Rakhee Karumbaya – Snow Leopard Network

Spatio–temporal behavior of predators and prey in an arid environment of Central Asia

The mechanisms of interactions between apex predators and smaller carnivores may range from competition to facilitation. In contrast, interactions between predators and prey are primarily driven by prey reducing the likelihood of encounters with predators. In this study, we investigated (1) the spatio–temporal interactions between an apex predator (the snow leopard Panthera uncia) and a mesopredator (the red fox Vulpes vulpes), and (2) the temporal interactions between the snow leopard and its potential prey (Siberian ibex Capra sibirica, argali sheep Ovis ammon, Asian wild ass Equus hemionus, and Tolai hare Lepus tolai) using camera traps in the Mongolian Great Gobi–A, an area covering approximately 44,190 km². The probability of occurrence for the red fox was higher in the presence of the snow leopard than in its absence. Additionally, the activity pattern of the red fox mirrored that of the snow leopard, with both species being most active at sunset. This positive spatio–temporal interaction suggests that the presence of the snow leopard may provide scavenging opportunities for the red fox. However, other explanations cannot be ruled out. Among the prey species, the Siberian ibex and argali sheep were primarily active during the day, whereas the Asian wild ass and Tolai hare exhibited more nocturnal activity. These findings suggest that potential prey species (particularly the Siberian ibex and argali sheep) may adjust their behavior to reduce the likelihood of encounters with the snow leopard. Our results highlight complex interactions between apex and smaller predators, as well as between the apex predator and its potential prey. However, further research conducted over a longer time period, incorporating estimates of local prey abundance and dietary analyses of predators, is needed to provide more comprehensive insights.

New Article to the Bibliography

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

Title: First large‑scale assessment of snow leopard population in China using existing data from multiple organizations

Author: Li, X., Wei, C., Chen, X., Jia, D., Li, P., Liang, S., Jikmed, A., Gao, Y., Zhao, X., Chu, M., Sharma, K., Alexander, J. A., Lu, Z., Xiao, L.

Abstract: Abundance estimation of large carnivores is essential for their effective conservation planning, yet estimating population size is challenging due to their elusive and wide-ranging nature. China is estimated to encompass 60% of the snow leopard Panthera uncia habitat, making it a crucial pillar for global snow leopard conservation. However, no large-scale population assessment has been conducted despite scattered survey effort accumulating rapidly in recent years. This study combined and standardized existing camera trap survey data from 12 sites collected by four organizations during 2015 ~ 2021 to estimate snow leopard population in an area of 360,000 km2 on the Tibetan Plateau, China. The representativeness of existing survey was evaluated based on two habitat stratification approaches to achieve less biased population assessment. Spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) models were applied for snow leopard density estimation and the top-ranked model showed a significant positive correlation between conservation priority strata and density. An average snow leopard density of 0.90 /100 km2 (95% CI: 0.68 ~ 1.21 /100 km2) and a population size of 1,002 (95% CI: 755 ~ 1,341) individuals was estimated for the defined snow leopard habitat. Two more conservative estimates of 971 (95% CI: 732 ~ 1,287) and 978 (95% CI: 737 ~ 1,267) individuals were generated within two defined survey regions, in which our data had higher representativity. This study presents a practical approach to synthesize existing population survey data for large-scale population assessments of individually identifiable species. The estimated number represents 11 ~ 21% of the global snow leopard population, indicating high conservation value of this region.

URL: https://snowleopardnetwork.org/b/show.php?record=1768

SLN Webinar – Spatio–temporal behavior of predators and prey in an arid environment of Central Asia

We wish our members a very happy 2025 and as we head into the new year together, the Snow Leopard Network is excited to invite you to join us for our first webinar of the year with Marcello Franchini, an associate member of the NGO – Wildlife Initiative and Claudio Augugliaro, founder of the Wildlife Initiative.

