Cats, canines, and coexistence: dietary differentiation between the sympatric Snow Leopard and Grey Wolf in the western landscape of Nepal Himalaya
Main Article Content
Abstract
Understanding the dietary habits of sympatric apex carnivores advances our knowledge of ecological processes and aids their conservation. We compared the diets of the sympatric Snow Leopard Panthera uncia and Grey Wolf Canis lupus using standard micro-histological analyses of scats collected from the western complex of Nepal Himalaya. Our study revealed one of the highest recorded contributions of livestock to the diet of top predators (55% for Grey Wolf and 39% for Snow Leopard) and high dietary overlap (0.82) indicating potential exploitative or interference competition. Their diet composition, however, varied significantly based on their consumption of wild and domestic prey. Limitation in data precludes predicting direction and outcome of inter-specific interactions between these predators. Our findings suggest a high rate of negative interaction with humans in the region and plausibly retaliatory killings of these imperilled predators. To ensure the sustained survival of these two apex carnivores, conservation measures should enhance populations of their wild prey species while reducing livestock losses of the local community through preventive and mitigative interventions.
Article Details
Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT. This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership. Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.
References
Aryal, A., D. Brunton, W. Ji, D. Karmacharya, T. McCarthy, R. Bencini & D. Raubenheimer (2014). Multipronged strategy including genetic analysis for assessing conservation options for the Snow Leopard in the central Himalaya. Journal of Mammalogy 95(4): 871–881. https://doi.org/10.1644/13-MAMM-A-243
Azevedo, F., V. Lester, W. Gorsuch, S. Lariviere, A. Wirsing & D. Murray (2006). Dietary breadth and overlap among five sympatric prairie carnivores. Journal of Zoology 269: 127–135. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00075.x
CBS (2011). Statistical Year Book of Nepal. Central Bureau of Statistics. Government of Nepal, National Planning Commission Secretariat, Kathmandu, Nepal, 278pp.
Chetri, M., M. Odden & P. Wegge (2017). Snow Leopard and Himalayan Wolf: food habits and prey selection in the central Himalayas, Nepal. PLoS ONE 12(2): e0170549. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170549
DNPWC (2017). Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan (2017–2021). Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Kathmandu, Nepal, 38pp.
Devkota, B.P., T. Silwal & J. Kolejka (2013). Prey density and diet of Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia) in Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal. Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences 1(4): 55–60. https://doi.org/10.12691/aees-1-4-4
ICIMOD (2010). The Landcover of Nepal. Regional Database System. International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, Nepal. Retrieved from http://rds.icimod.org/Home/DataDetail?metadataId=9224. Downloaded on 04 April 2019.
Jackson, R.M. & D.O. Hunter (1996). Snow Leopard Survey and Conservation Handbook. International Snow Leopard Trust and US Geological Survey, Fort Collins, 154pp+appendices.
Janecka, J.E., R. Jackson, Z. Yuquang, L. Diqiang, B. Munkhtsog, V. Buckley-Beason & W.J. Murphy (2008). Population monitoring of Snow Leopards using noninvasive collection of scat samples: a pilot study. Animal Conservation 11(5): 401–411. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2008.00195.x
Janecka, J.E., B. Munkhtsog, R.M. Jackson, G. Naranbaatar, D.P. Mallon & W.J. Murphy (2011). Comparison of noninvasive genetic and camera-trapping techniques for surveying Snow Leopards. Journal of Mammalogy 92(4): 771–783. https://doi.org/10.1644/10-MAMM-A-036.1
Jnawali, S., H.S. Baral, S. Lee, K.P. Acharya, G.P. Upadhyay, M. Pandey, R. Shrestha, D. Joshi, B. Laminchhane & J. Griffiths (compilers) (2011). The Status of Nepal Mammals: The National Red List Series. Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Kathmandu, Nepal, viii+266pp.
Jumabay-Uulu, K., P. Wegge, C. Mishra & K. Sharma (2014). Large carnivores and low diversity of optimal prey: a comparison of the diets of Snow Leopards Panthera uncia and wolves Canis lupus in Sarychat-Ertash Reserve in Kyrgyzstan. Oryx 48(4): 529–535. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605313000306
Kelly, M.J., J. Betsch, C. Wultsch, B. Mesa & L.S. Mills (2012). Noninvasive sampling for carnivores, pp47–69. In: Boitani, L. & R.A. Powell (eds.). Carnivore Ecology and Conservation: A Handbook of Techniques. Oxford University Press, New York, 506pp.
Lovari, S., R. Boesi, I. Minder, N. Mucci, E. Randi, A. Dematteis & S. Ale (2009). Restoring a keystone predator may endanger a prey species in a humanâ€altered ecosystem: the return of the snow leopard to Sagarmatha National Park. Animal Conservation 12: 559–570. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2009.00285.x
Lovari, S., I. Minder, F. Ferretti, N. Mucci, E. Randi & B. Pellizzi (2013). Common and Snow Leopards share prey, but not habitats: competition avoidance by large predators? Journal of Zoology 291: 127–135. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12053
Lucherini, M. & G. Crema (1995). Seasonal variation in the food habits of badgers in an alpine valley. Hystrix: The Italian Journal of Mammalogy 7: 165–172.
Macdonald, D.W. (1983). The ecology of carnivore social behaviour. Nature 301(5899): 379–384.
Oli, M., I. Taylor & D.M. Rogers (1993). Diet of the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Journal of Zoology 231: 365–370. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1993.tb01924.x
Oli, M.K., I.R. Taylor & M.E. Rogers (1994). Snow Leopard Panthera uncia predation of livestock: an assessment of local perceptions in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Biological Conservation 68: 63–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3207(94)90547-9
Parra, D., S. Méndez, J. Canon & S. Dunner (2008). Genetic differentiation in pointing dog breeds inferred from microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA sequence. Animal Genetics 39: 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2052.2007.01658.x
Pianka, E.R. & H.D. Pianka (1970). The ecology of Moloch horridus (Lacertilia: Agamidae) in Western Australia. Copeia 1970(1): 90–103. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-10-104
Pilot, M., W. Branicki, W. Jędrzejewski, J. Goszczyński , B. Jędrzejewska, I. Dykyy, M. Shkvyrya & E. Tsingarska (2010). Phylogeographic history of grey wolves in Europe. BMC Evolutionary Biology 10: 104.
Shehzad, W., T.M. McCarthy, F. Pompanon, L. Purevjav, E. Coissac, T. Riaz & P. Taberlet (2012). Prey preference of Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) in South Gobi, Mongolia. PLoS ONE 7(2): e32104. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0032104
Thapa, K. (2007). Snow Leopard Monitoring Guideline for Nepal Himalaya. WWF Nepal, 60pp.
Viripaev, V. & G. Vorobiev (1983). The Wolf in Kirghizia. Frunze: Science, 95pp.
Wang, J., A. Laguardia, P.J. Damerell, P. Riordan & K. Shi (2014). Dietary overlap of Snow Leopard and other carnivores in the Pamirs of northwestern China. Chinese Science Bulletin 59(25): 3162–3168. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-014-0370-y
Wegge, P., R. Shrestha & Ø. Flagstad (2012). Snow Leopard Panthera uncia predation on livestock and wild prey in a mountain valley in northern Nepal: implications for conservation management. Wildlife Biology 18(2): 131–141. https://doi.org/10.2981/11-049
Weiskopf, S.R., S.M. Kachel & K.P. McCarthy (2016). What are Snow Leopards really eating? Identifying bias in food-habit studies. Wildlife Society Bulletin 40(2): 233–240. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.640