ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris)

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Genetic Study of Bengal tigers

Nepal Tiger Genome Project

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Consider yourself fortunate if you spot a tiger deep in jungle- an incredible thrill only few lucky ones get to experience. Sadly, there aren’t many of these beautiful beasts left in the wild!!!
Poaching and probably wildlife diseases have put their population at risk making them highly endangered. CMDN recognizes the key role such apex predator plays in the overall ecosystem, and hence has invested time, effort and resources to understand these animals in the wild through the use of genetic tools. CMDN in collaboration with Government agencies was the first to initiate the NEPAL TIGER GENOME PROJECT and has created Nepal’s first DNA database on wild Bengal tigers. CMDN is also actively investigating ways to understand this species in much more detail, including uncovering its diet profile and wildlife diseases.
Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal, initiated two year project in 2011, with funding support from USAID Nepal and in collaboration with the governmentof Nepal's MOFSC and DNPWC, Virgina Tech (USA) and University of Idaho (USA) to develop comprehensive non-invansive genetic technology for broader conservation efforts of Bengal tigers in Nepal.
Samples from the terai arc region of Nepal are collected and are being genetically analyzed to obtain information on population size, genetic diversity and gene flow. It has trained many government and non-government staffs to build their capacity in non-invansive sampling, wildlife genetics and bioinformatics.
http://www.cmdn.org.np/ntgp.html Reply