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Charudutt Mishra - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Climate refugia of snow Leopards in High Asia
Biological Conservation, 2016Co-Authors: Juan Li, Charudutt Mishra, George B. Schaller, Thomas M. Mccarthy, Hao Wang, Byron V. Weckworth, Zhi Lu, Steven R. BeissingerAbstract:Abstract Rapid warming in High Asia is threatening its unique ecosystem and endemic species, especially the endangered snow Leopard ( Panthera uncia ). Snow Leopards inhabit the alpine zone between snow line and tree line, which contracts and expands greatly during glacier-interglacial cycles. Here we assess impacts of climate change on global snow Leopard habitat from the last glacial maximum (LGM; 21 kyr ago) to the late 21st century. Based on occurrence records of snow Leopards collected across all snow Leopard range countries from 1983 to 2015, we built a snow Leopard habitat model using the maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt 3.3.3k). Then we projected this model into LGM, mid-Holocene and 2070. Analysis of snow Leopard habitat map from LGM to 2070 indicates that three large patches of stable habitat have persisted from the LGM to present in the Altai, Qilian, and Tian Shan-Pamir-Hindu Kush-Karakoram mountain ranges, and are projected to persist through the late 21st century. These climatically suitable areas account for about 35% of the snow Leopard's current extent, are large enough to support viable populations, and should function as refugia for snow Leopards to survive through both cold and warm periods. Existence of these refugia is largely due to the unique mountain environment in High Asia, which maintains a relatively constant arid or semi-arid climate. However, habitat loss leading to fragmentation in the Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains, as well as increasing human activities, will present conservation challenges for snow Leopards and other sympatric species.
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Livestock Husbandry and Snow Leopard Conservation
Snow Leopards: Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes, 2016Co-Authors: Ghulam Mohammad, Sayed Naqibullah Mostafawi, Jigmet Dadul, Pranav Trivedi, Radhika Timbadia, Ajay Bijoor, Tatjana Von Rosen, Yash Veer Bhatnagar, Charudutt Mishra, Raj MuraliAbstract:Livestock depredation is a key source of snow Leopard mortality across much of the species' range. Snow Leopards break into livestock corrals, killing many domestic animals and thereby inflicting substantial economic damage. Locals may retaliate by killing the cat and selling its parts. Predator-proofing of corrals has emerged as an important conflict-mitigation tool across many snow Leopard range countries, including Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. Decline in wild ungulate populations due to competition from livestock is another threat to snow Leopards. Village reserves are grazing set-asides created in partnership with local communities to enable the recovery of wild ungulate populations. A case study in India is applicable to additional range countries. In Pakistan, the Ecosystem Health Program enhances community tolerance toward snow Leopards by establishing sustainable, community-managed livestock vaccination programs that improve community livelihoods. Program sites record at least 50% reduction in disease-caused mortalities that resulted in no killing of snow Leopards.
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snow Leopard predation in a livestock dominated landscape in mongolia
Biological Conservation, 2015Co-Authors: Orjan Johansson, Thomas M. Mccarthy, Gustaf Samelius, Henrik Andren, Lkhagvasumberel Tumursukh, Charudutt MishraAbstract:Livestock predation is an important cause of endangerment of the snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) across its range. Yet, detailed information on individual and spatio-temporal variation in predation patterns of snow Leopards and their kill rates of livestock and wild ungulates are lacking. We collared 19 snow Leopards in the Tost Mountains, Mongolia, and searched clusters of GPS positions to identify prey remains and estimate kill rate and prey choice. Snow Leopards killed, on average, one ungulate every 8 days, which included more wild prey (73%) than livestock (27%), despite livestock abundance being at least one order of magnitude higher. Predation on herded livestock occurred mainly on stragglers and in rugged areas where animals are out of sight of herders. The two wild ungulates, ibex (Capra ibex) and argali (Ovis ammon), were killed in proportion to their relative abundance. Predation patterns changed with spatial (wild ungulates) and seasonal (livestock) changes in prey abundance. Adult male snow Leopards killed larger prey and 2–6 times more livestock compared to females and young males. Kill rates were considerably higher than previous scat-based estimates, and kill rates of females were higher than kill rates of males. We suggest that (i) snow Leopards prey largely on wild ungulates and kill livestock opportunistically, (ii) retaliatory killing by livestock herders is likely to cause greater mortality of adult male snow Leopards compared to females and young males, and (iii) total off-take of prey by a snow Leopard population is likely to be much higher than previous estimates suggest.
