A recent study by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) on Snow Leopard ( panthera uncia) has provided interesting information about the elusive mountain cat and its prey species. study under The National Mission on Himalayan Studies revealed a strong link between habitat use by the snow leopard and its prey species, the Siberian ibex and the blue sheep.
Scientists used camera traps and sign surveys to evaluate co-occurrence patterns of snow leopards and its prey species (Siberian ibex and blue sheep) in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley. Details of the study have recently been published in a paper titled Landscape use and co-occurrence patterns of snow leopard (Panthera unia) and its prey species in the fragile ecosystem of Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh. Published in Plos One magazine.
A view of the Siberian ibex. , photo credit: special arrangement
“In addition, we found that the snow leopard was more likely to be detected if the site was used by its prey species, i.e. ibex and blue sheep. Whereas, in the case of the prey species, when the predator (snow leopard) was present and were detected, then the probability of detection was low. Furthermore, our results suggested that both species were less likely to be detected simultaneously than expected …,” the publication said.
The publication’s lead author, Lalit Kumar Sharma, said snow leopards use rugged mountainous areas or non-forest areas that cover an altitude between 3200m-5200m. Dr Sharma, head of ZSI’s GIS and Wildlife section, said the study suggested that habitat covariates such as barren areas, grasslands, facets, slopes and distance from water were important drivers of habitat use for the snow leopard. Its prey species. He said that the Spiti Valley has a good habitat both inside and outside the protected areas that can support viable populations of both the threatened snow leopard and its prey species.
Classified as ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and listed in Schedule-I of Species Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972Snow leopards are elusive mountain cats whose survival largely depends on wild ungulates.
Amira Sharif, a biologist at ZSI and author of the paper, said the aim of the study is to examine how predators use habitat in the presence or absence of their prey species and vice versa, “We also tested how environmental variables affect are the distribution of species in the presence or absence of other species,” the biologist said. Up in the mountains, according to Ms. Sharif, predators such as snow leopards controlled populations of herbivores such as blue sheep and Siberian ibex, thereby protecting the health of grasslands and the long-term absence of snow leopards could cause trophic cascades. can. Unorganized population is likely to increase, leading to loss of vegetation cover.
A View of the Blue Sheep | photo credit: special arrangement
Snow leopards have a vast but fragmented distribution in the mountainous landscape of Central Asia, covering various parts of the Himalayas such as Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. This charismatic species is threatened largely due to the loss of natural prey species. , counter-killing due to conflict with humans and illegal trade in its fur and bones.
ZSI director Dhriti Banerjee said protecting snow leopards can benefit the ecosystem as a whole. “Knowledge about the relationship between the species will be useful for developing better conservation and management strategies for the long-term viability of the snow leopard and its prey species in the landscape of Spiti Valley. In and outside protected areas containing potential habitats for apex predators Maintenance of areas can serve as a useful tool for conservation and management planning,” Dr Banerjee said.