Preliminary findings of individual identification of snowleopard (Panthera uncia), by faecal genotyping, in soqterabad nullah (valley), gilgitbaltistan, Pakistan

Non-invasive sampling has been used by the researchers to estimate the population density of several different carnivore species. This study was conducted to determine whether, noninvasive genetic analysis could be used to estimate the wild population of snowleopard in Soqterabad nullah. Of overall 20 randomly selected, best samples, only 8 could be amplified using species-specific DNA-markers. peR success rate was 40%. Three different banding-patterns were obtained, which indicate their origin from three different individuals. The study showed that at least one individual was present in the surveyed area, and preliminary findings indicate that there may be three in Soqterabad, within an area of 20km.