Building public trust in compensation programs through accuracy assessments of damage verification protocols

摘要: Reliable verification of damage claims is fundamental to create public trust in the legitimacy compensation programs, and avoid fraud moral hazards. However, after decades using this tool, transparency processes availability quantitative information on accuracy misidentification rates are unresolved issues. Accurate rules overcome several challenges facing programs worldwide, such as difficulty proving claims, lack or insufficiency community support. Here, we tested protocol used Sweden for large carnivore depredations sheep. In Sweden, verifiers (who will determine if a livestock owner compensated not suspected attack) uses grounded typical bite marks from each predator species animal carcasses. Contrasted with DNA salivary analysis, correctly identified wolf lynx culprit 86% (n = 57) 91% 11) cases tested, respectively, overall identifying predation event was 94%. We believe that rigorous tests current protocols essential show people frequency results compensation, well how often other causes death injury erroneously interpreted being inflicted by carnivores. The use analysis test transferable any livestock-carnivore conflict scenario wildlife, ungulates browsing forest plantations crops.