Spatial Interaction Between Snow Leopard's Prey: a Case Study of Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal

The conservation and management of large carnivores such as Snow leopard has always been a controversial subject and of great concern to conservationist all over the world. Decline of wild prey populations in the Himalayan region, largely due to competition with livestock, has been identified as one of the main threats to the snow leopard (Uncia uncia). Since the mountain livelihood depends on pastoralism and with the ever-increasing human demand, the pasture once where Blue sheep used to graze is now encroached by livestock. The problem is becoming severe with snow leopard predating on livestock and retaliatory killing of the predator by people. The spatial interaction of snow leopard?s prey: Blue sheep and livestock was examined based on the threat realized by the Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan under the heading; reduction of natural prey due to competition with livestock. Running in parallel with this main goal, the study seeks to understand the summer habitat use and interaction between them at the level of space in study area. Finally, this study attempted to assess the livestock husbandry with their intensity of conflict (depredation).