Livestock depredation by large carnivores in Kargil, Indian trans-Himalaya: Patterns and people's perceptions

Livestock depredation by large carnivores is an important livelihood concern among Trans–Himalayan pastoralists. The livestock depredation by the snow leopard and Tibetan wolf in the Chiktan Valley, Kargil, Ladakh, where human–wildlife conflict is rampant but poorly understood was assessed. The study was carried out through open-ended structured interviews in December 2021. The carnivores killed a total of 161 livestock in three years. Sheep and goats (86%) were the primary victims. Snow leopard was the most important predator (60 %). However, wolf is the most despised, perhaps due to occurrence of relatively higher incidences of depredation events. Wolf killed animals more in the open pastures (58), while the snow leopard killed inside the corrals (83). Livestock were killed mostly in the winter (42%) and autumn (26%). Each of the total 80 household incurred an estimated monetary loss of approx. Rs. 11800 annually due to depredation. The strengthening of livestock corrals to reduce depredation and sensitizing local communities on conflict mitigation strategies as important conservation interventions is recommended.