Predators and Livestock Protection Problems

Where livestock farmers and predators co-exist anywhere in the world, there are always conflict problems. Cheetahs occur on the majority of farms in the Limpopo Province from time to time, as well as on farms in the North West Province and Northern Cape Province. Although cheetah and leopard are in competition with each other for prey and territory, they occupy different niches in the hierarchy of predator and prey. Cheetahs are diurnal and hunt mainly small antelope and rodents. Leopards are nocturnal and have a wide prey base. They can also scavenge which makes for more food available to them in a smaller area.

Predators such as cheetah cannot tell the difference between game and livestock, and thus young calves or sheep or goats that roam unprotected in the veld often get preyed upon.

In South Africa, incorrect livestock protection methods have resulted in severe stock losses. Sheep farmers lose lambs and sheep to eagles, caracal, cheetah and leopard. Cattle farmers lose calves to cheetah and leopard and cows to lion and hyena and the growing game ranching industry is also experiencing the same problems. Thus, predators in South Africa are thought of as vermin in a largely livestock farming community, i.e. a livestock farmer whose only income is his animals cannot really afford to lose up to 30 calves a year to predators.

Often, getting rid of predators seems to be the only real solution to the farmer. This is done by catching predators in either capture cages or gin traps, putting out poisoned carcasses or shooting on sight. Capture cages and gin traps (leg-hold traps) are placed at play trees of cheetah in order to catch any cheetah that comes in to scent mark. These traps are also set up at the fresh kill os leopard, as a leopard often returns for a meal. Poisoned carcasses are left in the veldt for jackal, leopard and eagles. Unfortunately,for every problem animal this is killed by poison, over a hundred other non-target animals die as the poison spreads through the food chain.

Removing predators like cheetah, leopard, caracal and jackal often leads to further problems. Firstly, these animals hold territories which range from between a few hundred square metres to over a thousand square kilometre. Any intruding animal around the area will be chased out by the territory holder. When the territorial animal is removed, there are others waiting in line to take over the territory which means that once a predator is removed other waiting in line to take over the territory which means that once a predator is removed in order to prevent stock loss, the problem often becomes worse due to others fighting over the territory.

Secondly, if a predator is removed, the farmer can never be sure if it is the problem predator. He will continue to suffer livestock loss and the other predators are unnecessarily removed from the area, making space for potential problem animals.

Thirdly, in selling the predator that has been caught or the skin of the predator, the financial loss of livestock can never be made up for.

The effects of indiscriminate removal of predators from the farmlands over the past decades has been tremendous, but at the same time has not minimized livestock loss. Farmers have been fighting an ongoing war for the past 300 years in South Africa, and still the predators seem to be one of the biggest problems for livestock and game ranchers.

Farmers and ranchers should accept that in the long term, it would be more advantageous to use better farm management and work with nature and not against it to decrease livestock loss to predators.

Livestock Protection Methods

When a calf is born it is too weak to follow its mother, so the mother hides the calf under a bush until she is finished grazing and then comes to feed it. It is at this stage that the calf is caught by predators, so it is vital to provide adequate protection to small stock and calves. When talking with farmers, we have learned that many think they provide adequate protection by keeping small stock or calves near the house area in a kraal (corral). Unfortunately this is not always the case. An old or sick predator will risk coming near human settlements to find food. There are a number livestock and game protection methods currently used by various farmers that protect their livestock from predators.

1. Calving Seasons > Domestic Stock

This is the first essential step to prevent stock loss to predators. There are two calving seasons in a year. The primary season extends from November to January, which is during the wet season. When the calves are weaned, there is enough grass after the rains to ensure strong, healthy animals. The secondary calving season is in June. This is during the dry season, but calves are weaned into the wet season six months later.

Calving seasons are to ensure that all cows calve at the same time, which means that calves can be protected against predation just after birth when they are vulnerable. The advantages for farmers are that there is control over the animals during the calving period. Cows having difficulty can be helped, as the calving period is known. Calves are born during periods of good grass growth and antelope are dropping offspring during the same period, which ensures food supply to predators and therefore means less livestock are taken.

A large number of livestock farmers have no calving season at all which means that cows give birth unexpectedly and no protection can be offered to calves during this time. Calves are then lost to predators, fall down aardvark holes and die of starvation, or sometimes abortion takes place without a farmer's knowledge.

2. Predator-Proof Enclosures > Domestic Stock

Once calves are born they are extremely vulnerable to predation. A cow will stay by her calf to protect it, but will also leave it alone at times in order to graze. Usually she will hide the calf under a bush while she is away. It is at this stage that they are caught by predators.

Predator-proof enclosure protect calves at all times, so none are lost to predators. The enclosure is usually made of diamond mesh or jackal-proof fencing and has to be closed over the top as well so that nothing gets inside. Another alternative is to have an open top, but the sides of the enclosure have to be high and surrounded by electric wires which would prevent a predator climbing the sides of the enclosure.

Predator-proof enclosures are set up at watering kraals where cows come in every day to drink. The cow comes into the predator-proof enclosure herself a few days before she is about to calve. This way the calf is born inside the enclosure. The cow has to be fed during this time. Once the calf is born, the cow is then let out into the camp where she is living in order to graze. When all the pregnant cows have given birth to their calves, a routine is established where every morning the calves are let out of the enclosure into the water kraal. The calves are fed by the cows while the cow is chewing the cud. This can extend to about 4 hours. After this period the calves are chased back into the predator-proof enclosure and the caws chased out into their camp in order to graze. At the end of the day, the cows come back into the water kraal where the calves are released to be with the cows again. They are then fed again and the cows are again chased out for the night.

Predator-proof enclosures should ideally be erected at all the main watering kraal areas so that when cows change grazing camps, their calves can be moved so that the cows do not have to walk too far, especially during drought years.

3. Electric Fencing > Domestic Stock, Game Farms and Intensive Game Breeding Camps

This method is highly effective on both livestock and game farms, and is extremely cost effective. It can also run off solar power which makes it ideal for farms that do not have mains electricity. Electric fences are not meant to surround the whole farm, but to fence of the problem areas so that predators do not interfere with the farmers' livelihood. Usually 3 or 4 positive wires are run around the area that is to be protected. The ground can be used as the earth, but in certain areas in South Africa, it is often too dry to be effective earth. Running a negative wire close to the positive wire is a better solution. This gives the full impact of the electric shock which varies between 5 000 and 10 000 volts. A 12 volt car battery, charged by a solar panel, power the energiser which provides the voltage for the fence.

4. Shepherds

Human presence has always been a deterrent for predators. Animals are naturally afraid of people and will avoid them. If a shepherd is with sheep and goats then predators will not easily approach the herd. A farmer has to weigh up the differences between financial loss of livestock to predators and paying the salary to a herder.

5. Dogs

Dogs are effective in flocks of small stock against cheetah, jackals and caracal, but again larger predators like hyena, lion and leopard eat dogs, so a if a farmer decided he would like to try dogs he would first have to assess what the main predator problems is in that area.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE ABOVE METHODS PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL CHEETAH MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. ncmp@dewildt.org.za