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Does livestock benefit or harm snow Leopards
Biological Conservation, 2015Co-Authors: Rishi Kumar Sharma, Yash Veer Bhatnagar, Charudutt MishraAbstract:Large carnivores commonly prey on livestock when their ranges overlap. Pastoralism is the dominant land use type across the distributional range of the endangered snow Leopard Panthera uncia. Snow leop- ards are often killed in retaliation against livestock depredation. Whether livestock, by forming an alter- native prey, could potentially benefit snow Leopards, or, whether livestock use of an area is detrimental to snow Leopards is poorly understood. We examined snow Leopard habitat use in a multiple use landscape that was comprised of sites varying in livestock abundance, wild prey abundance and human population size. We photographically sampled ten sites (average size 70 sq. km) using ten camera traps in each site, deployed for a period of 60 days. Snow Leopard habitat use was computed as a Relative Use Index based on the total independent photographic captures and the number of snow Leopard individuals captured at each site. We quantified livestock abundance, wild prey abundance, human population size and terrain ruggedness in each of the sites. Key variables influencing snow Leopard habitat use were identified using Information Theory based model selection approach. Snow Leopard habitat use was best explained by wild prey density, and showed a positive linear relationship with the abundance of wild ungulates. We found a hump-shaped relationship between snow Leopard habitat use and livestock stocking density, with an initial increase in habitat use followed by a decline beyond a threshold of livestock density. Our results suggest that in the absence of direct persecution of snow Leopards, livestock grazing and snow Leopard habitat use are potentially compatible up to a certain threshold of livestock density, beyond which habitat use declines, presumably due to depressed wild ungulate abundance and associated anthropogenic disturbance.
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Role of Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries in Snow Leopard Conservation
Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology, 2013Co-Authors: Dajun Wang, Charudutt Mishra, Hang Yin, Duojie Zhaxi, Zhala Jiagong, George B. Schaller, Thomas M. Mccarthy, Hao WangAbstract:The snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) inhabits the rugged mountains in 12 countries of Central Asia, including the Tibetan Plateau. Due to poaching, decreased abundance of prey, and habitat degradation, it was listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1972. Current conservation strategies, including nature reserves and incentive programs, have limited capacities to protect snow Leopards. We investigated the role of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in snow Leopard conservation in the Sanjiangyuan region in China's Qinghai Province on the Tibetan Plateau. From 2009 to 2011, we systematically surveyed snow Leopards in the Sanjiangyuan region. We used the MaxEnt model to determine the relation of their presence to environmental variables (e.g., elevation, ruggedness) and to predict snow Leopard distribution. Model results showed 89,602 km(2) of snow Leopard habitat in the Sanjiangyuan region, of which 7674 km(2) lay within Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve's core zones. We analyzed the spatial relation between snow Leopard habitat and Buddhist monasteries and found that 46% of monasteries were located in snow Leopard habitat and 90% were within 5 km of snow Leopard habitat. The 336 monasteries in the Sanjiangyuan region could protect more snow Leopard habitat (8342 km(2) ) through social norms and active patrols than the nature reserve's core zones. We conducted 144 household interviews to identify local herders' attitudes and behavior toward snow Leopards and other wildlife. Most local herders claimed that they did not kill wildlife, and 42% said they did not kill wildlife because it was a sin in Buddhism. Our results indicate monasteries play an important role in snow Leopard conservation. Monastery-based snow Leopard conservation could be extended to other Tibetan Buddhist regions that in total would encompass about 80% of the global range of snow Leopards.
David W Macdonald - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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estimating the density of small population of Leopard panthera pardus using multi session photographic sampling data
bioRxiv, 2020Co-Authors: Mohammad S Farhadinia, Pouyan Behnoud, Kaveh Hobeali, Seyed Jalal Mousavi, Fatemeh Hosseinizavarei, Navid Gholikhani, Hasan Akbari, Morteza Eslami, Peyman Moghadas, David W MacdonaldAbstract:West Asian drylands host a number of threatened large carnivores, including the Leopard (Panthera pardus) which is limited to spatially scattered landscapes with generally low primary productivity. While conservation efforts have focused on these areas for several decades, reliable population density estimates are missing. Spatially-explicit capture-recapture (SECR) methodology, incorporating animal movement in density estimates, is widely used to monitor populations of large carnivores. We employed multi-session SECR modeling to estimate the density of a small population of Leopard (Panthera pardus) in a mountainous stretch surrounded by deserts in central Iran. During 6724 camera trap nights, we detected eight and five independent Leopards in 2012 and 2016 sessions, respectively. The top performing model demonstrated density estimates of 1.6 (95% CI = 0.9-2.9) and 1.0 (95% CI = 0.6-1.6) independent Leopards/100 km2 in 2012 and 2016, respectively. Both sex and season had substantial effects on spatial scale ({sigma}), with larger movements for males and during winter. Currently available estimates in arid regions represent some of the lowest densities across the Leopard global range. These small populations are vulnerable to demographic stochasticity. Monitoring temporal changes in population density and composition can inform conservation priorities.
