Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 March 2023 | 15(3): 22803–22812
ISSN 0974-7907
(Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7975.15.3.22803-22812
#7975 | Received 14
April 2022 | Final received 05 October 2022 | Finally accepted 19 March 2023
An update on the
conservation status of Tibetan Argali
Ovis ammon hodgsoni (Mammalia: Bovidae)
in India
Munib Khanyari
1, Rigzen Dorjay
2, Sherab Lobzang
3, Karma Sonam 4 & Kulbhushansingh
Ramesh Suryawanshi 5
1–5 Nature Conservation Foundation,
1311 Amritha, 12th Main, Vijayanagar, 1st Stage,
Mysore, Karnataka 570017, India.
1 Interdisciplinary Center for
Conservation Sciences, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
1 University of Bristol, Department
of Biological Sciences, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1 TQ, UK.
5 Snow Leopard Trust, 4649
Sunnyside Avenue, Seattle, WA 98103, USA.
5 Wissenschaftskolleg zu
Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, 14193 Berlin, Germany.
1 munib@ncf-india.org
(corresponding author), 2 dorjay@ncf-india.org, 3 sherab@ncf-india.org,
4 karma@ncf-india.org, 5 kulbhushan@ncf-india.org
Abstract: Mountain ungulates are important
for alpine ecosystem ecology, yet are understudied, particularly in Asia.
Tibetan Argali Ovis ammon
hodgsoni occurs across Tibet, with
Trans-Himalayan India forming the edge of its distribution. We studied their conservation
status in India. We compiled published data and secondary information about the
occurrence of argali. We then focused on Ladakh, the
remaining stronghold of argali in India. Based on literature from Ladakh and after consulting key-informants, we delimited
two major populations of argali and estimate population density and demography
using the double-observer method. We found 27 studies on argali in India.
Studies covered four major themes: records (n = 12), conservation (n = 7),
ecology (n = 7), and evolution (n = 1), with studies increasing after 2000.
Estimated argali density in Tsaba was 0.34 argali km-2
(0.32–0.40) and in Chushul-Mirpal
Tso was 0.15 argali km-2 (0.12–0.30). Both populations had
comparable demography including age-sex ratios. We need to urgently consider
argali as a priority species for conservation in India particularly as
threats—including transboundary concerns, lack of coordinated conservation
across the international border, anthropogenic disturbances, competition &
disturbance from livestock grazing, and habitat loss—are a reality. Towards
that, we delimited knowledge gaps and set robust population baselines for the
two important argali populations in India. As the Tibetan Argali here co-occur
with people, it will be crucial to ensure conservation is done in partnership
with local communities.
Keywords: Changthang, double observer survey,
Mountain ungulate, occurrence, population, Tibet, Trans-Himalayan India.
Editor: Anonymity requested. Date of publication: 26 March 2023 (online &
print)
Citation: Khanyari, M., R. Dorjay, S. Lobzang, K. Sonam
& K.R. Suryawanshi (2023). An update on the conservation status
of Tibetan Argali Ovis ammon
hodgsoni (Mammalia: Bovidae)
in India. Journal of
Threatened Taxa 15(3):
22803–22812. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7975.15.3.22803-22812
Copyright: © Khanyari et al. 2023. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Natwest India Foundation.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Author details: Munib Khanyari is a
program manager at Nature Conservation Foundation and works on various projects to ensure human-wildlife coexistence.Rigzen Dorjay is a
field manager at Nature Conservation Foundation and works primarily in Ladakh on research and conservation projects. Sherab Lobzang is a
field manager at Nature Conservation Foundation and works primarily in Ladakh on research and conservation projects. Karma
Sonam is a field manager at Nature Conservation
Foundation and works primarily in Ladakh on research and conservation projects. Kulbhushansingh Ramesh Suryawanshi is a
senior scientist at Nature Conservation Foundation and heads its high-altitude program.
Author contributions: MK, RD, SL and KS did the field surveys. KRS conceived the study. MK analyzed the data and wrote the first draft with help from KRS. All author commented and revised subsequent versions. All authors agreed upon the final version.
Acknowledgements: This work would not have been
possible without the support and permission provided by the Department of
Wildlife Protection of Ladakh. We are really grateful
to the support provided by the Royal Bank of Scotland - India Foundation (now Natwest-India Foundation).
