Grant details

Biological Corridor 7 (BC7) is a forested corridor in north-eastern Bhutan that connects protected areas and supports the movement of wide-ranging mammals, including the Bengal tiger. Increasing human pressures and climate-related disturbances risk weakening this connectivity. With support from the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, this project is generating field evidence to inform corridor management and tiger conservation in BC7.

Objectives

1. Assess prey occupancy and habitat suitability for tigers in BC7.
2. Evaluate the impact of human–wildlife conflict (HWC) on tiger movement and habitat use in BC7.
3. Examine how BC7 maintains tiger connectivity amid human and climate-related threats.
4. Enhance awareness about tiger conservation and corridor management in BC7.

What we are doing

• Wildlife monitoring: A systematic camera-trap survey across BC7 (31 stations; 62 camera traps), complemented by sign surveys to document tiger, prey, and other mammal presence.
• eDNA survey: Environmental DNA sampling to strengthen detection, especially for species that are difficult to capture on camera, and to help confirm wildlife use of key areas.
• Human dimensions: Community consultations and HWC/HTC interviews to understand conflict patterns, risk factors, and local perceptions, and to identify practical mitigation needs.
• Threat assessment and awareness: Documentation of potential barriers and pressures (e.g., roads, settlements, land-use change, proposed hydropower development, forest fires and floods), alongside awareness outreach with local stakeholders.

Key insights

Field implementation indicates that BC7 continues to support wildlife movement, but multiple interacting pressures are evident. HWC, habitat fragmentation, and development pressures remain important concerns, and climate-related events such as fires and floods are increasingly relevant for corridor integrity. Field experience also highlights the need for continued vigilance against illegal activities that can threaten sensitive species.

Why it matters

By linking prey availability, tiger habitat use, conflict patterns, and landscape pressures, the project is building an evidence base to guide practical actions—such as prioritising areas for monitoring, strengthening awareness and local coordination, and recommending wildlife-friendly planning and mitigation where development may affect movement routes. The overall goal was to maintain functional connectivity in BC7 so that tigers and other threatened mammals can persist alongside local communities.