India, Oct. 23 -- When cheetahs or jackals kill livestock, farmers can face additional financial strain. Such losses can also put predators at risk of being killed in retaliation. To reduce livestock losses and limit conflict between farmers and wildlife, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) began placing livestock guarding dogs on Namibian farms in 1994. A 2021 review covering the program's first 25 years found that 91% of surveyed farmers reported reduced livestock losses after receiving the dogs.

Led by Laurie Marker, the research team examined placements made between 1994 and 2018. During that period, 634 dogs were placed with farmers. The researchers collected survey data covering 472 dogs through 1,567 farm surveys. The approach is ...