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Author Thapa, K. url 
  Title Is their any correlation between abundance of blue sheep population and livestock depredation by snow leopards in the Phu Valley, Manang District, Annapurna Conservation Area? Final report Type Report
  Year 2005 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 1-19  
  Keywords abundance; blue; blue sheep; blue-sheep; sheep; population; livestock; livestock depredation; livestock-depredation; depredation; snow; snow leopards; snow leopard; snow-leopards; snow-leopard; leopards; leopard; valley; Manang; annapurna; annapurna conservation area; Annapurna-Conservation-Area; conservation; area; Report; project; International; international snow leopard trust; International-Snow-Leopard-Trust; trust; program; Nepal  
  Abstract This study was undertaken in the Phu valley of Manang district in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal,

Spring, 2004 and 2005. I used the Snow Leopard Management Information System (“second order” survey technique), to determine

the relative abundance of snow leopards in delineated areas in Phu valley. Transects routes were plotted by

randomly selected feasible landforms such as along ridgelines, cliff bases and river bluffs where snow

leopards sign is likely to be found. Altogether, 16 transects (total length of 7.912 km) were laid down (mean

transect length=0.495 km). They revealed, 54 sign sites (both relic and non-relic) and altogether 88 signs (72

scrapes, 11 feces, 3 scent mark, 2 pugmarks and 1 hair) were recorded (6.8 site/km and 11.1 signs/km). There

were 61.1% non-relic and 38.9% relic sites. The density of snow leopards in Phu Valley may be 4-5 snow

leopards/100 kmý.It was found that the Ghyo block had the highest sign density (13.6 mean sign item/km)

and Phu block (9.8 mean sign item/km) and the lowest in Ngoru block (3.9 mean sign item/km.). For blue sheep, direct count method was applied from different appropriate vantage points (fixed-point

count). I counted total individuals in each herd and classified all individuals whenever possible, using 8 X24

binocular and 15-60x spotting scope. A total 37 blue sheep herds and 1209 individuals were observed in

192.25 kmý of the study area (blue sheep density, 6.3 kmý). Average herd size was 32.68. Herd size varied

from 1 to 103 animals (the largest so far recorded). The average sex ratio male to female for the entire survey

area was 0.67. Recruitment rate was 47.13. The ratio of yearlings to adult female was 0.45. In Ghyo block

had total 168 blue sheep (area, 44.08 km2 or 3.8/ km2 i.e. 137.2 kg/ kmý). Blue sheep density in Ngoru block

showed 4.7/km2 (area, 65.47 km2). Highest density of blue sheep among three blocks was recorded in Phu

block, 8.9/km2 (or 320 kg/km2) in its 82.70 km2 area. A standard questionnaire was designed, and interviews conducted for relevant information was collected on

livestock depredation patterns (total household survey). Out of 33 households surveyed, 30 reported that they

had livestock depredation by the snow leopard in 2004. Altogether 58 animals were reportedly lost to snow

leopards (3.1% of the total mortality). Out of the estimated standing available biomass (1, 83,483kg) in the

Phu valley at least 2220 kg or 1.3% of the total livestock biomass was consumed by snow leopards in the

year of our study (2004). It was estimated that in the Phu valley annually 1.8 animals were lost per household

to snow leopards. This means approx. Rs.413560 (US$ 5,908) is lost annually in the valley (US$

179/household/annum). Ghyo block, had the highest animals loss (53.4%), followed by Phu block (36.2%)

and Ngoru block (10.3%) to snow leopards. There is positive correlation among the densities of blue sheep, relative abundance of the snow leopard and

livestock depredation. Blue sheep is the main prey species of the snow leopard in Phu valley and its

conservation therefore matters to reduce livestock depredation. A general patterns appears here that shows

that blue sheep (prey) abundance determine snow leopard (predator) abundance and that livestock

depredation by snow leopards may be minimal where there is good population of blue sheep, and vice versa.
 
