Spiti valley: Study evaluates occurrence patterns of snow leopards and its prey
Study published by ZSI Kolkata under National Mission on Himalayan Studies
KOLKATA: A recent study published by Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) Kolkata under National Mission on Himalayan Studies has evaluated the cooccurrence patterns of snow leopards and its prey species (Siberian ibex and blue sheep) in Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh. The study assumes significance considering the fact that this species is largely threatened because of the loss of natural prey species, retaliatory killing due to conflict with humans and illegal trade of its fur and bones and therefore has been classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red list and provided highest protection as Schedule-I species of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (IWPA).
The objective of the study has been to develop effective conservation and management strategy to understand the role of the snow leopard, its interaction with prey species, elucidation of landscape use and its prey species to assess the differential use of habitat, allowing them to coexist. The lead author, Dr
Lalit Kumar Sharma, who heads the GIS & Wildlife Section of ZSI, Kolkata said that Spiti valley possesses a good habitat in and outside the protected areas (PAs) which can support a viable population of both threatened snow leopard and its prey species. He highlighted that the snow leopard detection probability was high if the site was used by its prey species.
Snow leopards have a vast but fragmented distribution across the mountainous landscape of central Asia, and their survival depends primarily on wild ungulates. In higher up mountains, top predators like snow leopards regulate the populations of herbivores such as the blue sheep and Siberian ibex.
“So a long-term absence of snow leopards could cause trophic cascades as ungulate populations would likely increase, leading to depletion of vegetation cover. Consequently, the loss of this keystone species can lead to regime shifts, alternative ecosystems, and possible losses of ecosystem services which ultimately imbalances the whole ecosystem,” Amira Sharief, the first author and Project biologist at ZSI said.
Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Director, ZSI, Kolkata said that protecting snow leopards may result in a cascade of benefits to the ecosystem as a whole. “Maintenance of areas having potential habitat for top predators in and outside the PA’s can serve as a useful tool for conservation and management planning,” she added.