Cheetah-farmer conflict is the biggest threat to cheetah survival and is the key driver of population decline. Although there is no silver bullet to mitigating conflict, smallstock farmers have found success using livestock guarding dogs (LGDs). Conservation organisations have been implementing placement programs for purebred imported LGDs to reduce monetary costs to farmers; however, these programs are costly and largely unsustainable.
A questionnaire study was used to investigate how farmers in Botswana were sourcing, training and using LGDs in Botswana in the absence of placement programs, with particular emphasis on the use of local “Tswana” breed dogs.
Seventy-four percent of the 198 dogs owned by the 108 farmers surveyed were either Tswana or Tswana-crossed dogs, however, purebreed dogs like Anatolian Shepherds and Greyhounds were also used. Tswana dogs were found to be effective livestock guardians, the most affordable and had few health and behavioural problems. Whereas, Anatolian Shepherds showed poorer success rates in protecting livestock, were more expensive and were prone to more behavioural problems than their Tswana counterparts. The presence of behavioural problems in LGDs was identified as the primary factor influencing a farmers’ likelihood to use lethal control against carnivores, indicating that a badly behaved dog, even if it saved livestock, could encourage a farmer to kill carnivores. It is therefore imperative to favour breeds that are less likely to display behavioural problems, and emphasizes the importance of regular monitoring and corrective training.
Increased profit yields brought about by using locally bred LGDs can improve livelihoods in rural communities. The accessibility and affordability of Tswana LGDs will benefit lower-income and/or highly remote households, highlighting the value of this mitigation method for poorer rural communities. With 51% of respondents being less likely to kill carnivores after receiving LGDs, these dogs clearly also have the ability to reduce farmer-induced carnivore mortality, thereby reducing attacks on threatened species such as cheetahs. These results suggest that LGD placement programs using imported breeds are not necessary to promote the use of LGDs and that local LGDs are a viable conflict mitigation tool for rural farmers.