Introduction
Wild ungulates are key
determinants of large carnivore populations whilst also playing an important
role in ecosystem function including affecting vegetation composition and
nutrient cycling (Karanth et al. 2004; Bagchi & Ritchie 2010; Suryawanshi
et al. 2017). Ungulates typically from the sub-family Caprinae are adapted to live in the high mountains and are
referred to as mountain ungulates. The mountain ecosystems of southern and
central Asia are home to a diverse community of mountain ungulates (Schaller
1977). Because of the remoteness of their landscape and associated logistical
challenges, studying mountain ungulates in Asia has seen considerable
difficulty (Singh & Milner-Gulland 2011). This has hindered the
understanding of their conservation status and limited conservation efforts in
the region.
The argali is the world’s largest
wild sheep and occurs across large tracts of mountainous central and southern
Asia. Various subspecies of argali are found across 11 central and southern
Asian countries and is classified as ‘Near Threatened’ by the IUCN Red List
(Reading et al. 2020) with their populations occurring in small and fragmented
populations across their distribution range (Ekernas
et al. 2016). Globally, argali populations are seeing a decreasing population
trend, with a continuing decline in the population of mature individuals
(Reading et al. 2020).
The Tibetan Argali Ovis ammon hodgsoni is found in parts of the Tibetan Plateau and
its marginal mountains (Shackleton 1997). While this is a seemingly large area,
its population is highly fragmented throughout this vast range (Fox et al.
1991; Schaller 1998; Namgail et al. 2009). Alongside,
there is a great deal of uncertainty and varying reliability around numbers of
Tibetan Argali (Reading et al. 2020). During an extensive survey of the Tibetan
Plateau, argali were the least encountered wild ungulate (Schaller 1998). In
India, the status of the Tibetan Argali is precarious. They are known to occur
in the trans-Himalayan region of Sikkim and Ladakh,
with sporadic sightings in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Chanchani et al. (2010)
estimated c. 177 individuals from Sikkim. Estimates from Ladakh have ranged from c. 200 individuals (Fox et al.
1999) to c. 360 individuals (Namgail et al. 2009).
With c. 10,988 km2 of potential Tibetan Argali habitat, Ladakh perhaps is the last remaining stronghold of argali
in India (Chundawat & Qureshi 1999). Nonetheless,
more recent surveys have found argali to be absent from large tracts of their potential
habitat (Bhatnagar & Wangchuk 2001; Namgail et
al. 2009).
Hunting for trophy and meat have
been noted to contribute to a drastic decline of Tibetan Argali in Ladakh through the latter part of the 20th
century (Ward 1924; Fox et al. 1991a; Namgail et al.
2004). Surveys by Namgail et al. (2009) suggested
there was no substantial change in argali population in Ladakh
since early 1980s, even though hunting of argali has been banned since then.
The Tibetan Argali in fact are fully protected (Schedule 1) species under the
Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and are also listed on Appendix 1 of
CITES. Recovery of Tibetan Argali population in Ladakh
might be hindered by exploitative and interference competition by livestock
that is found throughout their presumed range, although more in-depth research
is needed to determine this (Namgail et al. 2007).
Given this background, we
compiled published data and gathered secondary information about the occurrence
and abundance of argali in India. We then focused our work in Ladakh, as it is arguably the last remaining stronghold of
Tibetan Argali in India (Namgail et al. 2007). Based
on available literature from Ladakh and after
consulting key-informants, we delimited two major populations of Tibetan Argali
to estimate population density and population parameters using double observer
surveys (Forsyth & Hickling 1997; Suryawanshi et
al. 2012). The major goal of this work was to provide an update on the status
of argali in India in order to inform regional and global assessment of
conservation status of argali.
Materials
and Methods
Literature review
We conducted a scoping review of
scientific literature on argali in India. Using
structured search terms (India OR Ladakh OR
Sikkim OR Himachal Pradesh OR Uttarakhand OR Himalaya*) AND (Argali OR “Ovis ammon”) for abstracts, title
or keywords. This was done to capture literature focused on argali in India.
Searches were conducted in English only and were done in Web of Science (all
findings) and Google Scholar (first 10 pages). Beyond this, additional searches
were conducted by consulting the reference list of the literate from the
structured search in November 2011. This also allowed us to capture potential
multi-species study (e.g., Chanchani et al. 2010)
that included argali. We used the flowchart provided in Haddaway
et al. (2017) to organize our search. This included reading title and abstract
of each publication, and if they didn’t directly pertain to argali research in
India, then they were excluded from the review. Duplicates were removed as
well.
