SRI's engagement in livestock-predator coexistence efforts creates special opportunities to help others manage ranches in the presence of predators.
Relatively little scientifically tested information on livestock-predator coexistence techniques is available to ranchers and conservation organizations. Nevertheless, producers like the Sun Ranch and conservation organizations like the Institute are developing a broad and deep set of resources for ranching in wolf country.
Sharing our partners' experiences remains an important contribution to the field. That information is strategic (long-term changes that reduce the likelihood of conflict), pragmatic (techniques that can keep cattle and predators apart), and scientific (raw data on animal behavior and coexistence techniques). Bringing that information to organizations and producers who can make best use of it is a key priority of our coexistence work.
Large predators establish extensive home ranges that typically encompass land owned by different people, thus making landowner collaboration essential to coherent management. Without collaboration, any number of conflicts might arise as different ranches operate with different goals and incompatible preparations for working among wildlife.
The challenges of coexistence are manifold. SRI convenes community members and collects resources to meet those challenges.
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