Dietary composition of three sympatric carnivores in the high-altitude regions of Nepal

Understanding the diet and resource overlap among sympatric carnivores is essential for conservation in high-altitude ecosystems where human-wildlife interactions are increasing. We analyzed diet composition, prey preferences, and dietary overlap among three sympatric large carnivores, red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Himalayan wolf (Canis lupus), and snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in the Upper Mustang Nepal, using 111 scat samples. Prey selection was evaluated using Ivlev’s electivity index and dietary overlap was assessed with Pianka’s index based on Relative Biomass Killed (RBK) and Relative Individuals Killed (RIK). Red foxes showed strong specialization on small mammals, particularly rodents and pika. Himalayan wolves preferred large wild ungulates, with blue sheep being the most selected prey. Snow leopards consumed both large ungulates and smaller mammals, with a notable preference for pika. Dietary overlap was low between red foxes and the larger predators, but wolves and snow leopards exhibited high overlap based in RBK (0.79) but low overlap based on RIK (0.24). Although wild prey dominated numerically, livestock contributed substantially to biomass loss. These findings highlight the importance of wild prey populations and implementing targeted conflict-mitigation strategies.