Mongabay, a news web portal dedicated to nature conservation, published an interview with Dr. Bikram Shrestha of the Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, who is leading the snow leopard research in Nepal. It was he and his team who were the first in 2004 to confirm the presence of the snow leopard in the lower elevations of Mustang District. During his doctoral studies, he conducted extensive field research of this big cat in the Annapurna and Mount Everest regions, using camera traps and DNA analysis obtained from scat.
In the interview, you will learn how climate change and the related shift of the snow line in the Himalayas affects the habitat of the snow leopard and its prey, and how wild animals (prey) and grazing livestock compete in ever-shrinking suitable habitats (mountain pastures). You will also read that up to 50% of local residents surveyed have a negative attitude towards snow leopards, as domestic animals also represent a significant part of their diet.
The interview can be downloaded here:
Source: Mongabay