Assessment of the Effectiveness of Human-Snow Leopard Conflict Mitigation Measures in Ghunsa and Yangma Valley of Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, Nepal

Abstract

The Human-Snow Leopard conflict has recently become one of the fundamental aspects of wildlife management as it represents the most widespread and complex challenge, currently livestock predation appears to be the single most important cause that has brought Snow leopards into direct conflict with human populations. This Dissertation was carried out to asses the effectiveness of adopted Human-Snow Leopard conflict mitigation measures and degree of tolerance towards the Snow Leopard considering livestock depredation in the Ghunsa and Yangma valley of Kangchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA). Purposively, the study was carried out in two areas namely Ghunsa and Yangma of KCA. All together 34 household was taken for the study through a combination of social survey methods involving participatory techniques, structured questionnaire surveys of households and key informant interviews. The study assessment of the human-snow leopard conflict was the most serious issue in the high mountains of Nepal’s Himalaya. Animal husbandry was one of the most important economic enterprises in Ghunsa and Yangma of KCA. But these livestock were depredated by Snow Leopard which results serious conflict between the community and the wild predators. Thus, guarding livestock was the best practice to minimize the depredation. For the effectiveness of adopted mitigation measures there should be the provision of predator proof corrals during the night time and herders should be monitored for their guarding practice during the grazing and day time. A community based livestock Insurance program was initiated in Kangchenjunga Conservation Area in 2005 by WWF-Nepal in collaboration with locals so as to reduce retaliatory killing and conflicts and create communal effort for Snow Leopard Conservation. It is strongly recommended for the KCA to improve guarding system during day and night time in pastures and pens. Similarly, the number of predator proof corrals should be increased on required sites to reduce depredation rate of livestock.