Establishing a baseline of mammal diversity in Kali Tiger Reserve, India through camera trapping

The conservation of endangered and rare mammal populations requires accurate inventorying. Traditional live-trapping methods can be labor-intensive, time-consuming and prone to errors, while camera trapping (CT) offers an effective alternative, enabling conservation efforts to focus on what is needed most. The current study utilized CT to understand the species richness and relative abundance of mammals in Kali Tiger Reserve, India. The sampling period was from March to May 2021, divided into three phases, each lasting 25 days and covering three different regions of the study area. The Rarefaction technique proved that 364 out of 462 camera stations was adequate effort for accurately estimating the composition of 22 mammal species comprising of eight herbivores, two omnivores, and six carnivores. The eastern region had a higher concentration of mammal species with the highest captures occurring at elevation ranging from 400 to 800 m. The study also noted the extensive presence of domestic animals and human activities, including hunting and poaching of wildlife within the reserve. The findings serve as a baseline for future assessments of conservation management interventions in Kali Tiger Reserve.