WCS focus has been on studies of tiger behaviour and long-term population dynamics of tigers, leopards and their ungulate and primate prey species. In view of the lack of baseline data on densities of these species, establishing benchmark estimates in representative sites/biomes across India has been accorded priority.
Another core aspect
of WCS-India research has been development of rigorous
methods to monitor wildlife populations. Rather than
reinventing the wheel, the emphasis has been on adopting
well-developed, cutting-edge methods with a solid theoretical
foundation, to the local/regional conditions. The development
of innovative techniques to capture tigers and leopards
for radio telemetry, line transect surveys of a variety
of species and camera-trap based capture recapture surveys
of tigers, leopards and hyenas have been some pioneering
products of WCS-India backed, research.
The long-term WCS projects in India have primarily focused on endangered landscape animals like tigers, leopards, wild dogs, elephants and other large ungulates.Thrust of this research has been on .......
WCS-India supports research by research fellows, student associates and other partners through local collaborating institutions. In addition, every year, a few grants are made specifically to spot new scientific talent outside the program.
In India, effective site-based conservation requires decades of work to develop the necessary local constituencies through informed, persuasive advocacy with solid underpinning of science.
