Avoidance or coexistence? Exploring spatio‐temporal niche overlap between two sympatric ungulates barking deer and Himalayan goral in a multi‐use landscape of Uttarkashi district, Western Himalaya

Ungulates play a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the high mountain ecosystem by sustaining plant community structure and regulating predator populations. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the interaction of sympatric species in the mountainous landscape. In this study, we aim to investigate the seasonal, spatial and temporal overlap between two sympatric species, namely barking deer Muntiacus vaginalis and Himalayan goral Naemorhedus goral , in Uttarkashi, district of Uttarakhand. We employed niche equivalency and niche similarity tests to quantify the niche overlap of these sympatric species. A total of 99 trails were traversed, and 134 camera traps were deployed to collect data on the sympatric ungulate species. The finding of non‐significant niche similarity test statistics and significant background test statistics indicated that both sympatric ungulates have broad niche similarity relative to the same available environmental space throughout the year. Overall niche overlap index showed moderate to high (0.58); however, in summer it was moderate (0.54) and in winter it was low (0.34). We also investigated the temporal activity patterns of both species, where barking deer showed a diurnal and crepuscular pattern, with the highest peak activity during midday, while Himalayan goral was active throughout the day, with peak activity during morning and evening hours. The daily activity index Dhat value showed the highest temporal overlap was found in the winter season (0.78) and the lowest in the summer season (0.70). This study provided useful information to understand the coexistence pattern of sympatric ungulates in the Himalaya, which will be helpful for their long‐term conservation and management. Understanding these interactions provides insights into the mechanisms driving community structure and species persistence in increasingly complex ecosystems.