Wildlife Conflict Mitigation: Coexisting with Predators

Human-wildlife conflict involving predators causes welfare harm to both wild animals and livestock. Evidence-based mitigation approaches can reduce conflict while protecting both.

Key Facts

Livestock predation by wolves, bears, leopards and other carnivores affects communities across six continents
Retaliatory killing of predators following livestock losses threatens many endangered species
Guardian animals including livestock guardian dogs significantly reduce predation losses in studies
Electric fencing is among the most cost-effective predator deterrents for many farming contexts
Compensation schemes for livestock losses reduce retaliatory killing but require careful design to avoid perverse incentives
The brown bear population in Europe has recovered from near-extinction partly through conflict mitigation programmes
Community-based conservation with genuine benefit-sharing achieves better long-term coexistence outcomes

Welfare Considerations

Wildlife conflict causes direct welfare harm to predators through retaliatory killing, snaring and poisoning, and indirect harm through range restriction as humans eliminate animals perceived as threats. Livestock guardian dogs are themselves working animals with significant welfare needs that must be met — poorly kept guardian dogs suffer as much as any domestic animal. Electric fencing, when properly maintained, provides effective non-lethal deterrence without causing wildlife harm. Compensation schemes that require rapid, fair payment for verified losses build trust with farming communities. Wolf recovery in Europe and North America demonstrates that coexistence is achievable where mitigation is properly resourced and communities have genuine stake in outcomes.

What You Can Do

Support organisations implementing evidence-based predator-livestock conflict mitigation
Advocate for well-designed compensation schemes that promptly pay verified livestock losses
Promote guardian animal welfare standards alongside their use as conflict mitigation tools
Engage with local conservation organisations working on predator coexistence in your region
Support land management practices that reduce livestock vulnerability to predation