Human-carnivore Conflict Research Articles

Perspective: Why might removing carnivores maintain or increase risks for domestic animals?

Human-carnivore conflict is still characterized by lethal control, even while some evidence suggests that carnivore removal may not affect the likelihood of future livestock predation, or that it may even exacerbate the problem. Here we propose five non-exclusive, and likely additive, hypotheses for why lethal removals could fail to mitigate livestock-carnivore conflict. We also propose a methodological change in the scale of conflict analyses from populations to smaller social networks, and encourage public education that includes discussions about the potential consequences for communities with livestock following the killing of carnivores, in addition to broader outreach about both the costs and benefits of living with carnivores.

Social perception of mesocarnivores within hunting areas differs from actual species abundance.

Analyzing how similar social perception and ecological field data are might help identify potential biases in identifying and managing human-carnivore conflicts. We analyzed the degree of similarity between the perceived and field-measured relative abundance to unveil whether attitude towards carnivores of two groups of stakeholders, namely hunters and other local people, is underpinned or it is instead biased by alternative factors. Our results indicate that, in general, mesocarnivore perceived abundances were generally different to actual species abundance. We also found that the perceived abundance and attributed damage to small game species were related with respondents' ability to identify the carnivore species. We underline the existence of bias and the need to increase people knowledge on species distribution and ecological characteristics before adopting decisions when managing human-carnivore conflicts, especially for stakeholders that are directly involved in.

The introduction of African cheetahs to India was planned without considering their spatial ecology

The introduction of African cheetahs to India was planned without considering their spatial ecology

The unequal burden of human-wildlife conflict

Human-wildlife conflict is one of the most pressing sustainable development challenges globally. This is particularly the case where ecologically and economically important wildlife impact the livelihoods of humans. Large carnivores are one such group and their co-occurrence with low-income rural communities often results in real or perceived livestock losses that place increased costs on already impoverished households. Here we show the disparities associated with the vulnerability to conflict arising from large carnivores on cattle (Bos taurus) globally. Across the distribution of 18 large carnivores, we find that the economic vulnerability to predation losses (as measured by impacts to annual per capita income) is between two and eight times higher for households in transitioning and developing economies when compared to developed ones. This potential burden is exacerbated further in developing economies because cattle keepers in these areas produce on average 31% less cattle meat per animal than in developed economies. In the lowest-income areas, our estimates suggest that the loss of a single cow or bull equates to nearly a year and a half of lost calories consumed by a child. Finally, our results show that 82% of carnivore range falls outside protected areas, and five threatened carnivores have over one third of their range located in the most economically sensitive conflict areas. This unequal burden of human-carnivore conflict sheds light on the importance of grappling with multiple and conflicting sustainable development goals: protecting life on land and eliminating poverty and hunger.

Not only seeds: a cultural ecosystem service provided by the Apennine brown bear

ABSTRACT The unequal distribution of the costs and benefits of living with wildlife is one of the causes of human-carnivore conflicts. The existence of large carnivores is valued globally, but the costs of damages and management impacts human residents. The Apennine brown bear is endemic of central Italy and, besides its ecological value, it can attract tourists in search of nature and wilderness. The Advertising Value Equivalent of the bears' appearances in the national newspaper and on television from 2015 to 2020 was used to calculate the economic value of this flagship species as a destination image. The 11 million Euro of Advertising Value Equivalent estimated largely exceeded the amount of reimbursements sustained by the Park to manage this carnivore in the same period. This evaluation of cultural value could be used to highlight the economic benefits provided by the bear and contribute to the discussions with managers and stakeholders.

People, Predators, Practices and Perceptions: Socio-Economic Implications of Livestock Predation by African Large Carnivores in Samburu County, Northern Kenya

We conducted an attitudinal study on the socio-economic implications of human-carnivore conflict in an East African pastoralist landscape through a semi-structured questionnaire survey complemented by a locally organised community carnivore conservation workshop. We compared actual livestock predation rates by the large carnivores from a nine-year livestock predation dataset for Samburu County to perceived predation rates from our respondents. Our study revealed that perceived rates of livestock predation vis-à-vis actual rates of livestock predation by large carnivores in a modern pastoralist community setting are dissimilar. Even though community goodwill to embrace coexistence with wildlife persists, the perceived lack of equitable sharing of benefits from wildlife earnings nationally with local communities inadvertently reinforces negative views towards wildlife in general and carnivores specifically. Therefore, an increased participatory community approach in the management and conservation of wildlife needs to be addressed appropriately by policy makers for the benefit of the communities and wildlife.

