Publications

TitleAbstractYear(sorted ascending)
Filter
PMID
Filter
analytical methods for chemical and sensory characterization of scent-markings in large wild mammals: a review.in conjoining the disciplines of "ethology" and "chemistry" the field of "ethochemistry" has been instituted. ethochemistry is an effective tool in conservation efforts of endangered species and the understanding of behavioral patterns across all species. chemical constituents of scent-markings have an important, yet poorly understood function in territoriality, reproduction, dominance, and impact on evolutionary biology, especially in large mammals. particular attention has recently been focuse ...201424603639
prey preferences of the snow leopard (panthera uncia): regional diet specificity holds global significance for conservation.the endangered snow leopard is a large felid that is distributed over 1.83 million km(2) globally. throughout its range it relies on a limited number of prey species in some of the most inhospitable landscapes on the planet where high rates of human persecution exist for both predator and prey. we reviewed 14 published and 11 unpublished studies pertaining to snow leopard diet throughout its range. we calculated prey consumption in terms of frequency of occurrence and biomass consumed based on 1 ...201424533080
vigorous dynamics underlie a stable population of the endangered snow leopard panthera uncia in tost mountains, south gobi, mongolia.population monitoring programmes and estimation of vital rates are key to understanding the mechanisms of population growth, decline or stability, and are important for effective conservation action. we report, for the first time, the population trends and vital rates of the endangered snow leopard based on camera trapping over four years in the tost mountains, south gobi, mongolia. we used robust design multi-season mark-recapture analysis to estimate the trends in abundance, sex ratio, surviva ...201425006879
foods, macronutrients and fibre in the diet of blue sheep (psuedois nayaur) in the annapurna conservation area of nepal.food resources are often critical regulating factors affecting individual fitness and population densities. in the himalayan mountains, bharal "blue sheep" (pseudois nayaur) are the main food resource for the endangered snow leopard (panthera uncia), as well as being preyed upon by other predators. blue sheep, however, may face a number of challenges including food resource competition with other wild and domestic ungulates, and hunting pressure. here, we characterized the diet of blue sheep in ...201526445655
bilateral lenticular encephalitozoon cuniculi infection in a snow leopard (panthera uncia).bilateral phacoclastic uveitis caused by lenticular infection with encephalitozoon cuniculi is described in a snow leopard. the diagnosis was made on histopathological and immunohistological examination of both eyes submitted after postmortem examination. there was a positive antibody titer for e. cuniculi (1:320). polymerase chain reaction (pcr) and sequence analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded ocular tissue detected the dna of e. cuniculi, strain iii. no other systemic lesions attribu ...201525311355
prevalence of valvular regurgitations in clinically healthy captive leopards and cheetahs: a prospective study from the wildlife cardiology (wlc) group (2008-2013).the purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate transthoracic echocardiograms from clinically healthy large felids for the presence of valvular regurgitations (vr). physiologic vr commonly occur in normal dogs and cats, but the percentage of large felids with vr has not been previously reported. during a 5-yr study period (2008-2013), 28 healthy animals were evaluated under general anesthesia: 16 cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus soemmeringuii) with a mean age of 1.5±0.8 yr (range 0.7-3.5 yr), 5 ...201526352956
genetically based low oxygen affinities of felid hemoglobins: lack of biochemical adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia in the snow leopard.genetically based modifications of hemoglobin (hb) function that increase blood-o2 affinity are hallmarks of hypoxia adaptation in vertebrates. among mammals, felid hbs are unusual in that they have low intrinsic o2 affinities and reduced sensitivities to the allosteric cofactor 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (dpg). this combination of features compromises the acclimatization capacity of blood-o2 affinity and has led to the hypothesis that felids have a restricted physiological niche breadth relative to ...201526246610
