Flashing lights protect livestock in Chile — by deterring pumas

By University of Wisconsin-Madison
1/3/2019 

A field assistant and farmer install a camera trap near the herd’s sleeping site. With motion detection, the researchers were able to confirm the presence of predators in the area. PHOTO BY OMAR OHRENS

In the United States, some ranchers worry about wolf attacks on their livestock as the native predator is reintroduced to more areas.

But for Chilean livestock owners, wolves are not the potential threat. Pumas are.

As in the U.S., researchers in Chile are trying to develop non-lethal ways to deter predator attacks and reduce the friction between carnivores and farmers. New research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies shows how lights can prevent puma attacks on livestock in Chile. The study found that bright, flashing lights overnight successfully protected livestock without harming the predators. 

Read more here: https://news.wisc.edu/flashing-lights-protect-livestock-in-chile-by-deterring-pumas/