Abstract: The distribution and status of large mammals was surveyed in a 15 000 km2 study area in Ladakh, India. Snow leopard Panthera uncia, wolf Canis lupus, ibex Capra ibex and bharal Pseudois nayaur have an almost continuous distribution throughout; Ladakh urial Ovis vignei, Tibetan argali Ovis ammon, wild ass Equus kiang and brown bear Ursus arctos have a limited distribution. Snow leopard prefer lower altitudes and rocky, undisturbed areas. Ibex and bharal occupy similar rocky habitats but their ranges are mostly separate, with a small area of overlap. The Ladakh urial shows signs of recovery from an earlier decline. Natural resources are widely used for fuel, fodder and grazing, but favourable factors include a low human population, low level of hunting and the existence of some uninhabited and undisturbed areas. A comprehensive Protected Area Network has been proposed.

Abstract: An inverse relationship between individual vigilance level and group size is widely reported in many behavioral studies on animals across several taxa. It is generally held that such a relationship is due to a reduced probability of an individual being killed in larger groups. in the present investigation, I studied the vigilance behavior of the endangered Tibetan argali Ovis ammon hodgsoni in relation to group size and escape terrain. I hypothesized that an individual argali has a higher vigilance level in smaller groups and in habitats closer to cliffs than individuals living in larger groups and open areas (escape terrain). The results show that the vigilance of argali decreased with increasing group size, but there was no effect of escape terrain on its vigilance behavior. There were significant differences between age-sex groups: male, female and yearling in their time budgets. Females, compared to males and yearlings, spent more time being vigilant. They also foraged more and moved less than males. It is suggested that vigilance is an important anti-predator behavior amongst argali sheep.

Abstract: Livestock depredation is emerging as a significant issue across the Himalaya, including the Hemis National Park (HNP) in Ladakh. Some consider that this protected area harbors the best snow leopard population in India, but local herders perceive the endangered snow leopard as a serious threat to their livelihood.

Abstract: Changes in economy and land use are under way in the Indian Transhimalayan region of Ladakh, creating both negative and positive prospects for wildlife conservation in this sparsely populations and previously remote area. New livestock breeds, irrigation developments, farming practices, foreign tourists, and a large military presence are changing the way people view and use the mountainous land that surrounds them. With only 0.3% of the land currently arable, changes in wildlife and natural resource conservation are most apparent on Ladakh's extensive rangelands which are apparently undergoing a redistribution of use associated with social changes and recently introduced animal husbandry and farming practices. International endangered species such as the snow leopard, several wild ungulates, and the black-necked crane provide special incentive for conservation efforts in what are some of the best remaining natural areas in the mountainous regions to the north of the Himalayan crest. The success of newly created protected areas for wildlife conservation in Ladakh rests on an understanding of the effects of various development directions, a commitment to environmentally sensitive development amid the many competing demands on Ladakh's natural resources, conservation laws appropriate to human needs, and a clear recognition that solutions can be neither directly adaptable from other mountainous areas nor even widely applicable across the Himalayan region.

Abstract: Reports on 1 summer survey and four winter surveys covering some 3100 km in Ladakh, India. Reports on snow leopard sign commonly found, distribution, prey, attacks on livestock and peoples reaction, mortality factors and conservation status. Suggest recomendations for preventing unnecessary killing of snow leopards and estimates population of 100 to 200 snow leopards in Ladakh

Abstract: Livestock production is the major land-use in Ladakh region of the Indian Trans-Himalaya, and is a crucial sector that drives the region's economy (Anon, 2002). Animal products like meat and milk provide protein to the diet of people, while products like wool and pashmina (soft fibre of goats) find their way to the international market. Such high utility of livestock and the recent socio-economic changes in the region have caused an increase in livestock population (Rawat and Adhikari, 2002; Anon. 2002), which, if continue apace, may increase grazing pressure and deteriorate pasture conditions. Thus, there is an urgent need to assess the impact of such escalation in livestock population on the regions wildlife. Although, competitive interaction between wildlife and livestock has been studied elsewhere in the Trans-Himalaya (Bhatnagar et al., 2000; Mishra, 2001; Bagchi et al., 2002), knowledge on this aspect in the Ladakh region is very rudimentary. The rangelands of Ladakh are characterised by low primary productivity (Chundawat & Rawat, 1994), and the wild herbivores are likely to compete with the burgeoning livestock on these impoverished rangelands (Mishra et al., 2002). Thus, given that the area supports a diverse wild ungulate assemblage of eight species (Fox et al., 1991b), and an increasing livestock population (Rawat and Adhikari, 2002), the nature of interaction between wildlife and livestock needs to be assessed. During this project, we primarily evaluated the influence of domestic sheep and goat grazing on the habitat use of Tibetan argali Ovis ammon hodgsoni in a prospective wildlife reserve in Ladakh.

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).

Abstract: Livestock depredation is an increasingly contentious issue across the range of the
endangered snow leopard (Uncia uncia). Depredation is most severe in or near protected areas
offering core habitat for this cat. “Surplus killing,” in which as many as 100 sheep and goats have
been killed in a single night, inevitably results in attempts at retaliatory killing of predators by
herders suffering significant loss. Ironically, such predation by snow leopard, wolf, or lynx can be
avoided by adequately predator-proofing nighttime enclosures. Predation on the open range is far
more difficult to address, but may be reduced to acceptable levels through improved day-time
guarding of livestock, educating herders on the importance of protecting the predator's natural prey
base, and by providing economic incentives to help offset unavoidable loss.
This paper describes community-based initiatives being undertaken in India's Hemis National Park
aimed at predator-proofing livestock corrals and encouraging local herders to become more effective
stewards of the snow leopard, its prey and habitat. A highly participatory, 4-step process known as
Appreciative Participatory Planning and Action (APPA) provides the primary mechanism for
assisting communities to develop Action Plans to reduce livestock depredation losses, increase
household incomes, and strengthen environmental stewardship. Herders are informed about the
Snow Leopard Stewardship program and conditions for a successful outcome. The team, comprised
of local people, NGO staff, facilitators and government officials, first identifies the root causes for
depredation (Discovery). Under the next phase, Dreaming, participants envision how their village
might appear if depredation losses were reduced to acceptable levels, household incomes increased,
and snow leopards fully protected. This provides a good basis upon which to collaboratively devise
actions for addressing the community's concerns (Design). Delivery involves implementing actions
under the overall Action Plan, as well as specific measures that can be acted upon immediately. The
community is encouraged to use simple but realistic indicators for monitoring the project's
effectiveness.
In Lessons Learned to Date, we highlight the importance of providing meaningful community
involvement from inception through project implementation and monitoring. The use of _APPA
_greatly increases ownership, communal empowerment and self-reliance, and local people's
willingness to protect wildlife. The Snow Leopard Conservancy believes that the most effective
conservation actions will be contingent upon (1) establishing direct linkages with biodiversity
protection; (2) ensuring reciprocal co-financing and commensurate responsibility from the
community; (3) encouraging full participation from all stakeholders irrespective of their gender, age
or economic status; and (4) ensuring regular monitoring and evaluation under an agreed-to Action
Plan that sets forth the responsibilities, contributions and obligations of each partner.

Abstract: We had a good sighting of two adult and one sub adult lynx together, near Ganda-la
base which is at an elevation of 4900 meter, in Hemis National Park, Ladakh, during our fieldwork on Snow leopards in February 2004.The two adults lynx were moving closer and following each other, while the sub-adult lynx was a little far from the adults.