786 C. Hacker et al.


TABLE 2 Results of interviews with 73 herders (67 men, six women), with demographics, perceptions of wild animal abundance, animal holdings, management practices, livestock loss and perceptions of threats to livestock.


Questions


Demographics Age (years)


No. of years of formal education No. of children


Perception of abundance (1[none]–7[many]) Blue sheep Pseudois nayaur Argali Ovis ammon Snow leopard


Animal holdings


% of herders who own species Mean (range) no. owned Total no. of animals


Management practices


% of herders who use practice Livestock loss in previous 5 years


No. of animals lost


Mean (range) no. of animals lost per household % of herders who lost livestock to snow leopards


Perception of threats % of herders who consider threat as greatest to livestock Answers Mean (range)


37.4 ± SD 10.7 (21–73) 2.0 ± SD 3.3 (0–12) 1.4 ± SD 1.9 (0–8)


Mean (range) 6.2 (1–7) 5.6 (1–7) 5.0 (2–7)


Yak 98.8


72.7 (0–250) 4,723


Insurance 56.2


Yak 75


Disease 36.7


Sheep 3.0


0.6 (0–20) 40


Guarding 33.8


Horse1 4


2.5 ± SD 2.2 (0–12) 45.8


Predation 43.3


Grassland degradation Drought 20.0


0.0 1All horses previously owned by interviewees had been predated, therefore horses are not listed under animal holdings.


Dog 71.2


1.2 (0–5) 81


Predator proof corrals 4.2


Total 79


TABLE 3 Principal Component Analysis factor loadings for Snow Leopard Positive and Snow Leopard Negative factors, mean Likert score for each question on a seven point scale (1, strongly disagree with statement, to 7, strongly agree with statement), and per cent agreement of herders to each statement.


Snow Leopard Positive loading score


We need snow leopards in the wild I enjoy seeing snow leopards


We need to keep snow leopards safe


I am concerned snow leopards will kill my animals (reversed)


I am afraid of snow leopards (reversed)


0.811 0.756 0.767


0.755 0.886


Snow Leopard Negative loading score


% of herders who


Mean Likert score


5.8 5.7 5.8 3.0


2.6


agree with statement


95.8 91.4 95.8 18.3


15.3


are neutral on statement


4.2 4.3 1.4 9.9


4.2


disagree with statement


0.0 4.3 2.8


71.8 80.6


95%CI −0.244–−0.063,P= 0.001), years of education (−0.099, 95%CI−0.174–−0.024,P = 0.010) and importance of snow leopards to religion (−1.119, 95%CI −2.175–−0.63, P=0.038; Supplementary Table 1).


Discussion


Similar to previous studies in China, herders had positive at- titudes towards snowleopards (Li et al., 2014, 2015;Alexander et al., 2015). The factors most strongly associated with posi- tive attitudes were more years of formal education and


fewer livestock lost. Education has previously been linked to positive attitudes towards snow leopards (Suryawanshi et al., 2014). In our study, age and education were negatively correlated, suggesting that younger herders are receiving more schooling. Reduced nomadism among Tibetans has decreased the income generated from traditional sources such a pastoralism, lessening the assistance families need from children and allowing time for schooling (Bauer, 2015). Students now have more opportunities for con- servation education in school and through organizations that inspire environmental protection (Shen & Tan, 2012). In addition, students learn to read, promoting lifetime


Oryx, 2021, 55(5), 783–790 © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605319001315


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