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Singh, R., Krausman, P. R., Pandey, P., Maheshwari, A., Rawal,
R. S., Sharma, S., Shekhar, S. |
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Predicting Habitat Suitability of Snow Leopards in the Western
Himalayan Mountains, India |
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Journal Article |
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2020 |
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Biology bulletin |
Abbreviated Journal |
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47 |
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6 |
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655-664 |
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biogeographic distribution, climate, endangered cat, MaxEnt, snow leopard |
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The population of snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is declining
across their range, due to poaching, habitat fragmentation, retaliatory
killing, and a decrease of wild prey species. Obtaining information on
rare and cryptic predators living in remote and rugged terrain is
important for making conservation and management strategies. We used the
Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) ecological niche modeling framework to predict
the potential habitat of snow leopards across the western Himalayan
region, India. The model was developed using 34 spatial species
occurrence points in the western Himalaya, and 26 parameters including,
prey species distribution, temperature, precipitation, land use and land
cover (LULC), slope, aspect, terrain ruggedness and altitude. Thirteen
variables contributed 98.6% towards predicting the distribution of snow
leopards. The area under the curve (AUC) score was high (0.994) for the
training data from our model, which indicates pre- dictive ability of
the model. The model predicted that there was 42432 km2 of potential
habitat for snow leop- ards in the western Himalaya region. Protected
status was available for 11247 km2 (26.5%), but the other 31185 km2
(73.5%) of potential habitat did not have any protected status. Thus,
our approach is useful for predicting the distribution and suitable
habitats and can focus field surveys in selected areas to save
resources, increase survey success, and improve conservation efforts for
snow leopards. |
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1629 |
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Singh, S. K., De, R., Sharma, R., Maheshwari, A., Joshi, B. D., Sharma, D., Sathyakumar, S., Habib, B., Goyal, S. P. |
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Conservation importance of the strategic, centrally located snow leopard population in the western Himalayas, India: a genetic perspective |
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Journal Article |
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2022 |
Publication |
Mammalian Biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
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13 |
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Panthera uncia, Western Himalayas, Microsatellite, Genetic diversity, Functional connectivity |
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The snow leopard population in Union Territory of Ladakh (UTL), India is at the centre of five out of eight mountain ranges within the species' habitat in the high-mountain Asia. Its strategic location is of immense conservation significance to maintain genetic connectivity and metapopulation dynamics of snow leopards (Panthera uncia). Therefore, we provide the first estimates of the snow leopard's individual-based spatial genetic characteristics from UTL. Multi-locus genotyping (n = 14 loci) of individuals (n = 19) revealed moderate genetic diversity in the population (mean number of alleles = 5.86 ± 0.55, observed heterozygosity = 0.48 ± 0.05, expected heterozygosity = 0.65 ± 0.03, allelic richness = 2.65 ± 0.15). We did not observe any evidence of population structuring (using STRUCTURE and Factorial Correspondence Analysis) or isolation by distance. However, the clustering approach based on genetic distance (Nei's standard distance and Cavalli-Sforza and Edwards distance) and subsequent discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) revealed three sub-clusters of related individuals within the study population without any spatial correlates. We observed 1.2% first-order relatives, suggesting sufficient dispersal and panmixia in the UTL population. We observed high fixation index (FIS = 0.26 ± 0.05; 0.17 ± 0.03 upon removing loci with null alleles) and presence of individuals from genetically divergent populations in UTL. Hence, the high positive FIS value could be attributed to both Wahlund effect and inbreeding. Prioritization and effective conservation planning of the UTL population as a source would benefit the global snow leopard population by (i) maintaining connectivity between the Himalayas and the central Asian mountain ranges, and (ii) providing refuge during future climate change-related range contraction. |
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SLN @ rakhee @ |
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1694 |
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Smith, H. F., Townsend, K. E. B., Adrian, B., Levy, S., Marsh, S., Hassur, R., Manfredi, K., Echols, M. S. |
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Title |
Functional Adaptations in the Forelimb of the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) |
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Journal Article |
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2021 |
Publication |
Integrative and Comparative Biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
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61 |
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5 |
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1852-1866 |
