Camera trapping reveals habitat overlap between snow leopards and common leopards in Gaurishankar Conservation Area, Nepal.

Habitat overlap between snow leopards and common leopards in Gaurishankar Conservation Area, Nepal

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56510/slr.v2.15430

Keywords:

Camera traps, Habitat overlap, Lapchi valley, Panthera uncia, Panthera pardus

Abstract

We provide camera trap records of the presence of two large predators: the snow leopard Panthera uncia and common leopard Panthera pardus from the same habitats in Lapchi Valley of Gaurishankar Conservation Area. Camera traps were laid for 2,304 (mean 88.62 Å} SD 103.34) trap nights in 26 locations (elevation range: 2,140 to 4,350 m, area: 141.63 km2). A total of 55, 219 pictures were recorded from November 2022 to May 2023. Out of 26 camera stations, two camera stations captured the images of both species at an altitude of 4,000 m and 4,260 m in Lapchi Valley. The Relative Abundance Indices of snow leopards and common leopards were 7.51 SD 6.35 and 9.84 SD 6.35 per 100 trap days/nights, and independent detection rates were 0.41 and 0.52 respectively. This is the first evidence of habitat overlap between two large vulnerable predators in Gaurishankar Conservation Area. The nature of the coexistence or competition between these predators needs further investigation.

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Author Biographies

Madhu Chetri, National Trust for Nature Conservation, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

National Trust for Nature Conservation, P.O. Box. 3712, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal; Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, NO-2480 Koppang, Norway. 

Purna Bahadur Ale, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

PhD scholar. Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, NO-2480 Koppang, Norway

Morten Odden, Prof., Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

Professor, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, NO-2480 Koppang, Norway.

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Published

2023-10-15

How to Cite

Chetri, M., Ale, P. B., & Odden , M. (2023). Camera trapping reveals habitat overlap between snow leopards and common leopards in Gaurishankar Conservation Area, Nepal. : Habitat overlap between snow leopards and common leopards in Gaurishankar Conservation Area, Nepal. Snow Leopard Reports, 2. https://doi.org/10.56510/slr.v2.15430

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Section

Research Notes