Understanding Public Perceptions to Carnivores: Examining Communities in Upper Mustang, Nepal
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Date
2019-01-11
Authors
Upraity, Aakash
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
The Upper Mustang region in Western Nepal is a popular trekking destination with a primarily agropastoralist population. This study attempted to explain factors contributing to recorded perceptions on carnivores. The study was conducted in settlements around the town of Lo Manthang in the Mustang District of Nepal. The entire landscape is protected under the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), and no lethal or harmful retaliatory measures are allowed against wildlife. The area is one of various geographical, cultural, political, and social intersections, and I attempted to recognize which of these may have come into play in local perceptions to carnivores.
I talked to locals in 23 group interactions in 8 villages and collected their responses on a scaled questionnaire. All respondents owned livestock, and experienced frequent predation, most commonly by snow leopards. Most respondents (82%), however, were not in favour of lethal predation mitigation measures or population culling measures.