Pampas fox spatial and temporal variation in Argentinean agroecosystems

Context Agricultural activities have reduced wildlife natural habitats and increased the spatial overlap between animals’ distribution and human activities. However, carnivores with a broad diet and flexible habitat requirements can tolerate human-induced environmental changes. Thus, identifying changes in their densities and spatial distribution are important factors to take into consideration when working towards minimising human–carnivore conflict. Aims Our aim was to identify the main environmental and human variables influencing Pampas fox density and to produce density maps in the reproductive and non-reproductive seasons. Methods We performed spotlight counts at night, following the line transect method in the non-reproductive and reproductive seasons during two consecutive years. We also obtained landscape, human-impact and environmental spatial variables using remote sensing data and Geographic Information Systems. We modelled and mapped the Pampas fox’s spatial density using Density Surface Models. Key results We found that disturbance by human activities and landscape configuration influenced the spatial variation of the Pampas fox density across time and space. We registered a positive association between the number of foxes and the proximity to urban areas and paved roads, and we also found higher densities near grasslands areas and less modified habitats varying with the season and year. A higher density of foxes was observed in the non-reproductive season compared with the reproductive season. Conclusions and Implications This study provides insight on the variation in Pampas fox densities across agroecosystems. It highlights the relevance of more naturalised and protected habitats to sustain the Pampas fox population in highly fragmented landscapes, but also shows a positive association with disturbed areas. The spatial information developed in this study is useful to identify areas where ecosystem services could be encouraged, helping to maintain the ecosystems’ equilibrium and biodiversity conservation, and develop new management programs creating human–wildlife coexistence.

Multiscale spatially explicit modelling of livestock depredation by reintroduced tiger (Panthera tigris) to predict conflict risk probability

Understanding the causal factors associated with human/livestock-large carnivore conflict and distribution of conflict risk is key to designing effective preventative and mitigation strategies. Spatial modelling of human-carnivore conflict has recently gained traction, and predictive maps have become a great tool to understand the distribution of present and future conflict risk. However, very few such studies consider scale and use appropriate spatial modelling tools. We aimed to understand the ecological correlates of human-tiger (Panthera tigris) conflict, predict livestock predation risk by reintroduced tigers in Panna Tiger Reserve, Central India and understand the prey-predator dynamics behind the conflict. We modelled livestock kill as a function of various tiger relevant ecological variables at multiple scales employing spatially explicit statistical tools. As a first step, we used geostatistical modelling to create raster layers of covariates (prey, cover, human activities), following which we did univariate scaling. We then modelled livestock loss by tiger using a geoadditive model. Employing this model, we predicted and mapped conflict risk probabilities within our study site. It was found that prey and shrub cover both selected at a fine scale, were key ecological determinants of human-tiger conflict. Prey showed an inverse relationship while shrub showed non-linear relationship with livestock predation. Which lead us to conclude that in habitats where optimum ambush cover is available but prey presence is low at fine-scale, carnivores are more likely to depredate domestic livestock since livestock have lost most of their anti-predator behaviours. Livestock kill by tiger is thus a culmination of predator choice and foraging tactics, and prey vulnerability and defence mechanism. The spatially explicit predation risk map produced in this study can guide adequate human-tiger conflict prevention measures.

Characteristics of natural and anthropogenic mortality of an endangered brown bear population

