Factors Determining the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population (<i>Panthera uncia</i>) in Western Mongolia

Victor S. Lukarevskiy; Munkhnast Dalannast; Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy; Erdenechimeg Damdin

doi:doi:10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12

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Factors Determining the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population (Panthera uncia) in Western Mongolia

Victor S. Lukarevskiy, Munkhnast Dalannast, Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy, Erdenechimeg Damdin

Published in Animal and Veterinary Sciences (Volume 7, Issue 6)

Received: 25 October 2019 Accepted: 16 December 2019 Published: 17 January 2020

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Abstract

Studies of the distribution, assessment of the Snow leopard population, as well as the state of the populations of its main prey species, the impact of anthropogenic factors are the basis for the development of long-term and effective action plans and strategies for its conservation. To this end, we have carried out work on three different territories of the Mongolian Altai: Jargalant, Bumbat and Baatar Khairkhan Mountains. All three territories differ in the nature of the location in relation to other parts of the Snow leopard's range, and in the nature of the relief and economic use. The main method of research is the search and registration of traces of life activity of the Snow leopard and its main prey species (Mongolian marmot and Siberian ibex). For this purpose, we have passed 18 research routes with a total length of 197.5 km where we recorded all traces of the Snow leopard, Siberian ibex and Mongolian marmot life activities, as well as the distribution of the number of livestock. Another research method we have used is the application of camera traps. We installed 27 camera traps in total. As a result of their work we have obtained 51 photo location of the Snow leopard and identified at least 3 females, 2-3 adult males, 2-3 young individuals, the sex of which could not be established, including individuals aged about 2 years, 2 cubs. Both methods of research (search for traces of life activities and the application of camera traps) complement each other, and the correct use of camera traps can reduce the subjectivity of the results obtained by the search for traces of life activities. Thus, the reliability of the results is significantly increased. Our studies show that the largest number of traces of Snow leopard activity (the number of scrapes per 1 km of the route) and the largest number of photo locations were recorded in the central part of the Jargalant khairkhan mountain range – the territory that is the most remote and inaccessible for grazing livestock. In this territory, the highest frequency of Snow leopard presence was noted (20-40 scratches/km), and accordingly 5 from 11 identified snow leopards were registered. A similar pattern of distribution of traces of vital activity was registered for the other two territories.

Published in	Animal and Veterinary Sciences (Volume 7, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12
Page(s)	119-124
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Snow Leopard, Jargalant, Bumbat, Baatar Khairkhan, Population, Photo Location, Scrapes

References

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[13]	Lukarevskiy V. S., Umetdbekov A. O sostoyanii nekotorykh gruppirovok irbisa v Kyrgyzstane. Zhurnal Selevinia, 2011, str. 162 – 167. (In rus.)
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Victor S. Lukarevskiy, Munkhnast Dalannast, Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy, Erdenechimeg Damdin. (2020). Factors Determining the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population (Panthera uncia) in Western Mongolia. Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 7(6), 119-124. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12

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ACS Style

Victor S. Lukarevskiy; Munkhnast Dalannast; Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy; Erdenechimeg Damdin. Factors Determining the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population (Panthera uncia) in Western Mongolia. Anim. Vet. Sci. 2020, 7(6), 119-124. doi: 10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12

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AMA Style

Victor S. Lukarevskiy, Munkhnast Dalannast, Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy, Erdenechimeg Damdin. Factors Determining the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population (Panthera uncia) in Western Mongolia. Anim Vet Sci. 2020;7(6):119-124. doi: 10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12

