, Volume 57, Issue 3, pp 627-637  Prey preference of large
carnivores in Anamalai Tiger Reserve, India  368 Downloads 200
Citations 9 Comments   Prey preferences of large carnivores
(tiger (Panthera tigris), leopard (Panthera pardus) and dhole
(Cuon alpinus)) in the tropical forest of Anamalai Tiger Reserve
(ATR) were evaluated. This was the first study in ATR to
estimate the density of prey and the food habits of these large
carnivores. The 958-km2 intensive study area was found to have a
high mammalian prey density (72.1 animals per square kilometre)
with wild boar (20.61 animals per square kilometre) and chital
(20.54 animals per square kilometre) being the most common
species, followed by nilgiri tahr (13.6 animals per square
kilometre). When the density figures were multiplied by the
average weight of each prey species, a high biomass density of
14,204 kg km−2 was obtained for the intensive study area. Scat
analysis and incidental kill observation were used to determine
the dietary composition of these p