Carnivore Conservation and Management

Across the globe, populations of large carnivores have declined due to a multitude of human-related factors. In contrast, some smaller carnivores (e.g., raccoons, red fox, coyotes) have thrived in landscapes dominated by human activity and thus are often a significant source of human-wildlife conflict. As a result, carnivores are an important group of species of both conservation and management concern. We are interested in all aspects of carnivore ecology, with particular emphasis on spatial ecology, disease management, population dynamics, and human-wildlife interactions. We are particularly interested in understanding the effects of anthropogenic activities (e.g., habitat fragmentation, urbanization) on carnivores to better aid in the development of conservation and management programs. Carnivore research within our lab includes a diversity of projects, both in the U.S. and abroad, encompassing a breadth of species from mesocarnivores to apex predators. Examples of some recent and current carnivore research within our lab include:

Ecology and conservation of African carnivores

Human-wildlife conflicts at the interface of protected areas and farmlands are a common problem worldwide. Managing such conflicts represents a serious conservation challenge for managers. Within southern Africa, Etosha National Park (ENP) in Namibia is recognized as a stronghold for carnivore conservation. Etosha contains an intact guild of large carnivores including African lions, hyenas, cheetahs, and leopards, as well as numerous small and mid-sized carnivores. However, ENP is surrounded by human-dominated land uses such as livestock farms, conservancies, tourism properties, agricultural areas, and villages. Although ENP is surrounded by a perimeter boundary fence, large carnivores venture out of the park and frequently kill livestock. Such incidents provoke retaliatory killings of large carnivores, resulting in the unsustainable loss of individuals. Resolving such problems often requires a detailed understanding of the issues surrounding human-large carnivore cooccurrence. We are currently collaborating with the Ongava Research Centre, the Etosha Ecological Institute, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, and other members of the Greater Etosha Carnivore Programme to conduct a broad suite of studies to quantify underlying aspects of carnivore, livestock, and prey movements and population dynamics within the Greater Etosha Landscape (GEL). The results from this research will help prioritize specific mitigation measures to reduce livestock losses, reduce retaliatory carnivore killings, and develop human-carnivore coexistence models within the GEL.

Interactions between predators and livestock at the interface of protected areas and multi-use, shared landscapes

There is an urgent need to address the problem of retaliatory killings of predators and reduce the knowledge gap regarding interactions between livestock, large carnivores, and humans along the periphery of protected areas. This project aims to understand spatial and temporal overlap in carnivore and livestock activity and habitat use at the interface of Etosha National Park (ENP) and the surrounding multi-use landscape, as well as landowner perceptions of carnivores and the underlying drivers of carnivore-human conflict hotspots. For our focal species we are targeting lions and spotted hyenas as they are the largest apex predators and most commonly involved in conflicts with humans in this region. We are collaring individuals from distinct prides and clans along the inner periphery of ENP, as well as tagging livestock from representative cattle posts/bomas along the periphery of the park with GPS ear tags. In addition, we are mapping conflict hotspots and conducting surveys to better understand the underlying drivers of carnivore conflicts and losses. The data from tagged individuals will aid in understanding interspecific differences in seasonal and temporal movements and space use along the peripheral areas of the park, as well as the identification of livestock grazing areas and how livestock grazing activity influences predator space use and activity. Ultimately, this work will provide us an opportunity to engage with livestock farmers in monitoring human-carnivore interactions, build local support, and find evidence-based solutions for human-wildlife coexistence within the Greater Etosha Landscape.

Effects of artificial lighting and human presence on African mammal behavior at waterholes

Waterholes are a vital resource for animals, especially those in arid environments. However, due to the concentration of wildlife around water resources such locations are often hotspots of tourist activity as well as important locations of animal point counts by researchers. The effects of such human activity at waterholes is relatively unknown, and thus research is needed to fully understand behavioral changes caused by anthropogenic effects during periods of waterhole access. Further, waterholes in some protected lands in Africa are often artificially lit with LED spotlights at night for tourism purposes, as many charismatic species are nocturnal, yet the effects of these lights on animal behavior are unknown. To address these knowledge gaps, we are using surveillance cameras to compare wildlife behaviors between artificially lit waterholes and dark waterholes to determine how artificial lighting is affecting mammal behavior. In addition, we are evaluating the effects of human observers conducting wildlife counts at waterholes on visitation patterns by wildlife to determine if human presence may create biases in wildlife counts at waterholes. Ultimately, our goal with this research is to develop optimized protocols for maximizing the tourism experience for wildlife viewing and for research monitoring wildlife populations at waterholes, while reducing human impacts on wildlife.