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@article{10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12,
  author = {Victor S. Lukarevskiy and Munkhnast Dalannast and Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy and Erdenechimeg Damdin},
  title = {Factors Determining the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population (Panthera uncia) in Western Mongolia},
  journal = {Animal and Veterinary Sciences},
  volume = {7},
  number = {6},
  pages = {119-124},
  doi = {10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.avs.20190706.12},
  abstract = {Studies of the distribution, assessment of the Snow leopard population, as well as the state of the populations of its main prey species, the impact of anthropogenic factors are the basis for the development of long-term and effective action plans and strategies for its conservation. To this end, we have carried out work on three different territories of the Mongolian Altai: Jargalant, Bumbat and Baatar Khairkhan Mountains. All three territories differ in the nature of the location in relation to other parts of the Snow leopard's range, and in the nature of the relief and economic use. The main method of research is the search and registration of traces of life activity of the Snow leopard and its main prey species (Mongolian marmot and Siberian ibex). For this purpose, we have passed 18 research routes with a total length of 197.5 km where we recorded all traces of the Snow leopard, Siberian ibex and Mongolian marmot life activities, as well as the distribution of the number of livestock. Another research method we have used is the application of camera traps. We installed 27 camera traps in total. As a result of their work we have obtained 51 photo location of the Snow leopard and identified at least 3 females, 2-3 adult males, 2-3 young individuals, the sex of which could not be established, including individuals aged about 2 years, 2 cubs. Both methods of research (search for traces of life activities and the application of camera traps) complement each other, and the correct use of camera traps can reduce the subjectivity of the results obtained by the search for traces of life activities. Thus, the reliability of the results is significantly increased. Our studies show that the largest number of traces of Snow leopard activity (the number of scrapes per 1 km of the route) and the largest number of photo locations were recorded in the central part of the Jargalant khairkhan mountain range – the territory that is the most remote and inaccessible for grazing livestock. In this territory, the highest frequency of Snow leopard presence was noted (20-40 scratches/km), and accordingly 5 from 11 identified snow leopards were registered. A similar pattern of distribution of traces of vital activity was registered for the other two territories.},
 year = {2020}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Factors Determining the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population (Panthera uncia) in Western Mongolia
AU  - Victor S. Lukarevskiy
AU  - Munkhnast Dalannast
AU  - Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy
AU  - Erdenechimeg Damdin
Y1  - 2020/01/17
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12
T2  - Animal and Veterinary Sciences
JF  - Animal and Veterinary Sciences
JO  - Animal and Veterinary Sciences
SP  - 119
EP  - 124
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5850
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12
AB  - Studies of the distribution, assessment of the Snow leopard population, as well as the state of the populations of its main prey species, the impact of anthropogenic factors are the basis for the development of long-term and effective action plans and strategies for its conservation. To this end, we have carried out work on three different territories of the Mongolian Altai: Jargalant, Bumbat and Baatar Khairkhan Mountains. All three territories differ in the nature of the location in relation to other parts of the Snow leopard's range, and in the nature of the relief and economic use. The main method of research is the search and registration of traces of life activity of the Snow leopard and its main prey species (Mongolian marmot and Siberian ibex). For this purpose, we have passed 18 research routes with a total length of 197.5 km where we recorded all traces of the Snow leopard, Siberian ibex and Mongolian marmot life activities, as well as the distribution of the number of livestock. Another research method we have used is the application of camera traps. We installed 27 camera traps in total. As a result of their work we have obtained 51 photo location of the Snow leopard and identified at least 3 females, 2-3 adult males, 2-3 young individuals, the sex of which could not be established, including individuals aged about 2 years, 2 cubs. Both methods of research (search for traces of life activities and the application of camera traps) complement each other, and the correct use of camera traps can reduce the subjectivity of the results obtained by the search for traces of life activities. Thus, the reliability of the results is significantly increased. Our studies show that the largest number of traces of Snow leopard activity (the number of scrapes per 1 km of the route) and the largest number of photo locations were recorded in the central part of the Jargalant khairkhan mountain range – the territory that is the most remote and inaccessible for grazing livestock. In this territory, the highest frequency of Snow leopard presence was noted (20-40 scratches/km), and accordingly 5 from 11 identified snow leopards were registered. A similar pattern of distribution of traces of vital activity was registered for the other two territories.
VL  - 7
IS  - 6
ER  -

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Author Information

Victor S. Lukarevskiy

Information and Analytical Center for Support of Protected Areas, Moscow, Russia
Munkhnast Dalannast

Bat Research Center of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy

Information and Analytical Center for Support of Protected Areas, Moscow, Russia
Erdenechimeg Damdin

Administration of Khar-Us Nuur National Park, Khovd, Mongolia

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APA Style

Victor S. Lukarevskiy, Munkhnast Dalannast, Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy, Erdenechimeg Damdin. (2020). Factors Determining the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population (Panthera uncia) in Western Mongolia. Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 7(6), 119-124. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12

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ACS Style

Victor S. Lukarevskiy; Munkhnast Dalannast; Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy; Erdenechimeg Damdin. Factors Determining the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population (Panthera uncia) in Western Mongolia. Anim. Vet. Sci. 2020, 7(6), 119-124. doi: 10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12

