Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Waterhole utilization pattern of mammals in Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, Bhutan

2025; Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society; Volume: 17; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.11609/jott.9087.17.1.26331-26340

0974-7907

Kunninpurathu Sivanandan Aswin, Ugyen Dorji, Karma Sherub, Mer Man Gurung,

Bat Biology and Ecology Studies

Most studies on waterholes come from arid and semi-arid countries where water availability for wildlife is limited. Bhutan is a country with rich running water sources. Less is known about the waterhole usage by wildlife in the country. The present study aimed to understand the importance and usage pattern of waterholes by mammals in the protected areas of Bhutan. Thirty waterholes in Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, Bhutan were monitored for dry and wet seasons. A generalized linear model was used to assess the impact of various waterhole parameters on mammal usage of the waterholes. Seven out of 12 parameters studied showed a significant impact on waterhole visitation by mammalian species. When water availability and salinity showed a positive impact on waterhole visits by mammals, distance from agricultural land, altitude, herb density, canopy cover, and livestock presence showed a negative impact. The study shows that even in the presence of major running water sources, waterholes are well utilized by mammals independent of seasons with ungulates being the most frequent visitors in the waterholes. This shows the importance of waterholes in protected areas of the country for better management of wildlife.