Post this first round of
screening, all the applicable publications were downloaded and read in full.
Information including location of the study, year, publication type, and main
theme of publication (see Table 1) were recorded. The literature review was
conducted to construct a knowledge of base available for argali in India and
identify key gaps.
Field surveys, study area and
data collection
In India, Tibetan Argali are
known to occur primarily across the Changthang region
of Ladakh (Namgail et al.
2009; Reading et al. 2020). This falls within the Leh
district of the Union Territory of Ladakh. This area
is an arid and cold high elevation desert with low rainfall and low primarily
productivity (Chundawat & Rawat 1994). The
vegetation of Ladakh is classified as ‘Dry Alpine
Scrub’ (Champion & Seth 1968). Temperature can vary from summer highs of 300C
to below -350C in the winters. This cold desert is characterized by
dry plateau of rolling hills. Average elevation in Changthang
is 4,500 m, ranging between 4,000–6,500. Apart from the Tibetan Argali, Changthang is home to sizeable population of other
ungulates including Blue Sheep Pseudois nayaur and Tibetan Wild Ass Equus kiang. Beyond
these, small groups of Tibetan Antelopes Pantholops
hodgsonii, Tibetan Gazelle Procapra
picticaudata, and Wild Yak Bos grunniens are also found in remote regions of Changthang. Main predators in this region are Tibetan
Wolves Canis lupus chanco,
Snow Leopard Panthera uncia,
and Eurasian Lynx Lynx lynx.
These wildlife populations are
spread across the landscape and not confined to protected areas. Albeit with
low densities, human populations live in this low-productivity, highly seasonal
landscapes. They have evolved a distinct lifestyle and culture, and have
traditionally been pastoralists and agro-pastoralists.
One of the mainstay of the local culture and economy is rearing of Changra goats that yield ‘pashmina’, i.e., cashmere
(Singh et al. 2009).
We compiled published data and
gather secondary information about the occurrence and abundance of argali
across Ladakh (assisted by the literature review). To
do the latter, we visited local herders in the Tsokar
basin, Sumdoo TR, Korzok, Nyoma, Gya-Miru, Kharnak, Chumur, Hanle, Chushul, Tsaga, Man-Merak, Tangtse, Kuyul-Demchok, Tukla, and Himya and asked if
they had seen Tibetan argali (locally known as ‘Nyan’ for males and ‘Nyanmo’ for females) in their vicinity in the past two
years. The population in Hemis National Park is well
documented in different studies and reports and hence we did not do secondary
surveys in this region. A total of 30 key-informants were engaged (i.e., two
key-informants per village). Alongside, we spoke to five knowledgeable wildlife
protection department officials to gain further information. Given that argali
are known to be migratory, information on potential migratory routes was noted
in an attempt to delimit potentially separate populations.
Upon finishing the secondary
surveys, the team identified two relatively large populations of Tibetan argali
in Tsaba valley (within the Gya-Miru
region) and around Mirpal Tso (near Chushul village). In March 2020, we used the mark-recapture
theory based double-observer method (Forsyth & Hickling 1997; Suryawanshi et al. 2012) to survey both these areas.
Individually identifying ungulates is challenging given their similarities in
appearance across age and sexes. Nonetheless, ungulate groups can be identified
due to peculiarities such as their size, age-sex composition and location;
albeit temporarily. During the surveys the units being “marked” and
“recaptured” are ungulate groups. This is done by two teams surveying for and
enumerating animals either simultaneously or sequentially in the same area.
They do so while strictly ensuring they don’t influence each other on the
animal detection. This method has been used to conduct reliable population
estimation for several mountain ungulate species, including argali across
central and southern Asia (Tumursukh et al. 2015; Chetri et al. 2017; Suryawanshi
et al. 2020; Khanyari et al. 2021).
