Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Volume 49, Issue 2, Pages 105-113Publisher
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1017/S037689292200008X
Keywords
anthropogenic food; human-wildlife conflict; livestock predation; livestock waste; Ruaha National Park
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Funding
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Germany
- KLI Campbell and SA Huish, UK
- J Corlett, UK
- Friends of Serengeti Switzerland
- Minnesota Zoo Foundation's Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant Program, USA
- Idea Wild, USA
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The study investigates the relationship between livestock waste and predation on cattle, sheep, and goats by wild carnivores. The findings show that the likelihood of predation increases with the increase of waste from diseased and slaughtered cattle, and sheep deaths from starvation. However, the predation on goats is more likely in medium-sized villages, indicating a trade-off for predators between increased benefits of more livestock waste and the costs of higher human disturbance and diminishing natural prey abundance as village size category increases.
Wild carnivores are threatened by human activities, particularly by lethal responses to livestock predation. As natural prey populations decline, predation of livestock and consumption of discarded livestock 'waste' (carcasses and body parts) should increase. We investigated whether parameters linked to the production of livestock waste affected the likelihood of livestock predation. We interviewed 160 households near Ruaha National Park in Tanzania to obtain information on households, livestock ownership, predation and parameters linked to livestock waste production. Our analysis identified parameters that affected the likelihood of predation on cattle, sheep and goats. When these parameters were controlled for, we found an increased likelihood of cattle predation as waste from diseased and slaughtered cattle increased. Sheep predation was more likely and cattle predation was less likely as sheep deaths from starvation increased. Goat predation was more likely in medium-sized than smaller or larger villages, suggesting a trade-off to predators between the increasing benefit of more livestock waste and the costs of higher human disturbance and diminishing natural prey abundance as village size category increased. Our findings suggest that improved disposal of livestock waste from slaughtered cattle and measures to decrease cattle deaths from disease should reduce predation of highly prized cattle.
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