Low, Matthew
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Research article2020Peer reviewed
Adhikari, Bikash; Odden, Morten; Adhikari, Bindu; Panthi, Saroj; Lopez-Bao, Jose Vicente; Low, Matthew
Leopard (Panthera pardus) predation on domestic animals is often associated with human-leopard conflict. We investigated leopard predation patterns of domestic animals using a semi-structured questionnaire. We quantified domestic animal losses in randomly selected households (n = 62) and households with previously reported leopard predation (n = 33) in the Pokhara region of Nepal from 2014-2016. Leopard predation of livestock was relatively rare (0.6% risk of livestock being taken per year versus 8% chance of death due to disease). The probability of leopard attacks decreased as the proportion of larger stock increased in flocks, and with increasing flock sizes. Several indigenous animal husbandry practices influenced livestock predation patterns by leopards and the level of human tolerance. These include communal ownership of free roaming dogs and mixing flocks of goats with large stock.
Panthera pardus; livestock predation; human-leopard conflicts; coexistence
Human Dimensions of Wildlife
2020, Volume: 25, number: 1, pages: 62-69
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
Ecology
Animal and Dairy Science
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10871209.2019.1695157
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/103080