Livestock Farming in Upper Mustang Faces Threat from Increasing Snow Leopard Attacks

Livestock farming in upper Mustang is under growing threat due to a surge in snow leopard attacks, endangering a long-standing livelihood of the region’s residents.

The predatory attacks have become more frequent, killing domestic animals and spreading panic among locals. Livestock are being attacked both in pastures and enclosures within the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). However, there is no comprehensive data on the extent of the losses.

The combined impacts of increasing leopard attacks and shrinking pastureland caused by climate change have posed significant risks to livestock farming. The grasslands are thinning, leaving little grazing space for cattle, while blue sheep – a primary prey of snow leopards – are descending to lower altitudes in search of food. This movement draws snow leopards closer to human settlements, resulting in more frequent attacks on livestock.

In recent years, snow leopards have been sighted near villages such as Kagbeni. Two years ago, 79 Himalayan goats belonging to Mingmar Gurung from Dhakmar village were killed after a snow leopard breached the animal enclosure.

In the first week of this month alone, Nawin Kumar Gurung from Baragung Muktichhetra-3 lost four Himalayan goats to snow leopard attacks.

According to Ramesh Paudel, Office Chief of ACAP at Lomanthang, 13 domestic animals have been killed in the last 10 months. In the fiscal year 2079/80, 13 households in Mustang district reported the loss of 65 domestic animals.

The hardest-hit areas include Lomanthang, Loghekar Damodarkunda, Baragung Muktichhetra, Ghapajhong, and Thasang.

Animal husbandry is not only a primary source of income in Nepal’s Himalayan region but also holds cultural significance. The increasing snow leopard attacks are putting both the economy and traditional ways of life at risk.