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The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is anatomically and physiologically adapted for life in the rocky terrain of alpine zones in Central and South Asia. Panthera uncia is scansorial, and typically hunts solitarily by using overhead ambush of prey, rather than the typical stalking pattern of other large pantherines. In this study, we conducted dissections, detailed documentation, and illustrated the forelimb anatomy of two adult P. uncia specimens (1M/1F). Qualitative and quantitative data revealed an intriguing combination of functional adaptations illustrating a balance between the diverse demands of head-first descent, pouncing, climbing across rocky terrain, restraint of large prey, rapid pursuit, and navigating deep snow. In many forelimb proportions, P. uncia is intermediate between the cursorial Acinonyx jubatus (cheetah) and the scansorial forest dwelling Panthera onca (jaguar). Enlarged scapular and pectoral musculature provide stability to the shoulder girdle during grappling with large prey, as well as support during jumping and climbing. A small, unarticulated bony clavicle may provide greater stability to the forelimb, while still allowing flexibility. In the brachium and antebrachium of P. uncia, there is a functional compromise between the powerful grip needed for grasping large prey and the stability necessary for rapid pursuit of prey over uneven, rocky terrain. A unique bifurcation in the tendon of m. biceps brachii may provide additional functional stability at the radiohumeral joint. Intrinsic muscles of the palmar manus are broad and fleshy, acting as an enlarged surface area to evenly distribute body weight while walking on soft snow. However, muscles that act to provide fine manual manipulation are reduced, as in other large prey specialists. Overall, P. uncia displays morphological adaptive parallels with scansorial, large prey spe- cializing pantherines, such as P. onca, while also showing adaptations for running. |
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SLN @ rakhee @ |
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1670 |
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Solari, K. A., Morgan, S., Poyarkov, A. D., Weckworth, B., Samelius, G., Sharma, K., Ostrowski, S., Ramakrishnan, U., Kubanychbekov, Z., Kachel, S., Johansson, O., Lkhagvajav, P., Hemmingmoore, H., Alexandrov, D. Y., Bayaraa, M., Grachev, A., Korablev, M. P., Hernandez-Blanco, J. A., Munkhtsog, B., Rosenbaum, B., Rozhnov, V. V., Rajabi, A. M., Noori, H., Armstrong, E. E., Petrov, D. A. |
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Title |
Extreme in Every Way: Exceedingly Low Genetic Diversity in Snow Leopards Due to Persistently Small Population Size |
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Journal Article |
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2023 |
Publication |
bioRxiv |
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1-24 |
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Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) serve as an umbrella species whose conservation benefits their high-elevation Asian habitat. Their numbers are believed to be in decline due to numerous Anthropogenic threats; however, their conservation is hindered by numerous knowledge gaps. They are the least studied genetically of all big cat species and little is known about their historic population size and range, current population trends, or connectivity across their range. Here, we use whole genome sequencing data for 41 snow leopards (37 newly sequenced) to assess population connectivity, historic population size, and current levels of genetic diversity. Among our samples, we find evidence of a primary genetic divide between the northern and southern part of the range around the Dzungarian Basin and a secondary divide south of Kyrgyzstan around the Taklamakan Desert. However, we find evidence of gene flow, suggesting that barriers between these groups are permeable. Perhaps most noteworthy, we find that snow leopards have the lowest genetic diversity of any big cat species, likely due to a persistently small population size throughout their evolutionary history. Without a large population size or ample standing genetic variation to help buffer them from any forthcoming Anthropogenic challenges, snow leopard persistence may be more tenuous than currently appreciated. |
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SLN @ rakhee @ |
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1739 |
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Sultan, H., Rashid, W., Shi, J., Rahim, I. U., Nafees, M., Bohnett, E., Rashid, S., Khan, M. T., Shah, I. A., Han, H., Ariza-Montes, A. |
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Horizon Scan of Transboundary Concerns Impacting Snow Leopard Landscapes in Asia |
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Journal Article |
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2022 |
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MDPI |
Abbreviated Journal |
Land |
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11 |
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248 |
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1-22 |
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collaboration; habitat; innovative solutions; integrated landscape approach; socio- ecological system; trade corridor; tourism |
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The high-altitude region of Asia is prone to natural resource degradation caused by a variety of natural and anthropogenic factors that also threaten the habitat of critical top predator species, the snow leopard (Panthera uncia). The snow leopard’s landscape encompasses parts of the twelve Asian countries and is dominated by pastoral societies within arid mountainous terrain. However, no investigation has assessed the vulnerability and pathways towards long-term sustainability on the global snow leopard landscape scale. Thus, the current study reviewed 123 peer-reviewed scientific publications on the existing knowledge, identified gaps, and proposed sustainable mitigation options for the longer term and on larger landscape levels in the range countries. The natural resource degradation in this region is caused by various social, economic, and ecological threats that negatively affect its biodiversity. The factors that make the snow leopard landscapes vulnerable include habitat fragmentation through border fencing, trade corridor infrastructure, non-uniform conservation policies, human–snow leopard conflict, the increasing human population, climatic change, land use and cover changes, and unsustainable tourism. Thus, conservation of the integrated Socio-Ecological System (SES) prevailing in this region requires a multi-pronged approach. This paper proposes solutions and identifies the pathways through which to implement these solutions. The prerequisite to implementing such solutions is the adoption of cross-border collaboration (regional cooperation), the creation of peace parks, readiness to integrate transnational and cross-sectoral conservation policies, a focus on improving livestock management practices, a preparedness to control human population growth, a readiness to mitigate climate change, initiating transboundary landscape-level habitat conservation, adopting environment-friendly trade corridors, and promoting sustainable tourism. Sustainable development in this region encompasses the political, social, economic, and ecological landscapes across the borders. |
