Title
Status of the snow Leopard Panthera uncia in Qinghai and Gansu Provinces, China
Author(s)
Schaller G.B., Junrang R., Mingjiang Q.
Published
1988
Publisher
Biological Conservation
Abstract
The status and distribution of snow leopard Panthera uncia were investigated in two provinces of China. The cats occur over about 65 000 km2 or 9% of Qinghai Province, and in a few places along the western edge of Gansu Province. In many areas the animals have in recent decades been decimated or locally eradicated, as has their prey. Counts of wild ungulates in 9 mountain blocks, totalling 1375 km2, known for abundant wildlife, had an average of 1·4-5·4 animals km-2, principally blue sheep Pseudois nayaur, which, together with marmot Marmot himalayana, represent the snow leopard's main prey. Possibly 650 snow leopard survive in Qinghai but shooting and trapping of this legally protected animal and the hunting of blue sheep for local consumption and export threaten their existence. © 1988.
Keywords
blue sheep; leopard; marmot; sheep; snow leopard; China, Gansu Province; China, Qinghai Province; Marmota himalayana; Panthera uncia; Pseudois nayaur
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PUB13038