Echo Friendly Solutions to Farmer-Predator Conflicts
When farmers get too close to the wild, they intrude upon the territory of the predators that live there, and tragedy tends to happen for both the farmer and the predators involved. These situations are known as "Farmer-Predator Conflicts". If a predator kills a farmers' livestock, many times the farmer goes out to hunt, trap, or poison the predators, which only rips apart the natural ecosystem that surrounds them. These solutions are not Eco-friendly. Many new techniques have started to come into use which are Eco-friendly, such as Livestock Guardian Dogs, Livestock Barrier Collars, using Deterrent Devices, (simple as it may sound) putting livestock away at night, using Shepherding techniques, or even putting a Donkey or Alpaca in the herd. Each of these techniques will be explained in detail below.
Livestock Barrier Collars(Web)
There are two widely used types of these collars: Dead Stop, and King Protection. These collars, designed for livestock, create a physical barrier on the neck, the most frequent area of attack for most "problem" predators.
Most predators find it hard to adapt their hunting strategies, and will cease the attack after a short while of no success. The figure to the right shows the results of Lethal Controls VS. Non-Lethal Management for predatory control, and it shows a significant decline in livestock losses for non-lethal management. Effectiveness: Highly Effective |
Deterrent Devices
These can include: Barriers (electrical fences and collars), smells, noises (gas cannons, bells and radios), and visual deterrents (flashing lights etc). These techniques not only helped reduce livestock losses, it also lessened the number of predators killed to protect livestock (Web). The simple measures are to put up a fence, or put a bell collar on the livestock. It is effective because predators are easily frightened (or they become unsure) by the noise, smell, light, or barrier.
Bell collars have been used with mixed success. It is recommended to use them intermittently at specific times, for example during lambing season, as predators can become desensitized to them if used continuously. They work well in conjunction with a livestock guarding animal as the bell alerts the guardian (Web). Effectiveness: Farmers are satisfied (Web). |
Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGD)
A livestock guarding dog is one that generally stays with sheep without harming them and aggressively repels predators. The dog chooses to remain with sheep because it has been reared from puppy hood with them (this makes the dogs bond with the flock/herd). Its protective behaviors are largely instinctive, and there is relatively little formal training required other than timely correction of undesirable behaviors (e.g., chewing on ears, over playfulness, and excessive wandering). The guarding dog is not a herding dog but rather a full-time member of the flock, and they must know how to react instinctively and independently (Web).
These dogs chase away and deter predators through growling and barking. As dusk approaches, the dogs begin to call out to each other and to predators. The LGD has sounds for each situation; when predators are around, it makes a distinctly recognizable bark that is quite different from the sounds made when the goat producer comes with feed or when a goat is down (Web). The Anatolian Shepherd is highly being used in Africa for its great success as a protector. Effectiveness: Very Successful (Web), The best method available (Web) |
Donkeys and Alpacas (Web)
Because Donkeys and Alpacas are natural herd animals, they fiercely and effectively protect members of the herd they are part of (even if it is not of the same species). They will kick, bite, and stamp at the predators until the threatening animal retreats, keeping their herd, and the predator population, safe.
Effectiveness: Highly Effective |
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