Co‐existence of predators, prey, and livestock in the Central Himalaya: Insights from multi‐species occupancy modeling

Abstract As grazing activities continue to expand, it is essential to understand how wild carnivores coexist with livestock disturbance in human‐dominated landscapes. Such information remains limited for the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, where snow leopards ( Panthera uncia ), grey wolves ( Canis lupus ), and their primary wild prey, the ungulate bharal ( Pseudois nayaur ), share habitat with livestock. We investigated their spatial co‐occurrence patterns using camera‐trapping datasets from the Qomolangma National Nature Reserve (QNNR) in the Central Himalaya and a multi‐species occupancy framework. Our results revealed widespread livestock presence across both sampling areas, including strictly protected zones. We found that snow leopards exhibited positive co‐occurrence with bharal, while wolves showed a positive spatial association with livestock. The occupancy patterns were also markedly driven by topographic factors: although snow leopards, bharal, and livestock tended to occur at lower elevations, snow leopards and bharal were more likely to occupy steeper areas, whereas livestock and wolves favored flatter terrain. These findings suggest that despite extensive livestock presence, snow leopards maintained a strong spatial association with their primary wild prey in steep terrain. In contrast, wolves' preference for flatter areas coincided with livestock distribution, possibly exacerbating the risk of livestock depredation and subsequent human–wildlife conflicts. This study demonstrates distinct habitat use patterns among wild carnivores, ungulates, and livestock in the Himalaya. These patterns reveal potential hotspots of livestock depredation in the QNNR and underscore grazing restriction as a key conservation strategy for fostering human–carnivore coexistence in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau.