26 Autumn 2008 Management of Domestic Livestock Predation by Jaguars in Brazil Leandro Silveira 1 , Ricardo Boulhosa 2 , Samuel Astete 1,3 and Anah Tereza de Almeida Jácomo 1 1 Jaguar Conservation Fund, P.O.Box 193, CEP: 75830-000 Mineiros – GO, Brazil; leandro.silveira@jaguar.org.br 2 Instituto Pró-Carnívoros, Av. Horácio Neto, 1030, Parque Edmundo Zanoni, Atibaia - SP, 12945-010 3 Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia. Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, CEP: 90919-970 DF, Brazil Like other large predators, jaguars can prey on domestic livestock and are often killed in retaliation to this. The manage- ment of this conflict is not an easy task, as appropriate management measures depend on local landscape characteristics, herd husbandry practices, and the scale of the problem, as well as social situation and culture. In Brazil, the conflict bet- ween jaguars and ranchers has a considerable impact on jaguar populations. A lack of governmental help does not alleviate the problem. Here, the applicability of techniques used worldwide to manage the conflict between large predators and humans to examine management options for the jaguar-rancher conflict across the country‘s different biomes is evaluated. Major conflict zones in Brazil are mapped. Property zoning is recommended for the Amazon and smaller properties in the Pantanal. For the Caatinga, Atlantic Forest and partially the Cerrado, smaller scale approaches like guard animals or elec- tric fences are applicable. Major conflict zones are located in the northwest of Brazil. Apart from the technical challenge, there is a political issue that must be tackled, namely, ascertaining who is responsible for developing and executing control measures for predator-human conflict in the country. The exponential increase in human po- pulations, combined with the world’s demand for food, is creating ever-grow- ing habitat conversion and fragmenta- tion (Timan et al. 2001). Human popu- lation growth and expansion and the resulting habitat loss tend to increase the conflicts between people and wild animals, as the latter are forced to live closer to humans and their domestic livestock. Large carnivores, such as the jaguar, which require extensive areas and a stable natural prey base to live, are pushed into situations where they com- pete with humans for food and space. As a result, killing predators in reaction to or to prevent domestic livestock preda- tion can have a considerable impact on carnivore populations. The jaguar is no exception to this trend: Though widely distributed, habitat conversion poses a major threat to the species (IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, 1996). Known to prey on domestic livestock throughout its range (e.g. Rabinowitz 1986; Pal- meira et al. 2008), hunting of jaguars in retaliation can seriously threaten local populations (IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group 1996; Fig. 1). Although the above described predator-human conflict is increas- ing worldwide (see Treves & Karanth 2003), we still lack adequate solutions and management actions, the applica- bility of which is highly dependable on local factors. Actions can either pre- vent or increase tolerance for livestock predation and vary according to land- scape characteristics, herd husbandry practices, and the scale of the problem (Conover 2002). Moreover, geographic accessibility to conflict sites, combined with operational costs, can determine the viability of any proposed method. Thus, the identification and implemen- tation of proper management practices demands good knowledge of the con- flict site and its specific ecological, so- cial and cultural characteristics. With this in mind, we have selected from the literature the most common solutions used around the globe to miti- gate conflict between large carnivores and humans and have assessed their applicability and potential efficiency, based on our own experiences, in the management of jaguar-rancher conflict across the different Brazilian biomes. To obtain a comprehensive picture of the problem in Brazil, we analyzed and mapped the potential jaguar-rancher conflict zones in the country. Material and Methods Identification and management of ja- guar-rancher conflict Management alternatives for predator and depredation control tested to date vary widely and can be very species- specific. Therefore, the first step in de- termining the most appropriate method to be used is to identify the predator responsible for the depredation. In the case of the jaguar, signs at a kill site could be confused with those left by a puma (Puma concolor) or by a large domestic dog. Thus, first, we compiled from our own experiences and the sci- entific literature the characteristics and evidence typically found at a jaguar kill site. We then assessed management measures for the predator-human con- flict used worldwide from the literature. Each of the measures was evaluated in terms of the operational, financial, po- litical and socio-economic aspects and then overall rated as “recommended” or not. For this exercise, we took into account the conflict scenario expected for each Brazilian biome, given aver- age property size, vegetation cover, pre- dominant landscape features and local culture regarding the jaguar. Jaguar-rancher conflict control measures can be classified according to three different approaches and scales, and we characterized each of the evalu- ated measures according to scale they address: Problem animal - This approach con- centrates on the individualization of the problem. Although any jaguar co- existing with cattle may eventually and occasionally prey on cattle, some indi- viduals show a tendency to prey more consistently, inflicting greater financial losses to the ranchers. Generally, they are young animals in search of a territo- ry, females with cubs, or old or injured individuals that have become unable to hunt wild prey (Rabinowitz 1986; Pit- man et al. 2002). Management efforts should thus be specifically directed to- wards the problem animal rather than towards the entire carnivore population, which can coexist peacefully with do- mestic cattle.