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Author Li, Y., Zhang, Y., Yadong, X., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Gao, Y. Li, D.
Title Analysis of Conservation Gaps and Landscape Connectivity for Snow Leopard in Qilian Mountains of China Type Journal Article
Year 2022 Publication Sustainability Abbreviated Journal 1-13
Volume (down) 14 Issue 1638 Pages
Keywords national park; protection gap; landscape connectivity; habitat suitability
Abstract Human modification and habitat fragmentation have a substantial influence on large carnivores, which need extensive, contiguous habitats to survive in a landscape. The establishment of protected areas is an effective way to offer protection for carnivore populations by buffering them from anthropogenic impacts. In this study, we used MaxEnt to model habitat suitability and to identify conservation gaps for snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in the Qilian Mountains of China, and then assessed the impact of highways/railways and their corridors on habitat connectivity using a graph-based landscape connectivity model. Our results indicated that the study area had 51,137 km2 of potentially suitable habitat for snow leopards and that there were four protection gaps outside of Qilian Mountain National Park. The findings revealed that the investigated highway and railway resulted in a decrease in connectivity at a regional scale, and that corridor development might enhance regional connectivity, which strengthens the capacity of central habitat patches to act as stepping stones and improve connections between western and eastern habitat patches. This study emphasized the need for assessing the impact of highways and railways, as well as their role in corridor development, on species’ connectivity. Based on our results, we provide some detailed recommendations for designing protection action plans for effectively protecting snow leopard habitat and increasing habitat connectivity.
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1686
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Author Ahmad, S., Rehman, E. U., Ali, H., Din, N., Haider, J., Din, J. U., Nawaz, M. A.
Title Density Pattern of Flare-Horned Markhor (Capra falconeri) in Northern Pakistan Type Journal Article
Year 2022 Publication Sustainability Abbreviated Journal
Volume (down) 14 Issue 9567 Pages 1-13
Keywords markhor; Capra falconeri; Gilgit-Baltistan; Karakoram; population; double-observer; CGNP
Abstract Wild ungulates play vital roles in maintaining a balanced ecosystem through herbivory and are also an important determinant of carnivores’ density. The flare-horned markhor (Capra falconeri) is a threatened wild goat distributed across the mountain ranges of Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. The remote terrain and fragmented population limit our understanding of the population ecology of markhor, though knowledge of the target species population is vital for making informed management decisions. Therefore, the current study was designed to determine the markhor population across their range in Northern Pakistan and to evaluate the efforts made by the government and non-government organizations for the conservation of markhor. Double-observer surveys were conducted during 2019–2021 in nine major watersheds of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan covering an area of 4664 km2. Secondary data were collected for unassessed areas to gain a holistic overview of the markhor population and density in the region. Results revealed a markhor population of 7579, with a density of 0.30 animals per km2 in Northern Pakistan. Our analysis of the double-observer data through the Bayesian behavioral capture–recapture model estimated a population of 5993 individuals (95% CI) of markhor across

nine study sites, with a density of 1.28 animals per km . A review of secondary data revealed that

a population of about 1586 was present in the un-surveyed area (20,033.33 km2), with a density

of 0.08 per km . A total of 146 groups of markhor were counted, with a mean group size of 23

(3–58) individuals. There were 109 males and 108 young per 100 females in the population. Among 1936 recorded males, Class I males accounted for 27.74%, followed by Class II (26.45%), Class IV (trophy-size) (23.40%), and Class III (22.42%). The overall detection probability was recorded as 0.87 and 0.68 for the first observer and second observer, respectively. Compared with the past reports, the population of markhor in Northern Pakistan appears to be increasing, particularly in protected areas (PAs) such as national parks and community-controlled hunting areas (CCHAs). Conservation programs, notably trophy hunting and PA networks, appear to be vital in sustaining markhor populations in parts of the species range. We recommend expansion in such programs in the markhor range in order to maintain a viable population of this majestic wild goat in the region.
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1695
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Author Vipin, Golla, T. R., Sharma, V., Kumar, B. K., Gaur, A.
Title Kleptoparasitic interaction between Snow Leopard Panthera uncia and Red Fox Vulpes vulpes suggested by circumstantial evidence in Pin Valley National Park, India Type Journal Article
Year 2022 Publication Journal of Threatened Taxa Abbreviated Journal
Volume (down) 14 Issue 10 Pages 21928-21935
Keywords Animal interaction, carnivore, mammals, prey, Trans-Himalaya.
