CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

1. Loss of livestock is one of the greatest sources of conflict between humans and large felids worldwide. Puma concolor is the most widespread apex predator in the Americas and conflicts between this felid and humans are common across its distribution. In response to predation on livestock, humans persecute and hunt pumas. 2. We identified the main environmental and anthropogenic variables that define puma-livestock conflict areas across the Americas, and explored the methods proposed to mitigate conflicts between the puma and livestock producers.3. We conducted a systematic search and subsequent review of the scientific literature. Through a single-variable analyses and Generalized Linear Models (GLM) we identified which predictors affected the occurrence of predation. 4. We found 92 publications on puma-livestock conflicts. The single-variables analyses showed that livestock densities (goat, sheep and cattle), latitude, steepness, co-predator richness, distance to the closest patch of shrubs and to main roads differed between areas with conflict and areas where no conflicts occurred. The binomial GLM indicated that areas with conflicts were primarily located in the Southern Hemisphere and characterized by high densities of livestock. The most frequently cited conflict mitigation techniques were ?improve livestock management?, ?predator control?, and the ?use of fencing?. 5. Although our knowledge about this species and its relationships with human communities has improved, there are wide geographical gaps and many facets of puma-livestock conflicts are still little understood. Scientists also need to work with local stakeholders to generate reliable information regarding the ecological and societal consequences of puma-livestock conflicts, as well as the conflict mitigation methods that could facilitate the coexistence of pumas and humans.

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