“Tigers, leopards, and dholes are doing a delicate dance in protected areas, and all are managing to survive,” says Ullas Karanth of WCS Asia who led the study. “We are surprised to see how each species has remarkably different adaptations to prey on different preysizes, use different habitat types and be active at different times.” Given small and isolated nature of prey in these reserves, such adaption is helpful for efforts to save all three species. Researchers used a technique called ‘camera trap’ to sample populations of tigers, leopards and dholes, and to map their behaviours. The technique involves using remotely-operated cameras fitted with motion sensors to capture images of animals in the wild. Researchers recorded over 2500 images of the three predators in action. Normally big cats and wild dogs live in different locations to avoid each other. They go afterprey at different times and avoid direct confrontation. But in wildlife reserves they are co- existing despite competing for the same type of prey such as sambar deer, chital, and pigs. It was found that in reserves with enough number of prey, dholes which are active during the day did not come in much contact with tigers and leopards who move around during nights. However, their active times overlapped in Bhadra Wildlife Reserve where prey was scarcer yet dholes still managed to avoid tigers and leopards. Similarly in Nagarahole reserve which is full of all the three species and their prey, leopards actively avoided tigers.