Environmental correlates of livestock depredation by spotted hyaenas and livestock herding practices in a semi-arid communal landscape

Human population increase, expansion of anthropogenic activities and the subsequent decline of wildlife habitats have resulted in constant overlaps in the needs of people and wildlife, resulting in human-wildlife conflict. One of the key drivers of human-wildlife conflict is livestock depredation by carnivores. Most studies on human-wildlife conflict have been conducted in communal areas adjacent to protected areas; however, little has been done in communities far from protected areas. To understand the environmental correlates of livestock depredation events in a communal landscape far from protected areas, we used maximum entropy modelling to predict occurrence of spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) kill sites using distance from hills, homesteads, roads and tracks, streams and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). In addition, we investigated the livestock herding and kraaling practices of rural households in Nyamandi Communal Area, Zimbabwe. Distance to nearest homestead was the most important environmental correlate of kill site occurrence (85.8%), as more kills occurred nearer to homesteads. More households herded livestock in the wet than in the dry season, but interestingly, significantly more attacks occurred in the wet season than in the dry season (p < 0.05). We conclude that distance from homesteads is the most important correlate in the prediction of livestock depredation in this communal landscape.