Large carnivores’ far ranging habits and their requirements for wide areas often led them to move into unprotected lands, making them especially vulnerable to various human threats. Therefore, it is crucial to better understand their mortality characteristics and potential threats so to help guide conservation efforts. Brown bear is a protected species in Iran, however, knowledge on its population structure and causes of mortality are sparse. The main objective of this study was to understand the causes and spatio-temporal patterns of brown bear mortality in Iran. We carried out a systematic survey of internet media sources to answer (1) the mortality of which age and sex group is reported in the media; (2) what are the most common causes of mortality; (3) what are the temporal and spatial patterns of brown bear mortality?. Overall, we found 135 mortalities of brown bears in Iran from 2004 to 2019. Our findings showed that 84% of mortalities were related to anthropogenic causes and being shot (59%) was the most common cause followed by vehicle collisions (18.7%). Only 2% of reported mortalities were due to natural causes, and no information on the causes of mortality was available for 14%. We further found no differences in the sex distribution of bears killed, but adults (68%) were more commonly killed than subadults (22%); and age was unknown in 9% of mortalities. Most mortalities (75%) were reported in summer and autumn. We found that the number of bear mortality increased with increasing elevation, road density, proportion of forest cover, and that it was higher in areas with a higher proportion of protected areas (PA). However, most reported mortality cases were found outside of PAs. The main takeaway messages from our study are that the conservation of large carnivores in Iran must occur in co-existence with humans in a human-dominated landscape. It is also essential to obtain reliable data on population structure as well as more data on mortality rates and causes. We propose, among other conservation actions, the establishment of a central database for the systematic collection of data on human-carnivore conflicts as well as a compensation scheme for reimbursement of damages by large carnivores.

Social media community groups support proactive mitigation of human-carnivore conflict in the wildland-urban interface

Understanding human reactions to potentially dangerous wildlife at the wildland-urban interface is central to mitigating human-wildlife conflicts. Social media is increasingly used to share information about wildlife among residents living in the interface. We used an online survey distributed on community Facebook groups in Victoria Beach, Manitoba — an area experiencing increasing wildlife sightings — to examine whether posts to the groups resulted in people using avoidance tactics to reduce human-wildlife interactions or conflicts. The results indicate that the majority of respondents used Facebook posts to change their behavior to avoid potential encounters with black bears, wolves, and coyotes. Despite few respondents having wildlife safety training, most respondents taught their children wildlife safety. Most respondents would not phone the local conservation authority, for reasons including distrust and concerns about lethal control. Coexistence attitudes towards wildlife management were dominant and respondents recognized the importance of protecting wildlife in the community.

Generalization of threats attributed to large carnivores in areas of high human-wildlife conflict.

Fear-induced generalization of threats to noninimical stimuli is a behavioral tendency of humans to minimize exposure to potential threats. In human-carnivore conflict zones, people often generalize their fear of predation by obligate carnivores to nonobligate carnivores despite differences in species' predation rates. We investigated the effect of a perceived threat of large obligate carnivores to livestock on tolerance and perception of striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) in an area of high human-carnivore conflict. We surveyed 197 households through asemistructured questionnaire to determine people's perception and tolerance of striped hyenas in Sathyamangalam and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves after identification of the current distribution range of hyena determined through camera trap and sign surveys. Through the random forest algorithm, we modeled the level of tolerance of striped hyena as a function of loss of livestock to predation and from disease, the perceived threat of predation by hyena, and other socioeconomic attributes. Animal husbandry was a major source of income but was severely affected by livestock loss due to predation and disease. Sixty-nine percent of people were uncertain about predatory behavior of hyena; out of that, 23% reported a negative conservation attitude. Only 6 instances of hyena depredation on livestock and 2 on dogs were reported. Our model confirmed that economic instability associated with increased loss to predation and disease, livestock dependency, and a decrease in family annual income negatively affected people's tolerance of hyena. Perceptual uncertainty related to predatory behavior of hyena also negatively affected people's tolerance. In our study area, economic instability and perceptual uncertainty led to generalization of fear of large carnivores to a nonobligate predator. Such generalization may affect the attitude of people toward many other species. Understanding the role of economic instability and perceptual uncertainty should facilitate conservation of species, such as the hyena, that are vulnerable to false generalization.

