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| Pal, R.; Thakur, S.; Arya, S.; Bhattacharya, T.; Sathyakumar, S. | |
| Mammals of the Bhagirathi basin, Western Himalaya: understanding distribution along spatial gradients of habitats and disturbances | |
| 2021 Oryx (55): 657-667 | |
Understanding the distribution of wildlife species and their response to diverse anthropogenic pressures is important for conservation planning and management of wildlife space in human-dominated landscapes. Assessments of anthropogenic impacts on mammals of the Indian Himalayan Region have mostly been limited to locations inside protected areas. We studied the occurrence of mammals in an unexplored landscape, the 7,586 km2 Bhagirathi basin, at an altitude of 500-5,200 m. The basin encompasses wilderness areas of various habitat types and protection status that are exposed to a range of anthropogenic pressures. Camera trapping at 209 locations during October 2015-September 2017 confirmed the occurrence of 39 species of mammals, nine of which are categorized as threatened (four Vulnerable, five Endangered) and four as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. We recorded five mammal species that were hitherto undocumented in Uttarakhand State: the argali _Ovis ammon_, Tibetan sand fox _Vulpes ferrilata_, woolly hare _Lepus oiostolus_, Eurasian lynx _Lynx lynx_ and woolly flying squirrel _Eupetaurus cinereus_. In addition, we recorded two Endangered species, the dhole _Cuon alpinus_ and tiger _Panthera tigris_. Threatened species such as the sambar _Rusa unicolor_, common leopard _Panthera pardus_ and Asiatic black bear _Ursus thibetanus_ occur in a wide variety of habitats despite anthropogenic disturbance. We recorded the snow leopard _Panthera uncia_ in areas with high livestock density but temporally segregated from human activities. The musk deer _Moschus_ spp. and Himalayan brown bear _Ursus arctos isabellinus_ were recorded in subalpine habitats and appeared to be less affected by human and livestock presence. Our findings highlight the potential of the Bhagirathi basin as a stronghold for conservation of several threatened and rare mammal species. |
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