Abstract In the present study, we describe an interspecific kleptoparasitic interaction between two sympatric mammalian carnivores in the high altitudinal Trans-Himalaya region of Himachal Pradesh, India. The study was based on the inferences drawn from the circumstantial evidence (direct and indirect) noticed in the study area in Pin Valley National Park. The inferences from the analysis of the evidence suggested the interaction between a Snow Leopard Panthera uncia, a Red Fox Vulpes vulpes, and a donkey. The arrangement of evidence in a sequential manner suggested that a donkey was killed by a Snow Leopard and a Red Fox stole the food from the carrion of the Snow Leopard’s prey. The Red Fox was killed by the Snow Leopard, which was caught while stealing. The present study represents an example of kleptoparasitic interaction between the Snow Leopard and the Red Fox. This study also proves that such interactions may cost the life of a kleptoparasite and supports the retaliation behaviour of Snow Leopards.
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1702
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Author Sharma, Koustubh. McCarthy, Thomas. Johannson, Orjan. Ud Din, Jaffar. Bayarjargal, A.
Title Snow Leopards and Telemetry: Experiences and Challenges Type Journal Article
Year 2010 Publication Telemetry in Wildlife Science Abbreviated Journal
Volume (down) 13 Issue No. 1 Pages 1 -5
Keywords Snow Leopards, telemetry
Abstract The snow leopard Panthera uncia is one of the least studied felids in the world. Little is know about various aspects of the ecology of the snow leopard, which is cryptic in nature and found across 12 countries in Central Asia. Most research on snow leopards has been based on non-invasive methods such as sign surveys for presence (e.g. Jackson and Hunter 1996), scat analyses for diet (e.g. Chundawat and Rawat 1992; Oli et al., 2008, 2010) for population estimation, and studies based on human interviews (Mehta and Heinen 2001; Mishra and Bagchi 2006).

Despite this plethora of studies employing non-invasive techniques, several crucial questions about snow leopard ecology remain unanswered. Information about the animal’s home range, dispersal, corridors, pattern of habitat use, movement patterns, hunting frequency, behavior and intra – specific interactions is not available yet. In order to design population monitoring studies using camera traps or DNA analyses, one needs a good understanding of snow leopard ecology, including the home range and movement patterns (Williams et al., 2002). Telemetry is still the best available method and perhaps much less invasive than direct observations for studying the biology and ecology of cryptic animals.
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1380
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Author Rashid, W., Shi, J., Rahim, I. U., Qasim, M., Baloch, M. N., Bohnett, E., Yang, F., Khan, I., Ahmad, B.
Title Modelling Potential Distribution of Snow Leopards in Pamir, Northern Pakistan: Implications for Human–Snow Leopard Conflicts Type Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication Sustainability Abbreviated Journal
Volume (down) 13 Issue 13229 Pages 1-15
Keywords habitat fragmentation; habitat suitability; land use/cover change; Panthera uncia; MaxEnt model
Abstract The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a cryptic and rare big cat inhabiting Asia’s remote and harsh elevated areas. Its population has decreased across the globe for various reasons, includ
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1664
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Author Xiao, C., Bai, D., Lambert, J. P., Li, Y., Cering, L., Gong, Z., Riordan, P., Shi, K.
Title How Snow Leopards Share the Same Landscape with Tibetan Agro-pastoral Communities in the Chinese Himalayas Type Journal Article
Year 2022 Publication Journal of Resources and Ecology Abbreviated Journal
Volume (down) 13 Issue 3 Pages 483-500
Keywords habitat use; landscape ecology; occupancy model; Qomolangma; Panthera uncia
Abstract The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) inhabits a human-altered alpine landscape and is often tolerated by residents in regions where the dominant religion is Tibetan Buddhism, including in Qomolangma NNR on the northern side of the Chinese Himalayas. Despite these positive attitudes, many decades of rapid economic development and population growth can cause increasing disturbance to the snow leopards, altering their habitat use patterns and ultimately impacting their conservation. We adopted a dynamic landscape ecology perspective and used multi-scale technique and occupancy model to better understand snow leopard habitat use and coexistence with humans in an 825 km2 communal landscape. We ranked eight hypothetical models containing potential natural and anthropogenic drivers of habitat use and compared them between summer and winter seasons within a year. HABITAT was the optimal model in winter, whereas ANTHROPOGENIC INFLUENCE was the top ranking in summer (AICcw≤2). Overall, model performance was better in the winter than in the summer, suggesting that perhaps some latent summer covariates were not measured. Among the individual variables, terrain ruggedness strongly affected snow leopard habitat use in the winter, but not in the summer. Univariate modeling suggested snow leopards prefer to use rugged land in winter with a broad scale (4000 m focal radius) but with a lesser scale in summer (30 m); Snow leopards preferred habitat with a slope of 22° at a scale of 1000 m throughout both seasons, which is possibly correlated with prey occurrence. Furthermore, all covariates mentioned above showed inextricable ties with human activities (presence of settlements and grazing intensity). Our findings show that multiple sources of anthropogenic activity have complex connections with snow leopard habitat use, even under low human density when anthropogenic activities are sparsely distributed across a vast landscape. This study is also valuable for habitat use research in the future, especially regarding covariate selection for finite sample sizes in inaccessible terrain.
