Plateau animals

First Light Productions

Wildlife across North Central Asia

is being driven to the margins of survival by huge increases in the numbers of cashmere goats being set loose on wild grazing lands.

The goat herds  — a dramatic three-fold increase over the last two decades – are eating up the grass that previously supported antelopes, wild asses, yaks, camels, and other native wildlife. Loss of these prey species in turn affects the survival of predators, such as snow leopards, Asiatic leopards, bears and wolves living on the brink of extinction.

A study

published in the journal Conservation Biology, shows that 95% of all the forage across the Tibetan plateau, Mongolia and northern India was consumed by goats, sheep and other livestock, leaving just 5% for wild animals. The study concludes that expansion of the goat herds is most likely causing the decline of eight core species.

Zero sum game

Pressed for food…

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