hepatic lesions in 90 captive nondomestic felids presented for autopsy.hepatic lesions in nondomestic felids are poorly characterized. the purpose of this study was to evaluate hepatic lesions in 90 captive, nondomestic felids including tigers, cougars, and lions. hepatic lesions were histologically characterized as vacuolar change (lipidosis or glycogenosis), biliary cysts, biliary hyperplasia, hepatitis, necrosis, neoplasia, fibrosis, veno-occlusive disease, cholestasis, hematoma, congestion, or hemorrhage. stepwise logistic regression analyses were performed for ...201524788521
combined dna, toxicological and heavy metal analyses provides an auditing toolkit to improve pharmacovigilance of traditional chinese medicine (tcm).globally, there has been an increase in the use of herbal remedies including traditional chinese medicine (tcm). there is a perception that products are natural, safe and effectively regulated, however, regulatory agencies are hampered by a lack of a toolkit to audit ingredient lists, adulterants and constituent active compounds. here, for the first time, a multidisciplinary approach to assessing the molecular content of 26 tcms is described. next generation dna sequencing is combined with toxic ...201526658160
face value: towards robust estimates of snow leopard densities.when densities of large carnivores fall below certain thresholds, dramatic ecological effects can follow, leading to oversimplified ecosystems. understanding the population status of such species remains a major challenge as they occur in low densities and their ranges are wide. this paper describes the use of non-invasive data collection techniques combined with recent spatial capture-recapture methods to estimate the density of snow leopards panthera uncia. it also investigates the influence o ...201526322682
discrimination factors of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes from diet to hair and scat in captive tigers (panthera tigris) and snow leopards (uncia uncia).in order to use stable isotope ratio values obtained from wild animal tissues, we must accurately calculate the differences in isotope ratios between diet and consumer (δtissue - δdiet). these values, called trophic discrimination factors (tdfs, denoted with ∆), are necessary for stable isotope ecology studies and are best calculated in controlled environments.201526044274
species identification refined by molecular scatology in a community of sympatric carnivores in xinjiang, china.many ecological studies and conservation management plans employ noninvasive scat sampling based on the assumption that species' scats can be correctly identified in the field. however, in habitats with sympatric similarly sized carnivores, misidentification of scats is frequent and can lead to bias in research results. to address the scat identification dilemma, molecular scatology techniques have been developed to extract dna from the donor cells present on the outer lining of the scat samples ...201525855225
phylogenomic evidence for ancient hybridization in the genomes of living cats (felidae).inter-species hybridization has been recently recognized as potentially common in wild animals, but the extent to which it shapes modern genomes is still poorly understood. distinguishing historical hybridization events from other processes leading to phylogenetic discordance among different markers requires a well-resolved species tree that considers all modes of inheritance and overcomes systematic problems due to rapid lineage diversification by sampling large genomic character sets. here, we ...201626518481
modeling outcomes of approaches to sustained human and snow leopard coexistence.the snow leopard (uncia uncia) is in danger of extinction. killing to protect livestock is among the primary causes of its decline. efforts to mitigate this threat have focused on balancing the need to conserve the snow leopard with the needs of local people in snow leopard habitat, many of whom rely on raising livestock for their livelihoods. conservation of the snow leopard has the characteristics of a public good, and outside funding is required to support conservation efforts. there are 5 co ...201626032441
predation may counteract climatic change as a driving force for movements of mountain ungulates.temperature variations are expected to influence altitudinal movements of mountain herbivores and, in turn, those of their predators, but relevant information is scarce. we evaluated monthly relationships between temperature and altitude used by a large mountain-dwelling herbivore, the himalayan tahr hemitragus jemlahicus, and its main predator, the snow leopard panthera uncia, in an area of central himalaya for five consecutive years (2006-2010). in contrast to expectations, there was no signif ...201627312822
