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Author Singh, R., Krausman, P. R., Pandey, P., Maheshwari, A., Rawal, R. S., Sharma, S., Shekhar, S.
Title Predicting Habitat Suitability of Snow Leopards in the Western Himalayan Mountains, India Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication (up) Biology bulletin Abbreviated Journal
Volume 47 Issue 6 Pages 655-664
Keywords biogeographic distribution, climate, endangered cat, MaxEnt, snow leopard
Abstract 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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Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1629
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Author Rode, J., Pelletier, A., Fumey, J., Rode, S., Cabanat, A. L., Ouvrard, A., Chaix, B., White, B., Harnden, M., Xuan, N. T., Vereshagin, A., Casane, D.
Title Diachronic monitoring of snow leopards at Sarychat-Ertash State Reserve (Kyrgyzstan) through scat genotyping: a pilot study Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication (up) bioRxiv Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 1-21
Keywords snow leopard, noninvasive genotyping, population dynamics, microsatellite, relatedness, diachronic monitoring, citizen science, Central Asia
Abstract Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) are a keystone species of Central Asia’s high mountain ecosystem. The species is listed as vulnerable and is elusive, preventing accurate population assessments that could inform conservation actions. Non-invasive genetic monitoring conducted by citizen scientists offers avenues to provide key data on this species that would otherwise be inaccessible. From 2011 to 2015, OSI-Panthera citizen science expeditions tracked signs of presence of snow leopards along transects in the main valleys and crests of the Sarychat-Ertash State Reserve (Kyrgyzstan). Scat samples were genotyped at seven autosomal microsatellite loci and at a X/Y locus for sex identification, which allowed estimating a minimum of 11 individuals present in the reserve from 2011 to 2015. The genetic recapture of 7 of these individuals enabled diachronic monitoring, providing indications of individuals’ movements throughout the reserve. We found putative family relationships between several individuals. Our results demonstrate the potential of this citizen science program to get a precise description of a snow leopard population through time.
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Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1602
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Author Sharma, R. K., Sharma, K., Borchers, D., Bhatnagar, Y. V., Suryawanshi, K. S., Mishra, C.
Title Spatial variation in population-density, movement and detectability of snow leopards in 2 a multiple use landscape in Spiti Valley, Trans-Himalaya Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication (up) bioRxiv Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords Co-existence; land sharing; population-density; spatial capture recapture; Pseudois nayaur Capra sibirica; ungulates; livestock.
Abstract The endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia occurs in human use landscapes in the mountains of South and Central Asia. Conservationists generally agree that snow leopards must be conserved through a land-sharing approach, rather than land-sparing in the form of strictly protected areas. Effective conservation through land-sharing requires a good understanding of how snow leopards respond to human use of the landscape. Snow leopard density is expected to show spatial variation within a landscape because of variation in the intensity of human use and the quality of habitat. However, snow leopards have been difficult to enumerate and monitor. Variation in the density of snow leopards remains undocumented, and the impact of human use on their populations is poorly understood. We examined spatial variation in snow leopard density in Spiti Valley, an important snow leopard landscape in India, via spatially explicit capture recapture analysis of camera trap data. We camera trapped an area encompassing a minimum convex polygon of 953 km . We estimated an overall density of 0.49 (95% CI: 0.39-0.73) adult snow leopards per 100 km . Using AIC, our best model showed the density of snow leopards to depend on wild prey density, movement about activity centres to depend on altitude, and the expected number of encounters at the activity centre to depend on topography. Models that also used livestock biomass as a density covariate ranked second, but the effect of livestock was weak. Our results highlight the importance of maintaining high density pockets of wild prey populations in multiple use landscapes to enhance snow leopard conservation.
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Call Number Serial 1620
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Author 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.
Title Extreme in Every Way: Exceedingly Low Genetic Diversity in Snow Leopards Due to Persistently Small Population Size Type Journal Article
Year 2023 Publication (up) bioRxiv Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 1-24
Keywords
Abstract 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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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1739
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Author Gautam, P.
