Researchers

My interest is in the development and implementation of techniques in conservation genetics and wildlife DNA forensics to assist conservation and management of wildlife. The emphasis of my research since year 2006 has been the use of non-invasive and forensic genetic analyses to provide reliable information on elusive large carnivores. In south-central India, I documented the presence of tigers, leopards and dholes in a human-dominated, heavily encroached forest area – Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary. In southwestern Arizona, I identified the minimum number, sex and diet of recently documented mountain lions. I also standardized techniques on DNA-based species identification, and prey-remnant identification from large carnivore scats. My current projects include testing of non-invasive techniques to study wildlife, development of research databases, and my doctoral study on mountain lion population structure, relatedness and connectivity across the Sonoran-Mojave desert landscape. I also work closely with the Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society in India (hyticos.wordpress.com) in collaboration with the University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center (www.uawildcatresearch.org). For further interesting information about the work I have done, please see: 1. Project of the Month @ www.catsg.org 2. http://www.mountainlion.org/featureaudioashwinnaidu.asp