Investigating Human-Carnivore Conflict Dynamics and Compensation Payment Processes in a Landscape of Coexistence
Abstract
In human dominated landscapes of coexistence, large carnivores like tigers (Panthera
tigris) and leopards (Panthera pardus) balance opportunities to secure prey, including
livestock, against the risks of human-retaliation. The persistence of large carnivores
requires that these species also be accommodated in habitats with high human and livestock
use – and compensation programs are widely implemented to engender coexistence. I
investigated the spatio-temporal dynamics of livestock depredation and the efficacy
of the compensation payment processes around Corbett Tiger Reserve, India, where tigers
and leopards kill between 700 and 1000 livestock each year. Multi-season occupancy
models suggested that livestock depredation probabilities varied seasonally as a function
of vegetation cover (both in forests and farmlands), with both tigers and leopards
exploiting areas with higher human presence in seasons with more cover, revealing
the dynamic nature of landscapes of coexistence. The probability of depredation was
greatest in the monsoons, and approximately 50% lower in the winter and summers for
tigers and marginally lower in winter and summers for leopards. The depredation-colonization
probability peaked during summer – monsoon transition and stayed high through the
monsoon, with the most significant spatial shifts in areas where vegetation increased
the most, offering forage for livestock and cover for predators. Leopard depredation
events were concentrated along the northern boundary of the study area, likely because
tigers displaced them to the lower quality habitat, with higher ruggedness and fewer
wild prey.
The average compensation paid by the government for loss of livestock was US $211,
approximately 30% of the value of a buffalo. Fund disbursal was greatly delayed, with
claimants receiving payments 276-320 days after recording an event which leads me
to conjecture that effective protection, cultural norms and beliefs – and a token
interim compensation amount paid within 72 hours of an event by NGOs – may have cumulatively
enabled the persistence of tigers and leopards, conflict notwithstanding. These findings
will help prioritize management actions including refining processes to expedite compensation
for the most vulnerable communities.
Type
Master's projectSubject
Human Carnivore ConflictLandscape of Coexistence
Corbett Tiger Reserve
Predation Risk Modelling
Multi-season occupancy models
Compensation schemes
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/20515Citation
Bakhshi, Rupinder Kaur (2020). Investigating Human-Carnivore Conflict Dynamics and Compensation Payment Processes
in a Landscape of Coexistence. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/20515.Collections
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