The Asiatic Golden Cat Catopuma temminckii is poorly known in Nepal and was previously recorded only twice in the eastern part of the country.  We conducted a camera trap survey in the Lapchi Valley (32km2) of Gaurishankar Conservation Area (GCA), a protected area in north-central Nepal, from October 2018 to April 2019. Eleven cameras were deployed to record mammalian diversity in a 2×2 km2 grid across Lapchi block of GCA.  During the study period, four photos and three videos (each of 10 seconds length) of Asiatic Golden Cats were recorded at an elevation of 2,540m at a single camera trap station.  This is the first photographic record of Asiatic Golden Cat in this region of Nepal extending the distribution of the species further west in the Himalaya.  A more detailed study on its distribution, population size and behaviour is warranted in the near future to implement appropriate conservation measures.

The Himalayan musk deer (Moschus leucogaster) is an endangered species listed in the IUCN Red List and Appendix I of CITES. It is widely but discontinuously distributed in Nepal. A Pellet sign survey was carried in April 2019 in Lapchi valley of Gaurishankar Conservation Area (GCA) in Nepal to assess the habitat preference of Himalayan musk deer. A total of 11 transects of 16348 m length and 10 m wide was surveyed. Seven Parameters: Elevation, Aspect, ground cover, distance from the water source, crown cover, rock exposure, and distance from settlement/cow sheds were recorded from the location where pellet (toilet) of musk deer were recorded to extrapolate the probable habitat map. We recorded a total of 157 musk deer pellet groups in the study area14.27 ± 2.91. The study concluded that the 38.4% (26.5 km2) area of Lapchi valley is the probable habitat of musk deer. The c2 – test suggested that the distribution of musk deer is significantly associated with elevation and aspect of the location. Musk deer mostly preferred habitat between 3600-4000 m elevations, with North-West aspect, ground cover less than 25%, and canopy cover between 25%-50%. Musk deer signs were recorded in areas with rock exposure ranging from as low as less than 25%. Distance from the water source and human settlement affect the distribution of musk deer. The indirect signs were higher near water sources and far from human settlement.

The snow leopard Panthera uncia is the flagship species of the high mountains of the Himalayas. There is potentially continuous habitat for the snow leopard along the northern border of Nepal, but there is a gap in information about the snow leopard in Gaurishankar Conservation Area. Previous spatial analysis has suggested that the Lamabagar area in this Conservation Area could serve as a transboundary corridor for snow leopards, and that the area may connect local populations, creating a metapopulation. However, there has been no visual confirmation of the species in Lamabagar. We set 11 infrared camera traps for 7 months in Lapchi Village of Gaurishankar Conservation Area, where blue sheep Pseudois nayaur, musk deer Moschus leucogaster and Himalayan tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus, all snow leopard prey species, had been observed. In November 2018 at 4,100 m, 5 km south-west of Lapchi Village, one camera recorded three images of a snow leopard, the first photographic evidence of the species in the Conservation Area. Sixteen other species of mammals were also recorded. Camera-trap records and sightings indicated a high abundance of Himalayan tahr, blue sheep and musk deer. Lapchi Village may be a potentially important corridor for snow leopard movement between the east and west of Nepal and northwards to Quomolongma National Park in China. However, plans for development in the region present increasing threats to this corridor. We recommend development of a transboundary conservation strategy for snow leopard conservation in this region, with participation of Nepal, China and international agencies.