Both the survey area, Tsaba valley and Chushul-Mirpal
Tso were further divided into smaller blocks that could be visually covered by
a team of observers on a survey occasion. The terrain and logistics determined
the shape and size of these survey blocks. Each block was surveyed keeping
three assumptions in mind: 1) each block had entire visual coverage, 2) areas
within blocks were surveyed independently by two teams who were separated by
time (15 minutes), 3) ungulate groups could be individually identified based on
the age-sex composition of the herd, location and any other noticeable
peculiarities. The data collected included group size and group
detection/non-detection by each observer team. The ‘mt’
model with a uniform prior was fitted using the function BBRecap
to estimate number of argali groups (Ĝ) in each site. “mt”
is the standard temporal effect with no behavioral effect. Owing to the fact
that these were first attempted double observer surveys in the sites, we used
uninformed uniform priors. We carried out 10,000 mcmc
iterations with 1,000 burn in.
In Tsaba
valley, we covered 6 blocks along 62 km survey trails (31 km for each observer)
while in Chushul-Mirpal Tso we six blocks along 51 km
survey trails (25.5 km for each observer). In both sites, each team used a pair
of binoculars to scan and classify ungulate groups. Topographic maps of the
areas and local knowledge of herders and wildlife protection department
officials was used to determine survey trails. To account for the effect of
activity patterns (if any) on sightings of the study species, we started all
surveys just post sunrise (Fattorini et al. 2019).
Each team had one or two trained persons. Same number of observers per team per
surveys was kept to standardize effort. Overall, six observers were involved in
the surveys.
Data analysis
For the literature review and the
secondary surveys in Ladakh, we used descriptive
statistics to display the data. For the population estimation, we used the
Bayesian framework in “BBRecapture” package to
estimate total number of argali groups (Fegatelli
& Tardella 2013; R Development Core Team Version
3.3.4 2020). Number of groups was the unit of analysis as recommended by Suryawanshi et al. (2012). A group was coded ‘11’ if both
teams observed it, ‘10’ if only the first team observed it and ‘01’ if only the
second team observed it.
The detection probability for
observer teams one and two was interpreted from the estimated detection
probability by model ‘mt’ for occasion one and two.
The total population (Nest) for each landscape was estimated as a product of
the estimated number of groups (Ĝ) and the estimated mean group size (µ). In
order to estimate the confidence intervals of the population using both the
mean group size and estimated number of groups, we generated a distribution of
estimated group size by bootstrapping 10,000 times with replacement. A
distribution of estimated population (Nest) was generated by multiplying 10,000
random draws of estimated number of groups (Ĝ), weighted by the posterior
probability and draws of mean group size (µ). The estimated population (Nest)
was the median of the resultant distribution while the 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles
were used as the confidence intervals.
Density was obtained by dividing
the estimated abundance by the total area sampled, which was obtained by
summing areas of all the surveyed blocks. We demarcated and obtained areas of
blocks on Google Earth Pro post the survey. These included areas that were
visible from the trails.
Additionally, we conducted 10,000
bootstraps to assess the 95% confidence intervals of the proportion of
individuals of different age-sex classes (adult male, adult female, and young)
using herd as the sampling unit. The median values were used as the estimates,
while the 0.025 and 0.975 quartiles were used as 95% confidence intervals.
Results
Literature review
We found 27 studies on Tibetan
Argali in India. These included 19 peer-reviewed scientific papers, seven
reports and one book chapter. Majority of the studies were conducted in Ladakh
(n = 19), followed by Sikkim (n = 4), Himachal Pradesh (n = 2) and Uttarakhand
(n = 1). Overall studies covered four major themes: records (n = 12),
conservation (n = 7), ecology (n = 7), and evolution (n = 1). Interestingly,
not only have the number of studies increased since 2000 (n = 19 compared to n
= 8 before 2000), but researchers are also studying newer themes beyond just
presenting records of Argali (Figure 1). Nonetheless, records have remained the
major theme of study through time.
Tibetan Argali in Ladakh
Records of Tibetan argali in Ladakh based on compiling published data and secondary
information are listed in Table 2 and displayed in figure 2. In Tsaba valley, the double-observer survey abundance of
argali was 104 (98–123), whilst in Chushul-Mirpal Tso
was 76 (57–148). The estimated density of argali in Tsaba
was 0.34 argali km-2 (0.32–0.40) and in Chushul-Mirpal
Tso was 0.15 argali km-2 (0.12–0.30) (Table 3 and Figure 3a). Table
3 summarises different parameters such as detection
probabilities, estimated number of groups, mean group size, and age-sex ratios
of each of the populations and species. The age-sex class proportion were
comparable between Tsaba and Chushul-Mirpal
Tso (Figure 3b).
