Thanet Dol Raj, Regmi Pramod Raj, Lamichhane Babu Ram, Naha Dipanjan, Kupferman Caitlin, Beasley James C, Pangeni Mandip, Shrestha Anil, Lamichhane Saneer, Acharya Haribhadra, Dhakal Bed Kumar, Dahal Bhagawan Raj, Pokheral Chiranjibi Prasad, Subedi Naresh
Institute of Forestry, Hetauda Campus Tribhuvan University Hetauda Nepal.
National Trust for Nature Conservation Lalitpur Nepal.
Ecol Evol. 2025 Jun 21;15(6):e71547. doi: 10.1002/ece3.71547. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Understanding interspecific interactions between tigers () and leopards () is crucial for effective conservation planning. However, most studies have been conducted only in well-known protected areas, leaving knowledge gaps in other parts of their overlapping range. This study investigates the spatial-temporal interactions between sympatric carnivores (tigers and leopards) in Parsa National Park (PNP), Nepal. Camera trap data obtained from 157 sampling sites (2 × 2 km grid cells) were used to assess daily temporal activity patterns, single-species occupancy, and density of tigers and leopards using spatially explicit capture-recapture models (SECR) to further examine their coexistence mechanism in light of the recent recovery of tiger populations in PNP. In general, our findings indicate that both species co-detected at 44 camera locations, demonstrating that they spatially share habitats inside the park. However, leopards avoid peak tiger activity periods, which is likely to reduce competitive interactions. The SECR model estimated a leopard density of 3.09 individuals per 100 km whereas tiger density was 1.25 individuals per 100 km within the study area. The model-averaged occupancy probability of leopards in PNP was 0.45 (CI: 0.30, 0.64). The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) had a strong correlation with leopard occupancy, while the tiger relative abundance index (RAI) had minimal impact, reflecting the importance of high-quality habitats in protected areas for conserving both species. Conservation initiatives targeting to strengthen the tiger recovery plans should incorporate thorough studies of interspecific interactions between sympatric large carnivores like tigers, leopards, and their prey base on a fine-grain scale to ensure effective management strategies.
了解老虎（）和豹（）之间的种间相互作用对于有效的保护规划至关重要。然而，大多数研究仅在知名的保护区进行，在它们重叠分布范围的其他区域存在知识空白。本研究调查了尼泊尔帕尔萨国家公园（PNP）中同域食肉动物（老虎和豹）之间的时空相互作用。利用从157个采样点（2×2千米网格单元）获得的相机陷阱数据，通过空间明确的捕获 - 重捕模型（SECR）评估老虎和豹的每日时间活动模式、单物种占有率和密度，以便根据PNP近期老虎数量的恢复情况进一步研究它们的共存机制。总体而言，我们的研究结果表明，在44个相机位置同时检测到了这两个物种，这表明它们在空间上共享公园内的栖息地。然而，豹会避开老虎的活动高峰期，这可能会减少竞争相互作用。SECR模型估计，研究区域内豹的密度为每100平方千米3.09只，而老虎的密度为每100平方千米1.25只。PNP中豹的模型平均占有率概率为0.45（置信区间：0.30，0.64）。归一化植被指数（NDVI）与豹的占有率有很强的相关性，而老虎相对丰度指数（RAI）的影响最小，这反映了保护区内高质量栖息地对于保护这两个物种的重要性。旨在加强老虎恢复计划的保护举措应纳入对老虎、豹等同域大型食肉动物及其猎物之间种间相互作用的精细尺度深入研究，以确保有效的管理策略。
