The human propensity to kill carnivores is associated with the distribution of spotted hyaenas

Large carnivores are declining globally, making it crucial to understand the factors associated with their distribution for effective conservation. Much conservation research considers resource availability and human presence as key influences on carnivore distribution. However, the human propensity...

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Authors: Torrents-Ticó, Miquel|||0000-0002-6580-5016, Fernández-Llamazares, Álvaro|||0000-0002-7813-0222, Cabeza, Mar|||0000-0002-7410-7631, Miliko, Emmanuel, Komoi, Thomas Titiay, Burgas, Daniel|||0000-0003-3512-8365
Format: article
Publication Date:2026
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:uabarcelona_::f57019219a81012368145e2eb45b8cf8
Online Access:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/327894
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2026.127279
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Coexistence
Human-carnivore conflict
Landscape of fear
Predator
Spotted hyena
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spelling The human propensity to kill carnivores is associated with the distribution of spotted hyaenasTorrents-Ticó, Miquel|||0000-0002-6580-5016Fernández-Llamazares, Álvaro|||0000-0002-7813-0222Cabeza, Mar|||0000-0002-7410-7631Miliko, EmmanuelKomoi, Thomas TitiayBurgas, Daniel|||0000-0003-3512-8365CoexistenceHuman-carnivore conflictLandscape of fearPredatorSpotted hyenaLarge carnivores are declining globally, making it crucial to understand the factors associated with their distribution for effective conservation. Much conservation research considers resource availability and human presence as key influences on carnivore distribution. However, the human propensity to kill carnivores, rather than mere human presence, may be associated with carnivore distribution. Here, we use the spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) as a model species because it occurs in areas with varying levels of human persecution. We evaluate how resource availability (i.e., wild ungulate prey) and livestock herding are associated with spotted hyaena distribution in two Kenyan sites with different propensities to kill carnivores. We conducted 59 calling stations to estimate spotted hyaena density and distribution, and surveyed 396 km of transects to assess the abundance of wild ungulate prey and livestock. We found that in an area with high propensity to kill carnivores, distribution was restricted and associated with wild prey and livestock herding patterns, whereas in an area with low propensity to kill carnivores, spotted hyaenas were widely distributed despite extensive wild prey and livestock herding. This study highlights the importance of considering the human propensity to kill carnivores when examining the impact of wild prey and livestock herding on carnivore distribution. Such understanding is critical to evidence-based wildlife management and to advancing coexistence across diverse social and ecological contexts.Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia 22026-01-0120262026-01-01Articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://ddd.uab.cat/record/327894https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2026.127279reponame:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UABinstname:Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaInglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:dnet:uabarcelona_::f57019219a81012368145e2eb45b8cf82026-06-06T12:50:31Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The human propensity to kill carnivores is associated with the distribution of spotted hyaenas
title The human propensity to kill carnivores is associated with the distribution of spotted hyaenas
spellingShingle The human propensity to kill carnivores is associated with the distribution of spotted hyaenas
Torrents-Ticó, Miquel|||0000-0002-6580-5016
Coexistence
Human-carnivore conflict
Landscape of fear
Predator
Spotted hyena
title_short The human propensity to kill carnivores is associated with the distribution of spotted hyaenas
title_full The human propensity to kill carnivores is associated with the distribution of spotted hyaenas
title_fullStr The human propensity to kill carnivores is associated with the distribution of spotted hyaenas
title_full_unstemmed The human propensity to kill carnivores is associated with the distribution of spotted hyaenas
title_sort The human propensity to kill carnivores is associated with the distribution of spotted hyaenas
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Torrents-Ticó, Miquel|||0000-0002-6580-5016
Fernández-Llamazares, Álvaro|||0000-0002-7813-0222
Cabeza, Mar|||0000-0002-7410-7631
Miliko, Emmanuel
Komoi, Thomas Titiay
Burgas, Daniel|||0000-0003-3512-8365
author Torrents-Ticó, Miquel|||0000-0002-6580-5016
author_facet Torrents-Ticó, Miquel|||0000-0002-6580-5016
Fernández-Llamazares, Álvaro|||0000-0002-7813-0222
Cabeza, Mar|||0000-0002-7410-7631
Miliko, Emmanuel
Komoi, Thomas Titiay
Burgas, Daniel|||0000-0003-3512-8365
author_role author
author2 Fernández-Llamazares, Álvaro|||0000-0002-7813-0222
Cabeza, Mar|||0000-0002-7410-7631
Miliko, Emmanuel
Komoi, Thomas Titiay
Burgas, Daniel|||0000-0003-3512-8365
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Coexistence
Human-carnivore conflict
Landscape of fear
Predator
Spotted hyena
topic Coexistence
Human-carnivore conflict
Landscape of fear
Predator
Spotted hyena
description Large carnivores are declining globally, making it crucial to understand the factors associated with their distribution for effective conservation. Much conservation research considers resource availability and human presence as key influences on carnivore distribution. However, the human propensity to kill carnivores, rather than mere human presence, may be associated with carnivore distribution. Here, we use the spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) as a model species because it occurs in areas with varying levels of human persecution. We evaluate how resource availability (i.e., wild ungulate prey) and livestock herding are associated with spotted hyaena distribution in two Kenyan sites with different propensities to kill carnivores. We conducted 59 calling stations to estimate spotted hyaena density and distribution, and surveyed 396 km of transects to assess the abundance of wild ungulate prey and livestock. We found that in an area with high propensity to kill carnivores, distribution was restricted and associated with wild prey and livestock herding patterns, whereas in an area with low propensity to kill carnivores, spotted hyaenas were widely distributed despite extensive wild prey and livestock herding. This study highlights the importance of considering the human propensity to kill carnivores when examining the impact of wild prey and livestock herding on carnivore distribution. Such understanding is critical to evidence-based wildlife management and to advancing coexistence across diverse social and ecological contexts.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2
2026-01-01
2026
2026-01-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://ddd.uab.cat/record/327894
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2026.127279
url https://ddd.uab.cat/record/327894
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2026.127279
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
instname:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
instname_str Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
reponame_str Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
collection Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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