A descriptive study of dairy goat predation in Louisiana.
Questionnaires concerning herd size, housing and management, and previous instances of predation were mailed to 124 goat owners in Louisiana. Postcards were mailed over a period of one year on a monthly basis, to the 84 individuals who responded to this questionnaire. Owners were asked to indicate whether they had seen predators on their property and whether any goats were injured or killed by the predators. Upon receipt of any postcard with a "yes" answer to either of these questions, a telephone interview was conducted to determine the exact circumstances of predator experience. The interview format included time, physical circumstances, and detailed questions about the actions of the predator and the goats. In 85% of the cases, the predators sighted were reported as dogs, and most of these were thought to be pets, rather than wild. Instances of attacks occurred most frequently during periods of reduced light. No clear seasonal pattern of attacks emerged. Four management factors were associated with a reduction in number of attacks; penning the goats at night, use of a night light, proximity of the herd to an occupied residence, and presence of a dog.
Domestic dog attacks on sheep in the urban fringe areas of Perth, Western Australia
In common with many cities, Perth, Western Australia has a problem with domestic dogs attacking livestock, such as sheep on its urban fringe areas. The current study used multiple sources to document 1479 attacks on livestock on 1105 properties by 1900 dogs across eight metropolitan local authorities over a three-year period. The hypothesis that dog attacks on sheep are poorly understood by the community and continue as a result of inaction by local authorities, dog owners and livestock owners, rather than being an unavoidable predator/prey interaction, was supported. The predatory behaviour of domestic dogs and the anti-predatory behaviour of sheep were observed to be similar to that of wild canids and ungulates respectively. 
 
The reluctance of local authorities to prosecute offenders and enforce by-laws meant that there was little voluntary compliance by dog owners to control their dogs. It therefore, became necessary for livestock owners to protect their livestock; however, most failed to take effective preventive measures. 
 
Wild canids predominantly attack the head and neck of prey animals, whereas in contrast, domestic dogs may attack any part of a sheep. Examination of injury sites, in conjunction with information collected from other investigative techniques, assisted with the identification of the breed, size and number of dogs responsible. To overcome difficulties in locating a dog not sighted attacking, tracker-dogs were trained to follow the attacker's scent back to its home. The majority of dogs (60%) lived within 200 metres of the livestock they attacked and used the same route to and from the property on subsequent attacks. 
 
A single or pair of owned dogs from the same household, belonging to 14 breeds were primarily responsible for attacks. Poor management by dog owners on inadequately fenced smallholdings enabled these dogs to wander unnoticed from their properties. Although most dog owners accepted evidence of their dogs' involvement, few accepted blame and most were surprised that their "friendly" pet could attack livestock. Unless dogs were destroyed, relocated or contained by their owners they were likely to attack again. 
 
It is concluded that dog attacks occur commonly in urban fringe areas; however, with appropriate management of dogs and livestock these can be minimised.
EAGLE-LIVESTOCK RELATIONSHIPS: LIVESTOCK CARCASS CENSUS AND WOUND CHARACTERISTICS'
This paper reviews the physical damage eagles inflict when attacking their prey and, with these and other descriptions of wounds as guides, reports a field appraisal of livestock succumbing to predation on western rangelands. Massive subcutaneous hemorrhages and talon punctures on the dorsal surface of lambs characterize a victim of an eagle attack. Head and facial wounds are seldom present on eagle kills. More livestock carcasses were located per manhour of search in the Edwards Plateau Region (represented by the Eldorado, Texas, area) than elsewhere. How- ever, using criteria we developed from the literature and from our own observations, we believe that no more than 10 percent of these carcasses were actually victims of predation (all types). Still births and other circumstances seemed to account for many of the other losses. Our studies in the Edwards Plateau Region did not fully coincide with the beginning of the region's lambing season. About 38 percent (3) of the dead lambs and kids found in the Val Verde Region of Texas were attributed to predatory losses. Only two dead lambs were discovered in the Guadalupe Mountain Region in 148 manhours of search; of these, one appeared the victim of predation, the other was a birth fatality. Overall, 25 percent of the deaths we could analyze among lambs and kids were attributable to predators. Ranchers we interviewed indicated that little or no eagle damage occurred during the course of our field work, a contention we fully support. Claims of livestock losses from predation have fostered both exten- sive and intensive predator control measures on many western range- lands. Stockmen and conservationists nonetheless often differ in their views of these controls and their ecological impact. Hence Leopold et al. (1964) prepared a comprehensive review of the philosophies and practices associated with predator control as a guideline for agencies charged with the stewardship and management of wildlife popula- tions. This policy statement, in particular, urged that specific predators be identified and that any susbequent control measures be both selec- tive and locally applied.