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Factors affecting the occurrence and activity of clouded Leopards, common Leopards and Leopard cats in the Himalayas
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2020Co-Authors: Bhupendra Prasad Yadav, Paul J. Johnson, Joanna Ross, Neil D’cruze, David W MacdonaldAbstract:Clouded Leopards are one of the least known of larger felids and were believed to be extinct in Nepal until 1987. They are particularly interesting because their Asian range spans a diversity of habitats in the fastest disappearing forests in the world and encompasses a guild which differs in composition from place to place. As a part of a wider camera-trapping study of this guild, involving 2948 camera traps at 45 sites in nine countries, and paralleling a similar study of the Sunda clouded Leopard including a further 1544 camera traps spanning 22 sites distributed across two countries, we deployed 84 pairs of camera traps for 107 days in 2014 and 2015 at Langtang National Park, Nepal between 1823 and 3824 m a.s.l. within a grid encompassing c. 120 km^2. We documented the presence of clouded Leopards for the first time at an altitude as high as 3498 m a.s.l. Naïve occupancy for clouded Leopard was 8.6% (correcting for detection, 10.1%). Clouded Leopards were least active in the middle of the day, and largely crepuscular and nocturnal, as were the common Leopards and Leopard cats. The peak of clouded Leopard activity overlapped with that of musk deer. Prey species for both clouded Leopard and common Leopard were available across the elevation range studied although the availability of some prey species declined as elevation increased, whereas Himalayan serow, Himalayan goral, and musk deer showed no association with elevation. Before this study, there was no hard evidence that clouded Leopards occurred above 2300 m a.s.l., having documented them at almost 4000 m a.s.l. in the Himalayas, we emphasise the importance of this extreme portion of the species’ range where climate is likely to change more rapidly and with greater consequences, than the global average. The discovery of clouded Leopards in Langtang National Park considerably extends their known range, and raises the possibility that they occur from the Terai in southern Nepal up to the Nepal-Tibet (China) border in the north. Insofar as this study has extended the known extreme boundary of the clouded Leopard’s geographic range to encompass Langtang National Park in the Nepali Himalayas.
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persian Leopard predation patterns and kill rates in the iran turkmenistan borderland
Journal of Mammalogy, 2018Co-Authors: Mohammad S Farhadinia, Paul J. Johnson, Luke T B Hunter, David W MacdonaldAbstract:Describing predation patterns and especially estimating kill and consumption rates is essential for understanding the functional responses of predators. An understanding of the carrying capacity of the landscape, based on prey availability, also helps to formulate recovery plans for persecuted species. We studied the feeding behavior of the Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) in Tandoureh National Park (355 km2) in northeastern Iran, near the Turkmenistan border. Between September 2014 and May 2017, we collared and monitored 6 adult Leopards (5 males and 1 female) using GPS-satellite Iridium collars. We investigated 310 clusters of fixes as likely to be kill sites. In total, 130 kills were identified to species, suggesting a mean kill rate of approximately 3.3 ± 0.3 (SE) kills/month per adult male Leopard, which is higher than reported by most previous studies. The Leopards varied considerably in the time they spent outside the national park; only 1 individual appeared to subsist mainly by raiding livestock. The availability of medium-sized ungulates at adequate densities is likely to be important for future Leopard conservation efforts. The management of problem individuals also may promote coexistence of humans and Leopards, even in prey-rich areas.
