Status of tiger, leopard and prey in Nandhaur valley: baseline estimates from the sub-himalayan Nandhaur region of Uttarakhand, India
The vision to establish within the Terai-Arc Landscape (TAL) a contiguous tiger habitat is contingent upon extending conservation efforts beyond the Protected Areas. The Reserve Forests between the Gola and Sharda rivers (encompassing three Forest Divisions – Haldwani, Terai East and Champawat), henceforth, the Nandhaur region, provides a crucial link between the western and central TAL. Further, this un-fragmented forested tract of nearly 1500 km2 presents opportunities to conserve biodiversity in the highly threatened Shivalik-Terai ecosystem. The primary goal of this study was to bridge gaps in information on the status of threatened large mammals in the Nandhaur region and recommend future conservation strategies. The focus of this study was the endangered tiger, its co-predators and their prey species. Data on all other mammal species was also collated.