predicting the distributions of predator (snow leopard) and prey (blue sheep) under climate change in the himalaya.future climate change is likely to affect distributions of species, disrupt biotic interactions, and cause spatial incongruity of predator-prey habitats. understanding the impacts of future climate change on species distribution will help in the formulation of conservation policies to reduce the risks of future biodiversity losses. using a species distribution modeling approach by maxent, we modeled current and future distributions of snow leopard (panthera uncia) and its common prey, blue sheep ...201627516864
the complete mitochondrial genome structure of the jaguar (panthera onca).the jaguar (panthera onca) is the largest felid in the western hemisphere, and the only member of the panthera genus in the new world. the jaguar inhabits most countries within central and south america, and is considered near threatened by the international union for the conservation of nature. this study represents the first sequence of the entire jaguar mitogenome, which was the only panthera mitogenome that had not been sequenced. the jaguar mitogenome is 17,049 bases and possesses the same ...201625010076
combination therapy with fluoxetine and alprazolam to control anxiety in a hand-reared snow leopard (uncia uncia).a captive hand-reared adult male snow leopard ( uncia uncia ) was treated for anxiety associated with taunting from visitors, the presence of large crowds, and introduction to a female for breeding. behaviors included shaking, chewing on tail, panting, panicking, and bouncing off the viewing glass, pacing, and avoidance of the female. combination therapy of oral fluoxetine and alprazolam were administered initially to minimize anxious behaviors while the fluoxetine achieved therapeutic levels. t ...201627691935
a spotlight on snow leopard conservation in china.china holds the greatest proportion of the snow leopard's (panthera uncia) global range and is central to their conservation. the country is also undergoing unprecedented economic growth, which increases both the threats to the snow leopard and the opportunities for its conservation. in this paper we aim to review published literature (from 1950 to 2014) in english and mandarin on snow leopard ecology and conservation in china in order to identify thematic and geographic research gaps and propos ...201627135283
patterns of snow leopard site use in an increasingly human-dominated landscape.human population growth and concomitant increases in demand for natural resources pose threats to many wildlife populations. the landscapes used by the endangered snow leopard (panthera uncia) and their prey is increasingly subject to major changes in land use. we aimed to assess the influence of 1) key human activities, as indicated by the presence of mining and livestock herding, and 2) the presence of a key prey species, the blue sheep (pseudois nayaur), on probability of snow leopard site us ...201627171203
challenges of snow leopard conservation in china. 201627142350
effects of hand-rearing on reproductive success in captive large cats panthera tigris altaica, uncia uncia, acinonyx jubatus and neofelis nebulosa.species survival plans and european endangered species programmes have been developed for several species of endangered felids in order to build up captive reserve populations and support their conservation in the wild. the siberian tiger (panthera tigris altaica), snow leopard (uncia uncia), cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) and clouded leopard (neofelis nebulosa) are managed in such ex situ conservation programmes. many zoological institutions hand-rear offspring if rearing by the mother fails. hand- ...201627214261
snow leopard and himalayan wolf: food habits and prey selection in the central himalayas, nepal.top carnivores play an important role in maintaining energy flow and functioning of the ecosystem, and a clear understanding of their diets and foraging strategies is essential for developing effective conservation strategies. in this paper, we compared diets and prey selection of snow leopards and wolves based on analyses of genotyped scats (snow leopards n = 182, wolves n = 57), collected within 26 sampling grid cells (5×5 km) that were distributed across a vast landscape of ca 5000 km2 in the ...201728178279
impact of wild prey availability on livestock predation by snow leopards.an increasing proportion of the world's poor is rearing livestock today, and the global livestock population is growing. livestock predation by large carnivores and their retaliatory killing is becoming an economic and conservation concern. a common recommendation for carnivore conservation and for reducing predation on livestock is to increase wild prey populations based on the assumption that the carnivores will consume this alternative food. livestock predation, however, could either reduce o ...201728680665
