IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Rust, N.A.; Whitehouse-Tedd, K.M.; MacMillan, D.C. | |
| Predator-friendly farming: perceived efficacy of livestock guarding dogs in South Africa | |
| 2013 Conference Proceeding | |
Human-wildlife conflict between carnivores and livestock is unsustainable, can cause large financial costs upon livestock owners, whilst decreasing threatened carnivore populations through lethal predator control. Livestock guarding dogs (LGDs) may provide non-lethal mitigation by protecting stock from depredation but their cost-effectiveness has not been studied. This paper assesses the costs and benefits efficacy of 97 LGDs for limiting depredation on farms in South Africa between 2005 and 2011 by measuring depredation loss prior to and during LGD placement, rates of LGD behavioural problems, removals and presenile mortality. Livestock depredation ceased entirely in 91% of LGD placements, creating mean annual financial savings of $3,189 per farm. However, 28% of LGDs studied had behavioural problems, with inattentiveness being the most common of these, and 17% of LGDs were removed from the programme, predominantly due to behavioural problems. Premature death was observed in 22% of LGDs, mostly caused by accidents such as snake bite. If these problems can be addressed, LGDs offer an alternative to lethal methods to control currently practised by South African farmers and could potentially contribute to the long term avoidance of human-carnivore conflict in the region. |
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