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1688
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Author Changxi, X., Bai, D., Lambert, J. P., Li, Y., Cering, L., Gong, Z., Riordan, P., Shi, K.
Title How Snow Leopards Share the Same Landscape with Tibetan Agro-pastoral Communities in the Chinese Himalayas Type Journal Article
Year 2022 Publication Journal of Resources and Ecology Abbreviated Journal
Volume (down) 13 Issue 3 Pages 483-500
Keywords habitat use; landscape ecology; occupancy model; Qomolangma; Panthera uncia
Abstract The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) inhabits a human-altered alpine landscape and is often tolerated by residents in regions where the dominant religion is Tibetan Buddhism, including in Qomolangma NNR on the northern side of the Chinese Himalayas. Despite these positive attitudes, many decades of rapid economic development and population growth can cause increasing disturbance to the snow leopards, altering their habitat use patterns and ultimately impacting their conservation. We adopted a dynamic landscape ecology perspective and used multi-scale technique and occupancy model to better understand snow leopard habitat use and coexistence with humans in an 825 km2 communal landscape. We ranked eight hypothetical models containing potential natural and anthropogenic drivers of habitat use and compared them between summer and winter seasons within a year. HABITAT was the optimal model in winter, whereas ANTHROPOGENIC INFLUENCE was the top ranking in summer (AICcw≤2). Overall, model performance was better in the winter than in the summer, suggesting that perhaps some latent summer covariates were not measured. Among the individual variables, terrain ruggedness strongly affected snow leopard habitat use in the winter, but not in the summer. Univariate modeling suggested snow leopards prefer to use rugged land in winter with a broad scale (4000 m focal radius) but with a lesser scale in summer (30 m); Snow leopards preferred habitat with a slope of 22° at a scale of 1000 m throughout both seasons, which is possibly correlated with prey occurrence. Furthermore, all covariates mentioned above showed inextricable ties with human activities (presence of settlements and grazing intensity). Our findings show that multiple sources of anthropogenic activity have complex connections with snow leopard habitat use, even under low human density when anthropogenic activities are sparsely distributed across a vast landscape. This study is also valuable for habitat use research in the future, especially regarding covariate selection for finite sample sizes in inaccessible terrain.
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1698
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Author Singh, R., Kerven, C.
Title Pastoralism in South Asia: Contemporary stresses and adaptations of Himalayan pastoralists Type Journal Article
Year 2023 Publication Springer Open – Pastoralism Abbreviated Journal
Volume (down) 13 Issue 21 Pages 1-10
Keywords Traditional knowledge, Labour, State policies, Local institutions, Access, Climate Change, Uncertainty, Adaptations
Abstract We discuss the main findings in the Special issue on Pastoralism in South Asia from the eight papers based on research conducted in the Himalayan region of South Asia. An overview is presented of pastoralism in the Himalayan region, including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan. Drawing parallels with the global stresses to pastoralists, papers in this special issue highlighted three sets of contemporary stresses to the pastoralists of the Himalayan region viz. (a) lack of herding labour, associated changing aspirations of youth and decline in traditional knowledge systems; (b) continued stresses from the state and between the formal and informal institutions; and (c) climatic stresses and associated impacts on the rangeland and livestock health. A synthesis of findings from all eight case studies suggests how the issues around pastoral livelihoods and rangeland management in the Himalayan region are entangled across social, political and ecological dimensions. However, instead of only being impacted by the stresses, the pastoral communities are showing adaptations to various kinds of uncertainties and variabilities. Based on these findings from across eight sites in the Himalayan region, we argue that understanding of the problems as well as proposed solutions from the policymakers should be tailored according to the particular social, political and ecological contexts. Other than the issues given prominence in this special issue, the role of markets and social security are some

of the other important concerns to be addressed in the region, which can be best addressed by creating an interface between pastoralists and policymakers, practitioners and the government, while making the best use of pastoral knowledge and their way of life.
