An Insight Into the Diet and Prey Preference of Tigers in Bardia National Park, Nepal

Abstract

We studied the diet and prey preferences of tigers ( Panthera tigris tigris Linnaeus, 1758) in Bardia National Park, Nepal using DNA-based techniques from their scat samples. Remains of prey species in scats were identified through microscopic hair morphology analysis. Of 101 scats, DNA was extracted from 84 samples and 75 were assigned to tigers (34 males and 41 females). We found seven and six prey species in the diet of male tiger and female tiger, respectively. The diet of male and female tigers did not differ significantly, with chital ( Axis axis Erxleben, 1777) as the most abundant prey species. The Jacobs index suggested a preference of male tigers for sambar deer ( Cervus unicolor Kerr, 1792) and wild pig ( Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758) and of the female tigers for wild pig and chital. Bardia National Park has the highest density of tiger prey species (92.6 animals/km 2 ) among the national parks of Nepal. Still, the density of larger prey species is relatively low. Increasing the density of larger prey like sambar and the reintroduction of larger prey species like gaur ( Bos gaurus Smith, 1827) can further enhance the tiger population in the park. Our study demonstrates that tigers mostly preyed on wild species, indicating a low level of tiger–livestock interaction. Hence, this park seems to be a prospective area for tiger conservation in a long run.