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| Namgail, T. | |
| Interactions between argali and livestock, Gya-Miru Wildlife Sanctuary, Ladakh, India | |
| 2004 Full Book | |
We studied the nature of interaction between argali and domestic sheep and goats, hereafter collectively termed shoats (as per Prins, 1992), which share its range in Tsabra catchment of the proposed Gya-Miru Wildlife Sanctuary. We evaluated the influence of shoats' grazing on argali habitat use during winter when the resources are limited and competition more likely, which has important implications for argali conservation and livestock management in the area. The only information available on argali's abundance in Ladakh is that _ca_. 200 individuals exist here (Fox _et al., _1991a), with a concentration of _ca. _80 individuals in the proposed Gya-Miru Wildlife Sanctuary. Therefore, we conducted an intensive survey in winter, when the animals are expected to be concentrated at lower altitudes, to update the estimate of the species' population size in Ladakh. Besides these we also investigated the intensity of livestock depredation by snow leopard_, _Tibetan wolf _Canis lupus chanku _and Eurasian lynx _Lynx lynx isabellina_. Summary of Chapter 4 - Livestock mortality caused by large carnivores in a prospective trans-Himalayan reserve: The loss of livestock to wild predators is an important cause of anxiety amongst the Trans-Himalayan pastoralists. The dependency of these predators on livestock is perceived to have increased in the recent years, probably as a result of a decline in natural prey. In the present survey, we assessed the intensity of livestock depredation by snow leopard _Uncia uncia, _Tibetan wolf _Canis lupus chanku _and Eurasian lynx _Lynx lynx isabellina _in three villages, namely Gya, Rumtse and Sasoma, of the proposed Gya-Miru Wildlife Sanctuary, Ladakh, India. Wolf was the most important predator, accounting for 60% of the total livestock losses due to predation for the three villages over a period of two and half years, followed by snow leopard (38% and negligible depredation by lynx). Domestic goat (32%) was the major victim followed by sheep (30%), yak (15%) and horse (12%). Livestock were mostly killed in high-pasture corrals (33%), high pastures (31%), village corrals (19%) and village pastures (17%). The majority of the livestock losses occurred in summer (33%) and spring (31%), with lower losses in autumn and winter (each 18%). Altogether, the three villages incurred an estimated monetary loss of about US$ 30, 000 during the above-mentioned period. The total annual monetary loss was dependent largely on the depredation of the most valuable species such as yak and horse. |
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