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1726
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Author Koju, N. P., Gosai, K. R., Bashyal, B., Byanju, R., Shrestha, A., Buzzard, P., Beisch, W. B., Khanal, L.
Title Seasonal Prey Abundance and Food Plasticity of the Vulnerable Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) in the Lapchi Valley, Nepal Himalayas Type Journal Article
Year 2023 Publication Animals Abbreviated Journal
Volume (down) 13 Issue 3182 Pages 1-16
Keywords apex predator; flagship species; micro-histology; niche overlap; prey preference
Abstract Conservation strategies for apex predators, like the snow leopard (Panthera uncia), depend on a robust understanding of their dietary preferences, prey abundance, and adaptability to changing ecological conditions. To address these critical conservation concerns, this study presents a comprehensive evidence on prey availability and preferences for snow leopards in the Lapchi Valley in the Nepal Himalayas from November 2021 to March 2023. Field data were collected through the installation of twenty-six camera traps at 16 strategically chosen locations, resulting in the recording of 1228 events of 19 mammalian species, including domesticated livestock. Simultaneously, the collection of twenty snow leopard scat samples over 3800 m above sea level allowed for a detailed dietary analysis. Photo capture rate index and biomass composition analysis were carried out and seasonal prey availability and consumption were statistically analyzed. A total of 16 potential prey species for the snow leopard were documented during the study period. Himalayan musk deer (Moschus leucogaster) was the most abundant prey species, but infrequent in the diet suggesting that are not the best bet prey for the snow leopards. Snow leopards were found to exhibit a diverse diet, consuming eleven prey species, with blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) being their most consumed wild prey and horses as their preferred livestock. The Pianka’s index of dietary niche overlap between the summer and winter seasons were 0.576, suggesting a pronounced seasonal variation in food preference corroborating with the prey availability. The scarcity of larger preys in winter is compensated by small and meso-mammals in the diet, highlighting the snow leopard’s capacity for dietary plasticity in response to the variation in resource availability. This research suggests for the utilization of genetic tools to further explore snow leopard diet composition. Additionally, understanding transboundary movements and conducting population assessments will be imperative for the formulation of effective conservation strategies.
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1733
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Author Esson, C., Samelius, G., Strand, T. M., Lundkvist, A., Michaux, J. R., Rasback, T., Wahab, T., Mijiddorj, T. N., Berger, L., Skerratt, L. F., Low, M.
Title The prevalence of rodent-borne zoonotic pathogens in the South Gobi desert region of Mongolia Type Journal Article
Year 2023 Publication Infection Ecology & Epidemiology Abbreviated Journal
Volume (down) 13 Issue 2270258 Pages 1-10
Keywords Rodent; zoonoses; leptospira; hantavirus; haematology; Mongolia
Abstract The alpine ecosystems and communities of central Asia are currently undergoing large-scale ecological and socio-ecological changes likely to affect wildlife-livestock-human disease interactions and zoonosis transmission risk. However, relatively little is known about the prevalence of pathogens in this region. Between 2012 and 2015 we screened 142 rodents in Mongolia’s Gobi desert for exposure to important zoonotic and livestock pathogens. Rodent seroprevalence to Leptospira spp. was>1/3 of tested animals, Toxoplasma gondii and Coxiella burnetii approximately 1/8 animals, and the hantaviruses being between 1/20 (Puumala-like hantavirus) and<1/100 (Seoul-like hantavirus). Gerbils trapped inside local dwellings were one of the species seropositive to Puumala-like hantavirus, suggesting a potential zoonotic transmission pathway. Seventeen genera of zoonotic bacteria were also detected in the faeces and ticks collected from these rodents, with one tick testing positive to Yersinia. Our study helps provide baseline patterns of disease prevalence needed to infer potential transmission between source and target populations in this region, and to help shift the focus of epidemiological research towards understanding disease transmission among species and proactive disease mitigation strategies within a broader One Health framework.
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Call Number SLN @ rakhee @ Serial 1734
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