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SLN @ rakhee @ |
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1671 |
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Tallian, A., Mattisson, J., Samelius, G., Odden, J., Mishra, C., Linnell, J. D. C., Lkhagvajav, P., Johansson, O. |
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Wild versus domestic prey: Variation in the kill-site behavior of two large felids |
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Journal Article |
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2023 |
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Global Ecology and Conservation |
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47 |
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e026750 |
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1-13 |
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Eurasian lynx, Handling time, Landscape, Livestock, Predation, Snow leopard |
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Livestock depredation is an important source of conflict for many terrestrial large carnivore
species. Understanding the foraging behavior of large carnivores on domestic prey is therefore
important for both mitigating conflict and conserving threatened carnivore populations. Handling
time is an important, albeit often overlooked, component of predatory behavior, as it directly
influences access to food biomass, which can affect predator foraging efficiency and subsequent
kill rates. We used long-term data on snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in Mongolia (Asia) and
Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Norway (Europe) to examine how large carnivore foraging patterns
varied between domestic and wild prey, and how the different landscape characteristics affected
those patterns. Our results suggest handling time was generally shorter for domestic compared to
wild prey. For snow leopards, rugged terrain was linked to increased handling time for larger
prey. For lynx, handling time increased with terrain ruggedness for domestic, but not wild, prey,
and was greater in closed compared to open habitats. There were also other differences in snow
leopard and lynx foraging behavior, e.g., snow leopards also stayed longer at, and remained closer
to, their kill sites than lynx. Shorter handling time suggests that felids may have utilized domestic
prey less effectively than wild prey, i.e., they spent less time consuming their prey. This could a)
result in an energetic or fitness cost related to decreased felid foraging efficiency caused by the
risk of anthropogenic disturbance, or b) exacerbate conflict if reduced handling time associated
with easy prey results in increased livestock depredation. |
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SLN @ rakhee @ |
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1737 |
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Thapa, K. |
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An experience of surplus killing of livestock by a snow leopard in Nepal |
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2021 |
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CATnews |
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Winter 2021 |
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74 |
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18-21 |
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Among many other threats, retaliatory killing of snow leopards Panthera uncia by people in retribution of livestock depredation is the foremost challenge for long-term survival of snow leopards. Surplus killing of up to 100 or more goats and sheep by snow leopard in a single night have been reported in snow leopard range’ countries including Nepal. Such incidences are unusual, but their impacts are substantial for subsistence agropastoral communities and snow leopard survival. Direct observation of surplus killing of livestock by a snow leopard in the corral is very rare. Here I report one incidence in a remote part of Nepal where a snow leopard killed 44 goats and was then trapped itself in a corral. This note highlights how I managed to rescue the trapped snow leopard. |
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SLN @ rakhee @ |
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1668 |
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Thapa, K., Baral, S., Rahamajhi, S. |
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Title |
Effectiveness of Human-Snow leopard co-existence measure- a systematic analysis |
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Journal Article |
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2023 |
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Journal for Nature Conservation |
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76 |
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126511 |
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1-11 |
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Community-based conservation, Himalayan, Snow leopard range countries |