About the Talk:

The mechanisms of interactions between apex predators and smaller carnivores may range from competition to facilitation. In contrast, interactions between predators and prey are primarily driven by prey reducing the likelihood of encounters with predators. In this study, we investigated (1) the spatio–temporal interactions between an apex predator (the snow leopard Panthera uncia) and a mesopredator (the red fox Vulpes vulpes), and (2) the temporal interactions between the snow leopard and its potential prey (Siberian ibex Capra sibirica, argali sheep Ovis ammon, Asian wild ass Equus hemionus, and Tolai hare Lepus tolai) using camera traps in the Mongolian Great Gobi–A, an area covering approximately 44,190 km². The probability of occurrence for the red fox was higher in the presence of the snow leopard than in its absence. Additionally, the activity pattern of the red fox mirrored that of the snow leopard, with both species being most active at sunset. This positive spatio–temporal interaction suggests that the presence of the snow leopard may provide scavenging opportunities for the red fox. However, other explanations cannot be ruled out. Among the prey species, the Siberian ibex and argali sheep were primarily active during the day, whereas the Asian wild ass and Tolai hare exhibited more nocturnal activity. These findings suggest that potential prey species (particularly the Siberian ibex and argali sheep) may adjust their behavior to reduce the likelihood of encounters with the snow leopard. Our results highlight complex interactions between apex and smaller predators, as well as between the apex predator and its potential prey. However, further research conducted over a longer time period, incorporating estimates of local prey abundance and dietary analyses of predators, is needed to provide more comprehensive insights.

About our Speaker:

Marcello Franchini is a wildlife biologist with a keen interest in the behavioural ecology and conservation of medium–sized and large mammals, particularly carnivores. He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Sciences at the University of Modena and Reggio–Emilia (Italy) and a Master’s Degree in Ecology and Nature Conservation at the University of Parma (Italy). The project for his Master’s thesis focused on addressing the conflict between pumas and livestock ranchers in the Argentine Espinal, where he spent nearly six months in 2015. Since June 2017, he has been working at the University of Udine, North–Eastern Italy. In June 2023, he successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis, which focused on the socio–ecological factors exacerbating conflicts between large carnivores and extensive husbandry practices in the mountainous areas of North–Eastern Italy.

His primary research activities revolve around human–carnivore conflict and coexistence. As an associate member of the NGO Wildlife Initiative, his role primarily includes studying the ecological aspects of large predators and conducting human–dimension studies to scientifically assess the factors leading to the insurgence of negative interactions with traditional grazing activities.

About our Facilitator:

Claudio Augugliaro is an Italian wildlife ecologist with a focus on ecology and conservation. Claudio completed his master’s degree in ecology and biogeography in 2009, followed by a second-level master’s degree focusing on the Washington Convention (CITES). In the subsequent years, he provided scientific and technical support for the CITES EU Scientific Authority.

In 2014, Claudio moved to Mongolia, and in 2015, began his work on snow leopard. His research on the ecology and conservation of this species in western Mongolia became the topic of his Ph.D. Throughout his work in Mongolia, Claudio has engaged with various governmental and non-governmental institutions, as well as international partners across Europe and the US. They have ongoing projects on snow leopard in the Altai Mountains in partnership with the Snow Leopard Conservancy, focusing on mitigating human-snow leopard conflict by implementing community-based monitoring of carnivores.

Additionally, Claudio is actively involved in studying and protecting the Pallas’s cat. Claudio is a member of the Pallas’s Cat Working Group Steering Committee since 2020. In the same year, he founded Wildlife Initiative NGO, which aims to conduct research and conserve threatened and lesser-known species. Their current projects and registered branches are in Mongolia, Namibia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Guatemala.

Date/Time:

Friday, 17th January at 14:00 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: Who’s the boss? Understanding the spatial relationship between snow leopard and Eurasian lynx in southern Mongolia

Author: Byambasuren, C., Johansson, O., Alexander, J. S., Lkhagvajav, P., Samelius, G., Sharma, K.

