The Role of Incentive Programs in Conserving the Snow Leopard

Abstract

Pastoralists and their livestock share much of the habitat of the snow leopard ( Uncia uncia) across south and central Asia. The levels of livestock predation by the snow leopard and other carnivores are high, and retaliatory killing by the herders is a direct threat to carnivore populations. Depletion of wild prey by poaching and competition from livestock also poses an indirect threat to the region's carnivores. Conservationists working in these underdeveloped areas that face serious economic damage from livestock losses have turned to incentive programs to motivate local communities to protect carnivores. We describe a pilot incentive program in India that aims to offset losses due to livestock predation and to enhance wild prey density by creating livestock-free areas on common land. We also describe how income generation from handicrafts in Mongolia is helping curtail poaching and retaliatory killing of snow leopards. However, initiatives to offset the costs of living with carnivores and to make conservation beneficial to affected people have thus far been small, isolated, and heavily subsidized. Making these initiatives more comprehensive, expanding their coverage, and internalizing their costs are future challenges for the conservation of large carnivores such as the snow leopard.El Papel de Programas de Incentivos en la Conservación del Uncia uncia Resumen: Pastores y su ganado comparten gran parte del hábitat del leopardo Uncia uncia en el centro y sur de Asia. Los niveles de depredación de ganado por leopardos y otros carnívoros son altos, y la matanza en represalia por pastores es una amenaza directa para las poblaciones de carnívoros. La reducción de presas silvestres por cacería furtiva y la exclusión competitiva por ganado también representa una amenaza indirecta para los carnívoros de la región. Los conservacionistas que trabajan en estasáreas no desarrolladas que enfrentan serios impactos económicos por pérdidas de ganado han impulsado programas de incentivos para motivar a las comunidades locales a que protejan a los carnívoros. Describimos un programa piloto de incentivos en India enfocado a reducir pérdidas debido a la depredación de ganado y a incrementar la densidad de presas silvestres mediante la creación deáreas libres de ganado en tierras comunales. También describimos como la generación de ingresos de artesanías en Mongolia esta ayudando a reducir la cacería furtiva y la matanza en represalia de Uncia uncia. Hasta ahora, sin embargo, las iniciativas para compensar los costos de convivir con carnívoros y hacer que la conservación sea benéfica para la gente afectada han sido pequeñas, aisladas y fuertemente subsidiadas. Hacer que estas iniciativas sean más integrales, aumenten su cobertura e internalicen sus costos son retos futuros para la conservación de carnívoros mayores tales como el leopardo Uncia uncia.

The importance of farmland for the conservation of the brown hyaena Parahyaena brunnea

“…The challenges faced by livestock farmers living alongside predators cannot be overemphasized but enhanced education, livestock and land management can facilitate coexistence at a range of levels (e.g. Mishra et al, 2003;Marker et al, 2010). It is thought likely therefore that a continued programme of education aimed at highlighting the beneficial effects of brown hyaenas as cleaners-up of the bush, with resultant prevention of disease, could allow areas of commercial farmland in Botswana and elsewhere to make an important contribution to the conservation of the species.…”

The impacts, characterisation and management of human–leopard conflict in a multi-use land system in South Africa

“…High stocking densities of livestock on open rangelands in the Trans-Himalayas, India, compete with wild prey for common resources leading to a decline in the abundance of wild prey and large carnivores to predate on livestock (Bagchi and Mishra 2006;Mishra et al 2003). Similar relationships may also be observed on communal land in the Blouberg where a lack of natural prey causes a shift in the dietary requirements of leopards on livestock.…”

Conservation challenge: Human-carnivore conflict in Chebera Churchura National Park, Ethiopia

“…Predators such as hyena, leopard and baboon often kill numerous domestic animals in the area. The reduction of the natural prey may be one of the major causes of carnivores shifting their diets to livestock (Mishra et al, 2003;Patterson et al, 2004). Moreover, hyenas and baboons may attack people occasionally in the area.…”

“…Selection of livestock species corresponds to the size of the predator in accordance with the size of their natural prey (Hayward et al, 2007). This can also be related to the ease and limited escape abilities of the livestock (Mishra et al, 2003).…”