range-wide snow leopard phylogeography supports three subspecies.the snow leopard, panthera uncia, is an elusive high-altitude specialist that inhabits vast, inaccessible habitat across asia. we conducted the first range-wide genetic assessment of snow leopards based on noninvasive scat surveys. thirty-three microsatellites were genotyped and a total of 683 bp of mitochondrial dna sequenced in 70 individuals. snow leopards exhibited low genetic diversity at microsatellites (an = 5.8, ho = 0.433, he = 0.568), virtually no mtdna variation, and underwent a bottl ...201728498961
squamous cell carcinoma in two snow leopards (uncia uncia) with unusual auricular presentation.squamous cell carcinoma (scc) is well documented in snow leopards ( uncia uncia ) and most common locations are oral, facial, or pedal. these two cases illustrate an unusual auricular presentation, which is more often reported in white domestic cats. the animals were aged and presented clinical signs of otitis such as head shaking and ear scratching. clinical examinations showed auricular canal masses with chronic purulent otitis. in both cases, clinical deterioration led to euthanasia and histo ...201728749302
what risks do herbal products pose to the australian community?traditional herbal products are widely used in australia to treat a broad range of conditions and diseases. it is popularly believed that these products are safer than prescribed drugs. while many may be safe, it is worrying that the specific effects and harmful interactions of a number of their components with prescription medications is not well understood. some traditional herbal preparations contain heavy metals and toxic chemicals, as well as naturally occurring organic toxins. the effects ...201728152355
comparison of subjective well-being and personality assessments in the clouded leopard (neofelis nebulosa), snow leopard (panthera uncia), and african lion (panthera leo).the study of subjective well-being in nonhuman animals is growing in the field of psychology, but there are still only a few published studies and the focus is on primates. to consider whether the construct of subjective well-being could be found in another mammal, this study aimed to assess subjective well-being in felids and to examine its association with personality. personality is one of the strongest and most consistent predictors of well-being in humans. this relationship could have impor ...201726983676
systemic arterial hypertension secondary to chronic kidney disease in two captive-born large felids.systemic arterial hypertension (sht) has been widely described in the domestic cat (felis catus). in these feline patients, sht is considered as the most common vascular disorder of middle-aged to older animals, and secondary sht related to chronic kidney disease (ckd) represents the most common form of the disease. we describe here the first two cases of spontaneous sht in large felids, i.e. one 18-year old, 34.4 kg, male north-chinese leopard (panthera pardus japonensis, case #1) and one 20-ye ...201728435002
commensal in conflict: livestock depredation patterns by free-ranging domestic dogs in the upper spiti landscape, himachal pradesh, india.in human-populated landscapes worldwide, domestic dogs (canis lupus familiaris) are the most abundant terrestrial carnivore. although dogs have been used for the protection of livestock from wild carnivores, they have also been implicated as predators of livestock. we used a combination of methods (field surveys, interview surveys, and data from secondary sources) to examine the patterns and factors driving livestock depredation by free-ranging dogs, as well as economic losses to local communiti ...201728074403
canine distemper in a vaccinated snow leopard ( panthera uncia).a 6-yr-old male snow leopard ( panthera uncia) presented with acute seizures, hyperthermia, and tachypnea. because of a diagnosis of anuric renal failure, the animal was euthanized. on histopathologic examination, numerous intralesional intracytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusions were found in the lungs, lymph nodes, and stomach. positive immunohistochemical staining for canine distemper virus (cdv) was found in the lungs and, to a lesser extent, in the lymph nodes and brain. molecular testing ...201729297812
snow leopards, ancient zero and cassini's big finish. 201728933442
snow leopard conservation status is spot on. 201729239357
snow leopard conservation status is spot on. 201732081996
poaching: is snow leopard tally underestimated? 201729072273
