Managing conflict between large carnivores and livestock

• Published in: Conservation biology 2018-02, Vol.32 (1), p.26-34
• Main Authors: van Eeden, Lily M., Crowther, Mathew S., Dickman, Chris R., Macdonald, David W., Ripple, William J., Ritchie, Euan G., Newsome, Thomas M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: animales guardianes del ganado; Animals; Biodiversity; carnivore; Carnivores; Carnivorous animals; carnívoro; Coexistence; conflicto humano – fauna; Conflicts; Continents; Control; control letal; Cultural values; Cultures; depredador; Environmental conditions; Environmental monitoring; Fauna; human–wildlife conflict; Incentives; Industry; Intervention; lethal control; Livelihoods; Livestock; livestock guardian animals; Livestock production; manejo no‐letal; Mitigation; nonlethal management; Policies; predator; Predators; Review; Wildlife conservation
• ISSN: 0888-8892; 1523-1739
• DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12959

Large carnivores are persecuted globally because they threaten human industries and livelihoods. How this conflict is managed has consequencesfor the conservation of large carnivores and biodiversity more broadly. Mitigating human-predator conflict should be evidence-based and accommodate people's values while protecting carnivores. Despite much research into human and large-carnivore coexistence strategies, there have been few attempts to document the success of conflict-mitigation strategies on a global scale. We conducted a meta-analysis of global research on conflict mitigation related to large carnivores and humans. We focused on conflicts that arise from the threat large carnivores pose to livestock. We first used structured and unstructured searching to identify replicated studies that used before-after or control-impact design to measure change in livestock loss as a result of implementing a management intervention. We then extracted relevant data from these studies to calculate an overall effect sizefor each intervention type. Research effort and focus varied among continents and aligned with the histories and cultures that shaped livestock production and attitudes toward carnivores. Livestock guardian animals most effectively reduced livestock losses. Lethal control was the second most effective control, although its success varied the most, and guardian animals and lethal control did not differ significantly. Financial incentives have promoted tolerance of large carnivores in some settings and reduced retaliatory killings. We suggest coexistence strategies be locationspecific, incorporate cultural values and environmental conditions, and be designed such that return on financial investment can be evaluated. Improved monitoring of mitigation measures is urgently required to promote effective evidence-based policy. Los carnívoros grandes son perseguidos en todo el mundo porque amenazan el sustento y las industrias humanas. En general, la forma en que se maneja este conflicto tiene consecuencias para la conservación de los grandes carnívoros y la biodiversidad. La mitigación del conflicto humano - fauna debería tener bases en las evidencias y debería acomodarse a los valores de las personas mientras protege a los carnívoros. A pesar de la amplia investigación sobre las estrategias de coexistencia entre humanos y carnívoros grandes, ha habido pocos intentos por documentar el éxito de las estrategias mitigantes del conflicto en una escala global. Rea