Effectiveness of low-cost deterrents in decreasing livestock predation by felids: A case in Central Mexico

Abstract

Livestock predation is one of the main types of conflict between felids and rural communities, resulting in negative effects on human livelihoods and the elimination of predators. It is therefore important to evaluate in the field the effectiveness of nonlethal control techniques that should be economically feasible and socially acceptable. Until now, the effect of deterrents on felids has not been assessed systematically. We hypothesized that the occurrence of alien objects or sounds would scare the felids away, at least temporally. In this study, we applied visual and auditory deterrents in paddocks in a natural reserve of Central Mexico. We performed field tests in six ranches with predation problems: four as treatment plots and two as controls. To test the effectiveness of deterrents, the numbers of tracks and photos of felids, and the number of attacks to livestock that occurred during the test period were compared between the treatment and the control ranches. We also performed a cost-benefit analysis to assess the feasibility of the application of deterrents. Deterrents were effective in reducing predation during the 2-month test. The benefit of their application was 11 times higher than the annual cost of handling of predation for cattle owners and 3 times for owners of goats. Deterrents appear a useful tool that could assist ranchers in livestock protection, indirectly contributing to the conservation of wild felids and promoting their coexistence with rural communities. © 2014 The Zoological Society of London.