Abstract: Interspecific competition, a fundamental ecological process characterized by negative interactions between species, plays a vital role in shaping ecological communities. Despite the co-occurrence of the snow leopard Panthera uncia and the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx across vast landscapes in Asia, their interactions remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated how the presence of snow leopards affected site-use by lynx and whether the presence of snow leopards resulted in behavioral adaptations by the lynx. Between 2017 and 2022, we conducted camera trap-based surveys across six sites in southern Mongolia and evaluated species co-occurrence by snow leopards and lynx using the occupancy framework. We assumed snow leopards to be the dominant species while using topographical and land cover variables as covariates. Our results show that the presence of snow leopards influenced site-use by lynx, leading to a shift in space use when snow leopards were present. Specifically, lynx used the entire range of ruggedness and did not select for shrubby areas in the absence of snow leopards, whereas they avoided rugged areas and had a strong preference for shrubby areas when snow leopards were present. Our findings emphasize the influence a larger predator can have on the space use of a smaller predator, and how the presence of snow leopards can alter the space-use of lynx. Understanding these interactions and behavioral adaptations can be useful for developing effective conservation strategies in the region.

URL: https://snowleopardnetwork.org/b/show.php?record=1767

“How Snow Leopards Changed My Life and Why They Must Be Conserved”

Our webinar with Tshiring Lhamu Lama, the founding director of Snow Leopard Journey and Snow Leopard Sisters.

As the founding director of Snow Leopard Journey and Snow Leopard Sisters, Tshiring is on the frontlines of snow leopard conservation in the Dolpo Himalaya. Through innovative, sustainable, and practical projects, she works to encourage, empower, engage, and employ local youth by promoting eco-tourism, sustainable livelihoods, and environmental education. Tshiring’s efforts aim not only to shift local perceptions of the snow leopard, transforming it from a threat into a vital asset for both conservation and community well-being, but also to end the retaliatory killings of snow leopards in the Dolpo Himalayas.

“Cameras or camus? Comparing snow track surveys and camera traps to estimate densities of unmarked wildlife populations in the Russian Far East”

Our webinar presentation with Scott Waller, from Wildlife Conservation Society’s Temperate Asia regional program.

Population density is a valuable metric used to manage wildlife populations. In the Russian Far East, wildlife managers use the Formozov-Malyushev-Pereleshin (FMP) snow tracking method to estimate densities of ungulate prey for hunting management and Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) conservation, since the carrying capacity of a landscape for tigers is closely linked with the density of available prey biomass. Yet, climate change and challenges with survey design call into question the reliability of the FMP, and wildlife managers are looking for alternative methods. Camera traps offer a promising new tool, but their suitability for monitoring prey remains unclear.

Working with the Wildlife Conservation Society and Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve, Scott and colleagues applied a rigorous scientific design of random sampling to estimate densities of preferred prey of the Amur tiger using both FMP and camera-based methods. They also converted these density estimates to prey biomass following conventions in the literature. They found that, while both track surveys and camera traps provided consistent estimates of density, cameras required more resources and effort to implement. They also consider the demands of random sampling of the landscape as restrictive, especially in other parts of the tiger’s range with more challenging terrain. Finally, they found that insignificant differences in density estimates between methods still led to large differences in prey biomass, emphasizing the need for more robust methods.

SLN Webinar – “How Snow Leopards Changed My Life and Why They Must Be Conserved”

We invite you to join us for our upcoming webinar with Tshiring Lhamu Lama, the founding director of Snow Leopard Journey and Snow Leopard Sisters.

About the Talk:

Khata-Conservation Awareness – PC – Snow Leopard Journey – 2024

Snow Leopard Trek – Dr. Rodney Jackson – PC – (Snow Leopard Journey) – 2022

About our Speaker:

Tshiring Lhamu Lama was born and raised in the high-altitude landscapes of Dolpo, one of the most remote regions of the Nepal Himalayas. She is the first woman from her Dolpo community to earn a Master’s degree in Natural Resource Management, a milestone achieved through the Chandra Gurung Memorial Fellowship 2014, supported by WWF Nepal. Deeply connected to her homeland—where traditional pastoralism and snow leopards co-exist—she recognized the urgent need for sustainable solutions to conserve snow leopards while also addressing the needs of local herders who share the land with these vulnerable snow leopards.

