Habitat assessment for the translocation of blue sheep to maintain a viable snow leopard population in the Mt Everest Region, Nepal

Abstract

Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) are the key prey of the endangered snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in the Himalayan region of Nepal. However, the snow leopard population has recently expanded back into the Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park where the blue sheep are currently absent, and the evidence of snow leopard depredation of livestock can be found. A solution to this prospective human–wildlife conflict is the translocation of blue sheep back into this area. The aims of this study are (1) to characterize the spatial and environmental factors related to current blue sheep distributions in three areas: Annapurna Conservation Area, Shey Phoksundo National Park and Kanchanjunga Conservation Area, and (2) to use these characteristics to assess the suitability of two areas: Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park and Langtang National Park for blue sheep translocation. Blue sheep were found to occur in 14,603 km2 of Nepal, with 7343 km2 (49%) inside protected areas. Blue sheep preferred the alpine meadow, pas...