Fostering community-based stewardship of wildlife in Central Asia: Transforming snow leopards from pests into valued assets

Abstract

Addressing humanwildlife conflict is an important requisite to managing rangelands for livestock and wildlife. Despite high altitudes, aridity, and relatively low primary productivity, the rangelands of Central Asia support a rich and diverse biodiversity including the endangered snow leopard that many herders perceive as a predator to be eliminated. Conserving this and other wildlife species requires carefully crafted interventions aimed at curbing depredation losses and/or reducing competition for forage, along with offering locally sustainable, environmentally friendly income-generating activities for supplementing pastoral household livelihoods. This is best achieved through a combination of incentives designed to foster sound rangeland and wildlife stewardship, along penalties or disincentives targeting herders who violate mutually agreed rules and regulations (including grazing norms and wildlife disturbance or poaching). When working toward the harmonious coexistence of people and wildlife, conservationists and rangeland practitioners need to seek the cooperation and build goodwill among herders and other stakeholders, including local government and private industry (especially the livestock production, mining, and tourism sectors).