Exploring the causes of and mitigation options for human-predator conflict on game ranches in Botswana: How is coexistence possible?

Large carnivores in southern Africa are threatened by habitat loss and persecution by humans. Game ranches have the potential to provide habitat for free-ranging predators, but carnivore depredation on game-stock can result in human-predator conflict, and the industry's role in predator conservation has been described as a gap in knowledge. The density of predators on Botswana commercial farmland was calculated using spoor and camera-trap surveys. Scat-analysis was used to determine the proportion of livestock and game-stock in the cheetah's diet, the species reported to cause the biggest economic losses on Botswana game ranches. Questionnaires to determine the direct costs, drivers and potential mitigation methods of human-predator conflict, were conducted with a representative from 86.2% of registered game ranches in Botswana, plus an additional 27 livestock farmers. The effectiveness of translocating 'problem' predators was analysed using questionnaires with farmers and survival data from 11 GPS-collared 'problem' cheetahs.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Biological Sciences

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Boast, Lorraine Kara

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Underhill, Les

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12722

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/12722