Researchers launch survey to mitigate predator-livestock conflict
Researchers from the Institute for Research in Game Resources (IREC – CSIC, UCLM, JCCM) have launched an online survey aimed at both livestock farmers and the general population to explore perceptions about conflict between predators and livestock activity in Spain. This survey is part of two projects investigating the use of conditioned aversion as a tool to reduce wolf attacks on livestock.
The aim is to apply conditioned aversion, a technique based on generating rejection in predators towards certain foods based on controlled negative experiences. This methodology has already been successfully applied in other species to reduce the predation of red-legged partridge and wild rabbit nests, and its effectiveness has been proven in captive wolves.
The projects, one in the Sierra Norte of Guadalajara and another in La Rioja, seek to reduce the impact of wolves on livestock, especially in areas with high levels of attacks, thus contributing to the coexistence between the conservation of predators and the profitability of livestock activity.
The survey aims to gather the opinions of livestock farmers and the general public on the role of predators in nature, their impact on livestock, and possible measures to mitigate these conflicts.
