Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Perceptions and livestock predation by felids in extensive cattle ranching areas of two Bolivian ecoregions

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Wildlife Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Human-carnivore conflicts arise as one of the most urgent carnivore conservation issues worldwide. Jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) coexist with livestock in much of their range and have been historically blamed for livestock predation. At present, livestock landscapes are increasing, enlarging the conflict scenario where local perceptions are vital to understand the context in which the conflict emerges and data of livestock predation become an effective tool to plunge into it. We assess local perceptions about felids and identify the bases of the conflict in the Bolivian Pantanal and dry forest ecoregions using livestock predation data. We interviewed local ranchers and crossed information with the governmental livestock database achieving a comprehensive study on the conflict, based on descriptive statistics for local perceptions and generalized linear mixed models for analyzing cattle predation by felids. The conflict appeared to be widespread since most ranchers suffered predation on cattle, especially in the Pantanal. Annual cattle loss is generally low (1.8%) with some exceptions that may magnify the generalized negative perception towards felids. Factors related to cattle management practices explained better felid predation on livestock rather than habitat quality of the ranch or ranchers’ attitude towards felids. We recommend local administrations to recover livestock predation data and to highlight the importance that husbandry practices may have to reduce cattle losses by felids.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson DR (2008) Model based inference in the life sciences: a primer on evidence. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Arispe, R. (2008). Looking for opportunities to protect the jaguar (Panthera onca) in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Jaguar News

  • Arispe, R., Rumiz, D., Venegas, C., Noss, A. (2006). El conflicto de la depredación de ganado por jaguar (Panthera Onca) en Santa Cruz, Bolivia In conference: Conflito Homem-Animal Ilheus

  • Athreya V, Odden M, Linnell JDC, Krishnaswamy J, Karanth U (2013) Big cats in our backyards: persistence of large carnivores in a human dominated landscape in India. PLoS One 8:2–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azevedo F, Murray DL (2007) Evaluation of potential factors predisposing livestock to predation by jaguars. J Wildl Manag 71:2379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagchi S, Mishra C (2006) Living with large carnivores: predation on livestock by the snow leopard (Uncia uncia). J Zool 268:217–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnham KP, Anderson DR (2002) Model selection and multimodel inference: a practical information-theoretic approach, 2nd edn. Springer-Verlag, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnham KP, Anderson DR (2004) Model selection and multimodel inference. Ecol Model 172:96–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Cavalcanti SMC, Gese EM (2010) Kill rates and predation patterns of jaguars (Panthera onca) in the southern Pantanal, Brazil. J Mammal 91:722–736

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavalcanti SMC, Marchini S, Zimmermann A, Gese EM, Macdonald DW (2010) Jaguars, livestock, and people in Brazil: realities and perceptions behind the conflict. Biol Conserv wild felids:383–402

  • Chapron G, Kaczensky P, Linnell JDC, von Arx M, Huber D, Andrén H, López-Bao JV, Adamec M, Álvares F, Anders O, Balčiauskas L, Balys V, Bedő P, Bego F, Blanco JC, Breitenmoser U, Henrik B, Bufka L, Raimonda B, Paolo C, Dutsov A, Engleder T, Fuxjäger C, Claudio G, Holmala K, Hoxha B, Iliopoulos Y, Ionescu O, Jeremić J, Jerina K, Kluth G, Knauer F, Kojola I, Ivan K, Miha K, Jakub K, Kunovac S, Josip K, Kutal M, Liberg O, Majić A, Männil P, Manz R, Marboutin E, Francesca M, Melovski D, Mersini K, Yorgos M, Myslajek RW, Nowak S, Odden J, Ozolins J, Palomero G, Paunović M, Persson J, Potočnik H, Quenette P-Y, Rauer G, Reinhardt I, Rigg R, Ryser A, Salvatori V, Tomaž S, Stojanov A, Swenson JE, László S, Aleksandër T, Váňa ET-SM, Veeroja R, Wabakken P, Wölfl M, Wölfl S, Zimmermann F, Zlatanova D, Boitani L (2014) Recovery of large carnivores in Europe’s modern human-dominated landscapes. Science (80- ) 346:1514–1517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chavez AS, Gese EM (2006) Landscape use and movements of wolves in relation to livestock in a wildland-agriculture matrix. J Wildl Manag 70:1079–1086

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chavez A, Gese EM, Krannich RS (2005) Attitudes of rural landowners toward wolves in northwestern Minnesota. Wildl Soc Bull 33:517–527

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conforti V, Azevedo F (2003) Local perceptions of jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) in the Iguaçu National Park area, south Brazil, vol 111. Bio Cons, pp 215–221

  • Conover, M. (2002). Resolving human-wildlife conflicts: the science of wildlife damage management. Lewis Publishers

