Livestock guarding dogs enable human-carnivore coexistence: first evidence of equivalent carnivore occupancy on guarded and unguarded farms

摘要: Abstract Livestock guarding dogs (LGDs) are advocated to reduce livestock depredation on agricultural lands. However, LGDs have been proposed as excluding carnivores from guarded farms; this study is the first test hypothesis in an African ecosystem. We investigated carnivore occupancy (black-backed jackal, leopard and brown hyaena) 1029 camera-trap days (126 camera locations) relation presence of a range habitat land-use covariates across eight South farms, five which utilised LGD. Models containing had little support explaining or black-backed jackal occupancy, although LGD positive relationship with hyaena (β = 1.14, 95 % CI 0.05, 2.23). Leopard detection was positively related jackals 1.47, 0.18, 2.74) sheep 1.13, 0.14, 2.12), whilst negatively lures −1.33, −2.00, −0.65) 0.90, 0.43, 1.40). Previous research population has demonstrated cessation 91 cases, making dog ineffectiveness unlikely explain their lack influence occupancy. Our results provide empirical evidence based ecological data capacity for promote human-carnivore coexistence context, further validating use specialist conservation tool benefit both human wildlife populations.