CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS
Across the globe, large carnivore conservation is a challenge owing to
the habitat loss and fragmentation of natural areas with rapidly growing
human populations. In India, conservation of large carnivores is
interlaced with various political, socioeconomic and emotional issues
which complicate this challenge. Increasingly, wildlife is compelled to
coexist with humans in highly modified landscapes highlighting the need
of planned and coordinated interdisciplinary efforts. Integrating
movement ecology in landscape management and policy making is a
desirable approach as it provides insights into how animals are affected
by human footprint and the implications on their ecology and
conservation. With great advances being made across the world in the
field of movement ecology, India is only beginning to take the initial
steps into the field. Studies on movement ecology and conservation have
primarily been conceptual. We take an applied perspective by drawing on
theory to link movement ecology of an animal with conservation
considerations in dynamic landscapes under anthropogenic stress. The
novel findings of the large-scale study on the movement ecology of 4
large carnivores of India will have dramatic implications on their
conservation and management in the country. They may even guide
developing countries with high human and carnivore densities in
conservation planning and management and serve as a cautionary learning
for countries where the densities of populations may increase in the
future. If large carnivores are to co-exist with humans, there needs to
be an understanding of how animals move inside PAs and the adaptations
they exhibit outside PAs to survive in the matrix in between. The use
and extent of corridors needs to be informed by real time knowledge of
animal motion and navigation capacities if we are to safeguard the
sensitive connections between the PAs. Our study can be a suitable
starting point for further comparative studies to understand the extent
to which large carnivores can negotiate landscapes and adapt to survive.
Data Accessibility Statement: The data contains locations of
endangered species from areas which are prone to poaching and human
prosecution. The locations of the four endangered species from India
will make species prone to many risks including poaching. Under such
circumstances as corresponding author, I request for exception of this
clause. Since this is the first paper from India with exact GPS
locations of large carnivores, our request may be considered. Some of
our GPS location belong to the breeding locations, such areas are still
occupied by breeding females. Making such location public will risk such
individuals.