Mitigating conflict between wild cats and domestic animals

At times, the well-being of large carnivores seems like it’s at odds with the safety of domestic animals– but it doesn’t have to be. One of the concerns we frequently hear about the protection of large carnivores like pumas and other large felids is the safety of pets and livestock. Livestock losses are often cited as a major source of conflict between felids and humans. People may think that pumas are likely to eat livestock because they are carnivores and already prey upon wild herbivores.  

As human footprint expands and wildlife habitats shrink, human-felid interactions can increase, potentially leading to more encounters and negative interactions. Conflicts can lead to people calling for the removal of wild felids, but this is not the answer and could seriously damage ecosystem health. Large carnivores play an important role in ecosystems, affecting many key processes such as carbon sequestration and stream morphology. Pumas, for example, are considered keystone species that perform many ecosystem services. 

Livestock can be protected and there are many methods we can use to protect them, ranging from easily achieved individual-level actions to harder policy-based ones. By integrating these methods of domestic animal protection into daily life, the well-being of big carnivores, domestic animals, humans, and ecosystems can be ensured. 

It is important to understand that wild cats are risk-avoidant and prefer to stay away from humans. By employing methods to make one’s property seem risky for a wild cat, domestic animals such as grazing sheep and roaming pets seem less like an easy target. Wild felids rely on stealth and ambush tactics, so using tools that loudly detect and respond to their presence, such as alarm systems and especially livestock guardian dogs, can deter predators. Livestock guardian dogs have been used for thousands of years to watch over livestock and are known as an effective method for protection, though more research is needed to understand their impacts on the overall health of ecosystems.

Another strategy to reduce conflict with wild felids is to deter not just felids, but to also use strategies to deter wild herbivores. A 2020 study found that reducing urban deer as an attractant for pumas is “the single largest variable managers can influence to reduce potential conflict”. By reducing the presence of major prey sources for wild felids, the safety of domestic animals can be secured. Fencing, deer-repellent sprays, blood meal, scented soap, and planting deer-repellant vegetation (including pleasant aromatics like lavender, mint, and rosemary) will all help keep deer away. 

The effective management of domestic animals is also an important part of ensuring their safety. Keeping domestic cats and pet dogs indoors when they’re not being supervised can prevent them from being preyed upon. Timing domestic calving season with that of wild ungulates (e.g., deer) and building animal enclosures close to human dwellings also prevents livestock animals from being a target for wild felids. Wild cats are more likely to pursue easier prey further away from human influence; keeping one’s animals close and under supervision helps keep them safe. 

On the policy level, there are many important changes that can help ensure the safety of domestic animals. Eliminating food subsidies, or easily accessed food sources such as dead livestock, garbage, or other food will reduce the chances of attracting wild felids. This can be done on an individual level– retrieving dead livestock, locking up garbage, etc.– and on a policy level– with governmental support for quick roadkill removal, secured garbage disposal, etc. On a larger scale, the use of smart urban and regional planning strategies to prevent the further loss of wildlife habitat will reduce the chances that pumas and other wildlife are forced to use urban edge habitats. As human development spreads, this becomes an increasingly important avenue towards reducing human-wildlife conflict. 

Protecting the health and safety of domestic animals, humans, and wild cats depends on educating the public about the various methods available to discourage wild cats from preying on domestic animals. Education empowers individuals to protect their own animals and participate in creating positive policies for animal protection. By combining individual-level methods of protection and encouraging public participation in local government, we can increase the safety of domestic animals while also contributing to the health of wild cats and their ecosystems. 

For further reading and specific steps that can be taken to protect livestock and wild felids, check out Felidae’s guide to responsible landscaping.

References
Felidae Conservation Fund. 2022. Responsible Landscaping to Prevent Human-Wildlife Conflict.  https://felidaefund.org/images/publications/EBook-Bay%20Area%20Garden-02.pdf.

Guerisoli, M.d.l.M., Luengos Vidal, E., Caruso, N., Giordano, A.J. and Lucherini, M. 2021, Puma–livestock conflicts in the Americas: a review of the evidence. Mammal Review, 51: 228-246. 

LaBarge, L.R., Evans, M.J., Miller, J.R.B., Cannataro, G., Hunt, C., and Elbroch, L.M. 2022. Pumas Puma concolor as ecological brokers: a review of their biotic relationships. Mammal Review, 52: 360-376. 

Macon, D., Baldwin, R., Lile, D., Stackhouse, J., Rivers, C. K., Saitone, T., et al. 2018. Livestock Protection Tools for California Ranchers. http://dx.doi.org/10.3733/ucanr.8598. 

Mazzolli, M., Graipel, M. E., and Dunstone, N. 2002. Mountain Lion depredation in southern Brazil. Biological Conservation, 105: 43–51. 

Stoner, D., Mcdonald, Z., and Coon, C. 2023. Stepping stones to extirpation: Puma patch occupancy thresholds in an urban-wildland matrix. Ecology and Evolution. 13. 10381. 

Stoner, D. C., Ditmer, M. A., Mitchell, D. L., Young, J. K., and Wolfe, M. L. 2020. Conflict, coexistence, or both? Cougar habitat selection, prey composition, and mortality in a multiple-use landscape. California Fish and Wildlife Journal, 107: 147–172.

Ripple, W.J., Estes, J.A., Beschta, R.L., Wilmers, C.C., Ritchie, E.G., Hebblewhite, M., Berger, J., Elmhagen, B., Letnic, M., Nelson, M.P. and Schmitz, O.J., 2014. Status and ecological effects of the world’s largest carnivores.  Science, 343: 1241484.

Vercauteren, K. C., Lavelle, M. J., and Phillips, G. E. 2008. Livestock protection dogs for deterring deer from cattle and feed. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 72:1443-1448.