Data from: From shadows to data: First robust population assessment of snow leopards in Pakistan

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a flagship species of the greater
Himalayan region and symbolizes the integrity of this ecological
system. Within the greater Himalayas, Pakistan holds special significance
as the north of the country represents a confluence of four major mountain
ranges (Hindu Kush, Pamir, Karakoram, and Himalaya). However, robustly
surveying and monitoring elusive, low-density species such as snow
leopards has historically been difficult in the region. As a result, our
understanding of the spatial patterns in density and overall population
size of snow leopards has remained conjectural in Pakistan. This lack of
objective information is an obstacle to realizing effective conservation
planning for the species in Pakistan, as well as the broader ecosystem
within which it plays a key role. This study aimed to empirically derive
population estimates for snow leopards in Pakistan, based on extensive
camera trapping conducted over a decade (2010 to 2019), covering about 39
% of the species' range across four major mountain ranges in northern
Pakistan. A total of 828 cameras were placed over 26,540 trap days,
resulting in 4,712 photos of snow leopards obtained from 65 different
locations. Among the 53 unique individuals identified, the majority (53 %)
were detected only once, with an overall recapture frequency of 2.28 times
per individual. Spatial capture-recapture (SCR) was employed for
population and density estimation. Model selection strongly favored a
model in which density was negatively associated with distance to the
closest glacier and positively associated with elevation, and baseline
encounter rates were higher in the Karakoam-Pamir region and with Reconyx
cameras than in other regions and types of cameras. The estimated
population size for snow leopards in Pakistan was 155 (95 % CI 100-239),
with a mean density of 0.16 (95 % CI 0.10-0.24) animals per 100 km². This
research provides the first robust population estimate for snow leopards
in this region, establishing a foundation for long-term population
monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of conservation measures. We
recommend the integration of complementary approaches, such as
non-invasive genetic methods, to validate and refine population estimates.