TitleImpact of wild prey availability on livestock predation by snow leopards.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsSuryawanshi KR, Redpath SM, Bhatnagar YVeer, Ramakrishnan U, Chaturvedi V, Smout SC, Mishra C
JournalR Soc Open Sci
Volume4
Issue6
Pagination170026
Date Published2017 Jun
ISSN2054-5703
Abstract

An increasing proportion of the world's poor is rearing livestock today, and the global livestock population is growing. Livestock predation by large carnivores and their retaliatory killing is becoming an economic and conservation concern. A common recommendation for carnivore conservation and for reducing predation on livestock is to increase wild prey populations based on the assumption that the carnivores will consume this alternative food. Livestock predation, however, could either reduce or intensify with increases in wild prey depending on prey choice and trends in carnivore abundance. We show that the extent of livestock predation by the endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia intensifies with increases in the density of wild ungulate prey, and subsequently stabilizes. We found that snow leopard density, estimated at seven sites, was a positive linear function of the density of wild ungulates-the preferred prey-and showed no discernible relationship with livestock density. We also found that modelled livestock predation increased with livestock density. Our results suggest that snow leopard conservation would benefit from an increase in wild ungulates, but that would intensify the problem of livestock predation for pastoralists. The potential benefits of increased wild prey abundance in reducing livestock predation can be overwhelmed by a resultant increase in snow leopard populations. Snow leopard conservation efforts aimed at facilitating increases in wild prey must be accompanied by greater assistance for better livestock protection and offsetting the economic damage caused by carnivores.

DOI10.1098/rsos.170026
Alternate JournalR Soc Open Sci
PubMed ID28680665
PubMed Central IDPMC5493907