Adaptive Pathways for Coexisting With Predators in Production Landscapes

Nonlethal solutions to human-wildlife conflicts and interactions have been successfully used worldwide, but their wide scale adoption remains limited and lethal practices remain common and entrenched. In Australia, the dingo... [ view full abstract ]

Nonlethal solutions to human-wildlife conflicts and interactions have been successfully used worldwide, but their wide scale adoption remains limited and lethal practices remain common and entrenched. In Australia, the dingo (Canis dingo) is routinely killed as part of predator control programs based on the assumption that suppressing dingo populations will protect threatened species, livestock and livelihoods. This practice continues with extensive policy backing, despite the evidence that killing dingoes is counterproductive for both pastoral and conservation purposes. Addressing this challenge is a core aim of Compassionate Conservation, an emerging field that integrates the welfare of individual animals in conservation practice. Using systems thinking and drawing upon theories of social-ecological resilience and socio-technical transitions we present a transformation pathways approach to facilitate a transition toward coexistence with dingoes. The pathways framework provides a clear way to map out various options for decision-makers to implement non-lethal approaches in the management of dingoes and other apex predators that is inline with objectives to enhance landscape productivity, biodiversity conservation and producer livelihoods.