Journals Information
Advances in Zoology and Botany Vol. 13(5), pp. 97 - 104
DOI: 10.13189/azb.2025.130501
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Diet Analysis of Tiger Panthera tigris and Leopard Panthera pardus (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) around the Banke-Bardia Complex
Sagar Raj Kandel *
Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
ABSTRACT
An understanding of feeding ecology is crucial for guiding the conservation of the sympatric carnivores, tiger Panthera tigris and leopard Panthera pardus. Scat samples from tigers and leopards were obtained non-invasively from the core and Buffer Zone (BZ) regions of Banke National Park (BaNP) and the Kamdi forest corridor between January and April 2019. These were analysed, based on the cuticle and medullary structure of hairs within the scat samples, to determine the prey species of both species. A total of N=50 samples of tiger scats were collected from the core and BZ areas of BaNP. No tiger scats were found in the Kamdi forest corridor. About 60 samples of leopard scats were collected from the core and BZ areas of BaNP and from the Kamdi forest corridor. Nine prey species were identified from tiger scat samples, and additional seven prey species were found in leopard scats' diet, with Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus and Buffalo Bubalus bubalis being absent while other rodents and bird species were found. Based on the prey categorisation for both felids, medium-sized prey species contributed 66.92% and 63.38% of biomass consumption in tiger and leopard diets respectively, which signifies dietary overlap. Biomass contribution was 90.30% and 76.61% from wild ungulates in tiger and leopard diets respectively. Domestic livestock support 9.50% and 15.18% of biomass in tigers and leopards, with an absence of small prey species like goats, sheep, and dogs in tigers' diet.
KEYWORDS
Feeding Ecology, Diet, Tiger, Leopard, Banke National Park, Kamdi Forest, Biomass, Felids, Wild Ungulates
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Sagar Raj Kandel , "Diet Analysis of Tiger Panthera tigris and Leopard Panthera pardus (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) around the Banke-Bardia Complex," Advances in Zoology and Botany, Vol. 13, No. 5, pp. 97 - 104, 2025. DOI: 10.13189/azb.2025.130501.
(b). APA Format:
Sagar Raj Kandel (2025). Diet Analysis of Tiger Panthera tigris and Leopard Panthera pardus (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) around the Banke-Bardia Complex. Advances in Zoology and Botany, 13(5), 97 - 104. DOI: 10.13189/azb.2025.130501.