scholarly journals Large carnivores and low diversity of optimal prey: a comparison of the diets of snow leopards Panthera uncia and wolves Canis lupus in Sarychat-Ertash Reserve in Kyrgyzstan

Oryx ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kubanychbek Jumabay-Uulu ◽  
Per Wegge ◽  
Charudutt Mishra ◽  
Koustubh Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Tien Shan ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Large Prey ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Competition For Food ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Ovis Ammon ◽  
Tien Shan Mountains ◽  
Panthera Uncia

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.

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

Oryx ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-219 ◽  
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.

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

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.

Understanding population baselines: status of mountain ungulate populations in the Central Tien Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan

Mammalia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Munib Khanyari ◽  
Kubanychbek Zhumabai uulu ◽  
Suraiya Luecke ◽  
Charudutt Mishra ◽  
Kulbhushansingh Ramesh Suryawanshi
Keyword(s):  
Population Monitoring ◽  
Tien Shan ◽  
Trophy Hunting ◽  
Human Use ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Mountain Ungulates ◽  
Hunting Quotas ◽  
Ovis Ammon ◽  
Tien Shan Mountains ◽  
Mountain Ungulate

AbstractWe assessed the density of argali (Ovis ammon) and ibex (Capra sibirica) in Sarychat-Ertash Nature Reserve and its neighbouring Koiluu valley. Sarychat is a protected area, while Koiluu is a human-use landscape which is a partly licenced hunting concession for mountain ungulates and has several livestock herders and their permanent residential structures. Population monitoring of mountain ungulates can help in setting measurable conservation targets such as appropriate trophy hunting quotas and to assess habitat suitability for predators like snow leopards (Panthera uncia). We employed the double-observer method to survey 573 km2 of mountain ungulate habitat inside Sarychat and 407 km2 inside Koiluu. The estimated densities of ibex and argali in Sarychat were 2.26 (95% CI 1.47–3.52) individuals km−2 and 1.54 (95% CI 1.01–2.20) individuals km−2, respectively. Total ungulate density in Sarychat was 3.80 (95% CI 2.47–5.72) individuals km−2. We did not record argali in Koiluu, whereas the density of ibex was 0.75 (95% CI 0.50–1.27) individuals km−2. While strictly protected areas can achieve high densities of mountain ungulates, multi-use areas can harbour meaningful though suppressed populations. Conservation of mountain ungulates and their predators can be enhanced by maintaining Sarychat-like “pristine” areas interspersed within a matrix of multi-use areas like Koiluu.

scholarly journals Keeping predators out: testing fences to reduce livestock depredation at night-time corrals

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustaf Samelius ◽  
Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi ◽  
Jens Frank ◽  
Bayarjargal Agvaantseren ◽  
Erdenechimeg Baasandamba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Variation ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Predation Pressure ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Livestock Depredation ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Panthera Uncia

Abstract Livestock depredation by large carnivores is a global conservation challenge, and mitigation measures to reduce livestock losses are crucial for the coexistence of large carnivores and people. Various measures are employed to reduce livestock depredation but their effectiveness has rarely been tested. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of tall fences to reduce livestock losses to snow leopards Panthera uncia and wolves Canis lupus at night-time corrals at the winter camps of livestock herders in the Tost Mountains in southern Mongolia. Self-reported livestock losses at the fenced corrals were reduced from a mean loss of 3.9 goats and sheep per family and winter prior to the study to zero losses in the two winters of the study. In contrast, self-reported livestock losses in winter pastures, and during the rest of the year, when herders used different camps, remained high, which indicates that livestock losses were reduced because of the fences, not because of temporal variation in predation pressure. Herder attitudes towards snow leopards were positive and remained positive during the study, whereas attitudes towards wolves, which attacked livestock also in summer when herders moved out on the steppes, were negative and worsened during the study. This study showed that tall fences can be very effective at reducing night-time losses at corrals and we conclude that fences can be an important tool for snow leopard conservation and for facilitating the coexistence of snow leopards and people.

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

Oryx ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-428 ◽  
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.

