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Author Johansson, O., Ullman, K., Lkhagvajav, P., Wiseman, M., Malmsten, J., Leijon, M.
Title Detection and Genetic Characterization of Viruses Present in Free-Ranging Snow Leopards Using Next-Generation Sequencing Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Frontiers in Veterinary Science Abbreviated Journal
Volume 7 Issue 645 Pages (down) 1-9
Keywords snow leopard, free-ranging, virome, Mongolia, rectal swabs, next-generating sequencing, Panthera unica
Abstract Snow leopards inhabit the cold, arid environments of the high

mountains of South and Central Asia. These living conditions likely

affect the abundance and composition of microbes with the capacity to

infect these animals. It is important to investigate the microbes that

snow leopards are exposed to detect infectious disease threats and

define a baseline for future changes that may impact the health of this

endangered felid. In this work, next-generation sequencing is used to

investigate the fecal (and in a few cases serum) virome of seven snow

leopards from the Tost Mountains of Mongolia. The viral species to which

the greatest number of sequences reads showed high similarity was

rotavirus. Excluding one animal with overall very few sequence reads,

four of six animals (67%) displayed evidence of rotavirus infection. A

serum sample of a male and a rectal swab of a female snow leopard

produced sequence reads identical or closely similar to felid

herpesvirus 1, providing the first evidence that this virus infects snow

leopards. In addition, the rectal swab from the same female also

displayed sequence reads most similar to feline papillomavirus 2, which

is the first evidence for this virus infecting snow leopards. The rectal

swabs from all animals also showed evidence for the presence of small

circular DNA viruses, predominantly Circular Rep-Encoding

Single-Stranded (CRESS) DNA viruses and in one case feline anellovirus.

