Tracking the Ghosts of the Himalayas: Snow Leopard Conservation Insights
from Satellite Collar Data
Abstract
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) inhabits mountainous areas of Central
and South Asia, including the northern region of Nepal, sharing borders
with both India and China. For low-density, far-ranging species
inhabiting inaccessible terrain, GPS collars are effective, given the
volume of data, the accuracy of locations, and the ability to track
numerous individuals simultaneously. For the first time, we analyzed
spatiotemporal dynamics using satellite telemetry data to understand
differences in movement patterns, time budgeting, and home range
utilization between male and female snow leopards, satellite-collared in
the northeastern Himalayas of Nepal. The ecological behaviour and time
budgeting of snow leopards were modeled by the hidden Markov model (HMM)
whereas home ranges were estimated and compared by various methods, such
as the minimum convex polygon (MCP) and Kernel Density Estimation (KDE)
methods with href and the Brownian bridge movement model. This research
showed clear sex differences in movement patterns and home range sizes,
which indicate different ecological needs and resource-use techniques.
Furthermore, this study provides reliable information on snow leopards
from the telemetry data and links it to conservation implications in
eastern Nepal to ensure their long-term survival, promote coexistence,
and foster cross-border collaboration.