Effects of tourism activity on African lion and Spotted Hyena movement and resource selection

Wildlife-based tourism may influence patterns of animal movement resulting in diminished foraging activities, and mammals are known to increase their movements in response to human presence or disturbance. However, the extent to which movement and habitat use is affected by tourism is poorly understood. In protected areas in semi-arid environments where tourism is common, roads connecting waterholes are often utilized for tourist vehicles and thus can be sources of disturbance for wildlife attempting to access critical water resources. Additionally, some waterholes are located at camps that are frequented by tourists, but our understanding of how these human activities affect charismatic species that tourists seek out needs to be further developed. In this study, we are evaluating movements of lions and hyenas in response to changes in tourism pressure in Etosha National Park in Namibia. We are using data from GPS collars on carnivores to quantify the influence of tourism activities in Etosha on their movements through examining selection of roads and waterholes, and whether selection of these attributes differs among seasons, sex, or time of day. The knowledge gained from this study can be applied to conservation and management decisions, tourism practices, and public engagement in Etosha and other protected areas globally.

Diet composition of African carnivores

Understanding carnivore diets is important for conservation efforts and management decisions, providing insight into the roles predators play in an ecosystem, competition, prey management, and how animals are adapting to a rapidly changing world. Further, in landscapes where humans and carnivores coexist, large carnivores often prey on livestock, leading to conflicts with humans and in some cases retaliatory killings of carnivores. Given global declines of many large carnivores, more information on carnivore diets, particularly in areas where humans and carnivores coexist, is needed to aid in prey management and alleviate conflicts with local people. We are conducting dietary studies for a diverse suite of carnivores across northern Namibia to determine interspecific differences in prey composition as well as seasonal differences in diet among species. Ultimately these studies will further our understanding of spatiotemporal patterns of how predators may be interacting with livestock and wild prey, as well as the time periods where livestock may be most vulnerable to predation by carnivores.

Effects of land use on fence crossings of wildlife at the interface of protected areas and human dominated landscapes

Conservation fences are used around the world, and particularly in southern Africa where they are placed around protected areas to conserve and protect wildlife populations and decrease conflicts with people. However, the use of fences is highly debated due to the lack of knowledge regarding the broad-scale social, ecological, and economic impacts of fencing. In northern Namibia, Etosha National Park (ENP) is surrounded by an 820km long fence that separates ENP from the mosaic of differing land use types that encompass the Greater Etosha Landscape (GEL) including game reserves, conservancies, and private free-hold farms. For carnivores, crossing the fence poses a high risk of mortality in bordering areas from retaliatory killings after raiding livestock or game farms. There is a critical need to better understand the frequency at which various species cross between ENP and the surrounding shared-use landscape, as well as the underlying biotic and abiotic factors that contribute to fence crossings by these species. We are using remote cameras to investigate the effects of land use on the spatio-temporal fence crossing behavior of various mammal species at the interface of ENP and the surrounding human-dominated landscape. These data will be used to inform stakeholders on the permeability of the ENP fence, which can be used to determine how, when, and where to maintain the fence and what aspects are most important to target in future conservation and management plans.

Movement and Behavioral Ecology of Spotted Hyenas in the Okavango Delta: Responses to Olfactory Deterrence

Spotted hyenas are highly adaptable, social and intelligent carnivores that play an important ecological role as both apex predators and scavengers, yet they frequently come into conflict with livestock owners along protected-area boundaries, often resulting in retaliatory actions that affect hyenas and other large carnivores. This collaborative project between Botswana Predator Conservation and the Beasley Lab investigates the resource use and behavior of spotted hyenas in the relatively undisturbed ecosystem of the Okavango Delta, while evaluating the mechanisms by which scent-based deterrents can reduce livestock depredation in human–wildlife interface areas. Using movement, activity, acoustic, and observational data, we are establishing ecological baselines for hyena resource selection and territorial behavior. We are also evaluating 3-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol (3M3MB), a promising scent-based deterrent, to determine how it alters hyena movement and behavior and how its application can be optimized as an effective, low-cost and scalable tool for reducing livestock depredation and retaliatory persecution of large carnivores.

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