Several of the viruses implicated in the present study could affect the

health of snow leopards. In animals which are under environmental

stress, for example, young dispersing individuals and lactating females,

health issues may be exacerbated by latent virus infections.
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Call Number Serial 1612
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Author Krofel, M., Groff, C., Oberosler, V., Augugliaro, C., Rovero, F.
Title Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) predation and consumption of an adult yak in the Mongolian Altai. Type Note
Year 2021 Publication Ethology Ecology & Evolution Abbreviated Journal EEE
Volume Issue Pages (down) 1-8
Keywords
Abstract The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is an apex predator of mountainous ecosystems in Central Asia, characterised by relatively long feeding times and low kill rates (Johansson et al. 2015; Mallon et al. 2016). Predation is mainly focused on wild ungulates and the vast majority of animals killed by snow leopards are smaller than 100 kg (Lovari et al. 2013). Throughout most of their range, Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica), blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), and argali (Ovis ammon) represent the most important prey (Hunter 2015). These species weigh up to 180 kg, which was suggested to be near the maximum limit of the prey size that snow leopard can handle (i.e. about 3 times its size) (e.g. Schaller 1977; Hunter 2015). Accordingly, researchers generally assume that prey like adult yaks (Bos grunniens) with an average body weight of 250 kg (Bagchi & Mishra 2006), are too large to be killed by snow leopards (e.g. Devkota et al. 2013; Chetri et al. 2017). In contrast, local livestock herders report that snow leopard can also kill larger prey, including adult yaks (e.g. Li et al. 2013; Suryawanshi et al. 2013), but confirmed records of snow leopard killing prey of this size appear to be lacking in the literature. We also have very limited knowledge about the consumption of snow leopard kills, and the scavengers, including conspecifics, that are using them (Fox & Chundawat 2016; Schaller 2016). Here we report on a predation event and the following consumption process of a snow leopard kill, a free-roaming adult female yak, which we studied in 2019 using snow tracking, direct observation and camera trapping in the Mongolian Altai.
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Call Number Serial 1634
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Author Sharma, R. K., Singh, R.
Title Over 100 Years of Snow Leopard Research: A Spatially Explicit Review of the State of Knowledge in the Snow Leopard Range. Type Technical Report WWF
Year 2021 Publication Research Gate Abbreviated Journal
Volume May 2021 Issue May 2021 Pages (down) 1-43
Keywords
Abstract Executive Summary: Evolved to live in some of the world’s highest and harshest habitats, the elusive and rare snow leopards (Panthera uncia) are undisputed icons of High Asia. Across their distributional range in Central and South Asia, the snow leopard’s habitat spans diverse landscapes, with livestock herding being the most dominant form of land use. As a result, areas inhabited by snow leopards and people often overlap, creating challenges as well as opportunities for their conservation. Snow leopard conservation has received increasing attention in the past two decades and global interest in protecting this unique high-mountain cat continues to rise. However, effective and efficient snow leopard conservation initiatives require multi-dimensional research and collaboration among a diverse array of actors. National governments in snow leopard range, for instance, have repeatedly pledged their support for the conservation of the animal and the breathtaking landscapes they inhabit. These landscapes house an array of unique high-altitude wildlife and provide homes and life-sustaining natural resources to hundreds of millions of people. The mountains of High Asia also form the headwaters of 20 major river basins, an important water source for 22 countries (Sindorf et al., 2014). More than 2 billion people live in these basins which overlap the snow leopard range. Given the growing interest in and commitment towards conservation of snow leopards and their habitats, it is crucial to examine the depth and breadth of knowledge currently available to inform conservation efforts and identify gaps in that knowledge. We reviewed over 100 years of published research on snow leopards to examine its temporal and spatial trends across an array of thematic areas. Snow leopard research intensified in the 1970s and studies on snow leopards have continued to increase exponentially since then. However, just four hotspots of snow leopard research (sites with continued multi-year research) have emerged, with less than 23% of the snow leopard range being researched. Nepal, India and China have conducted the most snow leopard research, followed by Mongolia and Pakistan. Our analysis revealed that snow leopard research was highly focussed on ecological research followed by studies on human-wildlife conflict. Most ecological studies focused on estimating the number and distribution of snow leopards and prey species. However, conservationists have surveyed less than 3% of the snow leopard range using rigorous and scientifically acceptable abundance estimation approaches. The lack of attention to the human dimensions of conservation was particularly stark, especially given that the majority of the snow leopard range is inhabited by local communities dependent on livestock herding. More importantly, very few studies evaluated the effectiveness of conservation actions. A lack of evidence demonstrating and quantifying the impacts of conservation interventions is a significant knowledge gap in snow leopard research. In this review, we identify and suggest the high-priority research necessary for effective conservation planning for snow leopards and their multiple-use habitat in High Asia.
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Call Number Serial 1636
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Author Bhatia, S., Suryawanshi, K., Redpath, S., Namgail, S., Mishra, C.
Title Understanding People's Relationship With Wildlife in Trans-Himalayan Folklore. Type Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication Frontiers in Environmental Science Abbreviated Journal
Volume 9 Issue 595169 Pages (down) 1-10
Keywords attitudes, culture, human-wildlife, narrative, stories, storytelling
Abstract People's views and values for wild animals are often a result of their experiences and traditional knowledge. Local folklore represents a resource that can enable an understanding of the nature of human-wildlife interactions, especially the underlying cultural values. Using archival searches and semi-structured interviews, we collected narratives about the ibex (Capra sibirica) (n = 69), and its predators, the wolf (Canis lupus) (n = 52) and the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) (n = 43), in Ladakh, India. We compared these stories to those of a mythical carnivore called seng ge or snow lion (n = 19), frequently referenced in local Tibetan Buddhist folklore and believed to share many of the traits commonly associated with snow leopards (except for livestock depredation). We then categorized the values along social-cultural, ecological and psychological dimensions. We found that the ibex was predominantly associated with utilitarianism and positive symbolism. Both snow leopard and wolf narratives referenced negative affective and negative symbolic values, though more frequently in the case of wolves. Snow leopard narratives largely focused on utilitarian and ecologistic values. In contrast, snow lion narratives were mostly associated with positive symbolism. Our results suggest that especially for snow leopards and wolves, any potentially positive symbolic associations appeared to be overwhelmed by negative sentiments because of their tendency to prey on livestock, unlike in the case of the snow lion. Since these values reflect people's real and multifarious interactions with wildlife, we recommend paying greater attention to understanding the overlaps between natural and cultural heritage conservation to facilitate human-wildlife coexistence.
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Call Number Serial 1632
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Author Bhatia, S., Suryawanshi, K., Redpath, S. M., Mishra, C
Title Understanding people's responses toward predators in the Indian Himalaya Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Animal Conservation Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages (down) 1-8
Keywords human-wildlife conflict; human attitudes to wildlife; value orientation; carnivores; tolerance; human-wildlife relationships; risk perception; Himalaya
Abstract Research on human–wildlife interactions has largely focused on the magnitude of wildlife‐caused damage, and the patterns and correlates of human attitudes and behaviors. We assessed the role of five pathways through which various correlates potentially influence human responses toward wild animals, namely, value orientation, social interactions (i.e. social cohesion and support), dependence on resources such as agriculture and livestock, risk perception and nature of interaction with the wild animal. We specifically evaluated their influence on people's responses toward two large carnivores, the snow leopard Panthera uncia and the wolf Canis lupus in an agropastoral landscape in the Indian Trans‐Himalaya. We found that the nature of the interaction (location, impact and length of time since an encounter or depredation event), and risk perception (cognitive and affective evaluation of the threat posed by the animal) had a significant influence on attitudes and behaviors toward the snow leopard. For wolves, risk perception and social interactions (the relationship of people with local institutions and inter‐community dynamics) were significant. Our findings underscore the importance of interventions that reduce people's threat perceptions from carnivores, improve their connection with nature and strengthen the conservation capacity of local institutions especially in the context of wolves.
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Call Number Serial 1630
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Author Shrestha, B., Kindlmann, P.
Title Implications of landscape genetics and connectivity of snow leopard in the Nepalese Himalayas for its conservation. Type Scientific Report
Year 2020 Publication Nature Research Abbreviated Journal
Volume 10 Issue 19853 Pages (down) 1-11
Keywords
Abstract The snow leopard is one of the most endangered large mammals.

