Month: May 2025

First Large-scale Assessment of Snow Leopard Population in China: Case in Sanjiangyuan Region

 

This work unveils China’s first large-scale assessment of snow leopard populations, focusing on the Sanjiangyuan region, spanning over 360,000 km2. By integrating and standardizing seven years of camera trap data (2015–2021) from 12 sites across four organizations, we obtained a population estimation of 1,002 snow leopards (755–1,341) in Sanjiangyuan, with a density of 0.90 individuals per 100 km². These findings not only highlight Sanjiangyuan’s role as a global conservation priority but also demonstrate a scalable framework for synthesizing existing data to estimate elusive species population.


 

SLN Webinar:First Large-scale Assessment of Snow Leopard Population in China: Case in Sanjiangyuan Region

 

SLN invites you to join us for our upcoming webinar and is delighted to welcome Li Xueyang (Our Speaker) and Wei Chunyue (Our Facilitator).

About the Talk:

This work unveils China’s first large-scale assessment of snow leopard populations, focusing on the Sanjiangyuan region, spanning over 360,000 km2. By integrating and standardizing seven years of camera trap data (2015–2021) from 12 sites across four organizations, we obtained a population estimation of 1,002 snow leopards (755–1,341) in Sanjiangyuan, with a density of 0.90 individuals per 100 km². These findings not only highlight Sanjiangyuan’s role as a global conservation priority but also demonstrate a scalable framework for synthesizing existing data to estimate elusive species population.

About our Speaker:

 

Li Xueyang is a Scientific Consultant at Shan Shui Conservation Center, China, and a postdoctoral researcher at Peking University. Since 2017, Li has focused on large carnivores on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, starting her research from snow leopard population. Her PhD focused on the interspecific relationship between sympatric snow leopards and common leopards. She is now focusing on snow leopard initiatives in Shan Shui and managing the camera trap database.

 

 

About our Facilitator:

 

Wei Chunyue starts her journey in wildlife conservation from camera trap data processing and analysis working with Shan Shui Conservation Center. She then participated in snow leopard monitoring and conservation work on the Tibetan Plateau and Southeast Tibet. Chunyue is now dedicated to exploring the potential of other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) in China. Chunyue holds a BSc. In Environmental Engineering from Tsinghua University and a MSc. In Environmental Engineering from Stanford University.

 

Date/Time:

Thursday, 22nd May at 15:00 PM (Bishkek time)

Location:

ZOOM, to join this talk, REGISTER HERE

 Please note:

  • If you have never used Zoom before, we recommend that you try the link 10 minutes before the start of the lecture.
  • Please feel free to write questions in the comment area and there will be time for questions/discussion at the end of the talk.
  • Please note that the session will be recorded and later featured on the SLN website. If you have concerns about this please let us know before the session

New Article to the Bibliography

Please find details below of a new article added to our Bibliography:

Title: Hide and seek in time and space: Spatiotemporal segregation between snow leopard and its prey in Northern Pakistan

Author: Khan, T. U., Nabi, G., Ahmad, S., Hu, H., Hu, Y., Puswal, S. M., Ghaznavi, M., Luan, X.

Abstract: Temporal niche-partitioning is a key strategy for prey to avoid predators and for predators to successfully coexist sympatrically. However, little is known about the temporal and spatial dynamics of snow leopards with key prey species. We investigated the spring daily activity patterns and spatial density distributions of snow leopard (Panthera uncia), Himalayan ibex (Capra ibex sibirica), and domestic yak (Bos grunniens) to unravel the spatiotemporal behavior within their shared alpine habitat in Northern Pakistan using trail cameras data. The results indicated that snow leopards exhibited a bimodal activity pattern, with peaks around midnight and dawn. In contrast, the ibex displayed a predominantly diurnal pattern, starting at dawn and minimally overlapping with the snow leopard. Attended yaks showed a uniform diurnal activity pattern under human protection, while unattended yaks exhibited irregular activity across day and night, suggesting higher vulnerability to predation. Spatial density analysis revealed notable overlaps between species pairs, particularly unattended yaks and snow leopards, highlighting the influence of spatial dynamics on predator-prey interactions. The clear off-phased and contrasting pattern of activity between snow leopard and ibex in our study showed temporal partitioning in spring and indicates that unattended yak may be a more heavily predated species than previously thought. This study provides the first comparative analysis of temporal activity patterns between a key predator and wild and domestic prey in Northern Pakistan. This research broadens our understanding of animal behavior through the lens of spatiotemporal interactions and provides insights into the complex dynamics between predator and prey in the challenging alpine landscape. Our findings emphasize the importance of livestock guarding to mitigate depredation and highlight the complexities of predator-prey interactions in both time and space, along with the resulting behavioral adaptions.

URL: https://snowleopardnetwork.org/b/show.php?record=1778

New Article to the Bibliography

Please find details below of a new article added to our Bibliography:

Title: Climate Change and Human Pressure: Assessing the Vulnerability of Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) Habitat Integrated With Prey Distribution on the Qinghai-­Tibet Plateau

Author: Zhang, Y., Dai, Y., Li, J., Cong, W., Zhang, Y., Nie, X., Wu, Q., Xue, Y.

Abstract: Climate change is significantly altering the distribution of large carnivores and their primary prey species, with particular emphasis on the changing prey distribution in high-­ altitude regions. The Qinghai-­Tibet Plateau, known for its rich biodiversity, is highly sensitive to climate change, affecting the habitats of snow leopards (Panthera uncia) and blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur). Our study identified blue sheep as the primary prey of snow leopards through metagenomic analysis and used bioclimatic data and Land Use/Cover Change (LUCC) information to model habitat suitability under three climate scenarios (RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5). Projections showed that under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, snow leopard habitats will decrease by 13.0% and 23.4%, while blue sheep habitats will decrease by 38.3% and 49.7%, respectively. These habitats are expected to shift to higher altitudes, with snow leopards experiencing a more significant shift. Based on these findings, we recommend adjusting protected area boundaries for S1 (Ideal distribution range), establishing ecological corridors for S2 (stepping stone), and implementing targeted measures to mitigate human-­wildlife conflicts in S3 (potential conflict area). To protect these species, international efforts to reduce carbon emissions, cross-­ administrative cooperation, and community-­based conservation strategies are essential.

URL: https://snowleopardnetwork.org/b/show.php?record=1777