an iga1-lambda-type monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition disease associated with membranous features in a patient with igg4-related kidney disease: a case report.igg4-related disease (igg4-rd) is a newly recognized fibroinflammatory condition. the kidney is one of the organs commonly affected by igg4-rd. tubulointerstitial nephritis (tin) is the main feature, and membranous nephropathy (mn) has also been described frequently. in mn, polyclonal immunoglobulins and complements are deposited in granular form along the glomerular basement membranes (gbms). unusual cases of monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition disease (midd) associated with membranous feature ...201830458736
the validity of three snow leopard subspecies: response to senn et al. 201829434338
use of equine amniotic membrane free-island grafts for treatment of a midstromal corneal ulcer and descemetocele in a snow leopard (panthera uncia).case description a 7-year-old sexually intact female snow leopard (panthera uncia) was examined because of blepharospasm, periocular discharge, ventral deviation of the upper eyelid cilia, third eyelid prolapse, and corneal opacity of the right eye. clinical findings an ophthalmic examination performed with the patient anesthetized revealed a 3 × 3-mm ulcer that extended approximately 60% of the depth of the right cornea and was accompanied by perilesional and intralesional cellular infiltrates ...201830668260
diet and prey selection by snow leopards in the nepalese himalayas.visual attractiveness and rarity often results in large carnivores being adopted as flagship species for stimulating conservation awareness. their hunting behaviour and prey selection can affect the population dynamics of their prey, which in turn affects the population dynamics of these large carnivores. therefore, our understanding of their trophic ecology and foraging strategies is important for predicting their population dynamics and consequently for developing effective conservation progra ...201830517109
osteochondral autograft transfer for treatment of stifle osteochondritis dissecans in two related snow leopards ( panthera uncia).two related female snow leopards ( panthera uncia) were diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans of the lateral femoral condyle via radiographs and computed tomography. lesions were either bilateral (patient 1) or unilateral (patient 2). surgical treatment was performed using an osteochondral autograft transfer system following cartilage flap removal. after a 6-wk recovery period, both animals had a markedly improved gait with mild pelvic limb stiffness. patient 1 developed intermittent lameness ...201830212335
assessment of habitat suitability of the snow leopard (panthera uncia) in qomolangma national nature reserve based on maxent modeling.habitat evaluation constitutes an important and fundamental step in the management of wildlife populations and conservation policy planning. geographic information system (gis) and species presence data provide the means by which such evaluation can be done. maximum entropy (maxent) is widely used in habitat suitability modeling due to its power of accuracy and additional descriptive properties. to survey snow leopard populations in qomolangma (mt. everest, qnnr) national nature reserve, tibet, ...201829872029
responses of snow leopards, wolves and wild ungulates to livestock grazing in the zorkul strictly protected area, tajikistan.long recognized as a threat to wildlife, livestock grazing in protected areas has the potential to undermine conservation goals, via competition, habitat degradation, human-carnivore conflict and disruption of predator-prey relationships. in the strictly protected area zorkul in tajikistan (zorkul reserve), grazing is commonplace despite official prohibition, with potentially detrimental effects on local fauna, in particular, snow leopard panthera uncia, wolf canis lupus, brown bear ursus arctos ...201830500847
[trichophyton mentagrophytes-from snow leopard to man : a molecular approach for uncovering the chain of infection].sources of infection for trichophyton (t.) mentagrophytes-a zoophilic dermatophyte-comprise pet rodents (guinea pigs, mice, rabbits) and sometimes cats. human infections due to dermatophytes after contact with zoo animals, however, are extreme rare. four zoo keepers from basel zoo were diagnosed to suffer from tinea manus and tinea corporis due to t. mentagrophytes. the 22-year-old daughter of one zoo keeper was also infected with tinea corporis after having worked in the snow leopard section fo ...201830120492
characterizing conflict between humans and big cats panthera spp: a systematic review of research trends and management opportunities.conservation of big cats (panthera spp.), a taxonomic group including tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards and snow leopards, is a daunting challenge. as expanding human populations across panthera range countries exacerbate competition for land and prey, conflicts between humans and big cats are inevitable. through a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature published from 1991 to 2014 and indexed in web of science and google scholar (186 articles), our study explored the current state of k ...201830226894
