Livestock Protection Dogs in the 21st Century: Is an Ancient Tool Relevant to Modern Conservation Challenges?

Abstract

Europe and North America share a similar history in the extirpation and subsequent recovery of large carnivore and ungulate species. Both continents face challenges and opportunities for managing human-wildlife conflict at the junction of livestock production and wildlife conservation. Prédation of livestock and disease transmission between wildlife and livestock is an ongoing and escalating worldwide issue. In order to manage ihis conflict, producers need effective tools, and they have used livestock protection dogs (LPDs) for reducing prédation for well over 2000 years.We review the history of the use of LPDs, including the loss ofinjormation on their use and the paucity ofscientißc research on their effectiveness. We discuss the potential for LPDs to be integral components in modern-day livestock husbandry and outline future directions to pursue.

Conservation challenge: Human-carnivore conflict in Chebera Churchura National Park, Ethiopia

“…Similar cases were reported from Serengeti National Park, where hyenas kill dogs (Holmern et al, 2007). However, guarding dogs have proved to be successful elsewhere (Gehring et al, 2010).…”

Human–wildlife conflict as a barrier to large carnivore managementand conservation in Turkey

“…To protect livestock from carnivores, many shepherds use guardian dogs. This Yes traditional system is known to be effective and has been suggested as a solution to modern conservation challenges (Rigg, 2001;Gehring et al, 2010). This is an excellent example of a nonlethal technique to reduce depredation.…”

Livestock depredation by wild carnivores in the Eastern Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania

“…While herding livestock, the Maasai people use spears and/or knives, whereas the Sonjo prefer the use of bows and poisoned arrows. The use of domestic dogs can help to deter predators from attacking livestock (Gehring et al, 2010;Spira, 2014). However, in pastoral communities in Eastern Serengeti, dogs are inadequate at performing this task (Lyamuya et al, 2014a), probably because most of them are in poor condition from starvation and lack of health care.…”

“…Human-wildlife conflict presents an increasing challenge to conservation biology worldwide, and developing novel solutions for the coexistence between humans and different species, particularly carnivores, has been a research focus (Dickman, 2010;Gehring et al, 2010;Woodroffe et al, 2005).…”

“…Conflicts escalate when carnivores attack livestock, thereby hampering carnivore conservation (Gehring et al, 2010;Megaze et al, 2017;Treves & Karanth, 2003;Woodroffe et al, 2005). Livestock depredation by large carnivores negatively impacts coexistence between humans and such species (Holmern et al, 2007;Karlsson and Johansson, 2010;Mwakatobe et al, 2013).…”