About our Facilitator:

Kayley Bateman joined the Snow Leopard Conservancy team as Programs Manager in July of 2023. She coordinates SLC’s conservation, education, and applied research programs and serves as the primary liaison between SLC and its partners. Kayley has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in Animal Science and a Master’s of Art in Biology from Miami University’s Project Dragonfly. Her involvement in Project Dragonfly’s Global Field Program focused on working effectively across diverse ecological and social settings to foster change through community-engaged education, scientific inquiry, environmental stewardship, and global understanding. Last fall, Kayley traveled to Nepal with the Snow Leopard Conservancy to facilitate the One Health – One Welfare program, an interdisciplinary approach aimed at strengthening local capacity to enhance the well-being of both animals and people in Nepal. Before joining the Conservancy, Kayley spent 15 years as an animal care specialist working directly with snow leopards, tigers, bears, and other wildlife in zoological settings.

Foxlight (Night Predator Deterrent) – PC (Snow Leopard Conservancy and Wendy Wood) – 2021

Date/Time:

Wednesday, 11th December at 20:00 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: Reflections from a snow leopard eco-camp program in Mongolia

Author: Mijiddorj, T. N., Ganchudur, B., Samelius, G., Alexander, J. S.

Abstract: Environmental education can efficiently engage individuals in addressing environmental challenges and promote collaboration among stakeholders. The aim of this paper was to understand how children participating in eco-camps perceived nature and the environment. Additionally, we aim to share our experiences from eight years of eco-camp activities conducted for sixth-grade students (aged 12-13 years) in the Gobi region of southern Mongolia. The program utilized active learning in snow leopard habitats. We used creative expressions, specifically write-ups such as poems, to capture the children’s perceptions and feelings about nature. The findings revealed that the children participating in the program conveyed a sense of awe for nature and awareness of ecosystem services. Feedback from parents and teachers indicated that the program was effective at creating positive changes in the childrenʼs behavior. While short-term outcomes were evident, further investigation into the long-term sustainability of these changes are needed.

URL: https://snowleopardnetwork.org/b/show.php?record=1766

New Article to the Bibliography

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

Title: First Photographic Evidence of Pallas’s Cat (Otocolobus manul) from Himachal Pradesh, India

Author: Sharma, C., Thuktan, T., Tobge, R., Angrup, D., Chhering, D., Sherab, T., Chhering, T., Bajaj, D., Khanyari, M., Suryawanshi, K.

Abstract: While the study of carnivore ecology has made significant progress, our knowledge of small cats remains limited. For some species, their distribution remains largely unknown. We report the first photographic evidence of the Pallas’s cat in Himachal Pradesh, India. Of the 56 camera traps placed for snow leopard population estimation across Kinnaur region between March-May 2024, we recorded Pallas’s cat at three camera trap sites with 19 images from three instances during morning hours. These captures were at an elevation of 3900–4100 meters in rocky habitats largely dominated by boulders and cliffs. Sympatric carnivores captured were snow leopard (Panthera uncia), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), stone marten (Martes foina) and free-ranging dogs. This discovery not only extends the known distribution of Pallas’s cat but also underscores the urgent need for focused conservation research and action in this region, especially given the presence of free-ranging dogs. This can be achieved through coordinated, landscape level and trans-boundary efforts.

URL: https://snowleopardnetwork.org/b/show.php?record=1765

Ethical Nature Conservation – a way to move forward.

This webinar shares news about Ethical Conservation Alliance (ECA) which has been active since 2023, as a transformative force, aiming to help conserve biodiversity while addressing the historical injustices to indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs).

Rooted in Western science and colonial practices, traditional biodiversity conservation methods have often marginalized IPLCs, sidelining the very groups that are crucial to the success of conservation efforts.

Recognizing the urgent need for a shift towards ethical biodiversity conservation, the ECA is working to develop cadres of frontline conservationists who are trained and have the needful tools to foster respectful relationships with IPLCs. By enabling respectful partnerships with IPLCs, the ECA aims to facilitate these communities as key stakeholders and rights holders in biodiversity protection, climate adaptation, and sustainable development. This approach aligns really well with the goals of multiple international conventions, particularly as these frameworks increasingly emphasize the importance of local and Indigenous involvement in biodiversity conservation.

The webinar also describes how conservation practitioners use resources developed by the Alliance for their own work.