Title Wild Cats of Nepal Type Journal Article
Year 2024 Publication (up) Booklet Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords
Abstract Foreward – Nepal’s rich biodiversity owes to the fact that from 80m elevation of Birgunj (Terai) to 8850m of Sagarmatha all belongs to mere 200km strip of land. Thus within the belt lies all five biodiversity zones : Tropics, Subtropics, Temperate, Subalpine and Alpine. And the 13 cat species included in this book occupy all the zones, from Tigers in Tropics (below 1000m) to Snow Leopards in Alpine (above 5000m).
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1756
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Author Lewis, M., Songster, E.E.
Title Studying the snow leopard: reconceptualizing conservation across the China–India border Type Journal Article
Year 2016 Publication (up) British Journal for the History of Science Abbreviated Journal BJHS
Volume Themes 1 Issue 1 Pages 169-198
Keywords
Abstract The snow leopard is a highly charismatic megafauna that elicits admiration, concern and donations from individuals and NGOs in the West. In its home territories, however, it is a threat to local communities’ livestock and a potential source of income for its pelt and parts. Conservation and study are further challenged by its range; snow leopards traverse the borders separating China, India and ten other countries with long histories of tension with each other as well as internal political and economic struggles. This transnational animal provides an ideal case study for the consideration of transnational conservation science in the recent past.
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Call Number Serial 1638
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Author Thapa, K.
Title An experience of surplus killing of livestock by a snow leopard in Nepal Type Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication (up) CATnews Abbreviated Journal
Volume Winter 2021 Issue 74 Pages 18-21
Keywords
Abstract 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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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1668
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Author Pandey, B. P., Thami, S., Shrestha, R., Subedi, N., Chalise, M. K., Ale, S. B.
Title Snow leopards and prey in Rolwaling Valley, Gaurishankar Conservation Area, Nepal Type Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication (up) CATnews Abbreviated Journal
Volume 74 Issue Windter 2021 Pages 14-19
Keywords
Abstract The snow leopard Panthera uncia, an apex predator of the Himalayan ecosystem, often shares habitat with the wolf, Canis lupus, red fox Vulpes vulpes, and other carnivores. A biodiversity monitoring programme primarily focused on the assessment of the status of snow leopard and its prey in Rolwaling valley of Gaurishankar Conservation Area, Nepal, was carried out during June–November 2019. We deployed single camera traps in each of twelve grids sized 16 km2 each, operated 24 hours, and left alone for the whole study period. A single snow leopard was captured thrice on same camera in Rhododendron anthopogon-Hippophae thibetana scrubland, near Tsho Rolpa glacial lake (4,536 m). Alongwith snow leopard, wolves were also photographed at three sites namely Yelung pass (4,956 m), Tsho Rolpa (4,536 m) and Dudhkunda ridgeline (5,091 m). The red fox was the most frequent predator in Rolwaling while stone marten Martes foina, yellow-throated marten Martes flabigula, and yellow-belied weasel Mustella katiyah were captured occasionally. Photo capture rate index PCRI per 100 trap nights was calculated for all identifiable species where snow leopard and wolf had PCRI values of 0.35 and 0.71, respectively. The Cumulative PCRI values suggest a pyramid shaped community structure in Rolwaling with small herbivores (including game birds) with broad base (PCRI 22.29) followed by large herbivores (10.38) and small-medium sized carnivores (6.96). The top predators (snow leopard and wolf) produces 1.06 photographic rate index. The declaration of Gaurishankar conservation area and continuous efforts from conservation area management committees, strict cultural rules from local Buddhist community in the valley are found possibly favoured the recolonization of the wolf and frequent visits by snow leopard.
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1669
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Author Korablev, M. P., Poyarkov, A. D., Karnaukhov, A. S., Zvychaynaya, E. Y., Kuksin, A. N., Malykh, S. V., Istomov, S. V., Spitsyn, S. V., Aleksandrov, D. Y., Hernandez-Blanco, J. A., Munkhtsog, B., Munkhtogtokh, O., Putintsev, N. I., Vereshchagin, A. S., Becmurody, A., Afzunov, S., Rozhnov, V. V.
