Cattle selectivity and mitigation of human-leopard (Panthera pardus) conflicts over depredation

Human-carnivore conflicts over livestock depredation are widespread and awaiting for effective and creative solutions. Selective depredation is an important, but poorly studied, phenomenon which may allow reducing livestock... [ view full abstract ]

Human-carnivore conflicts over livestock depredation are widespread and awaiting for effective and creative solutions. Selective depredation is an important, but poorly studied, phenomenon which may allow reducing livestock losses by identifying and targeting most vulnerable livestock species or intraspecific categories (age, sex, coloration and breed). Livestock selectivity by carnivores should be consistent from large scales (study areas) to fine scales (households) to make strong inferences to loss mitigation. In this study, we compiled and analyzed an individual-based database of cattle grazing in forest habitats (n = 932) and being killed (n = 70) by leopards (Panthera pardus) in the Hyrcanian forest, northern Iran. We calculated Jacobs’ selectivity index (I_j) for cattle age, sex and coloration across the study area, three sites, nine villages and 60 cattle owners. Naturally colored (red, red-and-white, yellow-and-white and grey) cattle were significantly preferred by leopards in the study area, sites and villages in comparison with black and black-and-white cattle (I_j varied from 0.36 to 0.42, significantly different from zero at p < 0.05). This pattern was strong also in households, except from some owners who kept very few naturally colored cattle which were not killed (I_j = 0.73, p < 0.001). Leopards also significantly preferred males (I_j = 0.39) and juveniles (I_j = 0.20), but only in the study area due to low numbers of these individuals in forest and high variability of their selectivity indices at finer scales. To our knowledge, this is the first description of selective depredation by carnivores based on livestock coloration. We suggest that naturally colored cattle are preferred due to their higher visibility and detectability and recommend local cattle owners to replace their naturally colored cattle by black and black-and-white cattle to reduce losses. This replacement should be easy as the black and black-and-white stock makes almost 80% of sampled holdings. We also urge owners to limit access of males and juveniles to forest. Although their selectivity is not shown at fine scales, loss of a single male or juvenile can undermine the whole family income because of their economic value. We appeal for careful consideration of phenotypic and biological characteristics of livestock as the important prerequisites for depredation by carnivores.