FEEDING ECOLOGY OF ASIATIC LION (Panthera leo persica) IN THE COASTAL FOREST OF RAJULA, GUAJRAT STATE OF INDIA.

Dr. Vibhuti B. Raval; Dr. Bhupat B. Radadia

Volume : VIII, Issue : XII, December - 2019

FEEDING ECOLOGY OF ASIATIC LION (Panthera leo persica) IN THE COASTAL FOREST OF RAJULA, GUAJRAT STATE OF INDIA.

Dr. Vibhuti B. Raval, Dr. Bhupat B. Radadia

Abstract :

The food habits of animals determine a number of life history strategies such as habitat selection, movement and success of reproduction. To study the feeding ecology of Asiatic lion the widely used technique is the scat analysis. Scat analysis was done by identification and comparison of hairs of various prey species available within the selected study area. Asiatic lion mainly depredated on livestock due to easy catch and availability. Seasonal diet composition revealed that Asiatic lion preferred livestock mainly during summer season and wild prey in winter season. The habitat preferences revealed that the Asiatic lion often used open or scattered shrub-land area which increases the prey visibility.