Discussion
India forms the edge of the
distribution for the Tibetan Argali (Image 1) and often it is such at range extremities that local population decline, leading
to local extinctions as populations become fragmented and disconnected (Boakes et al. 2017). Added to this is the fact that Tibetan
argali is known to be found in fragmented and disconnected groups across its
range in India (Namgail et al. 2009; Chanchani et al. 2010). This is similar to many other
ungulate species from the Indian Himalaya like the Kashmir Red Deer (Hangul) Cervus elaphus hangul (Ahmed et al. 2009). Our study shows that limited research has
been conducted on Tibetan Argali in India (n = 27 studies). This is perhaps
similar for other sympatric Caprinae species in the
region such as Ladakh Urial,
Ovis orientalis vignei (e.g., Khara et al.
2020), highlighting the need for focussed
research on mountain ungulates across the country and the larger central and
southern Asian Mountain ecosystem. The total number of studies might be an
underestimate considering our search didn’t extend beyond the English language,
and likely missed studies in grey literature that are often not easily
accessible through online web searches (Haddaway et
al. 2017). Old hunting records (dating back to early 20th century)
(e.g., Ward 1924) and government archives are potential repertoire of
information on argali in India, albeit with varying difficulty in accessing its
content. Nonetheless, it is encouraging to see increased research outputs post
2000, particularly covering various research themes. For effective conservation
of argali to occur in India, it is critical to build a research base of robust
and integrated information than helps conservationists not only understand the
species better but also delimit conservation priorities and test their
effectiveness (e.g., Williams et al. 2020).
Furthermore, our study provides
an update on the status and distribution, along with providing robust
population estimates and population parameters for two important populations of
Tibetan Argali in Ladakh. While an in-depth and
updated threat assessment is needed to understand contemporary threats to
argali, our literature review highlighted majors conservation concerns to be:
transboundary concerns (lack of coordinated conservation across the
international border), and anthropogenic disturbances (competition and
disturbance from livestock grazing and habitat loss) as the main threats to
this region’s argali populations. Based on our surveys and the secondary
information collected, we estimate that the Tibetan argali population in Ladakh to be slightly higher than 300–360 as reported by Namgail et al. (2009). The bulk of the argali population
seems to be present in the Tsaba-Tsokar, Chushul-Mirpal Tso, Phobrang-Chhang
Chenmo, and Kharnak
populations, although more research is needed to understand potential seasonal
movement of argali to better delimit geographically separate populations. While
there are signs of some increase in numbers (e.g., Namgail
et al. 2009 report around 10–20 argali from Kharnak
while our surveys suggest c. 75 argalis), there seems
to be no substantial change in the population of argali in Ladakh
since the late 1980s.
Nevertheless, several challenges
remain while studying and attempting to conserve argali populations in Ladakh an India at large. For instance, due to their
proximity to the Indo-Sino border, areas supporting population like the Phobrang-Chhang Chenmmo, Quin
Tso-Chumur, and Chushul-Mirpal
Tso often have restricted access. This is also true for the Tso Lhamo population in Sikkim (Chanchani
et al. 2010). Volatility along the borders renders these population
particularly vulnerable from a conservation point of view (Mendiratta
et al. 2021). Additionally, due to its vast territory, the areas home to the Kharnak population proves to be a logistic challenge to survey;
especially as large area remain inaccessible for nearly six months of including
and either side of winter. As most of the migrating population of argali share
pastures seasonally with various transhumance pastoral communities that have
their social, cultural and political differences (Singh et al. 2013),
conducting meaningful stakeholder meetings to then have effective on-ground
action remains a huge challenge (Allen & Singh 2016).
Even though there has been a ban
on hunting of Argali since the 1980s, Ladakh has seen
substantial levels of socio-economic changes primarily due to expansion of
defense, tourism and development infrastructure (Bhatnagar et al. 2006; Dollfus 2012). There is a possibility that these activities
are limiting argali population recovery by negatively influencing habitat use.
Alongside, the role of exploitative and interference competition from livestock
grazing and collateral activities in hindering recovery of argali populations
needs more research (Namgail et al. 2007; Butt &
Turner 2012).
