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Dawa, T., Farrington, J., Norbu, K. (2006). Human-wildlife Conflict in the Chang Tang Region of Tibet: The Impact of Tibetan Brown Bears and other Wildlife on Nomadic Herders with Recommendations for Conflict Mitigation. Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China: WWF China-Lhasa Field Office.
Abstract: The multiple-use Chang Tang and Seling Lake Nature Reserves were created in 1993 to protect the unique assemblage of large fauna inhabiting the high-altitude steppe grasslands of northern Tibet, including the Tibetan antelope, Tibetan wild ass, Tibetan brown bear, Tibetan Gazelle, wild yak, and snow leopard. Prior to creation of the reserve, many of these species were heavily hunted for meat and sale of parts. Since creation of the reserve, however, killing of wildlife by subsistence hunters and commercial poachers has declined while in the past five years a new problem has emerged, that of human-wildlife conflict. With human, livestock, and wildlife populations in the reserves all increasing, and animals apparently emboldened by reserve-wide hunting bans, all forms of human-wildlife conflict have surged rapidly since 2001. This conflict takes on four primary forms in the Chang Tang region: 1)killing of domestic livestock in corrals and on open pastures by Tibetan brown bears, snow leopards, and other predators, 2) Tibetan brown bears badly damaging herders’ cabins and tents in search of food, 3) loss of important grass resources to large herds of widely migrating wild ungulates, particularly the Tibetan wild ass, possibly leading to winter starvation of livestock, 4) driving off of domestic female yaks by wild yak bulls in search of harems.
In April of 2006, the authors conducted a wildlife conflict survey of 300 herding households in Nagchu Prefecture’s Shenzha, Tsonyi, and Nyima Counties. Results showed that the 87 percent of households had experienced some form of wildlife conflict since 1990. The Tibetan brown bear was the largest source of wildlife conflict, affecting 49 percent of surveyed households, followed by grazing competition conflict which affected 36 percent of surveyed households, and snow leopard conflict which affected 24 percent of surveyed households. Type and frequency of wildlife conflict problems cut across all three surveyed socio-economic factors, residence type, size of living group, and economic status/herd size, and was primarily a function of location. A break down of incidences of human-wildlife conflict into three 5 to 6-year time periods between January 1990 and April 2006 revealed dramatic increases in conflict occurring since 2001. When compared to the 1990-1995 period, the incidence of conflict today ranged from 2.6 times higher for fox conflict to 5.5 times higher for conflict with snow leopards, while there was a 4.6 fold increase in the occurrence of bear conflict. From second-hand accounts and wildlife remains confiscated from herders, it is now believed that retaliatory killing of wildlife rivals commercial poaching as the greatest threat to the continued existence of the Chang Tang region's large fauna. Human-wildlife conflict reduction strategies and wildlife conservation education programs must be devised and implemented in order to halt the retaliatory killing of wildlife by nomadic herders in the Chang Tang.
Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China: WWF China-Lhasa Field Office
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Nature Conservation Division, Department of Forests and Park Services, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, & Royal Government of Bhutan. (2023). Snow Leopard Status in Bhutan – National Snow Leopard Survey Report 2022-2023.
Abstract: The National Snow Leopard Survey (NSLS) report 2022-2023 provides an updated status of the snow leopard in Bhutan. The report is an outcome of the camera trapping survey spanning five protected areas namely Jigme Khesar Strict Nature Reserve, Jigme Dorji National Park, Wangchuck Centennial National Park, Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park and two Divisional Forest Offices of Paro and Thimphu. A total of 310 camera stations were setup across the field sites that accumulated a survey effort of 22,636 trap nights, with over 10,000 images of snow leopards captured. A careful review of 476 images identified 96 adult individuals and 10 cubs across the landscape. Bayesian-based Spatially Explicit Capture Recapture (SECR) modelling estimated 134 snow leopards, as compared to the 2016 baseline of 96 individuals. Snow leopard density was estimated at 1.34 snow leopards per 100 km2 with the possibility of higher density in western Bhutan than in central and eastern Bhutan. Habitat distribution modeling also suggests more suitable habitats in western Bhutan as compared to other regions.
