Snow Leopard Survival Strategy - Panthera

Potential Methods
• Sample scats or hairs and conduct genetics analysis on
suspected routes to assess dispersal patterns.
• Satellite-collar cats of different age and sex and monitor
their displacements on local and large scale.
Case Studies
Beier, P. 1995. Dispersal of Juvenile Cougars in
Fragmented Habitat. Journal of Wildlife Management
59(2):228-237.
Pierce, B. M., V. C. Bleich, J. D. Wehausen, and R. T.
Bowyer. 1999. Migratory patterns of mountain
lions: Implications for social regulation and conservation.
Journal of Mammalogy 80:986-992.
R.3 Snow leopard population size:
Past estimates of snow leopard numbers represent
little more than a “best guess” and are based on very limited
surveys, of which many are of questionable design,
and have been conducted in a small fraction of the range.
Trend data is even less available and also of questionable
validity. It is necessary to know what baseline population
levels are now, to gauge effectiveness of conservation
actions.
Potential Methods
• Conduct photo-trap camera surveys to census snow
leopards in multiple areas.
• Collect hair samples to use genetic methods of identifying
individuals and estimating population size.
• Correlate SLIMS data with known population sizes to
validate the technique as a predictive tool.
Case Studies
Jackson, R M. and J. Roe. 2002. Preliminary observations
on non-invasive techniques for identifying
individual snow leopards and monitoring populations.
Pages 116-117 in T. M. McCarthy and J. Weltzin,
editors Contributed Papers to the Snow Leopard
Survival Strategy Summit. International Snow
Leopard Trust, Seattle, Washington, USA. Available
at http://www.snowleopard.org/sln/
Spearing, A. 2002. A note on the prospects for snow
leopard census using photographic capture. Pages
173 – 185 in T. M. McCarthy and J. Weltzin, editors
Contributed Papers to the Snow Leopard Survival
Strategy Summit. International Snow Leopard Trust,
Seattle, Washington, USA. Available at
http://www.snowleopard.org/sln/
R.4 Snow leopard population trends and factor responsible
for changes:
Across most of potential snow leopard range we are
not even certain where the cats occur. In areas where occupancy
by snow leopards has been confirmed, population
trends have not been calculated. Sign density, such
as pugmarks and scrapes, is currently the most common
method used to estimate relative snow leopard density.
In some areas where long-term studies have been accomplished,
such as Mongolia, there are several years
worth of sign density data to compare and arrive at a general
population trend estimate. However, data from sign
transects are fraught with potential biases. A reliable,
and preferably simple and inexpensive, method for monitoring
population changes over time is much needed,
particularly to monitor impacts of human activities. This
includes positive impacts of conservation programs, and
negative impacts associated with other human activity.
Potential Methods
• Identify areas where data are available and calculate
population trends.
• Develop new methods to monitor population changes
(see R. 26).
• Use both old and new methods on areas where estimates
are needed.
Case Studies
Harveson, L. A., B. Route, F. Armstrong, N. J. Silvy,
and M. E. Tewes. 1999. Trends in populations of
mountain lion in Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe
Mountains National Parks. Southwestern Naturalist
44(4):490-494.
Smallwood, K. S. 1994. Trends in California
mountain lion populations. Southwestern Naturalist
39(1):67-72.
R.5 Protected Area coverage – extent and representation
of habitats (gap analysis):
A current analysis of the extent of protected area
coverage of snow leopard habitat has not been attempted.
Initially a Gap analysis of this type will have to look at
“potential” snow leopard habitat because a clear and
accurate depiction of snow leopard range extent is a
long-term research task. To effectively plan conservation
measures, there need to be a global understanding
of the various ecological roles the snow leopard plays in
Central Asia. A successful conservation strategy should
ensure that this diversity of evolutionary processes is
conserved – and so should be clearly identified on distribution
maps.
Potential Methods
• Based on snow leopard distribution updates (R.1),
include protected areas (with level of protection).
• Identify areas that should be considered as a priority
for protection.
• Define Snow Leopard Conservation Units that encompass
the various ecological processes in which the
snow leopard is involved throughout its range.
50 | SNOW LEOPARD SURVIVAL STRATEGY