scholarly journals What Factors Predispose Households in Trans-Himalaya (Central Nepal) to Livestock Predation by Snow Leopards?

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2187
Author(s):  
Mahesh P. Tiwari ◽  
Bishnu P. Devkota ◽  
Rodney M. Jackson ◽  
Bir Bahadur Khanal Chhetri ◽  
Sistata Bagale
Keyword(s):  
Economic Loss ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Livestock Depredation ◽  
Livestock Predation ◽  
Domestic Livestock ◽  
Average Loss ◽  
Snow Leopards

Livestock depredation across the trans-Himalaya causes significant economic losses to pastoralist communities. Quantification of livestock predation and the assessment of variables associated with depredation are crucial for designing effective long-term mitigation measures. We investigated the patterns and factors of livestock depredation by snow leopards (Panthera uncia) using semi-structured questionnaires targeting herders in the Narphu valley of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. During the two years (2017/18 and 2018/19), 73.9% of the households interviewed (n = 65) lost livestock to snow leopards, with an annual average loss of two livestock per household. Of the total depredation attributed to snow leopards, 55.4% were yak (mainly female: 79%), 31.7% goat, 6.8% sheep, 3.2% horse and 2.8% cattle. Results from applying Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) revealed the total number of livestock owned and the number of larger bodied livestock species as the main explanatory covariates explaining livestock depredation. Forty-one (41%) of all herders considered snow leopard’s preference for domestic livestock as the main factor in livestock predation, whereas only 5% perceived poor herding practice as the main reason for the loss. Our study found poor and changing herding practices in the valley, whereby 71% herders reported careful herding as a solution to snow leopard depredation, and 15% of herders considered the complete extermination of snow leopards as the best solution to the problem. Tolerance levels and awareness among herders towards snow leopard conservation is increasing, mainly due to the Buddhist religion and strict law enforcement within this protected area. We recommend the effective implementation of a community-based livestock insurance scheme to compensate the economic loss of herders due to predation and improved herding practices as the recommended mitigation measures for ensuring livestock security and snow leopards’ conservation in the valley.

Livestock depredation by large carnivores in the South Gobi, Mongolia

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tserennadmid Nadia Mijiddorj ◽  
Justine Shanti Alexander ◽  
Gustaf Samelius ◽  
Ruchi Badola ◽  
G. S. Rawat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Loss ◽  
Theoretic Approach ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Livestock Depredation ◽  
The World ◽  
Pastoral Communities ◽  
Average Loss ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Information Theoretic Approach

Context Livestock depredation is a major conservation challenge around the world, causing considerable economical losses to pastoral communities and often result in retaliatory killing. In Mongolia, livestock depredation rates are thought to be increasing due to changes in pastoral practices and the transformation of wild habitats into pasture lands. Few studies have examined the interactions between humans and carnivores and even fewer have considered how recent changes in pastoral practices may affect depredation rates. Aim This study aimed to assess the influence of herding practices on self-reported livestock losses to snow leopards and wolves in two communities in South Gobi, Mongolia. Methods In total, 144 herder households were interviewed and an information-theoretic approach was used to analyse the factors influencing self-reported livestock losses to snow leopards and wolves. Key results The majority of self-reported losses to both snow leopards and wolves occurred when herds were left unattended in the pastures. The economic loss associated with livestock losses to snow leopards and wolves amounted to an average loss of US$825 per herder and year. The number of livestock owned by a household and the frequency of shifting campsite had the strongest influence on livestock losses to snow leopards and wolves. Other determinants of livestock losses included frequency of visiting the soum (county) centre. Implications On the basis of the findings, we make recommendations for mitigating the conflict with large carnivores, with focus on guiding future herding practices.

Corrigendum to: Livestock depredation by large carnivores in the South Gobi, Mongolia

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tserennadmid Nadia Mijiddorj ◽  
Justine Shanti Alexander ◽  
Gustaf Samelius ◽  
Ruchi Badola ◽  
G. S. Rawat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Loss ◽  
Theoretic Approach ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Livestock Depredation ◽  
The World ◽  
Pastoral Communities ◽  
Average Loss ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Information Theoretic Approach

