Snow Leopard Survival Strategy - Panthera

detect lynx. Wildlife Society Bulletin 28(1):119-123.
Resource managers lack an inexpensive and quantifiable
method to detect lynx presence across large landscapes.
We tested efficacy of a protocol based on hair snagging
to detect presence of lynx (Lynx canadensis). We tested
2 key elements of the protocol: 1) a hair-snaring device
and 2) commercial lures used to attract and elicit rubbing
behavior in lynx. The commercial lures we tested
included: 1) beaver (Castor canadensis) castoreum and
catnip oil, 2) Cat Passion(TM): 3) Pacific Call(TM)
4) Hawbacker’s Cat lure #1(TM) and 5) BB1(TM) To
compare detection rates among lures, we randomly
placed lures at scent stations along 78 transects; each
transect contained all 5 lures. We detected lynx at 45%
of transects, and detections varied significantly among
lures (chi 2 = 13.4, P = 0.009). Hair snares baited with
castoreum and catnip oil were used significantly more
than expected (P = 0.002). The relatively high overall
detection rate demonstrated that deploying an effective
lure along transects is an effective method to detect
presence or absence.
Mech, L.D., E.K. Harper, T.J. Meier and W.J. Paul. 2000.
Assessing factors that may predispose Minnesota
farms to wolf depredations on cattle. Wildlife Society
Bulletin 28:623-629.
Wolf (Canis lupus) depredations on livestock cause
considerable conflict and expense in Minnesota.
Furthermore, claims are made that such depredations are
fostered by the type of animal husbandry practiced. Thus,
we tried to detect factors that might predispose farms in
Minnesota to wolf depredations. We compared results of
interviews with 41 cattle farmers experiencing chronic
cattle losses to wolves (chronic farms) with results
from 41 nearby “matched” farms with no wolf losses
to determine farm characteristics or husbandry practices
that differed and that therefore might have affected wolf
depredations. We also used a Geographic information
System (GIS) to detect any habitat differences between
the 2 types of farms. We found no differences between
chronic and matched farms in the 11 farm characteristics
and management practices that we surveyed, except that
farms with chronic losses were larger, had more cattle,
and had herds farther from human dwellings. Habitat
types were the same around farms with and without
losses. The role of proper carcass disposal as a possible
factor predisposing farms to wolf depredations remains
unclear.
Meegan, R. P. and D. S. Maehr. 2002. Landscape
conservation and regional planning for the Florida
panther. Southeastern Naturalist 1(3): 217-232.
The need for regional planning is increasingly
important for effective Florida panther (Puma concolor
coryi) (Bangs 1898) conservation and is essential for
protecting enough habitat in South Florida to ensure
a viable population. We used two decades of radio
telemetry data and geographic information system (GIS)
software to develop a regional blueprint for landscape
restoration that enhances dispersal, facilitates population
colonization, and could be the basis for future land use
decisions in the range of the endangered Florida panther.
We identified 923,576 ha of forests in an 18-county
study area that is a barrier-rich patchwork of land uses.
A least cost path analysis simulated natural colonization
events and can be used to identify landscape linkages and
conservation networks for the panther. Our analysis of
planned development permits suggests that large-scale
land protection must happen quickly. The alternatives
are managing an isolated, heavily managed population
or large-scale landscape restoration that is probably
economically unfeasible.
Meriggi, A. and S. Lovari. 1996. A review of wolf
predation in southern Europe: Does the wolf prefer
wild prey to livestock? Journal of Applied Ecology 33:
1561-1571.
The recent recovery of the wolf in southern Europe
has not yet removed the risk of local extinction. Wolf
populations are fragmented and often comprise fewer
than 500 individuals. In North America, northern and
eastern Europe, wolves feed mainly on wild herbivores.
In southern Europe, this canid has apparently adapted
to feed also on fruit, rubbish, livestock, small and
medium-size mammals. The main conservation problem
lies with predation on domestic ungulates, which leads
to extensive killing of wolves. The reintroduction of
wild large herbivores has been advocated as a means
of reducing attacks on livestock, but predation on the
latter may remain high if domestic ungulates are locally
abundant. Our synthesis of 15 studies, published in the
last 15 years, on food habits of the wolf in southern
Europe, has shown that ungulates have been the main diet
component overall. A significant inverse correlation was
found between the occurrence (%) of wild and domestic
ungulates in the diet. The presence of relatively few wild
ungulate species was necessary to reduce predation on
livestock. Selection of wild and domestic ungulate prey
was influenced mainly by their local abundance, but also
by their accessibility. Feeding dependence on rubbish
was local and rare. In Italy, the consumption of rubbish/
fruit and that of ungulates was significantly negatively
correlated. Diet breadth increased as the presence of
large prey in the diet decreased. The simultaneous
reintroduction of several wild ungulate species is likely
to reduce predation on livestock and may prove to be one
of the most effective conservation measures.
Merrill, E. H., T. P.Hemker and K. P.Woodruff. 1994.
Impacts of mining facilities on fall migration of mule
deer. Wildlife Society Bulletin 22(1):68-73.
Track counts and movements of radio-collared deer were
monitored near a mine and phosphate processing plant in
Idaho for 5 years to determine if the facilities hindered
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