Therein is an urgent need to
consider Tibetan argali as a priority species for conservation in India. As a
first step towards that, we set robust population baselines for two remaining
strongholds of argali populations in Tsaba and Chushul-Mirpal Tso. While we intended to do so, robust on
ground surveys were not possible in Kharnak and Phobrang-Chhang Chenmo due to
logistical and COVID-19 related constraints. Robust population estimates over
time help in determining population trends (Mihoub et
al. 2017). Conservation status assessment of any species requires rigorous
monitoring of their abundances (Lindenmayer et al.
2013). An initial population reference can aid in framing conservation
objectives by helping assess feasibility, concentrate effort, and define time
period within which progress can be evaluated (Bull et al. 2014).
Our estimated argali densities
for Tsaba and Chushul-Mirpal
Tso are lower than many other sites across argali’s central Asia range known to
harbor good argali population (e.g., Wingard et al. 2011; Khanyari
et al. 2021), while being comparable to estimates presented by Tumursukh et al. (2015) from the Tost
mountains, in Mongolia. A factor driving lower densities of argali from our
sites might be the clustering of groups within the study sites, driven
primarily by forage availability, competition with sympatric livestock and wild
ungulates and species natural history. This merits further research.
Additionally, both our argali
populations were female-biased, like most mountain ungulate populations (Berger
& Gompper 1999). Not only are males
disproportionately predated upon, but in polygynous mating species like argali,
males expend higher costs than females during rut which can lead to reduced
mating male survival. This can be exacerbated in resource limited systems
(Berger & Gompper 1999; Toigo
& Gaillard 2003). Alongside, factors such as selective hunting of
prime-aged males for trophy hunting or through poaching can further aggravate
the female-bias. We also find low young to female ratio for both sites (Table
3). Ekernas et al. (2016) suggest that argali
populations with young to female ratios <0.5 are potentially declining. Our
surveys were conducted in March. To better understand the dynamics of this
population, it would be important to conduct the surveys in summer, soon after
the birth season.
Finally, it would be useful to
update the conservation status of argali, not only throughout their range, but
particularly Tibetan Argali in neighboring regions such as China and Nepal to
get a an overall status in the region. Kusi et al.
(2019) compiled historical data and their own observation data to discuss the
present distribution of Tibetan Argali in Nepal. They also recommend management
of livestock numbers, promotion of traditional grazing practices and raising
conservation awareness as long-term conservation strategies for the species.
The Tibetan plateau houses the largest known Tibetan Argali population,
numbering into a few thousands. However they have seen recent declines
primarily due to habitat loss and hunting (Harris 2010). Schaller (1998)
provides a good overview of historic records, and although some early explorers
seemed to find them common, most reported them as rare. Contemporary Chinese
policy aims to conserve argali using two main strategies—nature reserves and
international hunting areas (Harris 2010). Given the proximity of the India,
Nepalese and Chinese population to their respective country borders, it is
important to consider a transboundary strategy to conserve them.
Conclusion
Across India and larger central
and southern Asian mountain ecosystem, it is important that more research is
conducted on various conservation aspects concerning the Tibetan Argali and
other Caprinae species. Specifically, in Ladakh, we recommend that continual monitoring of the Tsaba and Chushul-Mirpal Tso
populations are done. Alongside continually monitoring these populations,
in-depth threat assessment and stakeholder engagement, especially with the agro-pastoral communities that share their pastures with
argali, is needed to delimit both contextually-appropriate and effective
conservation interventions for argali in India.
Research ethics/best practice
statement
Research conducted complied with
the laws and regulation of India (Union Territory of Ladakh)
where the study was performed. The required permission was obtained from the Ladakh Wildlife Protection Department. For the primary
survey, none of the procedures performed involved any animal handling and were
in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. For
the secondary surveys, were made sure to obtain oral consent for all
respondents – written consent was not possible as many respondents were not
literate. We ensured all information provided by informants was anonymized and
interviews were not conducted if the respondent did not feel comfortable.
Interviews with individuals were only conducted after taking permission from
village elders and the village headman. Ethics clearance was obtained from the
research ethics committee from the University of Bristol.
Table 1. Major themes of
publication.
Theme |
Definition |
Records |
Only presence of argali from
locations is reported |
Ecology |
Studies that investigate how
argali interact with their surroundings |
Conservation |
Studies that explicitly
investigate conservation threats to argali and their potential solutions.