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  Notes Project funded by International Snow Leopard Trust Small Grants Program, 2005. Annapurna Conservation Area Project, Pokhara, Nepal. Approved no  
  Call Number SLN @ rana @ 1078 Serial 959  
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Author Ale, S.B.; Yonzon, P.; Thapa, K. url 
  Title Recovery of snow leopard Uncia uncia in Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park, Nepal Type Miscellaneous
  Year 2007 Publication Oryx Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 41 Issue Pages 89-92  
  Keywords Nepal; recovery; Sagarmatha Mount Everest National Park; snow leopard; Uncia uncia; surveys; survey; snow; snow-leopard; leopard; uncia; Uncia-uncia; valley; Sagarmatha; national; national park; National-park; park; using; information; management; system; research; transects; transect; sign; areas; area; snow leopards; snow-leopards; leopards; 40; Himalayan; tahr; musk; musk-deer; deer; location; recent; species; grazing; land; Forest; habitat; domestic; wild; ungulates; ungulate; livestock; tourism; development; traditional; land use; land-use; use; wildlife  
  Abstract From September to November 2004 we conducted surveys of snow leopard Uncia uncia signs in three major valleys in Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park in Nepal using the Snow Leopard Information Management System, a standardized survey technique for snow leopard research. We walked 24 transects covering c. 14 km and located 33 sites with 56 snow leopard signs, and 17 signs incidentally in other areas. Snow leopards appear to have re-inhabited the Park, following their disappearance c. 40 years ago, apparently following the recovery of Himalayan tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus and musk deer Moschus chrysogaster populations. Taken together the locations of all 73 recent snow leopard signs indicate that the species is using predominantly grazing land and shrubland/ open forest at elevations of 3,000-5,000 m, habitat types that are also used by domestic and wild ungulates. Sagarmatha is the homeland of c. 3,500 Buddhist Sherpas with .3,000 livestock. Along with tourism and associated developments in Sagarmatha, traditional land use practices could be used to ensure coexistence of livestock and wildlife, including the recovering snow leopards, and ensure the wellbeing of the Sherpas.  
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  Notes http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Ale_2007.pdf Approved no  
  Call Number SLN @ rana @ 884 Serial 58  
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Author Sharma, S., Thapa, K., Chalise, M., Dutta, T., Bhatnagar, Y.V., McCarthy, T. url 
  Title The snow leopard in Himalaya: A step towards their conservation by studying their distribution, marking habitat selection, coexistence with other predators, and wild prey-livestock-predator interaction Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Conservation Biology in Asia Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 184-196  
  Keywords Himalaya, Nepal, ecology, snow leopard, Uncia uncia, prey, livestock, predator  
  Abstract Snow leopard (Uncia uncial) is a flagship species of the Himalaya. Very few studies have been done on the ecology of this species in the Himalaya. This paper presents an overview of four studies conducted on snow leopards in Nepal and India, dealing with various aspects of snow leopard ecology including their status assessment, making behaviour, habitat selection, food habits, and impact on livestock. The information generated by these studies is useful in planning effective conservation and management strategies for this endangered top predator of high mountains.  
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  Notes Paper 12; From: Pages 184-196 of Conservation Biology in Asia (2006) McNeely, J.A., T. M. McCarthy, A. Smith, L.Olsvig-Whittaker, and E.D. Wikramanayake (editors). Published by the Society for Conservation Biology Asia Section and Resources Himalaya, Kathmandu, Nepal, 455 pp. Approved no  
  Call Number SLN @ rana @ Serial 1130  
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Author Ale, S., Thapa, K., Jackson, R., Smith, J.L.D. url 
  Title The fate of snow leopards in and around Mt. Everest Type Journal Article
  Year 2010 Publication Cat News Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 53 Issue Autumn Pages 19-21  
  Keywords Mt. Everest, Everest, Rolwaling, snow leopard, re-colonize, Nepal  
  Abstract Since the early 2000s snow leopards Panthera uncia have re-colonized the southern slopes of Mt. Everest after several decades of extirpation. Are they now beginning to disperse to the adjoining valleys that may serve as habitat corridors linking the Everest region to other protected areas in Nepal? We conducted a cursory survey in autumn 2009 in Rolwaling lying west of Mt. Everest and detected snow leopard presence. We conclude that in these remote valleys snow leopards must rely upon livestock given the low abundance of natural prey, Himalayan tahr. Livestock-rearing is unfortunately declining in the region. Rolwaling requires immediate conservation attention for the continued survival of the endangered snow leopard and other high altitude flora and fauna.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number SLN @ rana @ Serial 1181  
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Author Forrest, J. L.,Wikramanayake, E., Shrestha, R., Areendran, G., Gyeltshen, K., Maheshwari, A., Mazumdar, S., Naidoo, R., Thapa, G. J., Thapa, K. url 
  Title Conservation and climate change: Assessing the vulnerability of snow leopard habitat to treeline shift in the Himalaya Type Journal Article
  Year 2012 Publication Biological Conservation Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 150 Issue Pages 129-135  
  Keywords Snow leopard Climate adaptation Conservation planning Endangered species Climate change Himalaya  
  Abstract Climate change is likely to affect the persistence of large, space-requiring species through habitat shifts,

