Study Design
The Chure range was divided into 4 blocks (size ~2,200–6,400 km2) for easy organization of the survey. Each block was further divided into grids of size 10 Х 10 km2 and surveyed in two to three shifts successively. Biologists and experienced wildlife technicians with over a decade long field experience of wildlife conducted the survey in the field. The survey team was trained on survey protocols and wildlife sign identification before starting the survey to ensure the quality of the data. Out of 322 grids cells in the entire Chure range, 223 were surveyed which falls in the forested areas. The grids were further divided into 16 sub-grids of 2.5 Х 2.5 km2 (n=3,568). The survey was conducted between 2016 and 2018. We could not cover the entire Chure range in a single year due to the large area and limited human resources available. We carried out the survey in the same season (post-monsoon) to avoid the potential bias from surveys in different years.
A 2km long random walking transect with four segments of 500m was surveyed within a sub-grid which was used as a replicate. We targeted the existing trails and dirt roads (where possible) to minimize the likelihood of false absences. We recorded the presence/absence of the tracks, fresh droppings, and other signs (feeding sign, territory marking etc.) to detect the presence of large and medium-sized mammal species at each segment in the standard data format as sample covariates. Similarly, the human pressure as looping, encroachment and livestock presence was recorded in each segment.