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. Camera trapping (CT) offer an effective alternative. The sampling period was from March to May 2021, divided into three phases, each lasting 25 days and covering a different region. Rarefaction technique confirmed that 364 camera stations out of 462 (9,100 trapping effort) was sufficient to capture 22 mammal species, which includes 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 highlighted the potential impacts of hunting and poaching activities on wild animal communities within the reserve. The findings serve as a baseline for future assessments of conservation management interventions. CT offer an effective and practical method for inventorying mammal populations, enabling conservation efforts focus most in need.