Lions Are Less Likely To Attack Cattle With Eyes Painted on Their Backsides (theconversation.com) 47
An anonymous reader shares a report: The predation of livestock by carnivores, and the retaliatory killing of carnivores as a result, is a major global conservation challenge. Such human-wildlife conflicts are a key driver of large carnivore declines and the costs of coexistence are often disproportionately borne by rural communities in the global south. While current approaches tend to focus on separating livestock from wild carnivores, for instance through fencing or lethal control, this is not always possible or desirable. Alternative and effective non-lethal tools that protect both large carnivores and livelihoods are urgently needed. In a new study we describe how painting eyes on the backsides of livestock can protect them from attack.
Many big cats -- including lions, leopards, and tigers -- are ambush predators. This means that they rely on stalking their prey and retaining the element of surprise. In some cases, being seen by their prey can lead them to abandon the hunt. We tested whether we could hack into this response to reduce livestock losses to lions and leopards in Botswana's Okavango delta region. This delta, in north-west Botswana, has permanent marshlands and seasonally flooded plains which host a wide variety of wildlife. It's a Unesco world heritage site and parts of the delta are protected. However, though livestock are excluded, the cordon fence is primarily intended to prevent contact and disease transmission between cattle and Cape buffalo. Large carnivores, and other wildlife including elephants, are able to move freely across it, and livestock losses to large carnivores are common in the area. In response, lethal control through shooting and poisoning can occur.
Many big cats -- including lions, leopards, and tigers -- are ambush predators. This means that they rely on stalking their prey and retaining the element of surprise. In some cases, being seen by their prey can lead them to abandon the hunt. We tested whether we could hack into this response to reduce livestock losses to lions and leopards in Botswana's Okavango delta region. This delta, in north-west Botswana, has permanent marshlands and seasonally flooded plains which host a wide variety of wildlife. It's a Unesco world heritage site and parts of the delta are protected. However, though livestock are excluded, the cordon fence is primarily intended to prevent contact and disease transmission between cattle and Cape buffalo. Large carnivores, and other wildlife including elephants, are able to move freely across it, and livestock losses to large carnivores are common in the area. In response, lethal control through shooting and poisoning can occur.
for a time.... (Score:4, Insightful)
I'll bet money the cats will learn and adapt
Then we'll paint noses (Score:2)
Before you know it the cows will be indistinguishable from people. Soon they'll enter politics and business and rule over us all!
Well played cows. Well played.
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I was a dairy farmer for many years. Trust me when I tell you, the cows are far more intelligent than anything we've seen in business or politics in decades.
So it either hasn't happened, or they're putting on a really good act to lull us into a false sense of security.
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Do you think we have a reached a cow tipping point in politics?
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ah, the cows will become push-me-pull-yous. Hope they evolve a place to poop in the middle so they don't explode.
Funny, cool, awesome. Wanted cow butt painter! (Score:3)
Yes, my friends, Mother Nature has a great sense of humor. Hey, great, if effective! I just can't wait to see job adverts. "Wanted, cow butt painter. Must be good with eyes!"
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Took them long enough. The Story of Babar [wikipedia.org] was written in 1931.
Re: Funny, cool, awesome. Wanted cow butt painter! (Score:2)
Elephant vs cow. Face vs eyes ... ehhhhhhhhh. Close enough!
Well played @q4Fry!
People less likely to eat steaks with eyes painted (Score:2)
on them too.
The lions are probably thinking "Hey, where can I get some of that cool butt paint?"
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There's a Kardashian joke in there somewhere.
Tried with men vs. tigers (Score:5, Interesting)
A similar idea was tried to protect people from tigers [quora.com]. It worked for a while [wikipedia.org], I am told -- tigers are not endemic in my area, so I must rely on second-hand information -- but after a few years the tigers adapted to the ruse.
It would be interesting to see if the lions adapt, too.
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You would be surprised how many ppl I see living here, wanting DoW to move animals like Raccoons, Coyotes, Bob cats, Rattlesnakes, etc. I have seen ppl gripe about our plentiful red tail hawks.
One of the worst was when a woman had a cougar with kits, come up to her home and she brought out her small cat and dog to the sliding door for them to see. I ripped into her and pointed out that NOW that momma cougar knows where some tasty food is, that
Good :-) (Score:2)
Have you seen the picture in the article? I think it's to do with the size of the painted eyes... they're massive.
Next step : paint or glue horns
Mooosive eyes (Score:1)
As soon as the lions discover rulers, the gig is up.
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Very quickly adopted in India (Score:2)
The tigers sneak around get confused by eyes in the back, and they dont attack, mistaking these face masks for Voldemort, may be.
Tigers ain't stupid (Score:2)
Indeed, man eating Tigers are a problem in India and Bangladesh. However, the masks on the back of the head did not fool the tigers for long, and are now useless.
It has always known that Tigers attack from behind. Indeed Jim Corbet (famous man eating tiger hunter, excellent books, national park named after him) remarks that tigers do not realize that humans cannot smell. So if the wind is at your back you are safe, but if the wind is coming from the front then be very careful.
brave (Score:5, Funny)
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Welcome to 2016 (Score:1)
Already done in 2016
I guess the virus has made everyone forget everything.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/ru... [abc.net.au]
Started in 2016 (Score:2)
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Already done by tigers since eons ago. They have large black dots with white centers on their necks that resemble eyes; https://www.boredpanda.com/tig... [boredpanda.com]
a chance to get rich! (Score:3)
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Are those better than bingly eyes?
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What a new study? (Score:1)
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People who collect honey in the sundarbans forest, know these things from hundreds of years, and wear a fake mask behind their head.
Works against competing gang members too. Just look how some people wear their baseball caps...
However, to scare a virus, you have to act differently. Indeed a virus doesn't sneak up from behind, but from below. So wear your face mask on your chin!
What about the Aliens? (Score:2)
Humans too (Score:2)
I found eyes on my Big Mac and it made me pause also.
Or the opposite... (Score:1)
The also tried the reverse: painted a cow with a butt-hole on its face. It ran for President.
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And lost to Trump.
Leaves just one question (Score:2)
Wouldn't it suck to be.... (Score:2)
...a cow in the control group for this study?
munching cow: "wow, this savanna grass is amazing! Hey Frank, you look like a doofus with those eyes painted on your ass!"
Lets see, tech news nope... (Score:2)
I know, we'll put a filler article in! How about cows! And Lions!
Cat thing (Score:1)
Its the same for healthy tigers, leopards and other ambush predators.
They could on scoring a kill on the first pounce.
Otherwise they waste energy and risk injury pursuing what is likely a faster animal.
Workers on rubber plantations sometimes wear a mask on the back of their heads and claim that it can sometimes fend off an attack as the animals see a face and instinct causes it to wait for prey to turn away to spring from cover.
Nature finds a way (Score:2)
It would seem to me that if this was an effective tactic, wild animals would ALL have eye patterns on their butts. Since they don't, I'm betting Nature tried it and it didn't help.
US hikers take note (Score:2)
This might work for hikers in the US in mountain lion territory, or even grizzly bear territory.
Take it one step further... (Score:1)
Add a big, Cheshire grin.
The lions won't just feel self-conscious from being watched by a cow's butt; they'll feel a growing sense of unease as a whole herd fixes them with a mischievous smirk. What are those cows planning now? It certainly can't be good for the lions.
Far Side (Score:1)
I think I saw a Far Side cartoon about this