IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Fernando, S. | |
| Evaluation of alternative strategies to limit leopard predation on livestock around Yala National Park, Sri Lanka | |
| 2016 Full Book | |
In recent years, many livestock herders living near Yala National Park, Sri Lanka have reported livestock losses due to predation by leopards (_Panthera pardus kotiya_). Despite herders' attempts to safeguard their cattle, livestock depredation remains an issue, sometimes causing herders to kill leopards in retaliation. In an effort to mitigate the human-leopard conflict, protective cattle enclosures made from steel pipes and mesh wire were introduced to prevent leopard attacks on cattle. This study aims to assess the severity of leopard predation on livestock, understand the methods used in retaliatory killings, examine the effectiveness of existing livestock protection methods, and evaluate the success of steel protective cattle enclosures on limiting livestock predation. The results indicate high predation rates on juvenile livestock, and indicate that poison is the leading cause of leopard fatalities. Furthermore, the majority of existing livestock protection methods did not significantly decrease predation rates, but protective cattle enclosures were very effective at reducing predation rates. However, high production costs make these enclosures an unsustainable solution. Subsequently, alternative policies like a governmentfunded compensation scheme for herders who endure livestock losses should be considered to minimize human-leopard conflict. |
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