Snow Leopard Survival Strategy - Panthera

taxa. To prevent or mitigate future population declines,
research efforts should be aimed at identifying both the
diseases of potential importance to large carnivores and
the ecological conditions associated with their spread and
severity.
Nowell, K. 2000. Far from a cure: the tiger trade
revisited. Species in Danger report. TRAFFIC,
Cambridge, UK.
This report examines the tiger trade in the late 1990s.
In particular, it looks at the extent illegal trade in tiger
bone can still be considered the leading threat to the
tiger’s survival in addition to the trade in skins and other
tiger parts. The report urges range states to enforce trade
bans and improve anti-poaching measures among other
recommendations.
Odden, J., J.D.C. Linnell, P.F. Moa, I. Herfindal, T. Kvam,
and R. Andersen. 2002. Lynx depredation on domestic
sheep in Norway. Journal of Wildlife Management 66:
98-105.
We studied depredation rates on free-ranging domestic
sheep (Ovis aries) bv Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in 2
areas in Norway to test whether selected individuals
or a demographic group within a lynx population kill
a disproportionate share of livestock. During 6 grazing
seasons from 1994 to 1999, we monitored 34 radio
collared lynx during 641 tracking periods (either all
night or during a full 24-hr period). Sixty-three domestic
sheep and 3 domestic goats were killed by radio collared
lynx during these periods. All of the radiocollared lynx
had access to free-ranging domestic sheep within their
annual home ranges. Male lynx killed sheep more
frequently than females and were responsible for 12
out of 13 cases of surplus killing. After adjusting for
number of nights monitored, sheep-killing rates among
males differed slightly, whereas the differences between
individual females were correlated with the number of
sheep available. There were no indications of any special
“problem individuals,” but rather a “problem sex.” There
fore, it seems to be intrinsic in their behavior that males
are likely to kill domestic animals more frequently than
females. The lack of specific problem individuals in this
study might depend on the livestock-herding technique
used in Norway, where sheep generally are free- ranging
and unattended throughout a lynx’s home range. Selective
removal of depredating males requires that the gap in
the social mosaic either remains unfilled or is filled by
an individual that causes less damage to livestock. The
effects of such removal on sheep depredation are likely to
be only temporary since all adult and yearling male lynx
appear to kill sheep.
Oli, M. K. 1993. A Key for the identification of the
hair of mammals of a snow leopard (Panthera uncia)
habitat in Nepal. Journal of Zoology 231: 71-93.
Analysis of prey remains in scats, particularly hairs,
is widely used to study diet of mammalian predators,
but identification of hair is often difficult because hair
structures vary considerably both within and between
species. Use of photographic reference of diagnostically
important hair structures from mammals occurring in a
predator’s habitat has been found to be convenient for
routine identification. A photographic reference key was
developed for the identification of hairs of the mammals
known to occur in a snow leopard (Panthera uncia)
habitat in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. The
key included a photographic reference of the diagnostic
hair structures of nine species of wild and five species
of domestic mammals. The cross-sectional appearance,
shape and arrangement of medulla, the ratio of cortex
to medulla, and the form and distribution of pigment in
medulla and cortex were important diagnostic aids in the
identification of hairs.
Oli, M.K. 1994. Snow leopards and blue sheep in
Nepal - densities and predator- prey ratio. Journal of
Mammalogy 75:998-1004.
I studied snow leopards (Panthera uncia) and blue
sheep (Pseudois nayaur) in Manang District, Annapurna
Conservation Area, Nepal, to estimate numbers and
analyze predator-prey interactions. Five to seven adult
leopards used the 105- km 2 study area, a density of 4.8
to 6.7 leopards/100 km 2 . Density of blue sheep was 6.6-
10.2 sheep/ km 2 , and biomass density was 304 kg/ km 2 .
Estimated relative biomass consumed by snow leopards
suggested that blue sheep were the most important
prey; marmots (Marmota himalayana) also contributed
significantly to the diet of snow leopards. Snow leopards
in Manang were estimated to harvest 9-20% of total
biomass and 11- 24% of total number of blue sheep
annually. Snow leopard: blue sheep ratio was 1:114-1:
159 on a weight basis, which was considered sustainable
given the importance of small mammals in the leopard’s
diet and the absence of other competing predators.
Oli, M. K., I. R. Taylor and M. E. Rogers. 1993. Diet of
the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in the Annapurna
Conservation Area, Nepal. Journal of Zoology 231(3):
365-370.
The diet of the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) was
studied from 213 scats collected between April 1990
and February 1991 in the Annapurna Conservation Area,
Nepal. Seven species of wild and five species of domestic
mammals were taken, as well as an unidentified mammal
and birds. Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) were the most
frequently eaten prey. Himalayan marmots (Marmota
himalayana) were also important, except in winter when
they were hibernating. During winter, snow leopards
ate more Toyle’s pika (Ochotonoa roylei) and domestic
livestock. Yaks were eaten more frequently than other
livestock types.
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