Free‐ranging livestock affected the spatiotemporal behavior of the endangered snow leopard (Panthera uncia)

• Published in: Ecology and evolution Vol. 13; no. 4; pp. e9992 - n/a
• Main Authors: Li, Jiaxin, Shi, Xiaogang, He, Xingcheng, Li, Dongrui, Hu, Qiang, Zhang, Yanni, Ran, Jianghong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.04.2023; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur); Cameras; Canyons; Carnivores; Coexistence; Conservation; Conservation Ecology; Ecosystems; Endangered species; Environmental protection; Food; Grazing; grazing disturbance; Habitat utilization; Habitats; interspecific interactions; Interspecific relationships; Livestock; Livestock grazing; Nature reserves; Panthera uncia; Predation; Prey; Protected areas; Snow; snow leopard (Panthera uncia); Wildlife; Wildlife conservation; Wildlife habitats; Wildlife management; Tibetan Plateau; China; grazing disturbance; blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur); interspecific interactions; snow leopard (Panthera uncia)
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9992
• ISSN: 2045-7758

Long recognized as a threat to wildlife, particularly for large carnivores, livestock grazing in protected areas can potentially undermine conservation objectives. The interspecific interactions among livestock, snow leopards (Panthera uncia), and their wild prey in fragile Asian highland ecosystems have been a subject of debate. We strategically deployed 164 camera traps in the Wolong National Nature Reserve to systematically investigate the activities of snow leopards, their primary wild ungulate prey species, and free‐ranging livestock. We found that snow leopard habitat use was influenced by both wild prey and livestock. Blue sheep served as the main wild prey that spatially attracted snow leopards and coexisted with yaks while free‐ranging yaks significantly restricted snow leopard habitat use both temporally and spatially. This study challenges the conventional understanding that livestock indirectly impacts large carnivores by competing with and displacing wild prey. Our findings highlight that free‐ranging yaks within the alpine canyon terrain could directly limit snow leopard habitat use, suggesting a potential risk of grazing in reducing apex predator distribution and jeopardizing their populations. Consequently, managing their coexistence in shared habitats requires a more nuanced approach. Furthermore, our research underscores the importance of further research efforts aimed at enhancing our comprehension of the complex interplay within animal communities and ecosystems. This knowledge will contribute to the development of informed, evidence‐based conservation strategies and policies. We explored the interspecific relations between snow leopard, blue sheep, and free‐ranging livestock. It is shown that the populations of three species reached coexistence through temporal, spatial, or other adaptations of their activities, suggesting the potential risk of grazing in reducing snow leopard distribution.