loss, and fragmentation. Anthropogenic land and resource use changes related to climate change can also

impact the survival of wildlife. Thus, climate change has to be integrated into biodiversity conservation

plans. We developed a hybrid approach to climate-adaptive conservation landscape planning for snow

leopards in the Himalayan Mountains. We first mapped current snow leopard habitat using a mechanistic

approach that incorporated field-based data, and then combined it with a climate impact model using a

correlative approach. For the latter, we used statistical methods to test hypotheses about climatic drivers

of treeline in the Himalaya and its potential response to climate change under three IPCC greenhouse gas

emissions scenarios. We then assessed how change in treeline might affect the distribution of snow leopard

habitat. Results indicate that about 30% of snow leopard habitat in the Himalaya may be lost due to a

shifting treeline and consequent shrinking of the alpine zone, mostly along the southern edge of the range

and in river valleys. But, a considerable amount of snow leopard habitat and linkages are likely to remain

resilient to climate change, and these should be secured. This is because, as the area of snow leopard habitat

fragments and shrinks, threats such as livestock grazing, retaliatory killing, and medicinal plant collection

can intensify. We propose this approach for landscape conservation planning for other species

with extensive spatial requirements that can also be umbrella species for overall biodiversity.

 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
 
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1385  
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Author Thapa, K., Pradhan, N, M, B., Barker, J., Dhakal, M., Bhandari, A, R., Gurung, G, S., Rai, D, P., Thapa, G, J., Shrestha, S., Singh, G, R. url 
  Title High elevation record of a leopard cat in the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area, Nepal Type Journal Article
  Year 2013 Publication Cat News Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue No 58 Pages 26-27  
  Keywords leopard cat, camera trapping survey, Nepal  
  Abstract During a camera trapping survey in Khambachen valley of Kangchenjunga Conservation

Area KCA from 24 April to 26 May 2012 we camera trapped one leopard cat

Prionailurus bengalensis at an altitude of 4,474 meter. This is probably the highest

altitudinal record for the species in its range. Additionally, one melanistic leopard

Panthera pardus was captured at an altitude of 4,300 m, which is probably as well the

highest documented record in the country. Yet at this stage, no obvious reason can

explain these unusual high records for both species, thus more surveys are recommended

for this region.
 
