As both a flagship and umbrella species, the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the most heavily invested species in conservation. Here, we report the wide distribution range retreat of the leopard (Panthera pardus, 81% loss), snow leopard (P. uncia, 38%), wolf (Canis lupus, 77%) and dhole (Cuon alpinus, 95%) from protected areas in the giant panda distribution range since the 1960s. The present findings indicate the insufficiency of giant panda conservation for protecting these large carnivore species and suggest that future conservation efforts should target restoring ecosystems with high trophic complexity to facilitate the recovery of large carnivore populations. Comparing historical records with contemporary camera trap surveys, the authors report widespread declines in the occurrence of four large carnivore species from protected areas within the distributional range of the giant panda.
Conférence sur les sciences particicipatives en Inde, #CitSciIndia2021 13-16 September 2021 en ligne. A la veille du Congrès UICN,, poursuivons ici nos voyages ailleurs. Voir aussi les sites web suivants : Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India et National Biodiversity Authority