Context Livestock depredation is a major conservation challenge around the world, causing considerable economical losses to pastoral communities and often result in retaliatory killing. In Mongolia, livestock depredation rates are thought to be increasing due to changes in pastoral practices and the transformation of wild habitats into pasture lands. Few studies have examined the interactions between humans and carnivores and even fewer have considered how recent changes in pastoral practices may affect depredation rates. Aim This study aimed to assess the influence of herding practices on self-reported livestock losses to snow leopards and wolves in two communities in South Gobi, Mongolia. Methods In total, 144 herder households were interviewed and an information-theoretic approach was used to analyse the factors influencing self-reported livestock losses to snow leopards and wolves. Key results The majority of self-reported losses to both snow leopards and wolves occurred when herds were left unattended in the pastures. The economic loss associated with livestock losses to snow leopards and wolves amounted to an average loss of US$825 per herder and year. The number of livestock owned by a household and the frequency of shifting campsite had the strongest influence on livestock losses to snow leopards and wolves. Other determinants of livestock losses included frequency of visiting the soum (county) centre. Implications On the basis of the findings, we make recommendations for mitigating the conflict with large carnivores, with focus on guiding future herding practices.

scholarly journals A Need for Context-Based Conservation: Incorporating Local Knowledge to Mitigate Livestock Predation by Large Carnivores

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Bijoor ◽  
Munib Khanyari ◽  
Rigzen Dorjay ◽  
Sherab Lobzang ◽  
Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Livestock Depredation ◽  
Livestock Predation ◽  
Community Based Conservation ◽  
Strategic Support ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
The Village

Mitigating livestock predation by carnivores is crucial to ensure carnivore conservation and facilitate human-carnivore coexistence. Mitigation measures proposed by conservation agencies, however, are often technocratic and perceived as being an external imposition on the local community. Herders affected by the depredation may have the knowledge to design locally relevant solutions, but they might lack financial and technical support to implement these effectively. Their inability to act can result in the communities being viewed as antagonistic rather than a part of the solution. We present a case study on co-development of a conservation intervention by a traditional pastoral community together with a conservation NGO, to mitigate livestock depredation inside night-time corrals in Ladakh, India. Between January and June 2020, livestock corrals in Sumdoo TR village were attacked 10 times by carnivores such as snow leopards and wolves, killing over 100 sheep, goat, yak, and horses and causing loses of over 10,400 USD. Local people were agitated, and there were strong demands for capture or removal of the carnivores from the area. We operationalized the PARTNERS (Presence, Aptness, Respect, Transparency, Negotiation, Empathy, Responsiveness, and Strategic Support) principles framework for community-based conservation to help the village effectively implement an intervention based on a novel predator-proof corral design conceptualized by the community. We demonstrate that empowering the community to design and implement a conservation intervention helped them take ownership of the effort, improve trust with conservation agencies, and hence likely to be a long-term solution to conservation conflicts in the region. Our approach of using the PARTNERS principles has relevance for conservation agencies who are trying to implement interventions, particularly those geared toward reducing livestock depredation by carnivores. Our approach further helps communities to view themselves as part of the solution and not the problem.

Economic impacts of livestock depredation by snow leopard Uncia uncia in the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, Nepal Himalaya

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 322-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
NAHO IKEDA
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Herd Size ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Cash Income ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Livestock Depredation ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Kanchenjunga Conservation Area

It is necessary to fully understand the economic conditions of local herders in order to find solutions to the conflicts between wildlife conservation and livestock rearing in remote areas of low-income countries. In the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA), Nepal, livestock depredation by snow leopards impacts on yak herders' livelihoods. Retaliatory killings of snow leopard by the herders have been reported and the concerned authorities recently initiated snow leopard conservation programmes. In 2001, interviews with the yak herders who used the pastures in the Ghunsa valley in the preceding year collected data on the incidence of livestock death caused by snow leopards. The annual net cash income of the yak herders was estimated by obtaining baseline values of sales and expenditure per livestock head through field measurement of dairy products and interviews with a sample of herders. As yet, the average annual damage does not appear to have adversely affected fundamental livelihoods in households with an average herd size (36.6 head). However, in the worst scenario of livestock depredation, households with medium or small-sized herds (<40 head) might risk their living conditions becoming unsustainable or having to withdraw from yak pastoralism. A supplementary interview showed that the majority of the herders, except those who took completely neutral attitudes towards the regional conservation and development programme, had negative views of the snow leopard conservation policy. For the snow leopard conservation programme in the KCA to be a success, there must be a system to compensate the herders' households for livestock damage.