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(1998). Biological diversity conservation. National strategy and action plan of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Abstract: The National strategy and action plan of the Republic of Uzbekistan was signed on April 1, 1998. Snow leopard was included in the list of rare and endangered animal species and referred to category 2 a rare, not endangered species. It is distributed in highlands of the West Tien Shan and Pamiro-Alay. Its population is 30-50 animals. Snow leopard is protected in the Chatkal, Gissar nature reserve, and Ugam-Chatkal national park.
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Abdusalamov I.A. (2001). Required protection measures for rare and endangered vertebrate species in Tajikistan (Vol. N 2 (143)).
Abstract: The network of Tajikistan's protected areas (four nature reserves, 14 national and 18 regional sanctuaries, one national park) is described. The establishment of `Shakhristan state complex nature reserve' and `Sarykamish state complex reserve', and interstate nature complex park on northern slope of the Turkestan ridge is recommended to improve conservation practices for a number of endangered vertebrate animal species in Northern Tajikistan (such as brown bear, snow leopard, wild sheep, and others).
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Formozov A.N. (1989). Tiger. Leopard. Snow Leopard.
Abstract: The number of large cats is reducing. These animals are hold out in the most difficult of access places. During long time snow leopard was a poorly known animal. The situation was changed with developing of mountain tourism and mountaineering. It's necessary to reduce the capturing snow leopards for zoological gardens.
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Jackson, R., Hunter, D.O. (1995). Snow leopard Survey and conservation handbook (First edition).
Abstract: The objectives of this handbook (First edition) are to provide standard procedures for conducting snow leopard status and distribution surveys; suggest uniform methods for assessing the status and relative abundance of large prey species (ungulates such as blue sheep, argali, markhor, Himalayan tahr, urial, ibex, red deer, and roe deer); offer guidance in evaluating habitat quality and identifying the major environmental factors affecting species welfare; and provide standard forms for reporting the results of these field surveys, and a process for feeding information developed by the International Snow Leopard Trust into Snoe Leopard Information Management System (SLIMS).
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WWF Mongolia Programme Office. (2010). Communication and public awareness programme. Mongolia: WWF Mongolia.
Abstract: The overall goal and vision of the project is to ensure survival of Argali and Snow Leopard in Mongolian-Russian trans-border areas of Altai-Sayan Ecoregion and replicate best practices to other parts of species ranges. The project has two modules:
•Conservation of Argali and Snow Leopard using Community based approaches and
•Establishing new PA, covering their critical habitats and improving management of the local PA “Gulzat”
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Robinson, J. J., Crichlow, A. D., Hacker, C. E., Munkhtsog, B., Munkhtsog, B., Zhang, Y., Swanson, W. F., Lyons, L. A., Janecka, J. E. (2024). Genetic Variation in the Pallas’s Cat (Otocolobus manul) in Zoo-Managed and Wild Populations. Diversity, 16(228), 1–13.
Abstract: The Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul) is one of the most understudied taxa in the Felidae family. The species is currently assessed as being of “Least Concern” in the IUCN Red List, but this assessment is based on incomplete data. Additional ecological and genetic information is necessary for the long-term in situ and ex situ conservation of this species. We identified 29 microsatellite loci with sufficient diversity to enable studies into the individual identification, population structure, and phylogeography of Pallas’s cats. These microsatellites were genotyped on six wild Pallas’s cats from the Tibet Autonomous Region and Mongolia and ten cats from a United States zoo-managed population that originated in Russia and Mongolia. Additionally, we examined diversity in a 91 bp segment of the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA (MT-RNR1) locus and a hypoxia-related gene, endothelial PAS domain protein 1 (EPAS1). Based on the microsatellite and MT-RNR1 loci, we established that the Pallas’s cat displays moderate genetic diversity. Intriguingly, we found that the Pallas’s cats had one unique nonsynonymous substitution in EPAS1 not present in snow leopards (Panthera uncia) or domestic cats (Felis catus). The analysis of the zoo-managed population indicated reduced genetic diversity compared to wild individuals. The genetic information from this study is a valuable resource for future research into and the conservation of the Pallas’s cat.
