Domestic goats pose problems for native species

The global demand for cashmere has been identified as a threat to the endangered snow leopard and other species native to Central Asia.

According to a report published in the scientific journal, Conservation Biology, demand for cashmere has led to a rise in livestock production, which is posing a number of threats to native wildlife.

The UK is one of the top four importers of Mongolian cashmere, which comes from the lightweight under hair of domestic goats. Reportedly, Mongolia and China export 90 cent of the world's cashmere supply.

In order to meet this demand, researchers say local herders from Mongolia, India and China's Tibetan Plateau have increased livestock production. In fact, the population of domestic goats in Mongolia alone rose from five million to 14 million between 1990 and 2010.

These animals compete for the same food source as a number of native herbivores, including the saiga, chiru, wild horses, ibex, argali and bharal. Native species are also faced with the risk of being killed by domestic dogs owned by the herders.

Findings in the report indicate that human-animal conflicts are also on the rise as snow leopards prey on the cashmere goats, leading to retaliatory killings by the herders.

The report was co-authored by Joel Berger and Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar of the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Charudutt Mishra of the Snow Leopard Trust.

Mr Mishra says: "Understandably, indigenous herders are trying to improve their livelihoods, but the short-term economic gain is harming the local ecosystem.  

"By improving our understanding of the relationship between indigenous herders, local ecology and global markets, we can implement policies at the national and international level which are better designed to protect biodiversity while supporting the livelihoods of local communities."

Image courtesy of the Snow Leopard Trust