Density estimation of leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis using capture-recapture sampling in lowland forest of Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India

摘要

In this study, we estimated leopard cat abundance and density using photographic capture-recapture methods. The leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis, is a common spread small cat in Asia, which is mainly nocturnal and solitary in nature. It occurs in across a range of habitat types. The study was conducted in Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR) 26 degrees 54'-27 degrees 16'N, 92 degrees 36'-93 degrees 09'E), which lies in the eastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh (27 degrees 29'-29 degrees 23'N 94 degrees 02'-95 degrees 15'E) and covers an area of 862 km(2). Population status and abundance estimates were made through individual identification using camera trapping combined with mark-recapture methods. A total of 900 trap nights yielded seven leopard cat individuals, with 16 left flank and nine right flanks. The population abundance was 7 +/- 1.0 and the density was 3.2 individuals/100km(2). Estimated probability of capture, p-hat=0.15. Program closure test indicates that closure assumption was not violated in the study. Our density estimates (3.21) seems to be low as the leopard cat shares resources with five other small cats in the area.