Abstract
With the increasing threats to leopard associated mainly with human activities and decline in prey species, leopard population is at risk and is known to use areas outside the protected areas. Community forest might be the important source for the long-term population sustainability of leopard. This study was conducted in Thuli community forest of Lamjung, Nepal. In this study, non-invasive sampling techniques for the collection of scats adopted. Total (n=40) scats were collected opportunistically. The presence of leopard was confirmed by indirect signs of pugmarks, scats, scratches and kill of cattle in the shed. A total of 12 prey species were successfully identified based on the medullary and cuticle structure of hair samples. Around 55.20% of leopard diet was contributed by domestic animals followed by wild animals, which signifies the conflict with the study area. Rodents and bird's species had also contributed in the diet of leopard with 10.98% and 7.54% respectively. Around 8.17%, portion of diet contribution was from primates. Devoid of wild prey and abundance of domestic animals in scats contents highlight the urgent need of conservation intervention in the area and strengthening the community tolerance.
Highlights
For the habitat tolerance and its ability to feed on wide range of animals, Leopard Panthera pardus (Family; Felidae) has the widest range of distribution among the large felids (8)
Large carnivores adapt themselves in human-dominated landscape (3), with complete dependence of nutrition supplemented by domestic animals as prey (4)
In order to maximize the presence of leopard during the period of research, I had made a frequent visit to Thuli community forest and local people
Summary
For the habitat tolerance and its ability to feed on wide range of animals, Leopard Panthera pardus (Family; Felidae) has the widest range of distribution among the large felids (8). Large carnivores adapt themselves in human-dominated landscape (3), with complete dependence of nutrition supplemented by domestic animals as prey (4) This versatility in diet allows leopards to survive in rural area with human population (3, 4, 10). Study on diet composition helps in the conservation of leopard in community forest, because the community forest in future might be regarded as the potential habitat to harbor the population of leopard in Nepal. Their presence is related to conflicts, which district forest offices have no institutional capacity to respond as compared to attempts to resolve the problems concentrated around the protected areas
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