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Karmacharya, D.; Manandhar, S.; Shakya, J.; Thapa, K.; Bista, M.; Sah, G.P.; Sharma, A.N.; Sherchan, A.; Dhakal, M.; Hero, J.-M.; Hughes, J.; Janecka, J.; Kelly, M.; Waits, L.
Incidental discovery of non-focal carnivore species during genetic study of Bengal tiger (_Panthera tigris tigris_) and snow leopard (_Panthera uncia_) in Nepal
2016  Asian Journal of Conservation Biology (5): 81-88

The Bengal tiger (_Panthera tigris tigris_) and the snow leopard (_Panthera uncia) _are highly endangered apex predators. These charismatic animals are categorized as flagship and umbrella species, and hence are the focus of many conservation programs. Protecting tiger and snow leopard also safeguards the entire habitat in which they reside, including other non-focal sympatric carnivores. Our non-invasive sampling based genetic studies on these flagship species have detected other non-focal carnivore species that co-share the same habitat. In our non-invasive genetic study of the tiger in the Chitwan National Park (2011-2013), of all collected scat samples (n=420), only 62% (n=262) were of tiger. The remaining non- tiger samples (n=158) included common leopard (_Panthera Pardus fusca_, n=74), leopard cat (_Prionailurus bengalensis, _n=10), fox (_Vulpes ssp., _n=5) and jungle cat (_Felis catus, _n=1). Of 48 putative snow leopard scat samples collected from the Mustang region (2010-2011), only 65% (n= 31) were of snow leopard. We identified red fox (_Vulpes vulpes_, n=7), leopard cat (_Prionailurus bengalensis, _n=2), wolf (_Canis lupus, _n=1), common leopard (_Panthera Pardus fusca_, n=1) and lynx (_Lynx lynx, _n=1) from the remaining samples using target DNA amplification and sequencing. This study, which was integrated in our overall genetic studies of tiger and snow leopard, has significantly increased our understanding of the carnivore community in the Terai and Himalaya region of Nepal. We were also able to document lynx at the highest elevation (3935 m) and detect the presence of an elusive Himalayan wolf and leopard cat for the first time in the snow leopard habitat of Nepal.

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