The human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a serious problem that affects both human and wildlife populations worldwide. This study investigates the prevalence and increasing trend of HWC in the Gaurishankar Conservation Area (GCA) of Nepal, with a specific focus on leopard (Panthera pardus) and Himalayan black bear (Ursus thibetanus laniger) as conflict-causing species. The study analyzes a decade of HWC data and identifies goats as the livestock most targeted by leopards. The Dolakha district of GCA experiences the highest number of conflicts, highlighting the need for mitigation measures in the area. In GCA, livestock attacks alone accounted for 85% of compensation, with the remaining 15% for human injuries. Annual attack reports have shown a significant increase, with a 33% rise year-on-year. The rule change in 2076 BS led to 57 more attacks than expected based on the previous year’s growth. While bear attacks showed no significant change post-rule alteration (t = 0.725, p = 0.5105), leopard attack reports surged from 1 to 60 annually, indicating a significant increase in reporting rates (t = 9.77, p = 0.0097). The findings emphasize the economic impact of HWC on local communities and suggest strategies such as increasing prey populations, promoting community education and awareness, enhancing alternative livelihood options such as eco-tourism, and implementing secure enclosures (corrals) to minimize conflicts and foster harmonious coexistence. This research addresses a knowledge gap in HWC in high-altitude conservation areas like the GCA, providing valuable insights for conservation stakeholders and contributing to biodiversity conservation and the well-being of both humans and wildlife. Keywords: Human-wildlife conflict; High altitude, Leopard; Himalayan black bear; Gaurishankar Conservation Area; Conservation intervention; Co-existence

Conservation of large carnivores like leopards requires large and interconnected habitats. Despite the wide geographic range of the leopard globally, only 17% of their habitat is within protected areas. In Nepal, leopards are distributed widely across the country but their status is not adequately studied which compromised the necessary conservation attention for the species. This study carried out sign-based occupancy survey across the Chure (the Himalayan foothills) range (~19,000 km2) to understand the habitat occupancy of leopards along with the covariates affecting their presence. The model-averaged leopard occupancy in the Chure range was 0.5732 (0.0082 SD) with a detection probability of 0.2554 (0.1142 SE). The top model included wild boar, ruggedness, presence of livestock and human population density as covariates. The β coefficient estimate from the model indicated the wild boar was the primary covariate contributing positively to the leopard occupancy followed by the presence of livestock, ruggedness and human population density. The detection probability of leopard was higher outside the protected areas, less in the densely vegetated areas, and higher in the area where there is a presence of livestock. Enhanced law enforcement and mass awareness activities are necessary to reduce poaching/killing of wild ungulates and leopard in the Chure range and to increase leopard occupancy. In addition, maintaining a sufficient natural prey base can contribute to minimize the livestock depredation and hence, decrease the human-leopard conflict in the Chure range.