Snow Leopard Survival Strategy Edited by Thomas M. McCarthy & Guillaume Chapron Founded in 1981, the International Snow Leopard Trust is the oldest and largest organization focused solely on developing successful strategies for protecting the snow leopard and its habi- tat. Since its inception, the Trust has worked on more than 100 projects with local populations throughout Central Asia. The Trust strives to implement creative and visible programs that make long-lasting conservation happen. All programs are founded on the understanding that we must involve local communities in project design and implementation in order to achieve long-term success. Website: http://www.snowleopard.org The Snow Leopard Network is a partnership of organizations and individuals from government and private sector who work together for the effective conservation of the snow leopard, its prey, and their natural habitat to the benefi t of people and biodiversity. Website: http://www.snowleopard.org/sln/ Snow Leopard Survival Strategy Edited by Thomas M. McCarthy & Guillaume Chapron The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of ISLT or SLN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Published by: ISLT and SLN, Seattle, USA. Copyright: © 2003 International Snow Leopard Trust and Snow Leopard Network, 4649 Sunny- side Ave. N. Suite 325, Seattle, WA 98103 Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorised without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully ack- nowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibi- ted without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Citation: McCarthy, T. M. and G. Chapron. 2003. Snow Leopard Survival Strategy. ISLT and SLN, Seattle, USA. Cover photo: Camera-trapped snow leopard in northern India. © Rodney Jackson / Snow Leo- pard Conservancy 2003. Layout: Guillaume Chapron, CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France Available at: http://www.snowleopard.org/sln/ http://www.carnivoreconservation.org/snowleopard/ Snow Leopard Survival Strategy Produced by: International Snow Leopard Trust & Snow Leopard Network Editors: Thomas M. McCarthy1 & Guillaume Chapron2 1 International Snow Leopard Trust, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N. Suite 325, Seattle, WA 98103, USA. E: <[email protected]> 2 Laboratoire d’Ecologie, CNRS UMR 7625, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46 rue d’Ulm, 75230 Paris Cedex 05, France. E: <[email protected]> Senior Author: Thomas M. McCarthy International Snow Leopard Trust, Seattle, WA, USA Contributing Authors: Priscilla M. Allen International Snow Leopard Trust, Seattle, WA, USA Guillaume Chapron Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Paris, France Joseph Fox University of Tromsö, Tromsö, Norway Rodney M. Jackson Snow Leopard Conservancy, Los Gatos, CA, USA Charudutt Mishra International Snow Leopard Trust / Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, India Stephanie Theile TRAFFIC Network, Cambridge, UK Table of Contents Foreword vii Acknowledgements viii Executive Summary ix 1. Snow Leopard: Review of Current Knowledge and Status 12 Rationale for a Snow Leopard Survival Strategy 12 Specifi c Goals 12 History of the Process 12 Brief background on the snow leopard 12 Other Names 13 Description 13 Ecology 13 Taxonomy 14 Historic Distribution 14 Range Map 14 Total Range Area and Population 15 Afghanistan 16 Bhutan 16 China 16 India 20 Myanmar (Burma) 21 Mongolia 21 Nepal 21 Pakistan 22 Former USSR 22 Russia 23 Kyrgystan (Kyrgyz Republic) 23 Kazakhstan 23 Tajikistan 23 Uzbekistan 24 Summary 24 Legal Status 24 International Level 24 National Level 24 Afghanistan 25 Bhutan 26 China 26 India 26 Kazakhstan 26 Kyrgyzstan 26 Mongolia 26 Nepal 27 Pakistan 27 Russia 27 Tajikistan 27 Uzbekistan 27 iv | SNOW LEOPARD SURVIVAL STRATEGY Country Strategies and Action Plans 28 Mongolia 28 Pakistan 28 Russia 28 Nepal 28 2. Threats and Conservation Actions 29 Regional Assessment 29 Threats to Snow Leopard Survival 29 Master List of Threats 29 Brief Description of Threats 29 Category 1: Habitat and Prey Related 29 1.1 Habitat Degradation and Fragmentation 29 1.2 Reduction of Natural Prey due to Illegal or Unregulated Hunting 29 1.3 Reduction of Natural Prey due to Legal Hunting 30 1.4 Reduction of Natural Prey due to Competition with Livestock 30 1.5 Reduction of Natural Prey due to Disease or Transmission of Disease 30 1.6 Fencing that Disrupts Natural Animal Movements and Migration 30 Category 2: Direct Killing of Snow Leopards 30 2.1 Killing of Snow Leopards in Retribution for Livestock Depredation Loss 30 2.2 Poaching Snow Leopards for Trade in Hides or Bones 30 2.3 Zoo and Museum Collection of Live Animals 30 2.4 Traditional Hunting of Snow Leopards 30 2.5 Secondary Poisoning and Trapping of Snow Leopards 31 2.6 Diseases