Snow leopard Panthera uncia predation of livestock: An assessment of local perceptions in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal

• Published in: Biological conservation Vol. 68; no. 1; pp. 63 - 68
• Main Authors: Oli, Madan K., Taylor, Iain R., Rogers, M.Elizabeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1994; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Annapura Conservation Area; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; blue sheep; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; livestock predation; Nepal; Panthera uncia; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; public attitudes; snow leopard; Asia; Nepal; public attitudes; Annapura Conservation Area; livestock predation; snow leopard; blue sheep; Nepal; Fissipedia; Carnivora; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Attitude; Economic importance; Livestock; Predation; Opinion inquiry; Protected species; Man animal relation
• ISSN: 0006-3207; 1873-2917
• DOI: 10.1016/0006-3207(94)90547-9

Public attitudes towards snow leopard Panthera uncia predation of domestic livestock were investigated by a questionnaire survey of four villages in snow leopard habitat within the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Most local inhabitants were subsistence farmers, many dependent upon yaks, oxen, horses and goats, with an average livestock holding of 26.6 animals per household. Reported losses to snow leopards averaged 0.6 and 0.7 animals per household in two years of study, constituting 2.6% of total stockholding but representing in monetary terms almost a quarter of the average annual Nepali national per capita income. Local people held strongly negative attitudes towards snow leopards and most suggested that total extermination of leopards was the only acceptable solution to the predation problem. Snow leopards were reported to be killed by herdsmen in defence of their livestock. The long-term success of snow leopard conservation programmes may depend upon the satisfactory resolution of the predation conflict. Some possible ways of reducing predation losses are also discussed.