People's Perception Towards Livestock Depredation By Snow Leopard Panthera Uncia(Schrember,1775) In Lower Mustang, Annapuna Conservation Area, Nepal

Abstract

Livestock depredation has become a challenge in central Asia throughout the range of the Snow Leopard. Aiming to address the research gap, study focused on livestock depredation and perception of people on Snow Leopard in lower Mustang using semi-structured open-ended questionnaire to find the type of livestock depredation and people’s perception towards livestock depredation by Snow Leopard. Total 135 households including herders from lower Mustang area were interviewed. Among all the respondents, 82% keep their livestock in simple stone walled corral, 14% in wired fence corral and 4% in predator proof corral. Among all the livestock, 62.71% owned were goats and least 1.16% owned were horse. The highest livestock kill by Snow Leopard was found to be goat (71.41%). Generalized linear model showed that number of livestock loss increases with increase in number of livestock owned. Livestock depredation was highest in winter and lowest in spring with less economic loss as compared with winter season. Total 88% of respondents protect their livestock in corrals at night. Total 52% of the respondents agreed with compensation scheme for mitigation measure followed by predator proof corral (25%), insurance (14%), predator deterrent fox light (8%) and others (20%). Only 8% of the respondents were known about predator deterrent fox light as mitigation measure. Snow Leopard conservation efforts such as insurance scheme and income generating program are recommended for the mitigation of human-Snow Leopard conflict. Current study is beneficial to the local communities and the concerned authorities to make conservation plans and policies to mitigate human-Snow Leopard conflict and their long-term coexistence.