Tigers and their prey: predicting carnivore densities from prey abundance

Combining camera-trap density estimates with line-transect surveys of prey across multiple Indian reserves, this study demonstrated a strong relationship between the abundance of large ungulate prey and the density of tigers a site can support. The analysis showed that prey biomass, not habitat type alone, is the primary determinant of tiger numbers, and that reserves with abundant deer and wild pig hold far more tigers than depleted forests of similar structure. The finding made the case that protecting and restoring prey populations is the most effective way to recover tigers. It provided a quantitative tool for setting conservation targets and diagnosing why some forests, though intact, hold few cats. The paper remains a cornerstone of evidence-based tiger conservation and a clear demonstration of bottom-up control in a large predator.