scholarly journals Keeping predators out: testing fences to reduce livestock depredation at night-time corrals

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustaf Samelius ◽  
Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi ◽  
Jens Frank ◽  
Bayarjargal Agvaantseren ◽  
Erdenechimeg Baasandamba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Variation ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Predation Pressure ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Livestock Depredation ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Panthera Uncia

Abstract Livestock depredation by large carnivores is a global conservation challenge, and mitigation measures to reduce livestock losses are crucial for the coexistence of large carnivores and people. Various measures are employed to reduce livestock depredation but their effectiveness has rarely been tested. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of tall fences to reduce livestock losses to snow leopards Panthera uncia and wolves Canis lupus at night-time corrals at the winter camps of livestock herders in the Tost Mountains in southern Mongolia. Self-reported livestock losses at the fenced corrals were reduced from a mean loss of 3.9 goats and sheep per family and winter prior to the study to zero losses in the two winters of the study. In contrast, self-reported livestock losses in winter pastures, and during the rest of the year, when herders used different camps, remained high, which indicates that livestock losses were reduced because of the fences, not because of temporal variation in predation pressure. Herder attitudes towards snow leopards were positive and remained positive during the study, whereas attitudes towards wolves, which attacked livestock also in summer when herders moved out on the steppes, were negative and worsened during the study. This study showed that tall fences can be very effective at reducing night-time losses at corrals and we conclude that fences can be an important tool for snow leopard conservation and for facilitating the coexistence of snow leopards and people.

scholarly journals Factors affecting livestock depredation by snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in the Himalayan region of Nepal

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11575
Author(s):  
Ajay Karki ◽  
Saroj Panthi
Keyword(s):  
Economic Loss ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
International Union ◽  
Risk Zone ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Livestock Depredation ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Panthera Uncia ◽  
Attack Location

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.

scholarly journals Snow Leopard Dietary Preferences and Livestock Predation Revealed by Fecal DNA Metabarcoding: No Evidence for Apparent Competition Between Wild and Domestic Prey

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Lu ◽  
Lingyun Xiao ◽  
Chen Cheng ◽  
Zhi Lu ◽  
Jindong Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Apparent Competition ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Livestock Predation ◽  
Prey Preferences ◽  
Livestock Density ◽  
Dna Metabarcoding ◽  
Snow Leopards

Accurate assessments of the patterns and drivers of livestock depredation by wild carnivores are vital for designing effective mitigation strategies to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Snow leopard’s (Panthera uncia) range extensively overlaps pastoralist land-use and livestock predation there is widely reported, but the ecological determinants of livestock consumption by snow leopards remain obscure. We investigated snow leopard dietary habits at seven sites across the Sanjiangyuan region of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP), an area central to the species’ global range. Snow leopard abundance, wild prey composition, and livestock density varied among those sites, thus allowing us to test the effects of various factors on snow leopard diet and livestock predation. Using DNA metabarcoding, we obtained highly resolved dietary data from 351 genetically verified snow leopard fecal samples. We then analyzed the prey preferences of snow leopards and examined ecological factors related to their livestock consumption. Across the sites, snow leopard prey was composed mainly of wild ungulates (mean = 81.5% of dietary sequences), particularly bharal (Pseudois nayaur), and supplemented with livestock (7.62%) and smaller mammals (marmots, pikas, mice; 10.7%). Snow leopards showed a strong preference for bharal, relative to livestock, based on their densities. Interestingly, both proportional and total livestock consumption by snow leopards increased linearly with local livestock biomass, but not with livestock density. That, together with a slight negative relationship with bharal density, supports apparent facilitation between wild and domestic prey. We also found a significant positive correlation between population densities of snow leopard and bharal, yet those densities showed slight negative relationships with livestock density. Our results highlight the importance of sufficient wild ungulate abundance to the conservation of viable snow leopard populations. Additionally, livestock protection is critically needed to reduce losses to snow leopard depredation, especially where local livestock abundances are high.

