Perceived Efficacy of Livestock-Guarding Dogs in South Africa: Implications for Cheetah Conservation

MacMillan, Douglas C. (2013) Perceived Efficacy of Livestock-Guarding Dogs in South Africa: Implications for Cheetah Conservation. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 37 (4). pp. 690-697. ISSN 1938-5463. (doi:10.1002/wsb.352) (Access to this publication is currently restricted. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided)

Abstract

Large wild carnivore predation on domestic livestock and the associated financial losses may increase efforts toward lethal control of carnivore populations. Livestock-guarding dogs could provide an effective alternative to such lethal control by mitigating depredation losses. Although this information is available in North America, the cost-effectiveness of guarding dogs has not been studied in other areas experiencing large carnivore depredation such as South Africa, where the socio-economic context is very different from that of North America. We assessed the costs and benefits of 97 livestock-guarding dogs working on 94 farms in South Africa between 2005 and 2011 by reviewing data collected from questionnaires on perceived depredation losses prior to and during guarding dog placement, rates of guarding dog behavioral problems, removals, and pre-senile mortality. Perceived livestock depredation ceased in 91% of guarding dog placements, with gross mean annual financial savings US$ 3,189/farm. Estimated annual program costs per year of the livestock-guarding dog program were US$ 2,780. However, 16% of guarding dogs had reported behavioral problems, with inattentiveness cited as the most common problem. Twelve percent of guarding dogs were removed from the program because of behavioral problems. Premature death was observed in 22% of guarding dogs, most often due to snake bites. Participating farmer tolerance toward cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), as well as cheetah-sighting frequency, appeared to increase during participation in the livestockguarding dog program. If further corrective behavioral and snake-aversion training were implemented, guarding dogs may offer a cost-effective method of non-lethal predator control and could potentially contribute to the long-term mitigation of human–carnivore conflict in South Africa.

Item Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1002/wsb.352
Uncontrolled keywords:	Acinonyx jubatus, cheetah, depredation, human–wildlife conflict, large carnivore conservation, livestock-guarding dog, South Africa.
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography H Social Sciences
Divisions:	Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation > DICE (Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology)
Depositing User:	Douglas MacMillan
Date Deposited:	14 Feb 2014 12:05 UTC
Last Modified:	29 May 2019 11:51 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/38288 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)