Livestock depredation by wild carnivores in the highlands of Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia
Yigrem Deneke
A * , Aberham Megaze A , Wondimagegnheu Tekalign A , Taye Dobamo A and Herwig Leirs B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Biology, Wolaita Sodo University, College of Natural Sciences, PO Box 138, Wolaita Sodo 4620, Ethiopia.
B Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Evolutionary Ecology Group, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium.
Wildlife Research 50(4) 301-309 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR21166
Submitted: 23 November 2021 Accepted: 19 October 2022 Published: 29 November 2022
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing
Abstract
Context: Livestock depredation is a major medium- and large-carnivore conservation challenge around the globe, causing a substantial economic loss to small-scale agricultural communities in the Wolaita Highlands, southern Ethiopia, and often leading to retaliatory killing. In the Wolaita Highlands, southern Ethiopia, livestock depredation rates are increasing because of conversion of wild habitats into grazing lands. Various studies have examined the interactions between humans and carnivores in time and space and the prey preference of carnivores with regard to livestock type.
Aim: This study aimed to assess livestock depredation by large carnivores in time, space, season and prey preference by carnivores and economic losses by farmers with regard to livestock depredation in the highlands of Wolaita, southern Ethiopia.
Methods: In total, 384 herders who are heads of households were interviewed and an information-theoretic approach was used to analyse the factors influencing self-reported livestock losses to spotted hyena, leopards and jackal.
Key results: The economic loss associated with livestock depredation by spotted hyena, leopard and jackal amounted to an average loss of US$33.3 per herder and year. We found that spotted hyena had a preference for sheep, goat and donkey; leopard for goat and sheep; and jackal for goat and poultry. Livestock depredations by the three carnivores were mainly during the night-time and more severe during the dry season.
Conclusion: The number of livestock owned by a household, night-time, dry season and the availability and preferences of the type of livestock by carnivores had the strongest influence on livestock losses.
Implications: To mitigate wild carnivore conflicts in the highlands of Wolaita, southern Ethiopia, we make recommendations that the farmers should be trained and equipped in order to build a better wild-carnivore management strategies and to scale up their mitigating strategies.
Keywords: depredation, economic impact, jackal, leopard, livestock, management strategies, spotted hyena.
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