Panthers Prey on Ranchers’ Calves

Farm Journal logo

A two-year panther study at two southwest Florida cattle ranches shows that the endangered cats attack and kill calves, but how often that happens can vary greatly by location and landscape.

Caitlin Jacobs, a University of Florida master’s student in wildlife ecology and conservation, conducted the study, in which radio-transmitter tags were put on the ears of 409 calves at two ranches, both near Immokalee.

The Florida panther nearly died out, with an estimated population thinning to just 20 to 25 panthers by 1995, with conservation efforts helping the cat’s numbers grow to an estimated 100 to 160 by 2012.
But the panthers’ comeback has not always been helpful to cattle ranchers.

One of the ranches Jacobs studied lost 10 calves, or 5 percent of the herd each year, to preying panthers, while the other lost only one, or half a percent of that herd, during the same time span. Both ranches also lost calves to other causes, including eight deaths at one ranch and five at the other not attributed to predators.

Overall, panther attacks caused the most deaths, although panthers weren’t the only predator for calves to contend with. Each ranch also lost at least one ear-tagged calf to a bear attack during the two-year study, while some untagged calves were killed by coyotes and vultures.

The ranches’ physical geography, including open spaces and the proximity of wooded areas in which the cats can hide and stalk, likely have much to do with the different rates, she said. But for the panthers to continue their comeback, they rely greatly on the mixed landscape found on ranches, which includes forests, wetlands, prairies and pastures.

Jacobs said she hopes her research helps lead to fruitful policy discussion between state conservation officials and ranchers, perhaps to programs that might pay ranchers to maintain key panther habitat, rather than as compensation for difficult-to-track individual calf losses.

"The ranching landscape is important for panthers. Land that’s used for housing or row crops or citrus groves doesn’t help them the same way; they need those natural areas," she said.

The research was often gory, with Jacobs, multi-county UF/IFAS livestock Extension agent Lindsey Wiggins and the ranchers themselves evaluating scenes and playing sleuth to determine which predator was to blame: panthers, coyotes, bears or even vultures.
A bite wound to the front or back of the calf’s neck was most often the mark of a panther attack, she said, and the cats almost always dragged their prey to a hiding spot nearby to revisit later. Coyote and bear attacks were much more damaging, with the calf’s body badly bruised or found to have many external wounds.

Jacobs presented her research two weeks ago at the North America Congress for Conservation Biology in Missoula, Mont. Marty Main, associate dean for extension for UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, supervised her research. They expect the study to be published later this year.

The study was funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Defenders of Wildlife and supported by JB Ranch and Immokalee Ranch, where Jacobs did her research.

Source: University of Florida

 

Latest News

Biden Administration Restores Wildlife Protections
Biden Administration Restores Wildlife Protections

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to reinstate rules protecting endangered plants and animals, action that would reverse changes made during the Trump Administration that weakened the Endangered Species Act.

Across Breed EPD Adjustment Factors
Across Breed EPD Adjustment Factors

EPDs from multiple breeds can be compared by adding/subtracting the appropriate adjustment factors to the EPDs resulting from the most recent genetic evaluations for each of 18 breeds.

APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies
APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies

The livestock industry continues to grapple with the first confirmed cases of HPAI in cattle, while federal and state agencies continue to assure consumers there's no concern about the safety of the U.S. milk supply.

Skills Survey Reveals U.S. Agriculture & Food Industry Workforce Needs and Gaps
Skills Survey Reveals U.S. Agriculture & Food Industry Workforce Needs and Gaps

U.S. employers report challenges in finding suitable job candidates with work-ready skills to fill open roles in ag. The AgCareers.com U.S. Skills Survey offers insights, data and trends to address skill development.

USDA Authorizes CRP Graze and Hay Donations to Wildfire Victims
USDA Authorizes CRP Graze and Hay Donations to Wildfire Victims

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants can donate emergency grazing authority to ranchers in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas impacted by recent wildfires.

New Guide Helps Producers Maximize Values of Cull Cows
New Guide Helps Producers Maximize Values of Cull Cows

A new resource developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and CattleFax helps cattle producers maximize profitability from their culling decisions.