Provide diversionary feeding for predators
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Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
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Number of studies: 1
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Supporting evidence from individual studies
A controlled, before-and-after study in 2008–2011 in four boreal forest, peatland and heath sites in Newfoundland, Canada (Lewis et al. 2017) found that diversionary feeding of predators appeared to increase woodland caribou Rangifer tarandus calf survival. However, the significance of the intervention was not explicitly tested. Caribou calf survival during diversionary feeding (70-day survival: 23%; 182-day survival: 14%) appeared to be higher than before diversionary feeding commenced (70-day survival: 9%; 182-day survival: 7%) though there was high variability in these data. Survival rates across these two periods at sites without diversionary feeding were stable (70-day survival: 56–59%; 182-day survival: 41–47%). Supplementary food was mostly taken by American black bears Ursus americanus which, along with coyotes Canis latrans, were the most frequent confirmed predators of caribou calves. At one site, 500-kg bags of bakery waste were distributed in a grid of 4.5 × 4.3-km quadrats, covering most of the caribou calving area. Food was provided from before 25 May until mid-July in 2010 and 2011 and was replenished weekly as required. In 2011, food was supplemented with beaver Castor canadensis carcasses. Three other caribou calving sites received no supplementary food. Across all sites, 313 caribou calves were radio-collared in late May to early June of 2008–2011, when 1–5 days old, and were monitored by radio-tracking through to November.
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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:
Terrestrial Mammal Conservation
Terrestrial Mammal Conservation - Published 2020
Terrestrial Mammal Conservation