Carnivore DNA at hunt site important to ascertain identity: Study

FORENSIC evidence is important to not just understand the crime scene and gather information about criminals, but it is also crucial in wildlife to ascertain the number of carnivores in an area and identify the individuals.

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A recent study by researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, showed that tracing the DNA left behind by large carnivores at the livestock kill site helps as a reliable source of information to identify the predators.

Prof Uma Ramakrishna, coauthor of the report -- Trace DNA from kill sites identifies individual predators -- said this approach helps as an effective tool in managing man-animal conflicts, understanding predator behaviour and the ecology.

The researchers studied 198 livestock kills in Kanha and Bandhavgarh tiger reserves. They collected 342 saliva, 33 scat and 395 shed hair samples. Based on the study, the individuals were classified as true predators at 72 sites and circumstantial predators at 34 sites. Also uncertain predators were noted at 49 sites.