Data from: Assessing changes in distribution of the endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia and its wild prey over 2 decades in the Indian Himalaya through interview-based occupancy surveys

Understanding species distributions, patterns of change and threats can
form the basis for assessing the conservation status of elusive species
that are difficult to survey. The snow leopard Panthera uncia is the top
predator of the Central and South Asian mountains. Knowledge of the
distribution and status of this elusive felid and its wild prey is
limited. Using recall-based key-informant interviews we estimated site use
by snow leopards and their primary wild prey, blue sheep Pseudois nayaur
and Asiatic ibex Capra sibirica, across two time periods (past: 1985–1992;
recent: 2008–2012) in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. We also
conducted a threat assessment for the recent period. Probability of site
use was similar across the two time periods for snow leopards, blue sheep
and ibex, whereas for wild prey (blue sheep and ibex combined) overall
there was an 8% contraction. Although our surveys were conducted in areas
within the presumed distribution range of the snow leopard, we found snow
leopards were using only 75% of the area (14,616 km2). Blue sheep and ibex
had distinct distribution ranges. Snow leopards and their wild prey were
not restricted to protected areas, which encompassed only 17% of their
distribution within the study area. Migratory livestock grazing was
pervasive across ibex distribution range and was the most widespread and
serious conservation threat. Depredation by free-ranging dogs, and illegal
hunting and wildlife trade were the other severe threats. Our results
underscore the importance of community-based, landscape-scale conservation
approaches and caution against reliance on geophysical and opinion-based
distribution maps that have been used to estimate national and global snow
leopard ranges.