  • Crawshaw P (2004) Depredation of domestic animals by large cats in Brazil. Hum Dimens Wildl 9:329–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dirección de Sanidad Agroalimentaria, 2011. Catastro Ganadero 2011. Secretaría de Desarrollo Productivo, Gobierno Departamental Santa Cruz de la Sierra

  • Estes J a, Terborgh J, Brashares JS, Power ME, Berger J, Bond WJ, Carpenter SR, Essington TE, Holt RD, Jackson JBC, Marquis RJ, Oksanen L, Oksanen T, Paine RT, Pikitch EK, Ripple WJ, Sandin S a, Scheffer M, Schoener TW, Shurin JB, Sinclair ARE, Soulé ME, Virtanen R, Wardle D (2011) Trophic downgrading of planet earth. Science 333:301–306

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foster R, Harmsen B, Valdez B, Pomilla C, Doncaster C (2010) Food habits of sympatric jaguars and pumas, across a gradient of human disturbance. J Zool 280:309–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foster RJ, Harmsen BJ, Macdonald DW, Collins J, Urbina Y, Garcia R, Doncaster CP (2014) Wild meat: a shared resource amongst people and predators. Oryx:1–13

  • Gilroy JJ, Ordiz A, Bischof R (2015) Carnivore coexistence : value the wilderness. Sci Lett 347:382

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Graham K, Beckerman AP, Thirgood S (2004) Human–predator–prey conflicts: ecological correlates, prey losses and patterns of management. Biol Conserv 122:159–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoogesteijn A (1993) Jaguar predation and consrvation: cattle mortality caused by felines on three ranches in the Venezuelan Llanos. Zool. Soc. London, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoogesteijn, A., Hoogesteijn, R. (2011). Estrategias anti-depredación para fincas ganaderas en latinoamérica: una guía. In: El Futuro Del Jaguar en el nuevo Milenio

  • Inskip C, Zimmermann A (2009) Human-felid conflict: a review of patterns and priorities worldwide. Oryx 43:18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, P., Nowell, K. (1996). Wild cats: status survey and conservation action plan. World Conservation Union; 2 edition

  • Jori, F., Bourgarel, M., Cavalcante Santos, C., Chardonnet, Philippe Zimmermann, A., Coelho, R., Mezeray, J.M. (2006). Importância da onça parda (Puma concolor) e onça pintada (Panthera Onça) no conflito com os fazendeiros no Pantanal e atitude dos fazendeiros para com a onça pintada. In Conference: Conflito Homem-Animal. Ilheus

  • Kissling D, Fernández N, Paruelo JM (2009) Spatial risk assessment of livestock exposure to pumas in Patagonia. Argentina Ecography (Cop) 32:807–817

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleiven J, Bjerke T, Kalterborn BP (2004) Factors infuencing the social acceptability of large carnivore behaviours. Biodivers Conserv 13:1647–1658

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maffei L, Cuellar E, Noss A (2004) One thousand jaguars (Panthera onca) in Bolivias Chaco? Camera trapping in the Kaa-Iya National Park. J Zool 262:295–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marchini S, Macdonald DW (2012) Predicting ranchers’ intention to kill jaguars: case studies in Amazonia and Pantanal. Biol Conserv 147:213–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mazolli M, Graipel M, Dunstone N (2002) Mountainlion depredation in southern Brazil. Biol Conserv 105:43–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michalski F, Boulhosa R, Faira A, Peres C (2006) Human–wildlife conflicts in a fragmented Amazonian forest landscape: determinants of large felid depredation on livestock. Anim Conserv 9:179–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mondolfi E, Hoogesteijn R (1986) Notes on the biology and status of the jaguar in Venezuela. In: Cats of the world: biology, conservation and management. National Wildlife Federation, Washington, pp 125–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmeira FBL, Crawshaw PG, Haddad CM, Ferraz KMPMB, Verdade LM (2008) Cattle depredation by puma (Puma concolor) and jaguar (Panthera onca) in central-western Brazil. Biol Conserv 141:118–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, T. a, Gentry, A.H., Foster, R.B., Emmons, L.H., Remsen Jr., J. V. (1993). The lowland dry forests of Santa Cruz, Bolivia: a global conservation priority. Rapid Assessment Program Working Papers

  • Polisar J, Maxit I, Scognamillo D, Farrell L, Sunquist ME, Eisenberg JF (2003) Jaguars, pumas, their prey base, and cattle ranching: ecological interpretations of a management problem. Biol Conserv 109:297–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • QGIS Development Team (2011). QGIS geographic information system. Open Source Geospatial Foundation Project. http://qgis.osgeo.org

  • Quigley HB, Crawshaw PG (1992) A conservation plan for the jaguar Panthera onca in the Pantanal region of Brazil. Biol Conserv 61:149–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rabinowitz A (1986) Jaguar predation on domestic livestock in Belize. Wildl Soc Bull 14:170–174

