Abstract: Man's hand is turned against the wild cats wherever they occur, often due to the value of their fur, but also because of the danger they sometimes pose to domestic stock and even human beings. All the larger Asian cats are threatened, and on this and the following pages we look at three of them – the Asiatic cheetah, the Siberian tiger, and the snow leopard.

Abstract: Pastoralists and their livestock share much of the habitat of the snow leopard (Uncia uncia) across south and central Asia. The levels of livestock predation by the snow leopard and other carnivores are high, and retaliatory killing by the herders is a direct threat to carnivore populations. Depletion of wild prey by poaching and competition from livestock also poses an indirect threat to the region's carnivores. Conservationists working in these underdeveloped areas that face serious economic damage from livestock losses have turned to incentive programs to motivate local communities to protect carnivores. We describe a pilot incentive program in India that aims to offset losses due to livestock predation and to enhance wild prey density by creating livestock-free areas on common land. We also describe how income generation from handicrafts in Mongolia is helping curtail poaching and retaliatory killing of snow leopards. However, initiatives to offset the costs of living with carnivores and to make conservation beneficial to affected people have thus far been small, isolated, and heavily subsidized. Making these initiatives more comprehensive, expanding their coverage, and internalizing their costs are future challenged for the conservation of large carnivores such as the snow leopard.

Abstract: A high percentage of rare species in Central Asia experience limited conditions for distribution. Geographic centers with higher species diversity are generally constrained in terms of territory: they are formed when ranges overlap. But in Central Asia and along its borders with Russia, centers of biodiversity overlap at the very marginal edges of ranges. Central Asian species cross into Russian territory, where desert and steppe are replaced by thick forest. Here the northern borders of their ranges are sharply fragmented and isolated. Typical examples for Central Asia are the ranges of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), Asian leopard (Panthera pardus caucasica), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), Bukhara deer (Census elaphus bactrianus), markhor (Capra falconeri), blue sheep (Pseudois nayauf) and argali (Ovis ammon). In Russia are the Altai subspecies of argali, the Siberian argali (O.a.ammon), the mountain goat (Capra sibirica), Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa), snow leopard (Uncia uncia), Pallas' cat (Felis manul), dhole (Cuon alpinus), grey marmot (Marmota baibacina), Mongolian marmot (M. sibirica) and tolai hare (Lepus tolai). Where the numbers o f individuals has fallen to extreme lows, the most effective mechanism for species survival may be supporting the integrity of ranges, in order to preserve population exchanges between neighboring groups. The geographic location of reserves and other protected territories is vitally important for the survival of Central Asian species, given the acute fragmentation of their ranges. These reserves should include significant, viable centers of population the key places. Wherever the creation of permanent protected territories is impossible, a new tactic must be found, such as introducing temporary limitations on the use of land for agriculture and hunting. But all protected territories, whether temporary or permanent, should be connected, forming a core and periphery. The marginal range areas must not be forgotten, if total protection of endangered populations is to be accomplished.

Abstract: Rangelands are increasingly being affected by climatic variations, fragmentation and changes in livestock management practices. Along with resource competition between livestock and wildlife, disease transmission has implications for people and wildlife in these shared landscapes. We worked with two pastoral communities in the Western Indian Himalayas: the migratory Kinnauras that travel to the Trans‐Himalayan Pin valley in summer and the resident herders of Pin Valley. Asiatic ibex (Capra sibirica) is the predominant wild herbivore in Pin. The pastures in Pin are grazed by both livestock (migratory and resident) and ibex, with the potential for disease transmission. We investigate the effects of herding practices on livestock health and disease transmission, while focusing on gastro‐intestinal nematodes (GINs) as they can spread by sharing pasture between wild and domestic ungulates. Surveys were carried out between June and August 2019, the period when migratory Kinnauras, local herders and Asiatic Ibex are found in Pin Valley. We found that the Kinnaura flocks share pasture with ibex during their time in Pin, exhibiting significantly higher endo‐parasite burdens than sedentary livestock, and the Kinnaura flocks are increasing in number. This suggests GIN cross‐transmission is possible, as GINs have low host specificity and a free‐living, environmental stage that is trophically acquired. As local (sedentary) sheep and goats rarely share pasture with ibex, have low endo‐parasite burdens and are few in number, they are unlikely to transmit parasites to ibex. However, increasingly large local stock numbers may be contributing to pasture degradation which could cause nutritional stress and resource competition, exacerbating GIN impacts. We also find evidence for transhumance persisting, in spite of signs of pasture degradation that are seemingly affecting livestock productivity and potentially disease transmission. It is critical that proactive measures are taken, like participatory disease management with the Kinnauras, to align livelihoods with wildlife and rangeland conservation.