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population density estimates and conservation concern for clouded Leopards neofelis nebulosa marbled cats pardofelis marmorata and tigers panthera tigris in htamanthi wildlife sanctuary sagaing myanmar
Oryx, 2017Co-Authors: Hla Naing, Joanna Ross, Dawn Burnham, Saw Htun, David W MacdonaldAbstract:The clouded Leopard Neofelis nebulosa is a potent ambassador species for conservation, occurring from the Himalayan foothills eastwards to Indochina, between which Myanmar is a biogeographical land bridge. In Myanmar's Northern Forest Complex, the species co-occurs with the tiger Panthera tigris , Leopard Panthera pardus , marbled cat Pardofelis marmorata, golden cat Catopuma temminckii and Leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis . We deployed cameras within the Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary over 2 consecutive years. In 2014–2015 we deployed 82 camera stations around the Nam Pa Gon stream (Catchment 1) for 7,365 trap days. In 2015–2016 we deployed 80 camera stations around the Nam E Zu stream (Catchment 2) for 7,192 trap days. In Catchment 1 we identified five tigers from 26 detections, five clouded Leopards from 41 detections (68 photographs) and 11 marbled cats from 13 detections. Using Bayesian-based spatial capture–recapture we estimated the densities of tigers and clouded Leopards to be 0.81 ± SD 0.40 and 0.60 ± SD 0.24 individuals per 100 km 2 , respectively. In Catchment 2 we identified two tigers from three detections, nine clouded Leopards from 55 detections and 12 marbled cats from 37 detections. Densities of clouded Leopards and marbled cats were 3.05 ± SD 1.03 and 8.80 ± SD 2.06 individuals per 100 km 2 , respectively. These differences suggest that human activities, in particular gold mining, are affecting felid populations, and these are a paramount concern in Htamanthi. We demonstrate the importance of Htamanthi within the Northern Forest Complex and highlight the Yawbawmee corridor as a candidate for protection.
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impact of risk on animal behaviour and habitat transition probabilities
Animal Behaviour, 2015Co-Authors: Byron Du Preez, Andrew J Loveridge, Tom Hart, David W MacdonaldAbstract:Lions, Panthera leo, and Leopards, Panthera pardus, coexist in space and compete for resources. Although direct killing of Leopards by lions has been recorded, avoidance behaviour is an important part of Leopard ecology that is difficult to measure through direct observation. Using tracking data from simultaneously collared lions and Leopards, we investigated the effect of lion proximity on the behavioural ecology of Leopards. We show that proximity to lions influenced Leopard habitat use, transition probability and behaviour. Within enclosed habitats, lions were allowed to get closer to Leopards before Leopards engaged in a flight response. Visual observation data suggest that lions and Leopards infrequently come into direct contact. However, tracking data indicate that avoidance was based on relative habitat cover and detectability, and as a result the two species were often located within close proximity. Finding new signals of interaction and avoidance within two well-studied predators with relatively small sample sizes suggests that this approach may have value to other systems, such as predator/prey interactions, or relationships between sympatric species, and at a scale hitherto not possible. This could be used to investigate the costs and benefits of animal foraging where competitive exclusion may occur, and is relevant for the large number of animals that are difficult to observe.
Madan K Oli - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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snow Leopard panthera uncia predation of livestock an assessment of local perceptions in the annapurna conservation area nepal
Biological Conservation, 1994Co-Authors: Madan K Oli, Iain R Taylor, Elizabeth M RogersAbstract:Abstract Public attitudes towards snow Leopard Panthera uncia predation of domestic livestock were investigated by a questionnaire survey of four villages in snow Leopard habitat within the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Most local inhabitants were subsistence farmers, many dependent upon yaks, oxen, horses and goats, with an average livestock holding of 26.6 animals per household. Reported losses to snow Leopards averaged 0.6 and 0.7 animals per household in two years of study, constituting 2.6% of total stockholding but representing in monetary terms almost a quarter of the average annual Nepali national per capita income. Local people held strongly negative attitudes towards snow Leopards and most suggested that total extermination of Leopards was the only acceptable solution to the predation problem. Snow Leopards were reported to be killed by herdsmen in defence of their livestock. The long-term success of snow Leopard conservation programmes may depend upon the satisfactory resolution of the predation conflict. Some possible ways of reducing predation losses are also discussed.
