Abstract: A total of 206 individual Blue sheep Pseudois nayaur were estimated in Barse and Phagune blocks of Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve (DHR) and population density was 1.8 Blue sheep/sq.km. There was not significant change in population density from last 4 decades. An average 7 animals/herd (SD-5.5) were classified from twenty nine herds, sheep per herds varying from 1 to 37. Blue sheep has classified into sex ratio on an average 75 male/100females was recorded in study area. The sex ratio was slightly lower but not significantly different from the previous study. Population of Blue sheep was seen stable or not decrease even there was high poaching pressure, the reason may be reducing the number of predators by poison and poaching which has
supported to increase blue sheep population. Because of reducing the predators Wolf Canis lupus, Wild boar population was increasing drastically in high rate and we can observed wild boar above the tree line of DHR. The frequency of occurrence of different prey species in scats of different predators shows that, excluding zero values, the frequencies of different prey species were no significantly different (ö2= 10.3, df = 49, p > 0.05). Most of the scats samples (74%) of Snow leopard, Wolf, Common Leopard, Red fox's cover one prey species while two and three species were present in 18% and 8%, respectively. Barking deer Muntiacus muntjak was the most frequent (18%) of total diet composition of common leopards. Pika Ochotona roylei was the most frequent (28%), and Blue sheep was in second position for diet of snow leopards which cover 21% of total diet composition. 13% of diet covered non-food item such as soil, stones, and vegetable. Pika was most frequent on Wolf and Red fox diet which covered 32% and 30% respectively. There was good positive relationship between the scat density and Blue sheep consumption rate, increasing the scat density, increasing the Blue sheep consumption rate. Blue sheep preference by different predators such as Snow leopard, Common leopard, Wolf and Red fox were 20%, 6%, 13% and 2% of total prey species respectively.

Abstract: Since 1987, trophy hunting of blue sheep has been operated in the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in western Nepal to maintain mountain ecosystem balance. We assessed the impacts of these practices by analyzing ecological, socioeconomical, and cultural variables, including the demographic structure of the blue sheep population, income from trophy hunting, management costs, and a perception survey with 293 respondents through semi-structured interviews. The blue sheep population has significantly declined from 2,593 in 1979 to 1,290 in 2021. The young-to-female recruitment ratio also dropped sharply from 83 to 37, and the male-to-female ratio decreased from 129 to 91, indicating a dramatic population decline over 30 years. The average annual management cost for DHR showed a deficit of $322,508 compared to trophy hunting earnings over six fiscal years 2017/18 to 2022/23. Indigenous peoples and local communities practice agropastoral
economies, relying on natural resources for about 75 % of their subsistence, with only 25 % coming from
overseas remittances and market enterprises. More than 90 % felt they had not benefited from trophy hunting
sharing initiatives, and 75 % to 80 % expressed distrust in the blue sheep population counts, opposing current
trophy hunting practices. Additionally, 69 % rejected the proposed buffer zone, while 90 % advocated for
reviving customary practices over current conservation methods. In conclusion, the existing trophy hunting practices in DHR are unsustainable from ecological, socioeconomical, and cultural perspectives, threatening the entire ecosystem if left unchanged. Urgent research on predator–prey dynamics, pasture carrying capacity, and interactions among indigenous communities is needed. A major overhaul of current conservation strategies and the revitalization of customary practices are essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability of trophy hunting and restoring trust with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.