A typical caracal kill
these studies. But eagles will often
come down in broad daylight to
feed on a lamb killed by these other
predators,
and this is why farmers so often
think that the eagle was the culprit.
Open carcass
Bite wounds
Various signs indicate where a carnivore has fed. Unlike eagles, carnivores have powerful teeth which
can chew and shatter quite large
bones. The carcasses of lambs eaten
by jackals are well opened up, as
shown here. Caracals, however,
often feed from the rump. These
predators are more capable of
dragging their prey into cover, and
will sometimes even try to bury it.
You may find spoor at the scene,
but remember that all these signs
merely indicate that the animal
has fed on the lamb, not necessarily killed it. Lambs killed by carnivores can easily be identified by
skinning the carcass from the top
of the neck and looking for the
fatal bite wounds. These are usually found on the throat, but dogs
are very messy killers and will bite
all over the torso and limbs, leaving a lot of blood around. Wounds
administered by carnivores are
characterized by REGULARLY
spaced canine puncture marks.
These are found in pairs on either
side of the body part that was bitten. The distance between the
punctures can give an indication
of the species responsible (for
more details consult the book
Predators and Farmers from the
Endangered Wildlife Trust), Blood
and bruising around the bite
wound indicate that the lamb was
killed in this way, but the bruising
is never as extensive as that from
an eagle wound. If you, as judge,
do find the eagles guilty, there are
mitigating circumstances to consider that could help prevent further losses.
If predators are attracted to high
densities of dead and dying lambs
they may turn their attention to
healthy lambs later on. To minimize losses, try to ensure that all
carcasses and deserted lambs are
moved away from the lambing
camps. Concentrated lambing seasons make selection and management easier, and also enable you
to have better control over losses
due to predators. Supply sufficient
food and protection from the elements. It is worthwhile to place a
shepherd near the flock during the
crucial 6 — 8 week lambing period
(eagles seldom attack lambs older
than ten days); and to conduct
lambing in a manageable camp
away from mountainous areas frequented by predators. Predators
do need small mammals and birds
to survive, they all play an important role in the well-being of
your grazing. Try to conserve these
smaller animals to stabilize predator counts. This will prevent large
numbers of predators and eagles
coming down to your lambing
herds. A breeding pair of eagles on
your farm will prevent other birds
from coming in, because they will
protect their breeding territory,
Remember that eagles will only
stay on your farm if there is sufficient natural prey. For more detailed management tips on preventing losses please consult the
Eagles and Farmers booklet available from the Endangered Wildlife
Trust.
Merino ewe and lamb