Abstract: Uzbekistan's mountain fauna is characterized by the presence of species endemic to Central Asia, and species typical for Mediterranean, India, Afghanistan, the mountains of Central Asia, Mongolia, Siberia, and other neighbouring countries and regions. Of 300 mammals of the USSR, more than 120 inhabit mountains of Central Asia. More diverse is the bird fauna (500 species) and fish fauna. The mountain species are distributed according to the highland zoning. The fauna of highland zone is very peculiar: brown bear, snow leopard, ermine, weasel, wolf, Siberian ibex, argali, and marmot. The following species are under protection in the mountain nature reserves in Uzbekistan: Siberian ibex, roe-deer, Menzbier's marmot, stone marten, ermine, Turkistan lynx, Tien Shan brown bear, Severtsev's sheep, wild boar, marbled polecat, steppe cat, porcupine, snow leopard, otter, badger, long-tailed marmot, marchor, urial, etc. Development of the area resulted in disappearance of Caspian tiger and dhole. The endangered species are cheetah, North Persian leopard, striped hyena, houbara bustard; extremely endangered are Transcaspian urial, marchor, otter, black stock, etc.

Abstract: The Ladakh urial (Ovis vignei vignei) is a highly endangered animal (IUCN Red List 2000) listed in the Appendix 1 of CITES and Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Its numbers had been reduced to a few hundred individuals in the 1960s and 70s through hunting for trophies and meat (Fox et al. 1991, Mallon 1983, Chundawat and Qureshi 1999, IUCN Red List 2000). However, with the protection bestowed by the IWPA 1972, and resultant decrease in hunting, the population seems to have shown a marginal increase to about 1000-1500 individuals in its range in Ladakh (Chundawat and Qureshi 1999, IUCN Red List 2000). Although the species had in the past, been able to coexist with the predominantly Buddhist society of Ladakh, the recent increase in the population of both humans and their livestock has placed immense pressures on its habitat (Shackleton 1997, Chundawat and Qureshi 1999, Raghavan and Bhatnagar 2003). This is especially important considering that the Ladakh urial habitat coincides with the areas of maximum human activity in terms of settlements, agriculture, pastoralism and development, in Ladakh (Fox et al. 1991, Chundawat and Qureshi 1999, Raghavan and Bhatnagar 2003). Increased developmental activities such as construction of roads, dams, and military bases in these areas have also increased the access to their habitat. This has consequently made the species more vulnerable to the threats of poaching and habitat destruction (Fox et al. 1991, Chundawat and Qureshi 1999, Raghavan and Bhatnagar 2002). Pressure from increased livestock grazing is one of the major threats faced by the species today (Shackleton 1997, Fox et al. 1991, Mallon 1983, IUCN Red List 2000 Chundawat and Qureshi 1999, Raghavan and Bhatnagar 2003). In the impoverished habitat provided by the Trans-Himalayas, there is great competition for the scarce resources between various animal species surviving here (Fox 1996, Mishra 2001). The presence of livestock intensifies this competition and can either force the species out of its niche (competitive exclusion) by displacing it from that area or resource, or lead to partitioning of resources between the species, spatially or temporally, for coexistence (Begon et al. 1986, Gause 1934).