gastric dilatation and enterotoxemia in ten captive felids.case description 10 large felids at 8 facilities were determined or suspected to have developed gastric dilatation with or without enterotoxemia over a 20-year period. four felids were found dead with no premonitory signs. clinical findings 4 felids (2 male snow leopards [uncia uncia], 1 male amur tiger [panthera tigris altaica], and 1 male sumatran tiger [panthera tigris sumatrae]) were found dead or died before they could be evaluated. six felids had hematemesis (1 male and 1 female african li ...201830211645
differentiating enteropathy-associated t-cell lymphoma type 2 from inflammatory bowel disease in a snow leopard (uncia uncia).after a history of intermittent vomiting, endoscopic biopsies of stomach and duodenum were collected from a 13-yr-old male snow leopard (uncia uncia). on microscopic examination, monomorphic small lymphocytes expanded the duodenal mucosa and occasionally formed intraepithelial nests. immunohistochemistry of the infiltrating small lymphocytes in the mucosa and within the epithelium had strong, perimembranous labeling for cd3e, with few cd79a-positive lymphocytes located at the base of the villi. ...201931260218
a retrospective study of reported disorders of the oral cavity in large felids in australian zoos.disorders of the oral cavity are conditions reported by veterinarians that impact the health and welfare of large felids in human care. there have been no studies documenting the prevalence of these conditions and species affected in australian zoos. a review of the medical records of lions (panthera leo), tigers (panthera tigris), cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus), jaguars (puma onca), snow leopards (panthera uncia), persian leopards (panthera pardus saxicolor), and cougars (puma concolor) from 10 au ...201931120658
18f-fdg pet/ct of sarcoidosis with extensive cutaneous and subcutaneous nodules: the snow leopard sign. 201931123764
modelling potential habitat for snow leopards (panthera uncia) in ladakh, india.the snow leopard panthera uncia is an elusive species inhabiting some of the most remote and inaccessible tracts of central and south asia. it is difficult to determine its distribution and density pattern, which are crucial for developing conservation strategies. several techniques for species detection combining camera traps with remote sensing and geographic information systems have been developed to model the habitat of such cryptic and low-density species in challenging terrains. utilising ...201930695083
health and zoonotic infections of snow leopards panthera unica in the south gobi desert of mongolia.background: snow leopards, panthera uncia, are a threatened apex predator, scattered across the mountains of central and south asia. disease threats to wild snow leopards have not been investigated.methods and results: between 2008 and 2015, twenty snow leopards in the south gobi desert of mongolia were captured and immobilised for health screening and radio-collaring. blood samples and external parasites were collected for pathogen analyses using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa), micro ...201931231481
a pilot study-genetic diversity and population structure of snow leopards of gilgit-baltistan, pakistan, using molecular techniques.the hindu kush and karakoram mountain ranges in pakistan's northern areas are a natural habitat of the snow leopard (panthera uncia syn. uncia uncia) but the ecological studies on this animal are scarce since it is human shy by nature and lives in difficult mountainous tracts. the pilot study is conducted to exploit the genetic diversity and population structure of the snow leopard in this selected natural habitat of the member of the wildcat family in pakistan.201931720096
what factors best explain attitudes to snow leopards in the nepal himalayas?the snow leopard panthera uncia is a vulnerable wild felid native to mountainous regions of 12 asian countries. it faces numerous overlapping threats, including killings by herders retaliating against livestock losses, the illegal wildlife trade, loss of prey and habitat, infrastructure, energy and mining developments, and climate change. the species ranges over large territories that often lie outside of protected areas (pa), so coexistence with human populations across its range is key to its ...201931644548
range contraction of snow leopard (panthera uncia).snow leopard (panthera uncia) is native to mountain ranges of central and south asia, where it occurs from 3,000-4500 m elevation. the species is enlisted as "endangered" by iucn and its populations are reportedly declining. in the current study, we compared the past and current distribution ranges of the species using spatial analysis. we used quantum geographical information system (qgis) software to reconstruct and quantify its past distribution range and compare with its current one. snow le ...201931369579
