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

ABSTRACT: 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 leo

SUBMITTER: Li J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10115902 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature