Pastoralist cattle observations (vigilance and grouping behaviors)

Fear of predators fundamentally shapes the ecology of prey species and drives both inter- and intra-specific interactions. Extensive research has examined the consequences of predation risk from large carnivores on the behavior of wild ungulate prey species. However, many large carnivores not only hunt wild prey but also depredate domestic livestock, especially in pastoralist systems where livestock share land and resources with large carnivores. Northern Tanzania is a hotspot for human-carnivore conflict driven by livestock depredation and interactions are particularly severe between African lions (Panthera leo) and pastoralist cattle (Bos taurus). In this ecosystem, we explored the degree to which pastoralist cattle exhibited anti-predator behaviors during their daily grazing routines. Using focal animal sampling, we compared two typical anti-predator behaviors, vigilance and grouping, among cattle in village rangelands with high and low background depredation rates. We found that cat...