Population genetics of the snow leopards (Panthera uncia) from the Western Himalayas, India

AbstractIn the cold and arid mountains of Central Asia, where the diversity and abundance of wild ungulates are generally low, resource partitioning among coexisting carnivores is probably less distinct than in prey-rich areas. Thus, similar-sized carnivores are likely to compete for food. We compared the summer diets of snow leopards Panthera uncia and wolves Canis lupus in Sarychat-Ertash Reserve in the Tien-Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan, based on analysis of genetically confirmed scats. Abundances of the principal prey species, argali Ovis ammon and Siberian ibex Capra sibirica, were estimated from field surveys. The diets consisted of few species, with high interspecific overlap (Pianka's index = 0.91). Argali was the predominant prey, with > 50% frequency of occurrence in both snow leopard and wolf scats. This was followed by Siberian ibex and marmots Marmota baibacina. Being largely unavailable, remains of livestock were not detected in any of the scats. In the snow leopard diet, proportions of argali and ibex were in line with the relative availabilities of these animals in the Reserve. This was in contrast to the diet of wolf, where argali occurred according to availability and ibex was significantly underrepresented. The high diet overlap indicates that the two predators might compete for food when the diversity of profitable, large prey is low. Competition may be more intense in winter, when marmots are not available. Hunting of argali and ibex outside the Reserve may be unsustainable and therefore reduce their abundances over time. This will affect both predators negatively and intensify competition for food. Reduction in ibex populations will directly affect the snow leopard, and the wolf is likely to be indirectly affected as a result of increased snow leopard predation of argali.

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Status of the mountain ungulate prey of the Endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia in the Tost Local Protected Area, South Gobi, Mongolia

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605314001203 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 214-219 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Lkhagvasumberel Tumursukh ◽

Kulbhushansingh R. Suryawanshi ◽

Charudutt Mishra ◽

Thomas M. McCarthy ◽

Bazartseren Boldgiv

Keyword(s):

Protected Area ◽

Nature Reserve ◽

Camera Trap ◽

Snow Leopard ◽

Wild Ungulates ◽

Mountainous Regions ◽

Demographic Surveys ◽

Snow Leopards ◽

Ovis Ammon ◽

Panthera Uncia

AbstractThe availability of wild prey is a critical predictor of carnivore density. However, few conservation programmes have focused on the estimation and monitoring of wild ungulate populations and their trends, especially in the remote mountains of Central Asia. We conducted double-observer surveys to estimate the populations of ibex Capra sibirica and argali Ovis ammon in the mountainous regions of Tost Local Protected Area, South Gobi province, Mongolia, which is being considered for designation as a Nature Reserve. We also conducted demographic surveys of the more abundant ibex to examine their sex-ratio and the survival of young during 2012–2013. The estimated ibex population remained stable in 2012 and 2013 and the estimated argali population increased from 108 in 2012 to 230 in 2013. The biomass of wild ungulates was c. 6% that of livestock. Mortality in young ibex appeared to increase after weaning, at the age of 12 months. We estimated the population of wild ungulates was sufficient to support 14–18 adult snow leopards Panthera uncia. The adult snow leopard population in our study area during 2012–2013, estimated independently using camera-trap-based mark–recapture methods, was 12–14. Based on our results we identify the Tost Local Protected Area as an important habitat for the conservation of these ungulates and their predator, the Endangered snow leopard, and recommend elevation of its status to a Nature Reserve.

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A brief note on the birth of Snow leopards Panthera uncia at Dallas Zoo

International Zoo Yearbook ◽

10.1111/j.1748-1090.1969.tb02638.x ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 96-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

LARRY O. CALVIN

Keyword(s):

Snow Leopards ◽

Panthera Uncia

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Snow leopards: Ecology, captive management, and conservation. A Review ofProceedings of the Fifth International Snow Leopard Symposium, edited by H. Freeman. Seattle and Dehra Dun, International Snow Leopard Trust and Wildlife Institute of India, 1988, 269 pp., $19.00.A Review of the Status and Ecology of the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia), by J.L. Fox. Seattle, International Snow Leopard Trust, 1989, 40 pp., $4.00.An Annotated Bibliography of Literature on the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia), by J. L. Fox. Seattle, International Snow Leopard Trust, 1989, 72 pp., $4.50. Add $7.50 for postage

Zoo Biology ◽

10.1002/zoo.1430100112 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 87-89

Author(s):

John Seidensticker

Keyword(s):

Annotated Bibliography ◽

Snow Leopard ◽

Captive Management ◽

The Status ◽

Snow Leopards ◽

Management And Conservation ◽

Panthera Uncia

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Status and conservation of the snow leopard Panthera uncia in Api Nampa Conservation Area, Nepal

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605318000145 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 54 (3) ◽

pp. 421-428 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Gopal Khanal ◽

Laxman Prasad Poudyal ◽

Bishnu Prasad Devkota ◽

Rishi Ranabhat ◽

Per Wegge

Keyword(s):

