Build it, But Did They Come? Monitoring Winter Feeding Stations Use by Endangered Long-tailed Gorals

Winter supplementary feeding is widely adopted to support wild ungulates during forage scarcity, yet its ecological effectiveness for endangered mountain ungulates experiencing extreme weather-related mortality remains poorly understood. In the winter of 2023-2024, a mass mortality event of long-tailed gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus) in South Korea prompted the installation of emergency feeding stations in core habitats. We used camera traps to quantify feeding activity and assess how environmental and demographic factors shaped visitation. Long-tailed gorals fed primarily around midnight, deviating from their typical diurnal and crepuscular patterns. Feeding frequency increased when dried mulberry (Morus alba) leaves was available, snow covered the ground, and fawns were present. Conversely, visitation declined with warmer temperatures and rainfall. Agonistic interactions peaked during periods of feed depletion, indicating heightened competition over limited resources. Although several individuals occasionally gathered, most stations consistently supported only one or two individuals, reflecting limited reach at the population level. This study provides the first systematic assessment of endangered Long-tailed gorals behavioral and temporal responses to winter supplementary feeding, offering critical baseline data to evaluate and optimize conservation interventions for mountain ungulates.