Effects of temporary closure of a national park on leopard movement and behaviour in tropical Asia

摘要: Abstract Across Asia protected areas serve as refuges for carnivores inside human-dominated landscapes. However, the creation of hard edges around reserve boundaries where conflicts with humans arise and disturbance from human activities reserves may affect carnivore behaviour ecology. Thailand’s largest area, Kaeng Krachan National Park (2915 km2) receives >100,000 visitors annually while maintaining an intact assemblage prey species large carnivores, making it a potentially important site population recovery leopards (Panthera pardus), tigers tigris) dholes (Cuon alpinus). We assessed abundance their base, response to changes in levels activity after unexpected flooding event that resulted park being closed >6 months. Using camera-traps, we identified 6 individual used spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) methods, incorporating covariates, test factors affecting detection probability before closure. Leopard density was unchanged between two periods, however movement patterns were clearly different. In absence tourist activity, tended move more frequently, leopard rates increased by 70% shifted towards diurnal. The consequences these include improved health, reproduction survival. A management strategy involving seasonal closure parks alleviate pressure on other carnivores. recommend using information species, key indicators long-term monitoring Southeast Asia.