of Snow Leopards 32 Category 3: Policy and Awareness 32 3.1 Lack of Appropriate Policy 32 3.2 Lack of Effective Enforcement 32 3.3 Lack of Trans-boundary Cooperation 32 3.4 Lack of Institutional Capacity 32 3.5 Lack of Awareness Among Local People 32 3.6 Lack of Awareness Among Policy Makers 32 Category 4: Other Issues 32 4.1 War and Related Military Activities 32 4.2 Climate Change 32 4.3 Human Population Growth and Poverty (indirect threat) 32 Potential Actions to Address Threats 32 Grazing Management 32 Income Generation 34 Wildlife-based Ecotourism 34 Cottage Industry 36 Ungulate Trophy Hunting Programs 38 Reducing Poaching and Trade in Snow Leopard Parts 40 Reducing Livestock Depredation by Snow Leopards 42 Animal Husbandry 44 Conservation Education and Awareness 46 3. Research and Information Needs 47 Master List of Information Needs 47 Prioritization of Information Needs 47 Comments on Priority Information Needs 47 SNOW LEOPARD SURVIVAL STRATEGY | v Brief Description of Information Needs and Potential Methods to Address Them 49 R.1 Snow leopard distribution and “hot spots” 49 R.2 Snow leopard migration and dispersal routes 49 R.3 Snow leopard population size 50 R.4 Snow leopard population trends and factor responsible for changes 50 R.5 Protected Area coverage – extent and representation of habitats (gap analysis) 50 R.6 Agents of habitat degradation and relative impacts 51 R.7 Snow leopard – prey relationships 51 R.8 Prey species distribution and “hot spots” 52 R.9 Prey population baseline and trends 52 R.10 Dynamics of illegal ungulate hunting (sources, local need, uses, trade, etc.) 52 R.11 Dynamics of legal ungulate harvest and baseline statistics (sex/age, effort, trophy size, etc.) 52 R.12 Wild ungulate – livestock interactions (competition) 53 R.13 Ungulate disease – type, areas of occurrence, prevalence, virulence, treatment 53 R.14 Snow leopard poaching levels 53 R.15 Illegal trade in wildlife parts – market demand, sources and routes, value, etc. 54 R.16 Livestock depredation rates 54 R.17 Livestock depredation causes 55 R.18 Grazing pressure and range conditions 55 R.19 Snow leopard disease – type, areas of occurrence, prevalence, virulence, treatment 55 R.20 Snow leopard home-range size and habitat use 56 R.21 Snow leopard social structure and behavior 56 R.22 Snow leopard population genetics 57 R.23 Snow leopard food habits 57 R.24 Snow leopard relationship to other predators 57 R.25 Economic valuation of snow leopards 58 R.26 Snow leopard monitoring techniques development/improvement 58 R.27 Socio-economic profi ling of herder communities in snow leopard habitat 59 R.28 Methods to alleviate impacts of war 59 R.29 Livestock and human population status and trends 60 R.30 Analysis of existing policies and laws 60 R.31 Human attitudes to snow leopards 60 4. Country Action Planning 62 A. The SLSS as an Action Planning Tool 62 B. Action Planning Assistance 63 5. Taking the SLSS forward 64 Literature cited 65 Appendix I. List of SLSS Participants 70 Appendix II: Abstracts of Case Studies presented in Section on Information Needs 72 vi | SNOW LEOPARD SURVIVAL STRATEGY Foreword The range of Uncia uncia encompasses habitats di- ditional information and describes the adequate methods verse as the Himalayas and the Taklamakan. The superb to gain the knowledge. It considers ecology, trade, socio- cat called the snow leopard is found in some of the driest economic aspects and policy and provides guidelines for mountains of the world, in the open coniferous forests of drafting regional conservation action plans to all range the Tian Shan and the Altai, and up to an altitude of 5500 country governments. We do not need to prolong this list meters in Tibet. It prefers steep terrain broken by cliffs, here, as every reader will certainly recognize the value ridges and gullies, but also inhabits in the wide fl ats of and importance of the SLSS. Mongolia and the Tibetan Plateau. All this wakes the im- The Snow Leopard Network and the SLSS became age of remote, harsh and even hostile lands. And yet, the possible in part due to eminent political changes at the snow leopard is not living in a wilderness untouched by end of the 20th century, allowing all people involved in man. Within the reach of the irbis, in China and along the snow leopard conservation to come together, work co- south slope of the Himalayas, we fi nd some of the oldest operatively, and exchange experiences and ideas. These civilisations, which have created feats in art, philosophy, changes, however, also bear some risks. The range coun- science and technology thousands of years ago. From tries will experience economic progress, more trade and Central Asia, snow leopards have seen horsemen setting tourism. This may bring new threats to the habitat and the out to conquer the world throughout history.