Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) depredation and mass kills during 1992-2013 in the Hemis National Park of the Trans-Himalayas

The Hemis National Park of the Trans-Himalayas is home to a large population of Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) and increasing numbers of agro-pastoralists. To persist in this harsh terrain, famers domesticate livestock, while non-locals hunt free-ranging, native ungulates. However, with fewer natural prey available, Snow leopards have depredated livestock. Consequently, the government enacted a cost-compensation scheme for farmers in 1992. Following a decade of marginal improvements, in 2002, several new strategies were deployed. Predator-proof holding pens and the Himalayan Homestay Program were implemented. The latter was an eco-tourism initiative to reduce retaliatory killings. Our objectives were to assess 22 years (1992-2013) of depredation under the compensation scheme with particular reference to the periods before, and after, these initiatives. Government records showed 1,624 livestock were reported from 339 sites with ~USD15,000 paid in remuneration. There were (x)=41 kills annually before-and 3.5 kills after-the initiatives ((H(2)=14.13, p<0.001). Mass killings were reduced from 5.5 events to 0.5 ((H(2)=11.76, p<0.001). Goats and sheep (57%) and horses (13%) comprised the majority of the losses. While the compensation scheme was active for all 22 years, the striking reductions occurred during the decade following the initiatives of 2002. This focal shift, however, was also accomplished while concurrently enforcing regulations against hunting, and thereby, likely increasing the number of wild prey as alternative food. Therefore, we report over a decade of successful management, whereby several factors helped ensure the safety and well-being of the community while aiding the long-term conservation of Snow leopards

Survey of avifauna of the Gharana wetland reserve: implications for conservation in a semi-arid agricultural setting on the Indo-Pakistan border

Abstract Background The Gharana wetland conservation reserve (GWCR) is a semi-arid wetland adjacent to agricultural areas on the Indo-Pakistani border. Despite being declared an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International, the occurrence and distribution of birds has not been well-documented in this area. Our aims were to systematically document the composition, relative abundance and feeding guilds of all avian fauna in order to form a baseline to monitor changes from—and to underwrite—future conservation actions. Results From 24 surveys over 1 year, we recorded 151 species from 45 families and 15 orders. 41% of species were listed as ‘rare’ and only 22% were ‘very common’. The largest number of families belonged to the order Passeriformes (40%), followed by Charadriiformes (14%) and Coraciiformes (11%). The most species (12%), were found in the family Anatidae (Anseriformes—widely recognized as bio-indicators), followed by Accipitridae (Falconiformes;12%) and Muscicapidae (Passeriformes; 6%). Carnivores and insectivores were the feeding guilds most frequently observed. Indeed, more than 50% of all species fed on the abundant fish, mollusks and insects and larvae. Bark-feeders and nectarivores were the least common. Conclusions Winter visitors were frequently found, while summer visitors were rare, reinforcing the importance of GWCR as a wintering site for high-altitude species. The conservation of this wetland is especially crucial for nine globally-threatened species. We have provided baseline documentation to help future monitoring efforts for this region, and a template to initiate the implementation of conservation plans for other remote IBAs

Survey of Avifauna of the Gharana Wetland Reserve

The Gharana wetland conservation reserve (GWCR) is a semi-arid wetland adjacent to agricultural areas on the Indo-Pakistani border. Despite being declared an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International, the occurrence and distribution of birds has not been well-documented in this area. Our aims were to systematically document the composition, relative abundance and feeding guilds of all avian fauna in order to form a baseline to monitor changes from-and to underwrite-future conservation actions