Nautiyal, H.; Mathur, V.; Gajare, K.H.; Teichroeb, J.; Sarkar, D.; Diogo, R. Predatory Dogs as Drivers of Social Behavior Changes in the Central Himalayan Langur (Semnopithecus schistaceus) in Agro-Forest Landscapes. Biology2024, 13, 410.
Nautiyal, H.; Mathur, V.; Gajare, K.H.; Teichroeb, J.; Sarkar, D.; Diogo, R. Predatory Dogs as Drivers of Social Behavior Changes in the Central Himalayan Langur (Semnopithecus schistaceus) in Agro-Forest Landscapes. Biology 2024, 13, 410.
Nautiyal, H.; Mathur, V.; Gajare, K.H.; Teichroeb, J.; Sarkar, D.; Diogo, R. Predatory Dogs as Drivers of Social Behavior Changes in the Central Himalayan Langur (Semnopithecus schistaceus) in Agro-Forest Landscapes. Biology2024, 13, 410.
Nautiyal, H.; Mathur, V.; Gajare, K.H.; Teichroeb, J.; Sarkar, D.; Diogo, R. Predatory Dogs as Drivers of Social Behavior Changes in the Central Himalayan Langur (Semnopithecus schistaceus) in Agro-Forest Landscapes. Biology 2024, 13, 410.
Abstract
Globally, habitat fragmentation has increased the proximity between wildlife, humans, and emerging predators such as free-ranging dogs. In these fragmented landscapes, encounters between primates and dogs are escalating, with primates often falling victim to dog attacks while navigating patchy landscapes and fragmented forests. We aim to investigate how these primates deal with the simultaneous threats posed by humans and predators, specifically focusing on the adaptive strategies of Central Himalayan Langur (CHL) in the landscape of fear. To address this, we conducted a behavioral study on the CHL in an agro-forest landscape, studying them for a total of 3912 hours over two consecutive years. Our results indicate that, compared to their most common resting behavior, CHL allocate more time to feeding and locomotion, and less time to socializing in the presence of humans and predatory dogs. Additionally, they exhibit increased feeding and locomotion and reduced social behavior in agro-forest or open habitats. These behavioral patterns reflect adaptive responses to the landscape of fear, where the presence of predators significantly influences their behavior and resource utilization. This study suggests measures to promote coexistence between humans and wildlife through the integration of effective management strategies that incorporate both ecological and social dimensions of human-wildlife interactions.
Biology and Life Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.