Tigers (Panthera tigris) respond to fine spatial-scale habitat factors: occupancy-based habitat association of tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal, exhibit strong habitat preferences at fine spatial scales, with their detection and occurrence significantly influenced by prey availability, landcover type, slope, and proximity to water sources. Unlike expectations, tiger presence decreases further from human settlements but increases near water bodies, suggesting complex interactions with human-disturbed landscapes. The study employed camera-trap surveys combined with occupancy modeling to assess how tigers utilize habitat within this protected area. Findings indicate that tigers persist at high densities by focusing their activity on small portions of their home ranges, a critical insight for managing small wildlife refuges in human-dominated areas. This approach offers a robust method for studying fine-scale wildlife-habitat associations, applicable to other wide-ranging species confined to smaller protected zones.

Kafley, H., Gompper, M. E., Sharma, M., Lamichane, B. R., & Maharjan, R. (2016). Tigers (Panthera tigris) respond to fine spatial-scale habitat factors: occupancy-based habitat association of tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Wildlife Research, 43(5), 398–410. https://doi.org/10.1071/wr16012