Abstract:
Reliable population estimates are crucial for the conservation and management of faunal
species. Population data of meso-mammal carnivores in Sri Lanka, as well as elsewhere in
the world, is scarce. We estimated population densities of meso-mammal carnivores in
Maduru Oya National Park (MONP) using Random Encounter Model (REM) and Camera
Trap Distance Sampling (CTDS) methods in this study. A total of 3,402 camera trapping days
yielded 3,357 video captures of 69 different animal taxa including 658 video captures of
meso-mammal carnivores. In this study, we recorded all 12 meso-mammal carnivore species
found on the island. The two density estimate methods generated similar population estimates
indicating that both methods are compatible to be applied in tropical forest habitats for mesocarnivore species. We identify MONP as an area with high richness for the focal species. The
study also generated movement speed, activity patterns, activity levels, and day ranges for the
focal species, which will be useful for future research. We discuss the population density
estimates for different meso-carnivore species and the use of REM and CTDS density
estimation methods and their applicability to a tropical meso-carnivore community
