Behavioural correlates of predation by tiger, leopard, and dhole in Nagarahole

This study in Nagarahole, southern India, examined how three large predators, the tiger, leopard, and dhole, partition a shared prey community. By analyzing kills and prey availability, the authors showed that the predators differed in the size and species of prey they took, with tigers killing the largest prey, leopards smaller and intermediate prey, and dholes hunting cooperatively for medium prey, allowing coexistence through dietary niche separation. The work quantified how prey size and predator hunting style structure a tropical carnivore guild and demonstrated the importance of an abundant, diverse prey base in supporting multiple large predators together. It became a key reference for understanding sympatric large-carnivore coexistence and niche partitioning, illustrating how differences in prey selection let formidable predators share the same rich forest without competitive exclusion.