From Attitudes to Actions: Predictors of Lion Killing by Maasai Warriors

Hazzah, Leela; Bath, Alistair J.; Dolrenry, Stephanie; Dickman, Amy; Frank, Laurence G.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0170796

Cited by 56 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Respondents reported to having lost more livestock to carnivores when grazing their livestock, compared to when they were in a boma. While improving grazing practices may limit financial losses, in terms of carnivore conservation, it may be more efficient to focus on improving bomas, as this is where the retaliatory killing of carnivores is more likely to occur (Hazzah et al., ). Overall livestock depredation rates in our study were 3.4% and 3.6% of cattle and small stock, respectively, during a 3 month period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of human–carnivore conflict hotspots to prioritize mitigation efforts

Broekhuis

Cushman

Elliot

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Human–carnivore conflict is a primary driver of carnivore declines worldwide and resolving these conflicts is a conservation priority. However, resources to mitigate conflicts are limited and should be focused on areas of highest priority. We conducted 820 semistructured interviews with community members living within Kenya's Maasai Mara ecosystem. A multiscale analysis was used to determine the influence of husbandry and environmental factors on livestock depredation inside livestock enclosures (bomas). Areas with a high proportion of closed habitat and protected areas had the highest risk of depredation. Depredation was most likely to occur at weak bomas and at households where there were fewer dogs. We used the results to identify potential conflict hotspots by mapping the probability of livestock depredation across the landscape. 21.4% of the landscape was classified as high risk, and within these areas, 53.4% of the households that were interviewed had weak bomas. Synthesis and applications. With limited resources available to mitigate human–carnivore conflicts, it is imperative that areas are identified where livestock is most at risk of depredation. Focusing mitigation measures on high‐risk areas may reduce conflict and lead to a decrease in retaliatory killings of predators.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of human–carnivore conflict hotspots to prioritize mitigation efforts

Broekhuis

Cushman

Elliot

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Various hypotheses including predator behavior, prey preferences, predator hunting strategies, and the cultural traditions of the local people have been proposed to explain the reasons for lions' being more vulnerable to retaliatory killing (Kissui, 2008). Whatever the underlying mechanisms are, high rates of retaliatory killings of lions are a substantial challenge for lion conservation in this landscape and need urgent conservation action involving pastoralist communities to promote changes in attitudes and increase tolerance (Dickman, 2010;Hazzah, Bath, Dolrenry, Dickman, & Frank, 2017;Mutanga, Vengesayi, Gandiwa, & Muboko, 2015;Odebiyi, Ayeni, Umunna, & Johnson, 2015). Ultimately, retaliatory killing of lions might increase livestock depredation, because spotted hyena populations may substantially increase when lion populations are reduced by human interventions (e.g., Green, Johnson-Ulrich, Couraud, & Holekamp, 2018).…”

Section: Characteristics Of Carnivore Raids In Bomas and Retaliatormentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of livestock depredation and cost‐effectiveness of fortified livestock enclosures in northern Tanzania

Kissui

Kiffner

König

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Human–carnivore conflicts and retaliatory killings contribute to carnivore populations' declines around the world. Strategies to mitigate conflicts have been developed, but their efficacy is rarely assessed in a randomized case–control design. Further, the economic costs prevent the adoption and wide use of conflict mitigation strategies by pastoralists in rural Africa. We examined carnivore (African lion [Panthera leo], leopard [Panthera pardus], spotted hyena [Crocuta crocuta], jackal [Canis mesomelas], and cheetah [Acinonyx jubatus]) raids on fortified (n = 45, total 631 monthly visits) and unfortified (traditional, n = 45, total 521 monthly visits) livestock enclosures (“bomas”) in northern Tanzania. The study aimed to (a) assess the extent of retaliatory killings of major carnivore species due to livestock depredation, (b) describe the spatiotemporal characteristics of carnivore raids on livestock enclosures, (c) analyze whether spatial covariates influenced livestock depredation risk in livestock enclosures, and (d) examine the cost‐effectiveness of livestock enclosure fortification. Results suggest that (a) majority of boma raids by carnivores were caused by spotted hyenas (nearly 90% of all raids), but retaliatory killings mainly targeted lions, (b) carnivore raid attempts were rare at individual households (0.081 raid attempts/month in fortified enclosures and 0.102 raid attempts/month in unfortified enclosures), and (c) spotted hyena raid attempts increased in the wet season compared with the dry season, and owners of fortified bomas reported less hyena raid attempts than owners of unfortified bomas. Landscape and habitat variables tested, did not strongly drive the spatial patterns of spotted hyena raids in livestock bomas. Carnivore raids varied randomly both spatially (village to village) and temporally (year to year). The cost‐benefit analysis suggest that investing in boma fortification yielded positive net present values after two to three years. Thus, enclosure fortification is a cost‐effective strategy to promote coexistence of carnivores and humans.

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“…The causes of the decline in lions are multifactorial. Lions have been hunted by humans for thousands of years, possibly first as a direct competitor and threat to survival [23], for initiation rituals and rites of passage [24][25][26], to reduce predation of domesticated animals, and more recently for sport [27][28][29][30]. The illegal trade in lion parts and illicit breeding practices has escalated over the past 10 years, bringing hunting practices and international laws into the spotlight.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long live the king: chromosome-level assembly of the lion (Panthera leo) using linked-read, Hi-C, and long-read data

et al. 2020

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Background: The lion (Panthera leo) is one of the most popular and iconic feline species on the planet, yet in spite of its popularity, the last century has seen massive declines for lion populations worldwide. Genomic resources for endangered species represent an important way forward for the field of conservation, enabling high-resolution studies of demography, disease, and population dynamics. Here, we present a chromosome-level assembly from a captive African lion from the Exotic Feline Rescue Center (Center Point, IN) as a resource for current and subsequent genetic work of the sole social species of the Panthera clade. Results: Our assembly is composed of 10x Genomics Chromium data, Dovetail Hi-C, and Oxford Nanopore longread data. Synteny is highly conserved between the lion, other Panthera genomes, and the domestic cat. We find variability in the length of runs of homozygosity across lion genomes, indicating contrasting histories of recent and possibly intense inbreeding and bottleneck events. Demographic analyses reveal similar ancient histories across all individuals during the Pleistocene except the Asiatic lion, which shows a more rapid decline in population size. We show a substantial influence on the reference genome choice in the inference of demographic history and heterozygosity. Conclusions:We demonstrate that the choice of reference genome is important when comparing heterozygosity estimates across species and those inferred from different references should not be compared to each other. In addition, estimates of heterozygosity or the amount or length of runs of homozygosity should not be taken as reflective of a species, as these can differ substantially among individuals. This high-quality genome will greatly aid in the continuing research and conservation efforts for the lion, which is rapidly moving towards becoming a species in danger of extinction.

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From Attitudes to Actions: Predictors of Lion Killing by Maasai Warriors

Cited by 56 publications

References 63 publications

Identification of human–carnivore conflict hotspots to prioritize mitigation efforts

Identification of human–carnivore conflict hotspots to prioritize mitigation efforts

Patterns of livestock depredation and cost‐effectiveness of fortified livestock enclosures in northern Tanzania

Long live the king: chromosome-level assembly of the lion (Panthera leo) using linked-read, Hi-C, and long-read data

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