Identifying corridors for Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in a part of Eastern Himalayas, India

Research identifies seven critical corridors and five pinch points for Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) movement in Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim, India. These corridors, validated by high model accuracy (AUC: 0.921), connect eight protected areas, with Khangchendzonga and Barsey emerging as highest-quality linkages. The study used MaxENT modeling and Circuitscape, analyzing 65 bear presence locations and 24 environmental variables to map suitable habitats and movement pathways. Pinch points near settlements like Mangan and Dikchu coincide with conflict zones, underscoring the impact of human infrastructure on bear connectivity. The findings highlight the importance of protected areas in maintaining genetic diversity and wildlife movement in fragmented landscapes.

Bhattacharya, M., Sarkar, D., Pandey, S., Mondal, I., Sathyakumar, S., Kumar, R. S., & Talukdar, G. (2025). Identifying corridors for Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in a part of Eastern Himalayas, India. Frontiers in Conservation Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2025.1470223