Monitoring and Surveys
Scientific Contributions
Some of our key scientific contributions towards the landscape we work in are via various wildlife monitoring techniques like camera trapping, aerial surveys, biodiversity assessments, population studies and more. We have published research on several taxa like mammals, insects, birds, reptiles and trees. We reported the first records of honey badgers in the landscape during our mammal surveys and have been monitoring the influx of a possible tiger population since 2015.
Traditional ecological knowledge
Alongside studying the biodiversity of the landscape we have conducted several other surveys to unearth the wealth of indigenous community knowledge related to the people and the wildlife of Bannerghatta.
Wildlife corridors of the BHL
As part of our monitoring efforts we also focus on the potential drivers of negative human-wildlife interactions such as road networks, water bodies & other wildlife attractants in forest fringe villages.
As part of our conservation efforts we have been monitoring three elephant corridors that fall within the BHL. Corridors facilitate the movement of elephants between viable habitats, which is crucial for their long-term survival in a landscape. We are documenting factors that prevent the movement of elephants within these corridors such as developmental activities, linear infrastructure and the degradation of biodiversity.
Innovative technology
We use technology-based approaches such as remote sensing, telemetry, camera trapping and the GPS to manage and monitor wildlife. We aim at creating smart solutions in collaboration with local innovators and engineers, who have knowledge about the landscape and on-ground conditions.
Through this collaboration we have developed an ingenious Early Warning System (EWS) which acts as a smart fence for the detection of elephant movement across public thoroughfares inside protected area limits. This technology will be able to provide much-needed alerts that could save both humans and elephants.
Human wildlife conflict mitigation
Effective solutions for mitigating human wildlife conflict come from understanding the dynamic nature of conflict. We employ a multi-pronged approach to understanding factors leading that lead to and drive conflict.
Population estimation
Knowing the approximate population size and demographic make-up of a species is crucial to its conservation and management. Having an approximation of numbers also aids in long-term monitoring of population trends. A Rocha assists the Project Elephant, Government of India in conducting the synchronized elephant estimation exercise. This exercise uses various methods like direct count and dung count to estimate elephant numbers. We also conduct population estimations for other terrestrial mammals like leopards, otters, hyaena’s and tigers, in and around the protected areas of the Bannerghatta-Hosur landscape in order assess the status of these threatened species.
© 2025 A Rocha India
National Office & Field Study Centre
#13, Kaserguppe Village,
Bilwardahalli (Dakle), Bannerghatta (Post),
Jigani (Hobli), Anekal (Taluk),
Bangalore South-560083
Karnataka – IN