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabinowitz A, Zeller K (2010) A range-wide model of landscape connectivity and conservation for the jaguar, Panthera onca. Biol Conserv 143:939–945

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Development Core Team (2013) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. Available: http://www.R-project.org/

    Google Scholar 

  • Redpath SM, Young J, Evely A, Adams WM, Sutherland WJ, Whitehouse A, Amar A, Lambert R a, Linnell JDC, Watt A, Gutiérrez RJ (2013) Understanding and managing conservation conflicts. Trends Ecol Evol 28:100–109

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ripple WJ, Estes JA, Beschta RL, Wilmers C, Ritchie EG, Hebblewhite M, Berger J, Elmhagen B, Letnic M, Nelson MP, Smitz O, Smith D, Wallach A, Wirising AJ (2014) Status and ecological effects of the worlds largest carnivores. Science 343:1241484

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rosas-Rosas O, Bender L, Valdez R (2008) Jaguar and puma predation on cattle calves in Northeastern Sonora, Mexico. Rangel Ecol Manag 61:554–560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saenz, J., Carrillo, E. (2002) Jaguares depredadores de ganado en Costa Rica: ¿un problema sin solución? In El jaguar en el nuevo milenio: una evaluacio ́n de su estado, deteccio ́n de prioridades y recomendaciones para la conservacio ́n de los jaguares en America (eds R.A. Medell ́ın, C.L.B. Chetkiewicz, A. Rabinowitz, K.H. Redford, J.G. Robinson, E.W. Sanderson & A.B. Taber), pp. 127–137. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico/Wildlife Conservation Society, Mexico

  • Sanderson EW, Redford KH, Chetkiewicz CLB, Medellin R a, Rabinowitz AR, Robinson JG, Taber AB (2002) Planning to save a species: the jaguar as a model. Conserv Biol 16:58–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scognamillo D, Maxit I, Sunquist M, Polisar J (2003) Coexistence of jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor) in a mosaic landscape in the Venezuelan llanos. J Zool 259:269–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sillero-Zubiri, C., Treves, A., Sukumar, R. (2007). Living with wildlife: the roots of conflict and the solution. in: Macdonald, D., Service, K. (Eds.), Key topics in conservation biology. Blackwell Publishing, pp. 258–300

  • Soisalo MK, Cavalcanti SMC (2006) Estimating the density of a jaguar population in the Brazilian Pantanal using camera-traps and capture-recapture sampling in combination with GPS radio-telemetry. Biol Conserv 129:487–496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tortato FR, Layme G, Crawhaw PG, Izzo TJ (2015) The impact of herd composition and foraging area on livestock predation by big cats in the Pantanal of Brazil. Anim Conserv 18:539–547

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Treves A, Karanth KU (2003) Human-carnivore conflict and perspectives on carnivore management worldwide. Conserv Biol 17:1491–1499

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Venables WN, Ripley BD (2002) Modern applied statistics with S, Fourth edn. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Woodroffe R (1998) Edge effects and the extinction of populations inside protected areas. Science (80) 280:2126–2128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Woodroffe R, Redpath SM (2015) When the hunter becomes the hunted. Science (80) 348:1312–1314

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Woodroffe R, Thirgood S, Rabinowitz A (2005) People and wildlife. Conflict or coexistence? Cambridge University Press, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Zar JH (1999) Biostatistical analysis. Pearson Education, India

    Google Scholar 

  • Zarco-González M, Monroy-Vilchis O, Alaníz J (2013) Spatial model of livestock predation by jaguar and puma in Mexico: conservation planning. Biol Conserv 159:80–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmermann A, Walpole MJ, Leader-Williams N (2005) Cattle ranchers’ attitudes to conflicts with jaguar Panthera onca in the Pantanal of Brazil. Oryx 39:406–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Norka Rocha and Ricardo Barberí for their help in undertaking the questionnaires and the Anmi San Matías office (SERNAP) for the permission to conduct this research in protected areas. We also thank Miguel Camacho and Miguel Clavero for their helpful comments on the first drafts and Eva Moracho and two anonymous referees who have improved notably this paper.

Funding

Financial support of this work was provided by the Spanish Cooperation Agency (Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo) through a MAEC-AECID personal grant for the author.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, Spain

    Pablo Villalva & Francisco Palomares

Authors
  1. Pablo Villalva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Francisco Palomares
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pablo Villalva.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(DOCX 127 kb)

ESM 2

(DOCX 128 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Villalva, P., Palomares, F. Perceptions and livestock predation by felids in extensive cattle ranching areas of two Bolivian ecoregions. Eur J Wildl Res 65, 36 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-019-1272-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-019-1272-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation