Coexistence between wild carnivores and livestock requires a toolkit of non-lethal protection measures that protect both farmer livelihoods and predator populations.
Wild carnivore coexistence welfare involves both predator welfare and prey welfare — livestock killed by carnivores experience fear and injury, while carnivores subjected to retaliatory killing suffer directly. The coexistence framework addresses both. Livestock guardian dogs that accompany flocks reduce predation significantly by deterring approach without requiring lethal action. Electrified corrals provide secure overnight refuge for vulnerable livestock. Compensation schemes reduce the economic motivation for retaliation, which is often the proximate cause of carnivore killing. The welfare case for investing in coexistence tools is strong: they reduce predation events, reduce retaliatory killing, and allow both livestock and predator populations to coexist without one needing to be eliminated for the other to survive.