Living with large carnivores: predation on livestock by the snow leopard

Bagchi and Mishra studied snow leopard diet and livestock depredation in India's Spiti region, linking the cat's reliance on wild prey to its use of domestic stock. Through scat analysis they showed that where wild ungulate prey such as ibex and blue sheep was scarce, domestic livestock formed a substantial part of the snow leopard's diet, intensifying conflict with herders. The study connected prey availability, herding practices and depredation patterns, arguing that recovering wild prey is central to reducing conflict and conserving snow leopards. It is a key reference for understanding how prey depletion in high-mountain Asia drives livestock predation and the human-carnivore conflict that threatens this elusive felid.