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

Oryx ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-238 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Abundance of snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and its wild prey in Chhekampar VDC, Manaslu Conservation Area, Nepal

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. P. Devkota ◽  
T. Silwal ◽  
B. P. Shrestha ◽  
A. P. Sapkota ◽  
S. P. Lakhey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prey Species ◽  
Religious Tradition ◽  
Information Management System ◽  
Encounter Rate ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Blue Sheep ◽  
Himalayan Tahr ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Panthera Uncia

Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is the striking symbol as well as an indicator of intact eco-regions of high mountains it inhabits. Despite the advancement in new methods, scholars argue that signs are still a reliable indicator for the purpose of habitat use study of snow leopards. The relative abundance of snow leopard and its major prey species such as blue sheep (Pseudois nayar) and Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus) in the Chhekampar Village Development Committee within the Tsum Valley of the Manaslu Conservation Area was determined by sign survey using Snow Leopard Information Management System (SLIMS) and block survey using Vantage Point Method, respectively. We also assessed human snow leopard conflict through household and key informant survey. The encounter rate of snow leopard signs were 3.57/km on an average, indicating low abundance, whereas prey species such as blue sheep and Himalayan tahr had 3.8 and 1.8 animals/km2, respectively. The livestock depredation rate was 1.29% with snow leopard accounting to only 0.32% of the total. Due to the low abundance of snow leopard but sufficient number of large-sized wild prey species, livestock predation by snow leopard was minimum, and therefore, the local people had positive perception towards snow leopard conservation. Though the present situation including the local religious tradition and social norms is supportive in conservation of snow leopard, it may not sustain unless incentive programs are encouraged timely.Banko Janakari, Vol. 27, No. 1, Page : 11-20

scholarly journals Population monitoring of snow leopards using camera trapping in Naryn State Reserve, Kyrgyzstan, between 2016 and 2019

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Rode ◽  
Claire Lambert ◽  
Lucile Marescot ◽  
Bastien Chaix ◽  
Julie Beesau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Population Monitoring ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Camera Trapping ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Buffer Area ◽  
The Core ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Panthera Uncia

AbstractFour field seasons of snow leopard (Panthera uncia) camera trapping inside Naryn State Reserve, performed thanks to citizen science expeditions, allowed detecting a minimal population of five adults, caught every year with an equilibrated sex ratio (1.5:1), and reproduction: five cubs or subadults have been identified from three litters of two different females. Crossings were observed one to three times a year, in front of most camera traps, and several times a month in front of one of them. Overlap of adults’ territories was observed in front of several camera traps regardless of their sex. Significant snow leopard presence was detected in the buffer area and at Ulan, situated at the reserve border. To avoid poaching on this umbrella species and its preys, extending the more stringent protection measures of the core zone to both the Southern buffer area and land adjacent to Ulan is necessary.

scholarly journals Determinants of herder attitudes towards the Vulnerable snow leopard Panthera uncia in Yushu Prefecture, China

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte E. Hacker ◽  
Yunchuan Dai ◽  
Yifan Cheng ◽  
Yu Zhang ◽  
Yuguang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Formal Education ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Qinghai Province ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Financial Burdens ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Panthera Uncia

Abstract Yushu Prefecture in Qinghai Province provides some of the largest known stretches of habitat for the Vulnerable snow leopard Panthera uncia in China. People living in these areas are dependent on agropastoralism. Support from local communities is necessary for effective long-term conservation action for snow leopards, but loss of livestock to snow leopards can create financial burdens that induce negative attitudes and encourage retaliatory killing. We assessed factors driving herders' attitudes towards snow leopards and their conservation. We found that herders had higher agreement with positive than with negative statements about snow leopards despite nearly half reporting livestock loss to snow leopards within the last 5 years. No retaliatory killing was reported. Herders with more years of formal education and fewer livestock losses were more likely to have positive attitudes whereas those with lower importance of snow leopards to their religion, fewer livestock losses, and fewer years of education were more likely to have negative attitudes. Understanding the multifaceted mechanisms responsible for positive views towards species is imperative for reaching conservation goals. Our findings ascribe to the importance of increased education and adherence to Tibetan beliefs in promoting conservation tolerance towards snow leopards in Qinghai Province, but also indicate a need for further research into the impact of livestock loss.

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