Tigers hog limelight in India’s carnivore research: Study

A new study conducted by 15 scientists from 11 academic and conservation institutions on carnivore research in India between 1947–2020 shows that studies were skewed toward tigers while neglecting other carnivores.

The authors reviewed around 1,800 research papers, theses and books published from 1947 to 2020. They put together information on academic institutions involved in carnivore research, the species in focus, the geographic scope of studies, the themes and topics addressed, the sources of funds for the research and the nature and extent of the impact of research on conservation policy in India.

The study found that Indian scientists have made substantial contributions to the field of carnivore ecology, from establishing global standards in population monitoring techniques to developing cutting-edge tools in genetics research, says a press note from National Centre For Biological Sciences, Bengaluru.

However, many smaller species like mongooses, civets, otters, and others barely got any attention in the over 1,700 studies done on 60 carnivores.

The country’s conservation policy “did not seem to adequately draw from the scientific findings and insights,” said the press note.

The authors recommend focusing on lesser-known species and their threatened habitats in ongoing and future research efforts. They call for combining social sciences with ecological studies, especially when dealing with topics like human-carnivore conflicts, and making carnivore science more democratic.

India supports 23% of all mammalian carnivores in the world in just 2.3% of the land area. “With the kind of national and international efforts invested in carnivore research and conservation, it is important to pause, take stock of the status quo and address the gaps and blind spots,” said Arjun Srivathsa, lead author of the study.

“Our hope is that the findings from our work can serve as a guiding doctrine for directing future research on carnivores in the country,” he added.

The study “Chasms in charismatic species research: Seventy years of carnivore science and its implications for conservation and policy in India” was published in the latest edition of the international journal Biological Conservation.

Wildlife Conservation Society, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Wildlife Conservation Society, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment and other seven organisations took part in the study.