These studies can have policy relevance |
Evolution/ Phylogenetic |
Studies that relate to the
evolutionary development and diversification of argali |
Other |
None of the above theme are
directly applicable. |
Table 2. Records of Tibetan
Argali in Ladakh.
Location |
Occurrence and abundance* |
Source of information |
Notes |
Hemis National Park |
c. 20 argali |
Namgail 2001 |
Interviews with wildlife
protection department suggested this population persists and is likely to be
resident. 3 adult males, 11 adult
females, 1 yearling and 5 lambs |
Gya-Miru region (Tsaba valley) and neighboring Tsokar
basin |
127 argali |
Namgail et al. 2009 |
Survey area was 472 km-2
(0.3 argali km-2) According to local knowledge
this population of argali spend winter/rutting in the Tsaba
valley catchment (within Gya-Miru proposed Wildlife
sanctuary) and migrate to the adjacent Tsokar Basin
in the summer. |
Kuyul-Demchok-Skagjung region |
c. 30 argali near Demchok and Skagjung |
Namgail et al. 2009,
anecdotal observation of our field team and interviews with local herders. |
Believed to be move between
India and China. Anecdotal observation by our
field team in November 2020 near Demchok (4
argali). |
Phobrang- Chhang Chenmo |
c. 100 argali |
Namgail et al. 2009; Shawl
et al. 2011 and our interviews |
Interviews suggested argali are
found in and around the Chhang Chhenmo
valley throughout the year. |
Quin Tso-Chumur |
c. 10–15 argali |
Namgail et al. 2009 and
anecdotal sighting |
At least 2 adult males, 3 adult
females, 3 yearlings, 2 kids sighted in November 2020 Interviews with local herders
confirmed atleast 30 Argalis
in the area exhibiting movement between India and China. |
Tsaga la region |
Present |
Interviews with local herders
and confirmed by wildlife protection department. |
Numbers are unknown but
believed to be less than 20 |
Kharnak |
c.75 argali |
Interviews with local herders
and anecdotal sights |
2 groups of Argali were spotted
by the field team. One of the groups had 29 argali (primarily consisting of females and yearlings) and 19
argali (primarily consisting of adult males). Herders in the valley confirmed
that around 75 argali might inhabit this area and exhibit movement within the
valley throughout the year. |
Chushul – Mirpal Tso region |
c. 70–100 argali |
Interviews with local herders
and confirmed by wildlife protection department and wildlife researchers |
Local herders suggested that
argali here move between Mirpal Tso region and
Upper Yaya tso region depending on the season. |
Table 3. Information about
Tibetan Argali populations in Tsaba Valley and Mirpal Tso-Chushul landscapes, Ladakh, India.
|
Tsaba Valley |
Chushul-Mirpal Tso |
Area (km2) |
306 |
497 |
Minimum count (Obs
1 & 2 combined) |
98 |
57 |
Estimated Population (95% CI) |
104 (98–123) |
76 (57–148) |
Density |
0.34 (0.32–0.40) |
0.15 (0.12–0.30) |
P1 |
0.74 |
0.60 |
P2 |
0.79 |
0.53 |
Obs 1 Total |
89 |
47 |
Obs 1 group |
13 |
7 |
Obs 2 Total |
89 |
32 |
Obs 2 group |
14 |
6 |
Common Groups |
11 |
4 |
Total Groups |
17 |
9 |
Range of Group Sizes |
3–15 |
5–12 |
Mean Group Size |
6.1 |
6.3 |
Prop Male |
0.37 (0.18–0.59) |
0.37 (0.10–0.76) |
Prop Female |
0.51 (0.29–0.72) |
0.50 (0.20–0.72) |
Prop Young |
0.12 (0.03–0.21) |
0.13 (0.02–0.20) |
M:F |
0.72 |
0.74 |
Y:F |
0.24 |
0.26 |
Note table 2: detection
probabilities (P1 = first observer; P2 = second observer), individual ungulates
seen by each observer (Obs 1 total and Obs 2 total),
Individual number of groups seen by each observer (Obs
1 groups and Obs 2 groups), number of groups seen by
both, i.e. recaptures (Common groups), mean group size, proportion of male,
female, and young with 95% confidence intervals. M:F and Y:F displays the male
to female ratio and the young to female ratio respectively using the estimated
proportional values for each age-sex class.
For
figures & image - - click here for full PDF
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