Exploring wildlife predation in the Limpopo Province of South Africa: A double‐hurdle approach

Abstract

Predation is a well-known problem in South Africa with large losses in the small and large livestock sectors. Predation in the wildlife ranching industry has also become more of a concern, as the financial losses due to predation on valuable antelope species are large. Predation data for small, large, and scarce/colour-variant antelope Cependant, les m ethodes de contrôle de la pr edation sont sp ecifiques a l'esp ece d'antilope, et il faut donc tenir compte de l'esp ece en question pour prendre des d ecisions en mati ere de gestion

Downstream Economic Implications of Predation in the South African Red Meat Industry

“…Livestock producers globally have been trying to protect their domesticated animals from damage-causing predators for hundreds of years (Stadler, 2006). Predation in South Africa influence various agricultural sectors from livestock production to wildlife ranching (Badenhorst et al, 2015;Du Plessis et al, 2015;Kerley et al, 2018b;Schepers et al, 2018;Van Niekerk et al, 2021). The losses due to predation in South Africa happens against the backdrop of the livestock industry which plays a vital role in the agricultural sector.…”

“…Both the black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) and the caracal (Caracal caracal) are essential medium-sized predators in South African wildlife ecosystem, but they have a negative influence on the livestock farming and wildlife ranching industries (De Waal, 2009;Badenhorst et al, 2015;Schepers et al, 2018;Van Niekerk et al, 2021). The black-backed jackal and caracal are presently the main problem causing predators in most areas due to human intervention that interfered with their natural habitat and removed their significant natural competitors (Du Plessis et al, 2015;Kerley et al, 2018a).…”

“…Previous research ranges from wolverines in Norway, brown bears in Spain and blackbacked jackal and caracals in sub-Sahara Africa (Yom-Tov et al, 1995;Landa et al, 1999;Van Niekerk, 2021). These predators have the ability to cause significant damage in not only domesticated animal sectors but also in wildlife ranching sector (Schepers et al, 2018). All reviewed literature founded a direct negative financial implication of animal losses due to predation, whether it was domestic animals, livestock or wildlife (Moberly et al, 2003;Zimmermann et al, 2005;De Waal, 2009;Thorn et al, 2012;Wielgus and Peebles, 2014).…”

Conservation conundrum: Endangered predators eating endangered prey

“…In Karoo National Park, South Africa, when springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) numbers were artificially increased, their appearance in black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) scats became elevated, while boosting the lion population in the same location resulted in more large ungulates, such as kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), in jackal scats, probably due to scavenging (Fourie, Tambling, Gaylard, & Kerley, 2015). Among wildlife ranches in Limpopo Province, South Africa, the removal of predators did not reduce predation rate on some ungulates, probably because of a "vacuum effect," whereby an influx of predators undermined the removal strategy (Schepers, Matthews, & van Niekerk, 2018). Prey species will shift from preferred habitats with high predation to less preferred habitats with low predation and can become "invasive species" that degrade habitats and adversely influence the flora and fauna in their newly adopted ranges (Winnie & Creel, 2017).…”