ease conflict in asia with snow leopard peace parks. 202032165575
detection and genetic characterization of viruses present in free-ranging snow leopards using next-generation sequencing.snow leopards inhabit the cold, arid environments of the high mountains of south and central asia. these living conditions likely affect the abundance and composition of microbes with the capacity to infect these animals. it is important to investigate the microbes that snow leopards are exposed to detect infectious disease threats and define a baseline for future changes that may impact the health of this endangered felid. in this work, next-generation sequencing is used to investigate the feca ...202033195503
assurance of the existence of a trans-boundary population of the snow leopard (panthera uncia) at tsagaanshuvuut - tsagan-shibetu spa at the mongolia-russia border.the existence of a trans-boundary population of the snow leopard (panthera uncia) that inhabits the massifs of tsagaanshuvuut (mongolia) - tsagan-shibetu (russia) was determined through non-invasive genetic analysis of scat samples and by studying the structure of territory use by a collared female individual. the genetic analysis included species identification of samples through sequencing of a fragment of the cytochrome b gene and individual identification using a panel of 8 microsatellites. ...202031773859
the relationship between plant-eating and hair evacuation in snow leopards (panthera uncia).although most felids have an exclusive carnivore diet, the presence of plant matter in scat has been reported among various species. this indicates that there may be an adaptive significance to the conservation of plant-eating behavior in felid evolution. some studies have hypothesized that felids consume plants for self-medication or as a source of nutrition. in addition, it is thought that plant intake helps them to excrete hairballs, however, no scientific work has confirmed these effects. th ...202032736376
identification errors in camera-trap studies result in systematic population overestimation.reliable assessments of animal abundance are key for successful conservation of endangered species. for elusive animals with individually-unique markings, camera-trap surveys are a benchmark standard for estimating local and global population abundance. central to the reliability of resulting abundance estimates is the assumption that individuals are accurately identified from photographic captures. to quantify the risk of individual misidentification and its impact on population abundance estim ...202032286438
issues and opportunities associated with trophy hunting and tourism in khunjerab national park, northern pakistan.trophy hunting and mass tourism are the two major interventions designed to provide various socioeconomic and ecological benefits at the local and regional levels. however, these interventions have raised some serious concerns that need to be addressed. this study was conducted in khunjerab national park (knp) with an aim to analyze comparatively the socioeconomic and ecological impacts of trophy hunting and mass tourism over the last three decades within the context of sustainability. focus gro ...202032244688
retreat of large carnivores across the giant panda distribution range.as both a flagship and umbrella species, the giant panda (ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the most heavily invested species in conservation. here, we report the wide distribution range retreat of the leopard (panthera pardus, 81% loss), snow leopard (p. uncia, 38%), wolf (canis lupus, 77%) and dhole (cuon alpinus, 95%) from protected areas in the giant panda distribution range since the 1960s. the present findings indicate the insufficiency of giant panda conservation for protecting these larg ...202032747773
oral lesions in captive nondomestic felids with a focus on odontogenic lesions.odontogenic lesions are well described in domestic cats, but published literature describing these lesions in nondomestic felids is limited. this study reports oral lesions in 109 captive, non-domestic felids. ten cases of odontogenic lesions were diagnosed, including 9 with fibromatous epulis of periodontal ligament origin (feplo) and one odontogenic cyst in a cougar. feplo was common in lions. feplo did not recur after surgical removal in any of the 3 cases for which follow-up information was ...202033016248
