People, predators and perceptions: patterns of livestock depredation by snow leopards and wolves

Abstract

Summary1. Livestock depredation by large carnivores is an important conservation and economic concern and conservation management would benefit from a better understanding of spatial variation and underlying causes of depredation events. Focusing on the endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia and the wolf Canis lupus, we identify the ecological factors that predispose areas within a landscape to livestock depredation. We also examine the potential mismatch between reality and human perceptions of livestock depredation by these carnivores whose survival is threatened due to persecution by pastoralists. 2. We assessed the distribution of the snow leopard, wolf and wild ungulate prey through field surveys in the 4000 km 2 Upper Spiti Landscape of trans-Himalayan India. We interviewed local people in all 25 villages to assess the distribution of livestock and peoples' perceptions of the risk to livestock from these carnivores. We monitored village-level livestock mortality over a 2-year period to assess the actual level of livestock depredation. We quantified several possibly influential independent variables that together captured variation in topography, carnivore abundance and abundance and other attributes of livestock. We identified the key variables influencing livestock depredation using multiple logistic regressions and hierarchical partitioning. 3. Our results revealed notable differences in livestock selectivity and ecological correlates of livestock depredation -both perceived and actual -by snow leopards and wolves. Stocking density of large-bodied free-ranging livestock (yaks and horses) best explained people's threat perception of livestock depredation by snow leopards, while actual livestock depredation was explained by the relative abundance of snow leopards and wild prey. In the case of wolves, peoples' perception was best explained by abundance of wolves, while actual depredation by wolves was explained by habitat structure. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our results show that (i) human perceptions can be at odds with actual patterns of livestock depredation, (ii) increases in wild prey populations will intensify livestock depredation by snow leopards, and prey recovery programmes must be accompanied by measures to protect livestock, (iii) compensation or insurance programmes should target large-bodied livestock in snow leopard habitats and (iv) sustained awareness programmes are much needed, especially for the wolf.

Response of the red fox to expansion of human habitation in the Trans-Himalayan mountains

“…The negative impacts and even extinction of native wildlife by free-ranging or feral dogs are rapidly emerging as a global conservation concern through various mechanisms, as an introduced mesopredator through direct predation (Young et al 2011), harassment and competition (Vanak and Gompper 2009a), restriction of spatial distribution of species and access to forage rich areas Gompper 2009a, b, 2010), spatial segregation (Silva-Rodrı'guez et al 2010) and hybridization and disease transmission (Hughes and Macdonald 2013;Young et al 2011). Dogs are also reported to cause considerable economic damage through livestock depredation in our study area, which even surpassed depredation by native large carnivores such as snow leopard and wolf (Suryawanshi et al 2013).…”

“…While this has the potential to benefit the red fox, there has also been an increase in the population of free-ranging dog Canis familiaris in the region to an extent that they pose a threat to livestock and wildlife (Suryawanshi et al 2013;USL 2011). In this paper, we examine the response of the red fox towards these changes.…”

Does livestock benefit or harm snow leopards?

“…Livestock graze in the extensive pastures except during extreme winter when they are stall-fed. Based on herding practices, local livestock can be classified as (i) large-bodied free ranging (yaks and horses), henceforth referred to as large stock and, (ii) medium and small-bodied herded, henceforth referred to as herded stock (cow, donkey, cow-yak hybrid, goat and sheep; (Suryawanshi et al, 2013). Villages have clear guidelines on the grazing rights to pastures but some of the pastures are shared between neighboring villages.…”

The importance of conflict-induced mortality for conservation planning in areas of human–elephant co-occurrence

“…Although a certain level of conflict is inevitable at any interface between humans and large mammals http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2014.05.026 0006-3207/Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Madhusudan, 2003), loss and degradation of core habitat, in addition to increasing wildlife populations, agricultural intensification and livestock depredation opportunities outside PAs (Gubbi, 2012;Karanth et al, 2013b;Suryawanshi et al, 2013), are likely to cause a greater spillover of animals into co-occurrence areas (CAs). Large mammal species that can 'adapt' to a humandominated environment may occur in the CA in relatively high densities (e.g., Athreya et al, 2013).…”