Livestock guardian dogs, a non-lethal strategy to improve coexistence between small livestock herders and wild carnivores in northern Patagonia, Argentina.

Livestock guardian dogs, a non-lethal strategy to improve coexistence between small livestock herders and wild carnivores in northern Patagonia, Argentina.

The expansion of livestock production over natural areas creates more opportunities for interaction between carnivores and livestock, increasing the chances of livestock predation by wild carnivores. This phenomena results in retaliatory killing of wild species, a great conservation challenge. 

This conflict between producers and carnivores makes coexistence difficult. However, the use of livestock guarding dogs (LGD) have proven to be an effective non-lethal method of deterring carnivores from grazing areas and reducing predation on livestock. Northern Patagonia, Argentina, is home to the southernmost population of the endangered Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita), native to South America. About 50% of its records are of individuals hunted in retaliation. We implemented the use of livestock guarding dogs in areas where the species is present, resulting in a hopeful alternative for its conservation and for expanding livestock production in a way where coexistence is possible.