Assessment of leopard translocations in South Africa

Translocations are commonly employed to mitigate human–carnivore conflict but rarely evaluated, resulting in conflicting reports of success, particularly for leopards (Panthera pardus). We evaluate the status of available leopard translocation data, the factors driving the intentional removal of leopards, and the potential causal factors associated with successful and failed translocation events. We obtained data on 60 leopard translocation events across five provinces in South Africa between 1994 and 2021. We considered a successful translocation outcome when (1) the animal was moved outside of its original home range, (2) the animal established a new home range away from the capture site, (3) no substantive livestock losses were linked to the translocated animal in the post-release monitoring period, and (4) the animal survived at least 6 months post-translocation. If mortality occurred due to factors that were equally likely to impact resident individuals and were unrelated to the translocation event (e.g., poaching), the event was not considered a failed effort. Most translocations were the result of human–carnivore conflict (HCC; 82%, n = 49), stressing the high prevalence of HCC and the importance of advocating preventative conflict mitigation efforts to conserve leopards. The leopards were moved distances from 2.5 to 196.3 km (63.3 ± 51.7km). Forty (67%) translocation events had unknown outcomes, indicating the limited data available on translocation outcomes. This also indicates the disparity in the objectives of translocations by various entities involved with translocations and suggests that monitoring be a prerequisite for future translocations. Twenty events offered reliable outcomes by means of post-event monitoring, with seven (12%) considered successful, with three (5%) as failures, and with four (7%) not moved beyond their original home ranges, while six (8%) ended in unrelated deaths. The failed events were attributed to inter/intra-specific competition, and one animal returned to its original home range after a translocation distance of 68 km. Translocation success was strongly explained by translocation distance. We found that damage-causing leopards were successfully translocated under specific conditions, and longer translocation distances increase success. Translocations are commonly employed but are still poorly monitored. We discuss basic standardized protocols to improve future leopard translocations (including pre- and post-monitoring) while advocating alternative non-lethal practices to reduce the prevalence of human–carnivore conflict.

Population size, density, and ranging behaviour in a key leopard population in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Globally, leopards are the most widespread large felid. However, mounting anthropogenic threats are rapidly reducing viable leopard populations and their range. Despite the clear pressures facing this species, there is a dearth of robust and reliable population and density estimates for leopards across their range, which is particularly important in landscapes that consist of protected and non-protected areas. We conducted a camera trapping survey between 2017 and 2018 in the Western Cape, South Africa to estimate the occupancy, density, and population size of a leopard population. Leopards were recorded at 95% of camera trapping sites, which resulted in a high occupancy that showed no significant variation between seasons, habitat types, or along an altitudinal gradient. Our results indicated a low leopard density in the study area, with an estimated 1.53 leopards/100 km2 in summer and 1.62 leopards/100 km2 in winter. Mean leopard population size was therefore estimated at 107 and 113 individuals in the winter and summer respectively. Leopard activity centres for female ranges were centred in the core study area and could be predicted with good certainty, while males appeared to move out of the study area during winter which resulted in a higher uncertainty in locations of activity centres. Interestingly, livestock depredation events in the surrounding farmlands were significantly higher in winter, which coincides with male leopards moving outside the core protected area into the surrounding farmlands. To reduce livestock losses and retaliatory leopard killings, we suggest that human-carnivore conflict mitigation measures be intensely monitored during the winter months in the study area. We also suggest that future leopard conservation efforts should focus on privately-owned land as these non-protected areas contain the majority of the remaining suitable leopard habitat and may provide important dispersal corridors and buffer zones on which the long-term sustainability of leopard populations depends.

An integrated approach for the management of human-carnivore conflict: a review of conflict management interventions in Tanzania

An integrated approach for the management of human-carnivore conflict: a review of conflict management interventions in Tanzania

Predicting carnivore habitat use and livestock depredation risk with false-positive multi-state occupancy models

The cycle of livestock depredation and retaliatory killing constitutes a major threat to large carnivores worldwide and imposes considerable hardships on human communities. Mitigation efforts are often undertaken with little knowledge of ecological underpinnings and patterns of depredation, limiting conservationists' ability to develop, prioritize, and evaluate solutions. Carnivore detection and depredation data from interviews in affected communities may help address this gap, but such data are often prone to false-positive uncertainty. To address these challenges in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan we collected snow leopard, lynx, wolf, and bear detection and depredation reports from local communities via semi-structured interviews. We used a novel hierarchical multi-species multi-state occupancy model that accounted for potential false-positives to investigate carnivore site use and depredation concurrently with respondents' apparent vulnerability to that risk. Estimated false-positive probabilities were small, but failure to account for them overstated site use probabilities and depredation risk for all species. Although individual vulnerability was low, depredation was nonetheless commonplace. Carnivore site use was driven by clear habitat associations, but we did not identify any clearly important large-scale spatial correlates of depredation risk despite considerable spatial variation in that risk. Respondents who sheltered livestock in household corrals reinforced with wire mesh were less likely to report snow leopard depredations. Reducing depredation and retaliation at adequately large scales in the Pamirs will likely require a portfolio of species-specific strategies, including widespread proactive corral improvements. Our approach expanded inference on the often-cryptic processes surrounding human-carnivore conflict even though structured wildlife data were scarce.

