Lessons for Transboundary Snow Leopard Conservation: Findings From a GPS Telemetry Study in Kangchenjunga Conservation Area, Nepal

Abstract

Ensuring the long-term persistence of snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in changing landscapes requires a deep understanding of their spatial ecology and movement behavior. To maintain viable metapopulations and ensure gene flow between populations, there is an urgent need to develop sound and effective conservation plans. This study presents findings from Nepal's first GPS telemetry study of snow leopards, shedding light on their home range size, habitat selection, and transboundary movements. GPS data were collected from four snow leopard individuals in the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area, eastern Nepal, over tracking periods ranging from 20 to 659 days, yielding a total of 4707 location points. We used three home range estimators for analysis: local convex hulls (LoCoH), fixed kernels (Kernel), and minimum convex polygons (MCP). Our results show that home range sizes were 6 to 97 times larger than previous estimates for Nepal, with LoCoH estimates of 310 and 102 km² (MCP = 730 and 211 km²) for two adult females and 312 km² (MCP = 1032 km²) for one adult male. Three snow leopards crossed international borders five to seven times, spending, on average, 10%–34% of their time in neighboring countries (China and India), with 28%–50% of their home ranges overlapping India. Our study demonstrates that snow leopards in Nepal have home ranges that are significantly larger than previously documented and frequently cross international borders. These extensive transboundary movements highlight the need for stronger coordination between Nepal, China, and India to ensure the long-term conservation of snow leopards in this key region of their distributional range.

Keywords

GPS telemetry / habitat selection / home range / Kangchenjunga Conservation Area / Panthera uncia / transboundary movement

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2025 The Author(s). Integrative Conservation published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG).