A megafauna bias in India’s carnivore research is hampering the country’s conservations efforts

Source: The post is based on the article “A megafauna bias in India’s carnivore research is hampering the country’s conservations efforts” published in Down To Earth on 8th April 2023

What is the News?

The substantial research and conservation resources invested towards studying, protecting and managing smaller and less charismatic carnivores has generally been poor.

What is Carnivore?

A carnivore is an organism that mostly eats meat, or the flesh of animals. Carnivores are sometimes called predators. Organisms that carnivores hunt are called prey.

About the Research on carnivore population in India

Estimates show that India is home to 23% of the world’s carnivore population, belonging to 60 species. The Indian leopard, golden jackal, dhole and jungle cat are the other top carnivores that have received a substantial research focus.

For instance, scientific research on mega-carnivore tiger has led to the establishment of Project Tiger in 1973 and helped in the establishment of tiger reserves in 50 locations across the country.

Similarly, research on the Indian leopard has resulted in the formulation of national guidelines on human-leopard conflict mitigation.

But the quality of studies on smaller and less charismatic carnivores has generally been poor.

For instance, many smaller and less charismatic carnivores like the fishing cat, which are denizens of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet—freshwaters or wetlands—even basic ecological data like distribution range remain unclarified.

Why is it important to focus on smaller carnivores?

Research on smaller and less charismatic carnivores is important as it helps in understanding the important link between carnivores and their ecological communities and ecosystems, which has implications for human sustenance.

For instance, Small cats also execute important ecological functions like controlling rodent populations, known to be agricultural pests and disease carriers, dispersing seeds, and maintaining forest ecosystems. Civets are known to disperse seeds and help in maintaining forest ecosystems.

What are the steps that should be taken to improve carnivore conservation in India? 

Increased funding for research on lesser-known carnivores which could help generate knowledge, foster public interest and support.

Increased focus on lesser-known species by adopting best practices in socio-ecological studies, widening the ambit of interdisciplinary work, democratizing carnivore science through partnerships and enhancing synergy between carnivore researchers and research groups.