Forest Products ◽

Negative Influence ◽

Positive Influence ◽

Livestock Grazing ◽

Encounter Rate ◽

Snow Leopard ◽

Conservation Area ◽

Sign Surveys ◽

Snow Leopards ◽

Panthera Uncia

AbstractThe snow leopard Panthera uncia is globally threatened and reliable information on its abundance, distribution and prey species is a prerequisite for its conservation. In October–November 2014 we assessed the distribution of the snow leopard in the recently established Api Nampa Conservation Area in the Nepal Himalayas. Within selected blocks we conducted sign surveys and counted the number of bharal Pseudois nayaur, its principal wild prey, along transects totalling 106 km. We recorded 203 putative snow leopard signs at an encounter rate of 1.91 signs/km. Generalized linear models of the number of signs detected per transect showed that elevation had a positive influence and human activities a negative influence on sign encounter rate; prey abundance had only a weak positive influence on sign encounter rate. Within the effectively surveyed area of c. 200 km2, we counted 527 bharal at an estimated density of 2.28 animals/km2. Recruitment of bharal was low, estimated at 48 kids/100 adult females, most likely a result of poor or overgrazed rangeland. We estimate the total number of bharal in this conservation area to be > 1,000, a prey base that could sustain 6–9 snow leopards. Based on our field observations, we identified human disturbance and habitat degradation associated with extraction of non-timber forest products, livestock grazing, and poaching as the main threats to the snow leopard. Standardized sign surveys, preferably supplemented by sampling with remote cameras or with genetic analysis of scats would provide robust baseline information on the abundance of snow leopards in this conservation area.

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On the high trail: examining determinants of site use by the Endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia in Qilianshan, China

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605315001027 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 231-238 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Justine S. Alexander ◽

Kun Shi ◽

Lucy A. Tallents ◽

Philip Riordan

Keyword(s):

Gansu Province ◽

Camera Traps ◽

Snow Leopard ◽

Occupancy Modelling ◽

Use Patterns ◽

Robust Techniques ◽

Site Use ◽

Assessment And Monitoring ◽

Snow Leopards ◽

Panthera Uncia

AbstractThere is a need for simple and robust techniques for assessment and monitoring of populations of the Endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia to inform the development of action plans for snow leopard conservation. We explored the use of occupancy modelling to evaluate the influence of environmental and anthropogenic features on snow leopard site-use patterns. We conducted a camera trap survey across 480 km2 in Gansu Province, China, and used data from 60 camera traps to estimate probabilities of site use and detection using the single season occupancy model. We assessed the influence of three covariates on site use by snow leopards: elevation, the presence of blue sheep Pseudois nayaur and the presence of human disturbance (distance to roads). We recorded 76 captures of snow leopards over 2,906 trap-days, representing a mean capture success of 2.62 captures per 100 trap-days. Elevation had the strongest influence on site use, with the probability of site use increasing with altitude, whereas the influence of presence of prey and distance to roads was relatively weak. Our findings indicate the need for practical and robust techniques to appraise determinants of site use by snow leopards, especially in the context of the limited resources available for such work.

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The spatial structure of а snow leopard population (Panthera uncia, Felidae, Carnivora) in east Kyrgyzstan

Ecologica Montenegrina ◽

10.37828/em.2020.33.4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 33 ◽

pp. 17-28

Author(s):

Victor S. Lukarevskiy ◽

Alexander P. Vereshchagin ◽

Svyatoslav V. Lukarevskiy

Keyword(s):

Spatial Structure ◽

Local Population ◽

Field Research ◽

Information Management System ◽

Tien Shan ◽

Snow Leopard ◽

Marking Activity ◽

Snow Leopards ◽

Almost All ◽

Panthera Uncia

The distribution of the snow leopard (Panthera uncia uncia (Shreber, 1775) across its geographic range is associated exclusively with the mountain landscapes. The most important factor in maintaining the integrity and viability of a population is its structure.Our studies were conducted in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and covered most of the range of snow leopard in East Kyrgyzstan. Each territory was surveyed through series of routes. The main methods used in field research were: searching for traces of vital activity, conducting short trail surveys, and using the SLIMS (Snow Leopard Information Management System) technique.In order to study the spatial structure of the snow leopard population, we conducted individual DNA-based identification and GPS registration of bioassays collected from all individuals inhabiting this territory. Biological samples (tissue, fur, and excrement) were obtained following the protocols for collecting bioassays. A total of 146 samples (2 of wool, 2 of tissue, and 142 of excrement) were collected in nature in the Central Tien Shan Mts within Kyrgyzstan (in the Sarychat-Ertash Reserve, and in the area of the Kainar River).Snow leopard DNA was identified in 70 samples. A total of 21 individual snow leopards (8 females and 13 males) were identified. All females of a local population of the Sarychat-Ertash Reserve, with the exception of one, were directly related to each other. The same is true for most of males (11 of 13). Two females were accompanied by kittens. All females settled near the maternal site, while almost all males, which were born there, move away. There is a direct correlation between population density and marking activity.

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