Its population, already low, is declining, most likely due to the

consequences of human activity, including a reduction in the size and

number of suitable habitats. With climate change, habitat loss may

escalate, because of an upward shift in the tree line and concomitant

loss of the alpine zone, where the snow leopard lives. Migration between

suitable areas, therefore, is important because a decline in abundance

in these areas may result in inbreeding, fragmentation of populations,

reduction in genetic variation due to habitat fragmentation, loss of

connectivity, bottlenecks or genetic drift. Here we use our data

collected in Nepal to determine the areas suitable for snow leopards, by

using habitat suitability maps, and describe the genetic structure of

the snow leopard within and between these areas. We also determine the

influence of landscape features on the genetic structure of its

populations and reveal corridors connecting suitable areas. We conclude

that it is necessary to protect these natural corridors to maintain the

possibility of snow leopards' migration between suitable areas, which

will enable gene flow between the diminishing populations and thus

maintain a viable metapopulation of snow leopards.
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Call Number Serial 1628
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Author Augugliaro, C., Christe, P., Janchivlamdan, C., Baymanday, H., Zimmermann, F.
Title Patterns of human interaction with snow leopard and co-predators in the Mongolian western Altai: Current issues and perspectives Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Global Ecology and Conservation Abbreviated Journal
Volume 24 Issue Pages (down) 1-21
Keywords Depredation Human-carnivores interaction Mongolian altai Snow leopard Wolf Wolverine
Abstract Large carnivores can cause considerable economic damage,

mainly due to livestock depredation. These conficts instigate negative

attitude towards their conservation, which could in the extreme case

lead to retaliatory killing. Here we focus on the snow leopard (Panthera

uncia), a species of conservation concern with particularly large

spatial requirements. We conducted the study in the Bayan Olgii

province, one of the poorest provinces of Mongolia, where the majority

of the human population are traditional herders. We conducted a survey

among herders (N 261) through a semi-structured questionnaire with the

aim to assess: the current and future herding practices and prevention

measures, herders’ perceptions and knowledge of the environmental

protection and hunting laws; the perceived livestock losses to snow

leopard, wolf (Canis lupus), and wolverine (Gulo gulo), as well as to

non-predatory factors; the key factors affecting livestock losses to

these three large carnivores; and, finally, the attitudes towards these

three large carnivores. Non-predatory causes of mortality were slightly

higher than depredation cases, representing 4.5% and 4.3% of livestock

holdings respectively. While no depredation of livestock was reported

from wolverines, snow leopard and wolf depredation made up 0.2% and 4.1%

of total livestock holdings, respectively. Herders’ attitudes towards

the three large carnivores were negatively affected by the magnitude of

the damages since they had a positive overall attitude towards both snow

leopard and wolverine, whereas the attitude towards wolf was negative.

We discuss conservation and management options to mitigate herder-snow

leopard impacts. To palliate the negative consequences of the increasing

trend in livestock numbers, herd size reduction should be encouraged by

adding economic value to the individual livestock and/or by promoting

alternative income and/or ecotourism. Furthermore, co-management between

government and stakeholders would help tackle this complex problem, with

herders playing a major role in the development of livestock management

strategies. Traditional practices, such as regularly shifting campsites

and using dogs and corrals at night, could reduce livestock losses

caused by snow leopards.
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Call Number Serial 1627
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Author Sharma, K., Fiechter, M., George, T., Young, J., Alexander, J. S., Bijoor, Suryawanshi, K., Mishra, C.
Title Conservation and people: Towards an ethical code of conduct for the use of camera traps in wildlife research Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Ecological Solutions and Evidence Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages (down) 1-6
Keywords camera trap, code of conduct, ethics, human rights, law, PARTNERS principles for community- based conservation, privacy, snow leopard
Abstract 1. Camera trapping is a widely employed tool in wildlife

research, used to estimate animal abundances, understand animal

movement, assess species richness and under- stand animal behaviour. In

addition to images of wild animals, research cameras often record human

images, inadvertently capturing behaviours ranging from innocuous

actions to potentially serious crimes.

