Study on Snow Leopard and its prey

Source: The post is based on the article “Study on Snow Leopard and its prey” published in The Hindu on 25th July 2022.

What is the News?

A study by the Zoological Survey of India(ZSI) on the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) has thrown up interesting insights into the elusive mountain cat and its prey species.

About Snow Leopard 

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Habitat: Snow leopards have a vast but fragmented distribution across the mountainous landscape of Central Asia, which covers different parts of the Himalayas such as Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim.

Study on Snow Leopard and its prey species

The study has revealed a strong link between habitat use by Snow Leopard and its prey species Siberian ibex and blue sheep.

For instance, the study has found that the snow leopard detection probability was high if the site was used by its prey species, i.e., ibex and blue sheep. Whereas, in the case of the prey species, the probability of detection was low when the predator (snow leopard) was present and detected.

Importance of Snow Leopards in the ecosystem 

Higher up in the mountains, predators such as snow leopards regulated the populations of herbivores such as the blue sheep and Siberian ibex thereby safeguarding the health of grasslands.

However, the long-term absence of snow leopards could cause trophic cascades as populations of blue sheep and Siberian ibex would likely increase leading to depletion of vegetation cover.