IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Karmacharya, D.; Janecka, J.; Ale, S.B.; Shakya, J.; Joshi, P.; Manandhar, S.; Shrestha, S.; Kansakar, C.; Bista, M.; Awasthi, A. | |
| Genetic based population survey of snow leopard in Annapurna Conservation and Rolwaling areas of Nepal | |
| 2012 Full Book | |
In Nepal, the endangered snow leopards are listed in Schedule 1 of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973, thereby making it a priority species for conservation. While Nepal is a signatory to CITES since 1973, the species is further protected under the country's National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973. Before any effective conservation plan can be developed and implemented, it is very important to acquire reasonable estimates of existing abundance and distribution of snow leopard in the Nepal to formulate conservation strategy of the species. While other convincing field methods such as 'Camera trapping' is difficult, time consuming, expensive and even impractical in some cases. Non invasive genetic sampling and molecular scatology, on other hand, is an emerging scientific technique for applied conservation biology that can provide information, which when complimented with information garnered through conventionally applied methods, yields realistic population estimates and accurate behavioral patterns. A total of 48 (n=48) scat samples of putative snow leopards, collected from two extreme habitats of Nepal- Mustang (n=32) of Annapurna Conservation area and Rolwaling region (n=16) near Mt. Everest, were analyzed at the molecular level. 54% (26/48) samples were found to be of snow leopard. 98% (47/48) samples were of carnivore species based on mt DNA Cytochrome b PCR amplification. Only 1 sample did not yield any amplifiable DNA. 20 snow leopard positive samples were successfully genotyped using six microsatellite markers; 14 individual snow leopards were found. We were able to identify 7 individual males and 3 females from Mustang area; 2 individual males and 2 females were identified from Rolwaling area. The snow leopard species negative and carnivore positive samples (n=21) were further sequenced; Red fox (_Vulpes Vulpes_, n=13), Leopard cat (_Prionailurus bengalensis_, n=4), Wolf (_Canis lupus_, n=1), Common leopard (_Panthera pardus_, n=1) and Lynx (_Lynx lynx_, n=1) were identified as samples belonging to carnivore species other than snow leopard, one sample did not yield any discernable sequencing data for identification. |
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