2. With the increasing use of camera traps, there is an urgent need to

reflect on how researchers should deal with human images caught on

cameras. On the one hand, it is important to respect the privacy of

individuals caught on cameras, while, on the other hand, there is a

larger public duty to report illegal activity. This creates ethical

dilemmas for researchers.

3. Here, based on our camera-trap research on snow leopards Panthera

uncia, we outline a general code of conduct to help improve the practice

of camera trap based research and help researchers better navigate the

ethical-legal tightrope of this important research tool.
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Call Number Serial 1626
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Author Esson, C. , Skerratt, L. F. , Berger, L. , Malmsten, J., Strand, T. , Lundkvist, A., Järhult, J. D., Michaux, J., Mijiddorj, T. N., , Bayrakçısmith, R., Mishra, C., Johansson, O
Title Health and zoonotic Infections of snow leopards Panthera unica in the South Gobi desert of Mongolia Type Journal Article
Year 2019 Publication Infection Ecology & Epidemiology Abbreviated Journal
Volume 9 Issue 1604063 Pages (down) 1-11
Keywords Snow leopard; zoonoses; conservation; one health; Mongolia; ticks
Abstract Background: Snow leopards, Panthera uncia, are a threatened apex predator, scattered across the mountains of Central and South Asia. Disease threats to wild snow leopards have not been investigated.

Methods and Results: Between 2008 and 2015, twenty snow leopards in the South Gobi desert of Mongolia were captured and immobilised for health screening and radio-collaring. Blood samples and external parasites were collected for pathogen analyses using enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), microscopic agglutination test (MAT), and next- generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. The animals showed no clinical signs of disease, however, serum antibodies to significant zoonotic pathogens were detected. These patho- gens included, Coxiella burnetii, (25% prevalence), Leptospira spp., (20%), and Toxoplasma gondii (20%). Ticks collected from snow leopards contained potentially zoonotic bacteria from the genera Bacillus, Bacteroides, Campylobacter, Coxiella, Rickettsia, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus.

Conclusions: The zoonotic pathogens identified in this study, in the short-term did not appear to cause illness in the snow leopards, but have caused illness in other wild felids. Therefore, surveillance for pathogens should be implemented to monitor for potential longer- term disease impacts on this snow leopard population.
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Call Number Serial 1625
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Author Tiwari, M. P., Devkota, B. P., Jackson, R. M., Chhetri, B. B. K., Bagale, S.
Title What Factors Predispose Households in Trans-Himalaya (Central Nepal) to Livestock Predation by Snow Leopards? Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Animals Abbreviated Journal
Volume 10 Issue 2187 Pages (down) 1-14
Keywords human-snow leopard conflict; livestock predation; Narphu valley; trans-Himalaya
Abstract Livestock depredation across the trans-Himalaya causes

significant economic losses to pastoralist communities. Quantification

of livestock predation and the assessment of variables associated with

depredation are crucial for designing effective long-term mitigation

measures. We investigated the patterns and factors of livestock

depredation by snow leopards (Panthera uncia) using semi-structured

questionnaires targeting herders in the Narphu valley of the Annapurna

Conservation Area, Nepal. During the two years (2017/18 and 2018/19),

73.9% of the households interviewed (n = 65) lost livestock to snow

leopards, with an annual average loss of two livestock per household. Of

the total depredation attributed to snow leopards, 55.4% were yak

(mainly female: 79%), 31.7% goat, 6.8% sheep, 3.2% horse and 2.8%

cattle. Results from applying Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs)

revealed the total number of livestock owned and the number of larger

bodied livestock species as the main explanatory covariates explaining

livestock depredation. Forty-one (41%) of all herders considered snow

leopard’s preference for domestic livestock as the main factor in

livestock predation, whereas only 5% perceived poor herding practice as

the main reason for the loss. Our study found poor and changing herding

practices in the valley, whereby 71% herders reported careful herding as

a solution to snow leopard depredation, and 15% of herders considered

the complete extermination of snow leopards as the best solution to the

problem. Tolerance levels and awareness among herders towards snow

leopard conservation is increasing, mainly due to the Buddhist religion

and strict law enforcement within this protected area. We recommend the

effective implementation of a community-based livestock insurance scheme

to compensate the economic loss of herders due to predation and improved

herding practices as the recommended mitigation measures for ensuring

livestock security and snow leopards’ conservation in the valley.
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Call Number Serial 1624
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