Thomas M. Mccarthy - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Climate refugia of snow Leopards in High Asia
Biological Conservation, 2016Co-Authors: Juan Li, Charudutt Mishra, George B. Schaller, Thomas M. Mccarthy, Hao Wang, Byron V. Weckworth, Zhi Lu, Steven R. BeissingerAbstract:Abstract Rapid warming in High Asia is threatening its unique ecosystem and endemic species, especially the endangered snow Leopard ( Panthera uncia ). Snow Leopards inhabit the alpine zone between snow line and tree line, which contracts and expands greatly during glacier-interglacial cycles. Here we assess impacts of climate change on global snow Leopard habitat from the last glacial maximum (LGM; 21 kyr ago) to the late 21st century. Based on occurrence records of snow Leopards collected across all snow Leopard range countries from 1983 to 2015, we built a snow Leopard habitat model using the maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt 3.3.3k). Then we projected this model into LGM, mid-Holocene and 2070. Analysis of snow Leopard habitat map from LGM to 2070 indicates that three large patches of stable habitat have persisted from the LGM to present in the Altai, Qilian, and Tian Shan-Pamir-Hindu Kush-Karakoram mountain ranges, and are projected to persist through the late 21st century. These climatically suitable areas account for about 35% of the snow Leopard's current extent, are large enough to support viable populations, and should function as refugia for snow Leopards to survive through both cold and warm periods. Existence of these refugia is largely due to the unique mountain environment in High Asia, which maintains a relatively constant arid or semi-arid climate. However, habitat loss leading to fragmentation in the Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains, as well as increasing human activities, will present conservation challenges for snow Leopards and other sympatric species.
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What is a Snow Leopard? Biogeography and Status Overview
Snow Leopards, 2016Co-Authors: Thomas M. Mccarthy, David Mallon, Eric W. Sanderson, Peter Zahler, Kim FisherAbstract:Abstract Paleontological records provide little evidence regarding snow Leopard evolution or historic range. A reasonably accurate range map was published in 1972, and maps using GIS modeling to predict potential snow Leopard habitat followed in 1997. Today we know snow Leopards occur in 12 countries coinciding with the prominent mountain ranges of central Asia, but what constitutes occupied range within that vast area has been poorly addressed. An expert knowledge mapping and assessment process was undertaken in 2008. Participants mapped potential range, current range and identified snow Leopard conservation units (SLCUs) thought to be important for survival of the species. SLCU habitat quality, prey availability and connectivity were characterized, and snow Leopard population size and trend were estimated. SLCUs covered ∼1.2 million km 2 or 44% of current range. The snow Leopard population estimate within SLCUs was 4678–8745, which is more than most previous estimates for the entire range.
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snow Leopard predation in a livestock dominated landscape in mongolia
Biological Conservation, 2015Co-Authors: Orjan Johansson, Thomas M. Mccarthy, Gustaf Samelius, Henrik Andren, Lkhagvasumberel Tumursukh, Charudutt MishraAbstract:Livestock predation is an important cause of endangerment of the snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) across its range. Yet, detailed information on individual and spatio-temporal variation in predation patterns of snow Leopards and their kill rates of livestock and wild ungulates are lacking. We collared 19 snow Leopards in the Tost Mountains, Mongolia, and searched clusters of GPS positions to identify prey remains and estimate kill rate and prey choice. Snow Leopards killed, on average, one ungulate every 8 days, which included more wild prey (73%) than livestock (27%), despite livestock abundance being at least one order of magnitude higher. Predation on herded livestock occurred mainly on stragglers and in rugged areas where animals are out of sight of herders. The two wild ungulates, ibex (Capra ibex) and argali (Ovis ammon), were killed in proportion to their relative abundance. Predation patterns changed with spatial (wild ungulates) and seasonal (livestock) changes in prey abundance. Adult male snow Leopards killed larger prey and 2–6 times more livestock compared to females and young males. Kill rates were considerably higher than previous scat-based estimates, and kill rates of females were higher than kill rates of males. We suggest that (i) snow Leopards prey largely on wild ungulates and kill livestock opportunistically, (ii) retaliatory killing by livestock herders is likely to cause greater mortality of adult male snow Leopards compared to females and young males, and (iii) total off-take of prey by a snow Leopard population is likely to be much higher than previous estimates suggest.