relative influence of wild prey and livestock abundance on carnivore-caused livestock predation.conservation conflict over livestock depredation is one of the key drivers of large mammalian carnivore declines worldwide. mitigating this conflict requires strategies informed by reliable knowledge of factors influencing livestock depredation. wild prey and livestock abundance are critical factors influencing the extent of livestock depredation. we compared whether the extent of livestock predation by snow leopards panthera uncia differed in relation to densities of wild prey, livestock, and s ...202033145001
meta-replication, sampling bias, and multi-scale model selection: a case study on snow leopard (panthera uncia) in western china.replicated multiple scale species distribution models (sdms) have become increasingly important to identify the correct variables determining species distribution and their influences on ecological responses. this study explores multi-scale habitat relationships of the snow leopard (panthera uncia) in two study areas on the qinghai-tibetan plateau of western china. our primary objectives were to evaluate the degree to which snow leopard habitat relationships, expressed by predictors, scales of r ...202032760557
identifying priority landscapes for conservation of snow leopards in pakistan.pakistan's total estimated snow leopard habitat is about 80,000 km2 of which about half is considered prime habitat. however, this preliminary demarcation was not always in close agreement with the actual distribution-the discrepancy may be huge at the local and regional level. recent technological developments like camera trapping and molecular genetics allow for collecting reliable presence records that could be used to construct realistic species distribution based on empirical data and advan ...202033151925
molecular identification of taenia hydatigena and mesocestoides species based on copro-dna analysis of wild carnivores in mongolia.cyclophyllidean tapeworms obligatorily parasitize numerous mammalian species, including herbivores, domestic animals and humans, of which, the genera taenia and mesocestoides are well characterized. however, little is known about these parasitic infections in wild animals. this study aims to investigate the prevalence and distribution of taenia sp. and mesocestoides sp. in wild carnivores in mongolia by identifying tapeworm species based on mtdna analysis. the field survey was carried out in 201 ...202031956480
review of canine distemper vaccination use and safety in north american captive large felids (panthera spp.) from 2000 to 2017.data on canine distemper virus (cdv) vaccination were collected on 812 large felids (351 tigers, panthera tigris; 220 lions, panthera leo; 143 snow leopards, panthera uncia; 50 leopards, panthera pardus; and 48 jaguars, panthera onca) from 48 institutions to assess vaccine use and safety. the documented individual vaccination events with multiple products numbered 2,846. canarypox-vectored cdv vaccines were the most commonly used vaccines (96.3% of all vaccinations) and the purevax® ferret diste ...202031926507
an ecological framework for contextualizing carnivore-livestock conflict.carnivore predation on livestock is a complex management and policy challenge, yet it is also intrinsically an ecological interaction between predators and prey. human-wildlife interactions occur in socioecological systems in which human and environmental processes are closely linked. however, underlying human-wildlife conflict and key to unpacking its complexity are concrete and identifiable ecological mechanisms that lead to predation events. to better understand how ecological theory accords ...202032406970
multiple factors influence local perceptions of snow leopards and himalayan wolves in the central himalayas, nepal.an understanding of local perceptions of carnivores is important for conservation and management planning. in the central himalayas, nepal, we interviewed 428 individuals from 85 settlements using a semi-structured questionnaire to quantitatively assess local perceptions and tolerance of snow leopards and wolves. we used generalized linear mixed effect models to assess influential factors, and found that tolerance of snow leopards was much higher than of wolves. interestingly, having experienced ...202033088621
sars-cov-2 in animals: potential for unknown reservoir hosts and public health implications.severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (sars-cov-2, previously 2019-ncov) is suspected of having originated in 2019 in china from a coronavirus infected bat of the genus rhinolophus. following the initial emergence, possibly facilitated by a mammalian bridge host, sars-cov-2 is currently transmitted across the globe via efficient human-to-human transmission. results obtained from experimental studies indicate that animal species such as cats, ferrets, raccoon dogs, cynomolgus macaques, ...202133892621
Displaying items 101 - 169 of 169