Wolf Depredation Trends and the Use of Fladry Barriers to Protect Livestock in Western North America
In Alberta, Canada (1982-2001), and in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, United States (1987-2001), wolves (Canis lupus) killed various domestic animals, among which the major prey were sheep in the United States (68%, n = 494) and cattle in Canada (95%; n = 1633). Under recovery programs, the wolf popul...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Text |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln
2003
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_usdanwrc/620 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/icwdm_usdanwrc/article/1616/viewcontent/Breck_CB_2003_Wold_Depred__non_encrypted.pdf |
id |
ftunivnebraskali:oai:digitalcommons.unl.edu:icwdm_usdanwrc-1616 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivnebraskali:oai:digitalcommons.unl.edu:icwdm_usdanwrc-1616 2023-11-12T04:15:44+01:00 Wolf Depredation Trends and the Use of Fladry Barriers to Protect Livestock in Western North America Musiani, Marco Mamo, Charles Boitani, Luigi Callaghan, Carolyn Cormack Gates, C. Mattei, Livia Visalberghi, Elisabetta Breck, Stewart W. Volpi, Giulia 2003-12-01T08:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_usdanwrc/620 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/icwdm_usdanwrc/article/1616/viewcontent/Breck_CB_2003_Wold_Depred__non_encrypted.pdf unknown DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_usdanwrc/620 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/icwdm_usdanwrc/article/1616/viewcontent/Breck_CB_2003_Wold_Depred__non_encrypted.pdf USDA Wildlife Services - Staff Publications Environmental Sciences text 2003 ftunivnebraskali 2023-10-30T10:18:06Z In Alberta, Canada (1982-2001), and in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, United States (1987-2001), wolves (Canis lupus) killed various domestic animals, among which the major prey were sheep in the United States (68%, n = 494) and cattle in Canada (95%; n = 1633). Under recovery programs, the wolf population increased in the United States, and depredation events increased proportionately. In both countries, the number of domestic animals killed each year was correlated with the number of wolves killed by government authorities for depredation management. We tested the ability of anti-wolf barriers made of flags hanging from ropes to impede wolf access to food and livestock. In 18 experiments, barriers prevented captive wolves (n = 9) from accessing food for up to 28 hours and allowed daily separation of wolves to administer contraceptive pills to a female wolf. Barriers prevented access by wild wolves to 100-m2 baited sites during two 60-day tests. We also set barriers around three cattle pastures. In Alberta during two 60-day trials on 25-ha pastures, wolves approached barriers on 23 occasions but did not cross them, and no cattle were killed. Wolves killed cattle on neighboring ranches during the trials and before and after the trials on the tested ranches. In Idaho four radio-collared wolves crossed barriers and killed cattle in a 400-ha ranch after 61 days of barrier exposure. Our results suggest that anti-wolf barriers are effective in deterring captive and wild wolves for >1 and ≥60 days, respectively, and that wild wolves switch to alternative livestock when excluded from one herd of livestock. Our depredation data indicate that protecting livestock from wolves reduces the necessity for killing wolves. Barriers could play a role among the limited set of preventive measures available and offer a cost-effective mitigation tool for the problem of livestock depredation on a local scale. Text Canis lupus University of Nebraska-Lincoln: DigitalCommons@UNL Canada |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Nebraska-Lincoln: DigitalCommons@UNL |
op_collection_id |
ftunivnebraskali |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Environmental Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Environmental Sciences Musiani, Marco Mamo, Charles Boitani, Luigi Callaghan, Carolyn Cormack Gates, C. Mattei, Livia Visalberghi, Elisabetta Breck, Stewart W. Volpi, Giulia Wolf Depredation Trends and the Use of Fladry Barriers to Protect Livestock in Western North America |
topic_facet |
Environmental Sciences |
description |
In Alberta, Canada (1982-2001), and in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, United States (1987-2001), wolves (Canis lupus) killed various domestic animals, among which the major prey were sheep in the United States (68%, n = 494) and cattle in Canada (95%; n = 1633). Under recovery programs, the wolf population increased in the United States, and depredation events increased proportionately. In both countries, the number of domestic animals killed each year was correlated with the number of wolves killed by government authorities for depredation management. We tested the ability of anti-wolf barriers made of flags hanging from ropes to impede wolf access to food and livestock. In 18 experiments, barriers prevented captive wolves (n = 9) from accessing food for up to 28 hours and allowed daily separation of wolves to administer contraceptive pills to a female wolf. Barriers prevented access by wild wolves to 100-m2 baited sites during two 60-day tests. We also set barriers around three cattle pastures. In Alberta during two 60-day trials on 25-ha pastures, wolves approached barriers on 23 occasions but did not cross them, and no cattle were killed. Wolves killed cattle on neighboring ranches during the trials and before and after the trials on the tested ranches. In Idaho four radio-collared wolves crossed barriers and killed cattle in a 400-ha ranch after 61 days of barrier exposure. Our results suggest that anti-wolf barriers are effective in deterring captive and wild wolves for >1 and ≥60 days, respectively, and that wild wolves switch to alternative livestock when excluded from one herd of livestock. Our depredation data indicate that protecting livestock from wolves reduces the necessity for killing wolves. Barriers could play a role among the limited set of preventive measures available and offer a cost-effective mitigation tool for the problem of livestock depredation on a local scale. |
format |
Text |
author |
Musiani, Marco Mamo, Charles Boitani, Luigi Callaghan, Carolyn Cormack Gates, C. Mattei, Livia Visalberghi, Elisabetta Breck, Stewart W. Volpi, Giulia |
author_facet |
Musiani, Marco Mamo, Charles Boitani, Luigi Callaghan, Carolyn Cormack Gates, C. Mattei, Livia Visalberghi, Elisabetta Breck, Stewart W. Volpi, Giulia |
author_sort |
Musiani, Marco |
title |
Wolf Depredation Trends and the Use of Fladry Barriers to Protect Livestock in Western North America |
title_short |
Wolf Depredation Trends and the Use of Fladry Barriers to Protect Livestock in Western North America |
title_full |
Wolf Depredation Trends and the Use of Fladry Barriers to Protect Livestock in Western North America |
title_fullStr |
Wolf Depredation Trends and the Use of Fladry Barriers to Protect Livestock in Western North America |
title_full_unstemmed |
Wolf Depredation Trends and the Use of Fladry Barriers to Protect Livestock in Western North America |
title_sort |
wolf depredation trends and the use of fladry barriers to protect livestock in western north america |
publisher |
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_usdanwrc/620 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/icwdm_usdanwrc/article/1616/viewcontent/Breck_CB_2003_Wold_Depred__non_encrypted.pdf |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
USDA Wildlife Services - Staff Publications |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_usdanwrc/620 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/icwdm_usdanwrc/article/1616/viewcontent/Breck_CB_2003_Wold_Depred__non_encrypted.pdf |
_version_ |
1782333005039140864 |