"The pugmark" : Identification of individual animals

Rahul Ashem *

Feline fear grips Khordak, villagers on alert - The pugmark picture on right

Pugmark technology, Camera trapping and Digital pugmark technology (DPT) is the latest methods based on the distinctive set of pugmarks……

Pugmark signifies identity. Pugmark plays a major role in identifying a given specific animal in terms of sex, age or size as well as total accuracy of the given individual species. Pugmark denotes "paw print" of most feline animals. Herbivore foot prints are called as hoofmark (Deer, Antelope) or simply foot print (Elephant). Every specific individual has its own distinct pugmark and as such, this is used for identification purposes.

The best example is the tiger census programme which is completely based on pugmark technology. The method is simple and easy to count the animal in a very special manner, sometimes bias may happens. Camera trapping, Scat analysis or GIS application are the new advance formula for getting total occupancy in a given forest environment. Similarly, pug-mark is also helpful in tracking those animals that are stray away from the boundary areas, conflicting with the human environment or create problems of their own because of injury.

With the advancement of new technological tools and skills, it is easy to deplete a forest and make possible for declining the animal presence in the surrounding ecosystem services, and with the continued process, leads the decline of prey base in the forest areas, the wild animals are moving towards nearby areas resulting in Man- Animal conflict.

The recent problem in Khordak Mayai Leikai, in Bishnupur District, Manipur is a basic example. Initially, the act of straying wild animal in the periphery of the forest or near the villages is a common term and happens frequently in the case of big cat's family. But, the most interesting question is the existence of feline species adjacent to Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), the only floating national park in the world famous for vulnerable, endangered and rare species, the dancing deer, popularly known as Sangai is sound unfamiliar.

Larger feline never exists in this particular type of national park nor in the adjoining areas is true, the animal might be walking from some area in search of easy prey or the habitation has been invaded by some foreign invasion. Likewise, it also indicates that the stray feline found the habitat better, as most of the forest blanket's are comes under biotic pressure and with the result; they find their own route away from human habitation.

The left pugmark of unidentified species (UFS) indicates the presence of feline species in the adjoining area of Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP). Feline species are contributed to most cats' family- Tiger (Panthera tigris), Leopard (Panthera pardus), Lions (Panthera leo), Snow leopard (Panthera uncial), Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata), Golden cat (Pardofelis temminckii), Leopard cat (Prionailutus bengalensis) or Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) etc.

Some of the smaller cats are already identified in the floating national park (Marbled cat, Leopard cat or Fishing cat) with the addition of grass dependent animals (Hog deer, Wild boar and the promising species, the Sangai deer). The presence of feline animal does not depend on the size of pugmark content as the sign can show bigger in wetter or near to river beds, stream/lake or smaller to dry areas, fine level roads or trails. Killing of prey habitat is dependent on the feline capacity mechanism.

The unsolved puzzle must be solved only after getting the animal from the surrounding adjoining areas and it's now an important task for the forest people to find the animal in the best possible way before the feline take shelter in the nearby bushy for another prey.

Large terrestrial feline (Tiger, Leopard) share the same forest environment but they never share their territorial boundary. The former one is directly depends, either on smaller herbivore (Wild boar, Barking deer, Peacock) or larger one (Sambar, Spotted deer, Nilgai) while the latter is mostly depend on small animals (Wild boar, Domestic dog, Calf).

Tiger is marked as extinct species from the land of Manipur and chances of sighting is very poor. If possible, Tiger pugmark are easy to identified as their paw are soft enough and difficult to walk on thorny/ bushy areas, as a result, their pugmarks are clearly seen near fine level roads, trails or near the river beds/stream or lake. Tiger sex can be easily identified from the following figure:

Adult male tiger pugmark (MTP) forms a square while female tiger pugmark (FTP) fits into a rectangle shape. Toes in male are rounded whereas it is fairly elongated in female society. Female pugmark length and breadth is 1.5 cm more than male tiger pugmark. The interesting fact is, tiger cub pugmark (TCP) is much similar with the leopard or wild dogs' pugmark. The difference in wild dogs is summed up as non visible claws; toes are smaller and larger pads in tiger (visible claws, toes larger and pads smaller in dogs).

Leopard are versatile feline which is not selective about its habitat, its exists on the periphery of the forest areas and is prone to venturing into human habitats and leads to direct conflict with the humans. Studies done by organizations like specialist group of IUCN (International union for conservation of nature and natural resources) in certain parts of India indicate an increase in leopard human conflict. Though leopard are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972), they face severest backlast from humans and grave threat from poachers.

Leopard is also more visible than tigers. Linear factor is the common methods for identifying the leopard pugmarks. The work is done directly in the field by using digital caliper to record the track length, track width, track pad width, pad length, pad curve, stride size etc. Different age groups (Cub, Sub adult, Adult) can be classified on the basis of distinct differences in the relative length of track length, track width, pad width, pad length etc.

It is also possible to identified species from the scat ( leopard scat is much larger than tiger, less coiled having a larger distance and diameter between two successive constrictions within a single scat, John Singh, 1983., Ramesh, 2010). For simple verification, Leopard pads are smaller, narrow toes and small in size as compare to tigers.

Digital pugmark technology (DPT) is another new terminology based on the theory of pugmark technology. The method is used for estimating the specific individual species using statistical approach. Each animal leaves a particular set of pugmark while walking.

For analysis, the pugmark is clearly photographed in a serial way, GPS (Global Positioning System) location are taken from the first sight, stride and straddle measurements, where an animal walked in a normal gait. Stride is the distance between two successive pugmarks on the same side while straddle is the perpendicular distance between the left and right hind pugmarks. The data is then calculated with the help of software "pugmark 1.0" which totally eliminates human error.

The data calculates the values of several variables from the photographs. Statistical analysis of the data creates a new profile of the animal, which can be used to identify it from the pugmarks (The technology is already applied in tiger calculation work, not applicable for high rainfall environment).

For best result, Pugmark Impression Pads (PIPs) were made where animal frequently walks (roads, trails), for getting the clear mark of pugmarks. PIPs consists of an area approximately 6m long and as wide as the road ( nearly 2.5 m) where the soil is finely pulverized to an optimal soil depth of 0.5- 1 cm in order to provide the best possible surface for recording pugmark impressions.