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multipronged strategy including genetic analysis for assessing conservation options for the snow Leopard in the central himalaya
Journal of Mammalogy, 2014Co-Authors: Achyut Aryal, Thomas M. Mccarthy, Dibesh Karmacharya, David Raubenheimer, Dianne H Brunton, Roberta BenciniAbstract:The snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) is an endangered carnivore of southern and central Asia. Approximate 10% of the global population occurs in the Himalayan region of Nepal. The snow Leopard is thought to be in decline because of human–snow Leopard conflicts, poaching, habitat loss and fragmentation, decreasing prey populations, and a lack of awareness and enforcement of conservation legislation. In this study, we used habitat surveys and genetic analyses of putative snow Leopard scats to estimate the abundance, habitat preferences, and diet profile of the snow Leopard in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Cliffs, grassland, and shrubland at high elevation (3,000–5,000 m) were the preferred habitats of snow Leopards. Eighty-three percent of collected scats collected were verified to be from snow Leopards using mitochondrial DNA cytochrome-b species-specific polymerase chain reaction assays. Sixty-two percent of the scats were successfully genotyped using 6 microsatellite markers, and identified as having originated from 5 different individuals. The dispersion of multiple scats from the same individual suggested minimum movement ranges of 89.4 km 2 for males and 59.3 km 2 for females. Estimated population density was 1.9 individuals/100 km 2 and 22 snow Leopards were estimated to inhabit the upper Mustang region. Microhistological analysis of scats (n ¼ 248) revealed that blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) was the primary wild prey (63%), and livestock also contributed significantly (18%) to snow Leopard diet. We used a multipronged strategy for assessing conservation options for this rare carnivore and compared our findings with those pertaining to other predators of the region that share similar habitats and resources. The findings from this study will be helpful in managing snow Leopards and similar carnivore populations across the snow Leopard’s entire geographic range.
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Role of Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries in Snow Leopard Conservation
Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology, 2013Co-Authors: Dajun Wang, Charudutt Mishra, Hang Yin, Duojie Zhaxi, Zhala Jiagong, George B. Schaller, Thomas M. Mccarthy, Hao WangAbstract:The snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) inhabits the rugged mountains in 12 countries of Central Asia, including the Tibetan Plateau. Due to poaching, decreased abundance of prey, and habitat degradation, it was listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1972. Current conservation strategies, including nature reserves and incentive programs, have limited capacities to protect snow Leopards. We investigated the role of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in snow Leopard conservation in the Sanjiangyuan region in China's Qinghai Province on the Tibetan Plateau. From 2009 to 2011, we systematically surveyed snow Leopards in the Sanjiangyuan region. We used the MaxEnt model to determine the relation of their presence to environmental variables (e.g., elevation, ruggedness) and to predict snow Leopard distribution. Model results showed 89,602 km(2) of snow Leopard habitat in the Sanjiangyuan region, of which 7674 km(2) lay within Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve's core zones. We analyzed the spatial relation between snow Leopard habitat and Buddhist monasteries and found that 46% of monasteries were located in snow Leopard habitat and 90% were within 5 km of snow Leopard habitat. The 336 monasteries in the Sanjiangyuan region could protect more snow Leopard habitat (8342 km(2) ) through social norms and active patrols than the nature reserve's core zones. We conducted 144 household interviews to identify local herders' attitudes and behavior toward snow Leopards and other wildlife. Most local herders claimed that they did not kill wildlife, and 42% said they did not kill wildlife because it was a sin in Buddhism. Our results indicate monasteries play an important role in snow Leopard conservation. Monastery-based snow Leopard conservation could be extended to other Tibetan Buddhist regions that in total would encompass about 80% of the global range of snow Leopards.
Elizabeth M Rogers - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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snow Leopard panthera uncia predation of livestock an assessment of local perceptions in the annapurna conservation area nepal
Biological Conservation, 1994Co-Authors: Madan K Oli, Iain R Taylor, Elizabeth M RogersAbstract:Abstract Public attitudes towards snow Leopard Panthera uncia predation of domestic livestock were investigated by a questionnaire survey of four villages in snow Leopard habitat within the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Most local inhabitants were subsistence farmers, many dependent upon yaks, oxen, horses and goats, with an average livestock holding of 26.6 animals per household. Reported losses to snow Leopards averaged 0.6 and 0.7 animals per household in two years of study, constituting 2.6% of total stockholding but representing in monetary terms almost a quarter of the average annual Nepali national per capita income. Local people held strongly negative attitudes towards snow Leopards and most suggested that total extermination of Leopards was the only acceptable solution to the predation problem. Snow Leopards were reported to be killed by herdsmen in defence of their livestock. The long-term success of snow Leopard conservation programmes may depend upon the satisfactory resolution of the predation conflict. Some possible ways of reducing predation losses are also discussed.
