Vulnerable Wildlife under Siege: A Comprehensive Threats Study in Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh, and Proactive Mitigation Pathways
Gaurav Kumar
Department of Biosciences, Himachal Pradesh University, Summerhill, Shimla – 171005, India.
Rakesh Kumar Negi
*
Department of Biosciences, Himachal Pradesh University, Summerhill, Shimla – 171005, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The Rupi-Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary (RBWS) is a protected area in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is an important biological area in the Western Himalayan biodiversity hotspot. It is a crucial safe haven for a wide range of threatened animals, such as Snow leopard Panthera uncia, Musk deer Moschus chrysogaster, Himalayan serow Capricornis sumatraensis thar, and Himalayan tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus. These species are essential to the trophic dynamics of high-altitude ecosystems and are increasingly threatened. The study was conducted from February, 2023 to January, 2025 to check various threats to the vertebrates of this sanctuary by direct observation as well as incorporating the expertise of forest officials, local people, and various stakeholders. The main human-caused impacts are habitat fragmentation and deforestation, Man-made fires, Human -wildlife conflict that are aggravated by pastoral encroachments. Natural dangers, such as changes in precipitation and temperature patterns caused by climate change, make the protection of biodiversity of this area even more challenging. To preserve the biodiversity and wildlife of the study area we suggested many holistic, adaptive management conservation strategies. If put into action through partnerships between the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, NGOs, and indigenous communities, these synergistic actions could help stop the loss of biodiversity and make RBWS a model of Himalayan conservation resilience.
Keywords: Rupi-Bhaba wildlife sanctuary, Himalayan biodiversity, threatened species, habitat threats, conservation strategies