Livestock depredation by large carnivores in the Indian trans-Himalaya: conflict perceptions and conservation prospects

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 338-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHARUDUTT MISHRA
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Livestock Depredation ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Government ◽  
Wild Predators ◽  
Human Wildlife Conflict

Livestock depredation by the snow leopard, Uncia uncia, and the wolf, Canis lupus, has resulted in a human-wildlife conflict that hinders the conservation of these globally-threatened species throughout their range. This paper analyses the alleged economic loss due to livestock depredation by these carnivores, and the retaliatory responses of an agro-pastoral community around Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary in the Indian trans-Himalaya. The three villages studied (80 households) attributed a total of 189 livestock deaths (18% of the livestock holding) over a period of 18 months to wild predators, and this would amount to a loss per household equivalent to half the average annual per capita income. The financial compensation received by the villagers from the Government amounted to 3% of the perceived annual loss. Recent intensification of the conflict seems related to a 37.7% increase in livestock holding in the last decade. Villagers have been killing the wolf, though apparently not the snow leopard. A self-financed compensation scheme, and modification of existing livestock pens are suggested as area-specific short-term measures to reduce the conflict. The need to address the problem of increasing livestock holding in the long run is emphasized.

scholarly journals Status and conservation of the snow leopard Panthera uncia in Api Nampa Conservation Area, Nepal

Oryx ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gopal Khanal ◽  
Laxman Prasad Poudyal ◽  
Bishnu Prasad Devkota ◽  
Rishi Ranabhat ◽  
Per Wegge
Keyword(s):  
Forest Products ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Encounter Rate ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Sign Surveys ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Panthera Uncia

AbstractThe snow leopard Panthera uncia is globally threatened and reliable information on its abundance, distribution and prey species is a prerequisite for its conservation. In October–November 2014 we assessed the distribution of the snow leopard in the recently established Api Nampa Conservation Area in the Nepal Himalayas. Within selected blocks we conducted sign surveys and counted the number of bharal Pseudois nayaur, its principal wild prey, along transects totalling 106 km. We recorded 203 putative snow leopard signs at an encounter rate of 1.91 signs/km. Generalized linear models of the number of signs detected per transect showed that elevation had a positive influence and human activities a negative influence on sign encounter rate; prey abundance had only a weak positive influence on sign encounter rate. Within the effectively surveyed area of c. 200 km2, we counted 527 bharal at an estimated density of 2.28 animals/km2. Recruitment of bharal was low, estimated at 48 kids/100 adult females, most likely a result of poor or overgrazed rangeland. We estimate the total number of bharal in this conservation area to be > 1,000, a prey base that could sustain 6–9 snow leopards. Based on our field observations, we identified human disturbance and habitat degradation associated with extraction of non-timber forest products, livestock grazing, and poaching as the main threats to the snow leopard. Standardized sign surveys, preferably supplemented by sampling with remote cameras or with genetic analysis of scats would provide robust baseline information on the abundance of snow leopards in this conservation area.

scholarly journals Abundance of snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and its wild prey in Chhekampar VDC, Manaslu Conservation Area, Nepal

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. P. Devkota ◽  
T. Silwal ◽  
B. P. Shrestha ◽  
A. P. Sapkota ◽  
S. P. Lakhey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prey Species ◽  
Religious Tradition ◽  
Information Management System ◽  
Encounter Rate ◽  
Snow Leopard ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Blue Sheep ◽  
Himalayan Tahr ◽  
Snow Leopards ◽  
Panthera Uncia

Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is the striking symbol as well as an indicator of intact eco-regions of high mountains it inhabits. Despite the advancement in new methods, scholars argue that signs are still a reliable indicator for the purpose of habitat use study of snow leopards. The relative abundance of snow leopard and its major prey species such as blue sheep (Pseudois nayar) and Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus) in the Chhekampar Village Development Committee within the Tsum Valley of the Manaslu Conservation Area was determined by sign survey using Snow Leopard Information Management System (SLIMS) and block survey using Vantage Point Method, respectively. We also assessed human snow leopard conflict through household and key informant survey. The encounter rate of snow leopard signs were 3.57/km on an average, indicating low abundance, whereas prey species such as blue sheep and Himalayan tahr had 3.8 and 1.8 animals/km2, respectively. The livestock depredation rate was 1.29% with snow leopard accounting to only 0.32% of the total. Due to the low abundance of snow leopard but sufficient number of large-sized wild prey species, livestock predation by snow leopard was minimum, and therefore, the local people had positive perception towards snow leopard conservation. Though the present situation including the local religious tradition and social norms is supportive in conservation of snow leopard, it may not sustain unless incentive programs are encouraged timely.Banko Janakari, Vol. 27, No. 1, Page : 11-20

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