist 2000). south, the Karbi Anglong hills, separated by a Once the depredation was officially national highway (NH-37), provides refuge to documented, the compensation claim was animals in times of flood. forwarded to the range officer or the divisional There are about 150 villages along the forest officer, who evaluated the claim based highway and lying within the zone of influence on the evidence presented. If the case was of the reserve (Jhala et al. 2011). These villages verified as valid, an immediate interim