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Spearing, A. (2002). The Snow Leopard in Zanskar, Jammu & Kashmir, NW India.. Islt: Islt.
Abstract: The paper summarises the alleged conflict between livestock herders and wild predators in the trans-Himalayan region of Zanskar, NW India. The snow leopard (Uncia uncia) is seriously threatened by this conflict, with at least thirteen killed in the last seven years in 3 of the study villages alone. Results of snow leopard sign surveys are described, revealing significant increases since the last survey (1986) consistent with alleged increases in livestock depredation. Attitudes toward wildlife and opinions on population trends are assessed. Depredation hotspots are identified and the cost of livestock predation is
discussed in terms of recent developments and social changes in the Zanskar region.
Illegal hunting and retaliatory killing are described, and essential programs and
conservation measures are suggested. Even at this early stage, there appears scope for raising rural incomes and lifting the burden of co-existence with snow leopard and other unique mountain fauna.
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Luxom, N. M., Singh, R., Theengh, L., Shrestha, P., Sharma, R. K. (2022). Pastoral practices, pressures, Pastoralism: Research, Policy and Practice Open Access and human-wildlife relations in high altitude rangelands of eastern Himalaya: A case study of the Dokpa pastoralists of North Sikkim. Springer Open, 12(37), 1–19.
Abstract: The pastoral practices of the Dokpa herders of North Sikkim have been transforming in response to the geo-political and socio-economic changes in the region. Against the backdrop of these changes, this study aims to understand the current state of pastoralism in North Sikkim with three specific objectives: (i) to understand the current rangeland management practices of the Dokpa community; (ii) to examine the social, political and ecological stresses to continuity of traditional pastoral livelihoods; and (iii) to document the baseline on human-wildlife relations. We focused on one of the two subset populations of Dokpa herders of North Sikkim and, using a mixed-methods approach, conducted 12 semi-structured interviews, four key respondent interviews and two focused group discussions. The resource use by the Dokpas is unique, and unlike the rest of the Himalayan range, they access the high-altitude pastures in winters and the lower ones in summer. Pastures in the higher altitudes experience heavier winds, which leads to lower levels of snow deposition — thus ensuring access to dried pasture forage for livestock during the lean season. The decisions pertaining to resource management are taken by the head of the local institution Dzumsa, the Pipon. Primary stresses to the continuation of traditional pastoral practices are fragmentation of pastureland post- Sino-Indian war of 1962 and the consequent establishment of armed forces, livestock depredation by free-ranging dogs followed by wild predators and continued socio-economic marginalisation of the pastoralists under a supposedly egalitarian institutional regime. Extreme climatic events in the recent past have also contributed to significant livestock loss. Dokpa transhumant practices are on an overall decline, with most members of the younger generation shifting to non-herding livelihoods. The availability of alternate livelihood options with the improved connectivity, access to education and development of the tourism industry has led to changing aspirations of the younger generations. In only two of the twelve households we surveyed, the younger generation continues herding, while the rest have moved to the cities and towns. In terms of human-wildlife relations, the respondents mostly hold a positive attitude towards wildlife and conservation actions despite livestock predation by wild predators, since the free-ranging dogs cause the highest livestock loss. With the inputs from the Dokpas, we provide recommendations towards a facilitative environment for the continuation of the traditional herding in the region, which is critical for the survival of pastoralism in North Sikkim, presently hinged on less than two dozen of elderly Dokpas.
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