Do Carnivores Need to be Managed?

Do carnivores need to be hunted to keep their numbers from growing?

No. There is a growing body of evidence that larger carnivores regulate their own numbers through a variety of life-history traits and social interactions. These include:

• slow reproductive rates
• extended parental care for each offspring delaying the time between litters
• establishing and defending large territories, limiting reproduction by other females
• complex social behaviors such as cooperative hunting and sharing parental duties

All of these traits contribute to large carnivores being able to regulate their numbers so they don’t outstrip their available prey. However, these mechanisms only work in stable populations. Ironically, “management” of carnivores by hunting may cause these mechanisms to break down, resulting in population increases. For example, in hunted populations, social groups are more fragmented, resulting in more alpha pairs, and thus more breeding females. Similarly, the breakdown of territory boundaries may lead to increased densities of carnivores due to an influx of outsiders.

Do carnivores need to be hunted to reduce attacks on livestock?

No. There is no clear evidence that random killing of carnivores reduces attacks on livestock. In fact, it has been shown to have the opposite effect. Predation on livestock is a learned behavior practiced by particular animals. Randomly hunting carnivores in the hopes of killing the “offending” animal is almost always ineffective. When pack animals like wolves and coyotes are killed, their social structure breaks down. More females are able to breed, more pups survive, and carnivore numbers may actually increase. When resident territory holders are killed, it allows new arrivals to move in. Often these are younger animals that are more likely to attack livestock.

The need to “manage” carnivores is another myth not supported by science.