Impact of Location on Predator Control Preference Patterns

In recent decades, interactions with carnivores have increased in suburban and urban areas. However, it is unknown how predator control preferences of urban, suburban, and rural residents compare. We sought to characterize predator control preferences regarding interactions with bobcats (Lynx rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans), and compare these preferences among people living in urban, suburban, and rural areas. We also sought to determine the factors that predicted the likelihood of respondents changing their predator control preference. We conducted cross-sectional surveys of adult residents of the United States and the state of Ohio and embedded randomly assigned carnivore interaction scenarios in which respondents were asked to choose their preferred predator control in response to each scenario. We found that when both scenarios took place in an agricultural location, respondents became significantly more sensitive to changes in the severity (i.e., they were more likely to switch their preferred method of predator control). Subjects overwhelmingly indicated a preference for non-lethal forms of predator control. Specifically, 71.8% of respondents preferred non-lethal in response to both scenarios, 18.5% gave mixed responses (i.e., preferred lethal in response to one of the scenarios but non-lethal in response to the other scenario), and only 9.7% preferred lethal predator control in response to both scenarios. The tendency to prefer only non-lethal methods decreased along the urban-rural gradient such that 78.5% of urban respondents expressed a consistent preference for non-lethal forms of control, compared with 72.8% of suburban respondents, and 51.3% rural respondents. This suggests that most urban and suburban residents view lethal predator control methods as simply inappropriate—at least for the scenarios described. In practice, the management of human-carnivore interactions in urban and suburban areas is complicated by a variety of factors (e.g., the presence and density of humans and their pets) which reduce the flexibility of wildlife managers in these areas. Additionally, management options may be further restricted by the preferences of residents, especially given that management is likely to be more visible in these areas. Strong preferences against lethal control in urban and suburban settings may incentivize the development of novel methods for controlling human-carnivore conflicts in the future.

Free-ranging livestock altered the spatiotemporal behavior of the endangered North Chinese leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis) and its prey and intensified human-leopard conflicts.

Widespread distribution of livestock in the natural habitats of large carnivores may negatively impact carnivore populations by reducing wild prey availability and increasing human-carnivore conflicts. In this study, we used camera-trapping data collected in the temperate forests of the Taihang Mountains in North China during 2016-2019 to examine whether and how free-ranging cattle affected habitat use and Diel activity patterns of the endangered North Chinese leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis) and its 2 wild prey species, Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus), and wild boar (Sus scrofa). Residents were also interviewed to record livestock depredation events by leopards during 2015-2019. We found that roe deer spatially avoided sites frequented by cattle, but wild boar did not. In the growing seasons, leopards shared habitats with cattle and tended to increase their diurnal activities where cattle were present. All 3 study species exhibited fine-scale spatial-temporal segregation to cattle. Leopards selectively preyed on calves over adult cattle and livestock depredation frequency was positively correlated with the detection rates of cattle and wild prey, but not that of leopard. These findings not only show that through behavioral adaption large carnivores and their ungulate prey may persist under livestock disturbance, but also highlight how important proper livestock management is for conserving North Chinese leopards in this region. To enhance livestock management and mitigate human-leopard conflicts, we recommend specific actions, such as better guarding of free-ranging cattle or adoption of a captive farming system.

Understanding continent-wide variation in vulture ranging behavior to assess feasibility of Vulture Safe Zones in Africa: Challenges and possibilities

Protected areas are intended as tools in reducing threats to wildlife and preserving habitat for their long-term population persistence. Studies on ranging behavior provide insight into the utility of protected areas. Vultures are one of the fastest declining groups of birds globally and are popular subjects for telemetry studies, but continent-wide studies are lacking. To address how vultures use space and identify the areas and location of possible vulture safe zones, we assess home range size and their overlap with protected areas by species, age, breeding status, season, and region using a large continent-wide telemetry datasets that includes 163 individuals of three species of threatened Gyps vulture. Immature vultures of all three species had larger home ranges and used a greater area outside of protected areas than breeding and non-breeding adults. Cape vultures had the smallest home range sizes and the lowest level of overlap with protected areas. Rüppell's vultures had larger home range sizes in the wet season, when poisoning may increase due to human-carnivore conflict. Overall, our study suggests challenges for the creation of Vulture Safe Zones to protect African vultures. At a minimum, areas of 24,000 km2 would be needed to protect the entire range of an adult African White-backed vulture and areas of more than 75,000 km2 for wider-ranging Rüppell's vultures. Vulture Safe Zones in Africa would generally need to be larger than existing protected areas, which would require widespread conservation activities outside of protected areas to be successful.

