Abstract: The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) found in central Asia is classified as vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Every year, large number of livestock are killed by snow leopards in Nepal, leading to economic loss to local communities and making human-snow leopard conflict a major threat to snow leopard conservation. We conducted formal and informal stakeholder’s interviews to gather information related to livestock depredation with the aim to map the attack sites by the snow leopard. These sites were further validated by district forest office staffs to assess sources of bias. Attack sites older than 3 years were removed from the survey. We found 109 attack sites and visited all the sites for geo location purpose (GPS points of all unique sites were taken). We maintained at least a 100 m distance between attack locations to ensure that each attack location was unique, which resulted in 86 unique locations. A total of 235 km2 was used to define livestock depredation risk zone during this study. Using Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modeling, we found that distance to livestock sheds, distance to paths, aspect, and distance to roads were major contributing factors to the snow leopard’s attacks. We identified 13.64 km2 as risk zone for livestock depredation from snow leopards in the study area. Furthermore, snow leopards preferred to attack livestock near livestock shelters, far from human paths and at moderate distance from motor roads. These identified attack zones should be managed both for snow leopard conservation and livestock protection in order to balance human livelihoods while protecting snow leopards and their habitats.

Abstract: The author provides information about snow leopard taxonomy, distribution, habitat and appearance. Biology of this animal is understudied. Snow leopard is able to make long jumps. It feeds upon ibex, wild sheep, marmots, partridge, and sometimes livestock, but never man. Gestation period is three months, at the end of May female gives birth to two or three cubs. Being very occasional, purchase of skin is of no practical value.

Abstract: Due to development of new lands and increased anthropogenic pressure animals are displaced from their habitats. Intense poaching caused dying away a number of animals such as Turan tiger, moral, and kulan in Uzbekistan at the end of 19th beginning of 20th century. The endangered species are marchor, cheetah, lynx, snow leopard, caracal, and cobra. Species put on the verge of a total extermination are included in the national Red Data Book (22 mammal species, 31 bird species, five reptile and five fish species). The introduction of some species such as raccoon, European fallow deer, nylghau, and chinchilla was unsuccessful.

Abstract: A detailed description of the snow leopard habitat in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Pakistan, and India is given. Provided are data concerning its distribution and population size in the USSR, Kazakhstan and other neighbour countries, as well as its habitat, catching, and fur trade. Reduction of the snow leopard catching volumes for zoological trade to 10 or less animals is recommended to preserve the species; establish two new highland nature reserves; improve the management of snow leopard raising in captivity.