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Snow leopards and agropastoral communities have co-existed in snow leopard range countries for centuries. The vulnerable snow leopard forms and maintains the entire ecosystem, serving as an indicator species of a healthy alpine ecosystem. However, snow leopards, on the other hand, habitually kill livestock, occasionally killing 100 or more livestock in a single night, resulting in snow leopard retaliation. Thus, the snow leopard is becoming more threatened, so more attention should be paid. Therefore, numerous conservation mitigation strategies have been applied to maintain human-snow leopard coexistence in countries of the snow leopard range. However, such implemented conservation strategies lacked a thorough assessment of their achievements or shortcomings in protecting the snow leopard and enhancing community tolerance. Therefore, we systematically examined and evaluated peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on existing and implemented mitigation measures. We use the software Publish or Perish to achieve this, and we assess using the Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) review approach. We thoroughly analyzed 42 papers and book chapters that were condensed human- snow leopard co-existence-related literature published in English from 2010 to 2023. Almost 90% of the papers were country-specific, with the remaining papers covering regional or snow leopard ranges countries. Nepal had the most papers, followed by China, India, and Mongolia; however, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Pakistan, Russia, and Tajikistan each had<10%, but there was no single document from Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan. Predator-proof corral, improved herding practices, and community-based insurance programs were three of the key recommendations that were more than 10 to 22 times proposed interventions. There are site-specific sociocultural situations and environments that require long-term action-oriented research that is area-specific rather than short-term and generic interventions. We identified a large knowledge gap in snow leopard research, specifically a lack of evidence that demonstrates and quantifies the effects of conservation actions, and strongly advise that it be further researched. |
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1735 |
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Thapa, K., Jackson, R., Gurung, L, Acharya, H. B., Gurung, R. K., |
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Applying the double observer methodology for assessing blue sheep population size in Nar Phu valley, Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal |
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2021 |
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Wildlife Biology |
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1-11 |
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blue sheep, density estimation, double observer counts, Nepal, Panthera uncia, prey abundance, Pseudois nayaur, snow leopard, viewshed mapping |
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This study was undertaken in spring, 2019 to assess the applicability of the double-observer survey method for estimating blue sheep Pseudois nayaur abundance in Nar-Phu valley of Manang District located in Annapurna Conservation Area of northern Nepal. Since counting large mammals in rugged mountain habitat poses a special challenge, we tested the efficacy of the double observer method for generating robust population estimates for this important protected area. The overall detection probability for observers (O1 and O2) was 0.94 and 0.91 for a total of 106 groups comprised of 2059 individual blue sheep. We estimated the area’s blue sheep population at 2070 (SE ± 168.77; 95% CI 2059–2405) for the 246.2 km2 of sampled habitat. We determined blue sheep to be widely distributed within the study area with a mean density of 8.4 individuals per km2 based on a total study area of 246.2 km2. We discuss demographic population structure and identify limitations when applying the double observer approach, along with recommending viewshed mapping for ensuring more robust density estimates of mountain-dwelling ungulates like blue sheep or ibex that inhabit extremely heterogeneous terrain which strongly influences sighting distances and overall animal detection rates. |
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1666 |
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Thapa, K., Rayamajhi, S. |
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Anti-predator strategies of blue sheep (naur) under varied predator compositions: a comparison of snow leopard-inhabited valleys with and without wolves in Nepal |
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2023 |
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Wildlife Research |
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1-9 |
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Annapurna conservation area, antipredator behavior, blue sheep (Naur), predation, prey predator traits, snow leopard, trade-off, wolf. |
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In Nepal, naur are usually the staple wild prey for the snow leopard, a solitary stalker hunter, and in some cases, for the wolf who hunts in a pack. We assumed that naur would adapt their anti-predatory responses to the presence of chasing and ambushing predators in the Manang Valley, where there are snow leopards and wolves, and in the Nar Phu valley, an area where there is only the snow leopard.
Aims. The aim of this study was to determine if there were differences in anti-predator strategies (vigilance, habitat selection and escape terrain) of naur in two valleys over two seasons, spring and autumn.
Methods. In spring 2019, we conducted a reconnaissance survey on the status of the naur and its habitat in the Manang and Nar Phu valleys of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. In spring and autumn 2020 and 2021, we observed 360 focal naur individuals (180 individuals in each valley), using the vigilance behaviour methodology to examine the behaviour of the naur.
Key results. There was little difference in the size of the naur groups between the Manang and Nar Phu valleys. The naur were twice as vigilant in Manang (15%), where there are snow leopards and wolves, as they were in Nar Phu (9%), with only snow leopards. The distance from the naur to escape cover was significantly shorter in Manang than in Nar Phu valley. Naur used significantly more rolling terrain in Nar Phu than in Manang. Conclusions. The return of wolves to the Manang valley may have resulted in an increase in the level of naur vigilance. Most likely, the wolves in Manang have already had an effect on the female-to-young-ratio, and this effect will possibly have important consequences for the naur population, as well as at the ecosystem level in the future. Other key determining factors, such as the climate crisis and changes in local resources, could have a significant impact on the naur population, indicating the need for more research. Implications. The findings of this study would provide valuable baseline information for the design of a science-based conservation strategy for conservation managers and scientists on naur, snow leopards and wolves. |
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SLN @ rakhee @ |
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