The Integral Nature of Encounter Rate in Predicting Livestock Depredation Risk

Carnivore depredation of livestock is one of the primary drivers of human-carnivore conflict globally, threatening the well-being of livestock owners, and fueling large carnivore population declines. Interventions designed to reduce carnivore depredation typically center around predictions of depredation risk. However, these spatial risk models tend to be informed by data depicting the number of livestock attacked by carnivores. Importantly, such models omit key stages in the predation sequence which are required to predict predation risk, or in this case depredation risk. Applying the classic predation risk model defined by Lima and Dill demonstrates that depredation risk is dependent upon quantifying the rates at which carnivores encounter livestock before attacking. However, encounter rate is challenging to estimate, necessitating novel data collection systems. We developed and applied such a system to quantify carnivore-livestock encounters at livestock corrals (i.e., bomas) across a 9-month period in Central Kenya. Concurrently, we monitored the number of livestock attacked by carnivores at these bomas. We calculated carnivore-livestock encounter rates, attack rates, and depredation risk at the boma. We detected 1,383 instances in which carnivores encountered livestock at the bomas. However, we only recorded seven attacks. We found that the encounter rate and attack rate for spotted hyenas were almost six and three times higher than that for any other species, respectively. Consequently, spotted hyenas posed the greatest depredation risk for livestock at the boma. We argue that better understanding of carnivore-livestock encounter rates is necessary for effective prediction and mitigation of carnivore depredation of livestock.

Livestock-Carnivore Coexistence: Moving beyond Preventive Killing.

Simple SummarySustainable Development Goals for 2030 indicate that zero hunger (SDG 2) and halting biodiversity loss (SDG 15) are key priorities. Livestock management practices that allow coexistence with top predators are necessary to achieve both objectives in Latin America. This article addresses the situation in local indigenous communities near key biodiversity hotspots that protect top predators in Mesoamerica. Results show that livestock predation is related to landscape variables and human influence. Jaguar and puma conservation requires measures that facilitate human–carnivore coexistence and comply with SDG 2 and SDG 15. This study serves as a baseline to provide livestock management recommendations that mitigate the prevalent conflict with jaguars and pumas to reconcile SDG 2 with SDG 15.Livestock predation is a global problem and constitutes the main source of conflict between large carnivores and human interests. In Latin America, both jaguar and puma are known to prey on livestock, yet studies in Mesoamerica have been scattered and few have been carried out in Honduras. We interviewed ranchers in a biosphere reserve where jaguars and pumas are present. Local indigenous communities reported livestock predation (average annual loss of 7% from 2010–2019), with preventive and retaliatory killing as their main actions against predation by the jaguar and puma. Other sources of cattle loss included diseases and theft. The extensive management system (free grazing) lets cattle access forests where predators are more common. We found that livestock predation is not random, but rather, related to landscape variables and human influence. Sites farther from human influence and closer to forest cover were more susceptible to predation. Jaguar and puma persistence in the biosphere reserve will require measures that facilitate human–carnivore coexistence and comply with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 and 15 (zero hunger and biodiversity conservation). We propose management practices to mitigate livestock predation in the presence of large carnivores based on examples of proven human–carnivore coexistence in Venezuela, Brazil, Paraguay, and Nicaragua, such as improving the spatial arrangement of livestock (maintaining a distance from forest areas) and the incorporation of confinement pens for young calves (at least the first three months of life) and their mothers. If the pens are built close to the property’s house and have constant surveillance and/or dogs, the results are likely to be more effective. Deploying these proven tools may help change the current negative perception of ranchers towards large carnivores that is essential to conservation under the aims of SDG 15. We recommend government policies and support aimed to strengthen livestock health to increase productivity and to reduce their vulnerability to predation. Finally, this study represents a baseline to understand the magnitude of the human–carnivore conflict over cattle in one of the largest biosphere reserves in Mesoamerica.