Ecology of wolves with Emphasis on dispersal in a Human Dominated Landscape, Maharashtra, India The Indian wolf is the top predator of open plains (semi-arid grasslands, scrublands, grazing land, etc.), categorized as a Schedule I species as per the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Increase in human population, habitat degradation and changing land use pattern have resulted […]
Assessment of impacts of the proposed Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway, Maharashtra, Samruddhi Corridor on wildlife values and measures recommended mitigating negative impacts. India has the second largest road network in the world which continues to expand with the growing need for development. There is an urgent need to rethink and design new ecosystems that allow […]
Project Title: Tracking the Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) and mapping its potential habitat across the Deccan Landscape, Maharashtra, India. The Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps, is a globally threatened species that has witnessed drastic decline in its population over the years. The current population in believed to be less than 200 individuals and listed […]
Developing genetic database to understand metapopulation dynamics and connectivity of tigers and other large predators across tiger landscape of Maharashtra, India Indian tigers have faced more than 90% decline in population size due to poaching, prey depletion, and human-induced habitat loss and fragmentation across the subcontinent. Their survival depends on conservation efforts focused on maintaining […]
Since 2014, we have been studying dholes in the Eastern Vidarbha Landscape, Maharashtra. The Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is our intensive study area within the landscape. Our work on dholes focuses on their behavioural ecology and space use. We started off by developing the first ever ethogram for the Asiatic wild dogs from the dry […]
Ecological impact assessment of existing and proposed road infrastructure in important wildlife corridors in India for strategic planning of smart green infrastructure. Among the greatest threats to natural habitats and wildlife today is fragmentation by linear infrastructure, foremost among which are roads. As India aims to make the fruits of development accessible to all its […]
This work aims to understand the ecology of the Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the North-Western Trans-Himalayan Landscape. It is one of the most extensively studied carnivore species, found in a wide range of habitats, ranging from arctic to subtropical regions. However, in the arid Trans-Himalayan cold mountainous landscape there is a dearth of information […]
The gray wolf is one of the most widely distributed terrestrial species and inhabits a wide variety of environments. While most research is focused in Europe and North America, the wolves of Asia are both little studied and appear to have a complicated phylogeographic history. Only recently, divergent maternal lineages of wolves have been recognized […]
Himalayan wolf is the most ancient lineage of the wolves worldwide. Molecular studies have revealed the presence of three different lineages of wolves in India. Himalayan wolf diverged from others about 800,000 years ago making it basal to the wolf-dog clad. However, the taxonomic status of the Himalayan wolf remains a topic of debate, and […]