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AMA Style

Victor S. Lukarevskiy, Munkhnast Dalannast, Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy, Erdenechimeg Damdin. Factors Determining the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population (Panthera uncia) in Western Mongolia. Anim Vet Sci. 2020;7(6):119-124. doi: 10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12,
  author = {Victor S. Lukarevskiy and Munkhnast Dalannast and Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy and Erdenechimeg Damdin},
  title = {Factors Determining the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population (Panthera uncia) in Western Mongolia},
  journal = {Animal and Veterinary Sciences},
  volume = {7},
  number = {6},
  pages = {119-124},
  doi = {10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.avs.20190706.12},
  abstract = {Studies of the distribution, assessment of the Snow leopard population, as well as the state of the populations of its main prey species, the impact of anthropogenic factors are the basis for the development of long-term and effective action plans and strategies for its conservation. To this end, we have carried out work on three different territories of the Mongolian Altai: Jargalant, Bumbat and Baatar Khairkhan Mountains. All three territories differ in the nature of the location in relation to other parts of the Snow leopard's range, and in the nature of the relief and economic use. The main method of research is the search and registration of traces of life activity of the Snow leopard and its main prey species (Mongolian marmot and Siberian ibex). For this purpose, we have passed 18 research routes with a total length of 197.5 km where we recorded all traces of the Snow leopard, Siberian ibex and Mongolian marmot life activities, as well as the distribution of the number of livestock. Another research method we have used is the application of camera traps. We installed 27 camera traps in total. As a result of their work we have obtained 51 photo location of the Snow leopard and identified at least 3 females, 2-3 adult males, 2-3 young individuals, the sex of which could not be established, including individuals aged about 2 years, 2 cubs. Both methods of research (search for traces of life activities and the application of camera traps) complement each other, and the correct use of camera traps can reduce the subjectivity of the results obtained by the search for traces of life activities. Thus, the reliability of the results is significantly increased. Our studies show that the largest number of traces of Snow leopard activity (the number of scrapes per 1 km of the route) and the largest number of photo locations were recorded in the central part of the Jargalant khairkhan mountain range – the territory that is the most remote and inaccessible for grazing livestock. In this territory, the highest frequency of Snow leopard presence was noted (20-40 scratches/km), and accordingly 5 from 11 identified snow leopards were registered. A similar pattern of distribution of traces of vital activity was registered for the other two territories.},
 year = {2020}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Factors Determining the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population (Panthera uncia) in Western Mongolia
AU  - Victor S. Lukarevskiy
AU  - Munkhnast Dalannast
AU  - Svyatoslav Lukarevskiy
AU  - Erdenechimeg Damdin
Y1  - 2020/01/17
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12
T2  - Animal and Veterinary Sciences
JF  - Animal and Veterinary Sciences
JO  - Animal and Veterinary Sciences
SP  - 119
EP  - 124
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5850
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20190706.12
AB  - Studies of the distribution, assessment of the Snow leopard population, as well as the state of the populations of its main prey species, the impact of anthropogenic factors are the basis for the development of long-term and effective action plans and strategies for its conservation. To this end, we have carried out work on three different territories of the Mongolian Altai: Jargalant, Bumbat and Baatar Khairkhan Mountains. All three territories differ in the nature of the location in relation to other parts of the Snow leopard's range, and in the nature of the relief and economic use. The main method of research is the search and registration of traces of life activity of the Snow leopard and its main prey species (Mongolian marmot and Siberian ibex). For this purpose, we have passed 18 research routes with a total length of 197.5 km where we recorded all traces of the Snow leopard, Siberian ibex and Mongolian marmot life activities, as well as the distribution of the number of livestock. Another research method we have used is the application of camera traps. We installed 27 camera traps in total. As a result of their work we have obtained 51 photo location of the Snow leopard and identified at least 3 females, 2-3 adult males, 2-3 young individuals, the sex of which could not be established, including individuals aged about 2 years, 2 cubs. Both methods of research (search for traces of life activities and the application of camera traps) complement each other, and the correct use of camera traps can reduce the subjectivity of the results obtained by the search for traces of life activities. Thus, the reliability of the results is significantly increased. Our studies show that the largest number of traces of Snow leopard activity (the number of scrapes per 1 km of the route) and the largest number of photo locations were recorded in the central part of the Jargalant khairkhan mountain range – the territory that is the most remote and inaccessible for grazing livestock. In this territory, the highest frequency of Snow leopard presence was noted (20-40 scratches/km), and accordingly 5 from 11 identified snow leopards were registered. A similar pattern of distribution of traces of vital activity was registered for the other two territories.
VL  - 7
IS  - 6
ER  -

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