hlanagement of carnivore predation as a means to reduce livestock losses: the study of coyotes (\u3ci\u3eCanis latrans\u3c/i\u3e) in North America

Many carnivore populations throughout the world are declining due to expansion of human populations, habitat loss, illegal poaching, legal hunting, disease, habitat fragmentation, declines in native prey, and increased competition with livestock and other human land uses. A major obstacle facing conservation efforts, reintroduction programs, and recovery plans for many carnivore species throughout the world is the continual issue of depredations by carnivores on agricultural interests (hlech 1996). In the United States, efforts to reintroduce and/or recover wolves (Canis lupus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arcios) in the northern Rocky Mountains has been met with much opposition by the livestock industry with depredations on livestock cited as the main reason for resistance. Gainins local support for carnivore conservation and swiftly dealing with depredation problems will always be an issue for biologists and managers as human populations continue to expand into and reduce carnivore habitat increasing conflicts between humans and carnivores (Mech 1996)