Title Large-scale and fine-grain population structure and genetic diversity of snow leopards (Panthera uncia Schreber, 1776) from the northern and western parts of the range with an emphasis on the Russian population. Type Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication (up) Conservation Genetics Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords Snow leopard, Panthera uncia, Microsatellites, Heterozygosity, Population structure, Noninvasive survey, Scat, Subspecies
Abstract The snow leopard (Panthera uncia Schreber, 1776) population in Russia and Mongolia is situated at the northern edge of the range, where instability of ecological conditions and of prey availability may serve as prerequisites for demographic instability and, consequently, for reducing the genetic diversity. Moreover, this northern area of the species distribution is connected with the western and central parts by only a few small fragments of potential habitats in the Tian-Shan spurs in China and Kazakhstan. Given this structure of the range, the restriction of gene flow between the northern and other regions of snow leopard distribution can be expected. Under these conditions, data on population genetics would be extremely important for assessment of genetic diversity, population structure and gene flow both at regional and large-scale level. To investigate large-scale and fine-grain population structure and levels of genetic diversity we analyzed 108 snow leopards identified from noninvasively collected scat samples from Russia and Mongolia (the northern part of the range) as well as from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (the western part of the range) using panel of eight polymorphic microsatellites. We found low to moderate levels of genetic diversity in the studied populations. Among local habitats, the highest heterozygosity and allelic richness were recorded in Kyrgyzstan (He = 0.66 ± 0.03, Ho = 0.70 ± 0.04, Ar = 3.17) whereas the lowest diversity was found in a periphery subpopulation in Buryatia Republic of Russia (He = 0.41 ± 0.12, Ho = 0.29 ± 0.05, Ar = 2.33). In general, snow leopards from the western range exhibit greater genetic diversity (He = 0.68 ± 0.04, Ho = 0.66 ± 0.03, Ar = 4.95) compared to those from the northern range (He = 0.60 ± 0.06, Ho = 0.49 ± 0.02, Ar = 4.45). In addition, we have identified signs of fragmentation in the northern habitat, which have led to significant genetic divergence between subpopulations in Russia. Multiple analyses of genetic structure support considerable genetic differentiation between the northern and western range parts, which may testify to subspecies subdivision of snow leopards from these regions. The observed patterns of genetic structure are evidence for delineation of several management units within the studied populations, requiring individual approaches for conservation initiatives, particularly related to translocation events. The causes for the revealed patterns of genetic structure and levels of genetic diversity are discussed.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1633
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Author Gao, Y., Wang, Y., Lee, A. T. L., Liu, Y., Luo, Y., Orrick, K., Alexander, J. S., Sangpo, J. T., Clark, S. G.
Title Contextualizing sociodemographic differences in Tibetan attitudes toward large carnivores Type Journal Article
Year 2023 Publication (up) Conservation Science and Practice Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue e13049 Pages 1-15
Keywords ABC model, brown bear, gray wolf, snow leopard, Tibet
Abstract Fostering human–wildlife coexistence necessitates a thorough and nuanced grasp of local attitudes toward wildlife. Attitudes can vary substantially based on the sociodemographic backgrounds of individuals within a society. This study examines Tibetan attitudes toward large carnivores, emphasizing the importance of contextualization in discerning the effects of sociodemographic factors on attitudes. We began by analyzing existing research on Tibetan attitudes toward wildlife in China, identifying previously studied sociodemo- graphic variables. We then executed an online survey to evaluate the affective, behavioral, cognitive, and overall attitudes of ethnic Tibetans in China toward snow leopards (Panthera uncia), gray wolves (Canis lupus), and brown bears (Ursus arctos). Our findings show that while factors such as gender, age, religious identity, and level of education shape these attitudes, their influence differs depending on the specific attitude component and the target animal under examination. Therefore, making broad generalizations about sociodemographic differences in attitudes can be misleading. It is imperative for attitude research to clearly define the attitude component (what type of attitude), object (attitude toward what), and circumstance (attitude in which situation) being studied. Conducting ethnographic fieldwork in collaboration with local cultural experts can deepen our understanding of local perspectives and the ways sociodemographic factors influence attitudes. Such insights are pivotal for developing conservation strategies attuned to local sociocultural contexts.
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1736
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