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1394  
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Author Shrestha, A., Thapa, K., Subba, S. A., Dhakal, M., Devkota, B. P., Thapa, G. J., Shrestha, S., Malla, S., Thapa, K. url 
  Title Cats, canines, and coexistence: dietary differentiation between the sympatric Snow Leopard and Grey Wolf in the western landscape of Nepal Himalaya Type Journal Article
  Year 2019 Publication Journal of Threatened Taxa Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 11 Issue 7 Pages 13815-13821  
  Keywords Canis lupus, dietary pattern, dietary overlap, livestock, Naur, negative interaction, Panthera uncia, scat analysis, sympatry  
  Abstract Understanding the dietary habits of sympatric apex carnivores advances our knowledge of ecological processes and aids their conservation. We compared the diets of the sympatric Snow Leopard Panthera uncia and Grey Wolf Canis lupus using standard micro-histological analyses of scats collected from the western complex of Nepal Himalaya. Our study revealed one of the highest recorded contributions of livestock to the diet of top predators (55% for Grey Wolf and 39% for Snow Leopard) and high dietary overlap (0.82) indicating potential exploitative or interference competition. Their diet composition, however, varied significantly based on their consumption of wild and domestic prey. Limitation in data precludes predicting direction and outcome of inter-specific interactions between these predators. Our findings suggest a high rate of negative interaction with humans in the region and plausibly retaliatory killings of these imperilled predators. To ensure the sustained survival of these two apex carnivores, conservation measures should enhance populations of their wild prey species while reducing livestock losses of the local community through preventive and mitigative interventions.  
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  Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1485  
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Author Thapa, K., Schmitt, N., Pradhan, N. M. B., Acharya, H. R., Rayamajhi, S. pdf 
  Title No silver bullet? Snow leopard prey selection in Mt. Kangchenjunga, Nepal Type Journal Article
  Year 2021 Publication Ecology and Evolution Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 1-13  
  Keywords blue sheep, common leopard, fecal, genetic analysis, snow leopard, wolf, yak  
  Abstract In this study, we investigated the impact of domestic and wild prey availability on snow leopard prey preference in the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area of eastern Nepal-a region where small domestic livestock are absent and small wild ungulate prey are present. We took a comprehensive approach that combined fecal genetic sampling, macro- and microscopic analyses of snow leopard diets, and direct observation of blue sheep and livestock in the KCA. Out of the collected 88 putative snow leopard scat samples from 140 transects (290km) in 27 (4x4km2) sampling grid cells, 73 (83%) were confirmed to be from snow leopard. The genetic analysis accounted for 19 individual snow leopards (10 males and 9 females), with a mean population size estimate of 24 (95% CI: 19-29) and an average density of 3.9 snow leopards/100km2 within 609km2. The total available prey biomass of blue sheep and yak was estimated at 355,236 kg (505 kg yak/km2 and 78kg blue sheep/km2). From the available prey biomass, we estimated snow leopards consumed 7% annually, which comprised wild prey (49%), domestic livestock (45%). and 6% unidentified items. the estimated 47,736 kg blue sheep biomass gives a snow leopard-to-blue sheep ratio of 1:59 on a weight basis. The high preference of snow leopard to domestic livestock appears to be influenced by a much smaller available biomass of wild prey then in other regions of Nepal (e.g., 78kg/km2 in the KCA compared with a range of 200-300 kg/km2 in other regions of Nepal?. Along with livestock insurance scheme improvement, there needs to be a focus on improved livestock guarding, predator-proof corrals as well as engaging and educating local people to be citizen scientists on the importance of snow leopard conservation, involving them in long-term monitoring programs and promotion of ecotourism.  
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  Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1665  
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Author Thapa, K., Jackson, R., Gurung, L, Acharya, H. B., Gurung, R. K., pdf 
  Title Applying the double observer methodology for assessing blue sheep population size in Nar Phu valley, Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal Type Journal Article
  Year 2021 Publication Wildlife Biology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 1-11  
  Keywords blue sheep, density estimation, double observer counts, Nepal, Panthera uncia, prey abundance, Pseudois nayaur, snow leopard, viewshed mapping  
  Abstract This study was undertaken in spring, 2019 to assess the applicability of the double-observer survey method for estimating blue sheep Pseudois nayaur abundance in Nar-Phu valley of Manang District located in Annapurna Conservation Area of northern Nepal. Since counting large mammals in rugged mountain habitat poses a special challenge, we tested the efficacy of the double observer method for generating robust population estimates for this important protected area. The overall detection probability for observers (O1 and O2) was 0.94 and 0.91 for a total of 106 groups comprised of 2059 individual blue sheep. We estimated the area’s blue sheep population at 2070 (SE ± 168.77; 95% CI 2059–2405) for the 246.2 km2 of sampled habitat. We determined blue sheep to be widely distributed within the study area with a mean density of 8.4 individuals per km2 based on a total study area of 246.2 km2. We discuss demographic population structure and identify limitations when applying the double observer approach, along with recommending viewshed mapping for ensuring more robust density estimates of mountain-dwelling ungulates like blue sheep or ibex that inhabit extremely heterogeneous terrain which strongly influences sighting distances and overall animal detection rates.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1666  
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Author Thapa, K. pdf 
  Title An experience of surplus killing of livestock by a snow leopard in Nepal Type Journal Article
  Year 2021 Publication CATnews Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Winter 2021 Issue 74 Pages 18-21  
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  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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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1668  
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