Posted on 08/12/2020 1:31:49 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Many big cats – including lions, leopards, and tigers – are ambush predators. This means that they rely on stalking their prey and retaining the element of surprise. In some cases, being seen by their prey can lead them to abandon the hunt.
We tested whether we could hack into this response to reduce livestock losses to lions and leopards in Botswana's Okavango delta region.
This delta, in north-west Botswana, has permanent marshlands and seasonally flooded plains which host a wide variety of wildlife. It's a UNESCO world heritage site and parts of the delta are protected. However, though livestock are excluded, the cordon fence is primarily intended to prevent contact and disease transmission between cattle and Cape buffalo.
Working with Botswana Predator Conservation and local herders, we painted cattle from 14 herds that had recently suffered lion attacks. Over four years, a total of 2,061 cattle were involved in the study.
Before release from their overnight enclosure, we painted about one-third of each herd with an artificial eye-spot design on the rump, one-third with simple cross-marks, and left the remaining third of the herd unmarked. We carried out 49 painting sessions and each of these lasted for 24 days.
The cattle were also collared and all foraged in the same area and moved similarly, suggesting they were exposed to similar risk. However the individuals painted with artificial eye-spots were significantly more likely to survive than unpainted or cross-painted control cattle within the same herd.
In fact, none of the 683 painted "eye-cows" were killed by ambush predators during the four-year study, while 15 (of 835) unpainted, and 4 (of 543) cross-painted cattle were killed.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencealert.com ...
Paging Lilly from AT&T...
A new job opportunity! cow butt eye painter! Guaranteed repeat work when the paint wears off.
I’ve seen pictures from India where people wear masks backwards to prevent tiger attacks.
Ribeye?
Do bulls get confused as to which end to hump?
Another Kammala posting
Here is an idea for a follow up study: Does wearing blackface protect you from rioters?
Carve Mazie Hirono’s likeness into a lava-spewing volcano in Hawaii.
Book her, Dano!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd6GyJoWPq8
Ahh, could catch on as a new “tramp stamp” design.
I believe that the honey collectors in the Sundarbans region of India wear masks on the back of their heads to deter tiger attacks. IIRC, it doesn’t work all that well because the tigers in the region have seemed to have figured it out.
LOLOL!
Totoo em on
The might work for humans visiting Chicago .
The predators there also attack from behind.
You’d need to hire a billboard company.
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