WS-NWRC’sPredator Research Facility

Julie K. Young, Ph.D.

Sandusky

Philadelphia

Gainesville Hilo

Logan

Corvallis

Fort Collins

Starkville

Bismarck

WS National Wildlife Research Center

Research Grade ScientistsJulie K. Young: Project Leader, Supervisory Research Wildlife Biologist

Stewart Breck & Eric Gese: Research Wildlife Biologists

Animal CareStacey Brummer: Colony Manager

Jeff Schultz: Enrichment Specialist

Erika Stephenson & Nate Floyd: Animal Care Technicians (Wildlife)

Support StaffDavid Jolley: Wildlife Biologist

Mike Davis: Facilities Manager

Dianne Arnold: Budget Technician

Staff

NWRC Predator Research ProjectNWRC’s Predator Research Facility houses the only captive coyote population used specifically for research.

The staff applies their knowledge of carnivore behavior, ecology, space use, population dynamics, and

evolution to answer questions that enable carnivores and humans to coexist.

EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH STUDIESPredator Control Methods• Livestock protection dogs & wolves• PAPP as a coyote toxicant• Social learning & food tracking in coyotes

Predator Ecology• Coyote-kit fox interactions• Polar bears & impacts of climate change• Cougar-coyote dynamics & mule deer recruitment

Urban Carnivores• Management of urban black bears• Space use & population estimates of urban bobcats• Urban coyote behavior & human conflicts

Predator Behavior, Endocrinology, and Genetics• Seasonal hormone changes in coyotes• Phenotypic trait inheritance in coyotes• Captive behavior & post-release space use of rehabilitated

black bear cubs • Temporal viability of predator DNA

EXPERTISECarnivore behaviorPredator impacts on livestockEvaluation of nonlethal toolsCarnivores and human health & safetyDevelopment of monitoring techniques

Human-carnivore conflictsPredator-prey relationshipsPredator-predator interactionsCarnivore impacts to T&E species

Urban

Ecology

Behavior & Physiology

Science

Urban

Ecology

Behavior & Physiology

Control Methods

Management implications

n Wild & urban landscapesn Focus on livestock, T&E species, economically/socially valuable species

Predator ecology

What is the best method to detect small carnivores (kit fox)

• Scat deposition, scent station, spotlight, or trapping• Determined the probability of detection per method• Compared to known abundance (via telemetry)

• Best method: scat deposition surveys• Highest detection probabilities & closest to real abundance • Low cost, resilient to weather, low labor requirements, & pose no risk to the

study animals• Second best: scent station

Monitoring carnivores Gese

Monitoring carnivores Gese Is there a harvest index that can be used by wildlife agencies to

monitor cougar populations

• 236 cougars in 2 study areas over 17 years• Compared known abundance & survival (via telemetry) vs. 8 harvest indices

collected by UDWR

• Cougar abundance related to cougars treed per day (r = 0.75)• Annual female cougar survival related to % of harvest >6 years old (r = 0.55)

Population demographics Gese Is sport hunting compensatory or additive

• 236 cougars in 2 study areas in Utah over 17 years• Determined cause-specific mortality

• Sport hunting was partially compensatory in lightly hunted population (Oquirrh)• Sport hunting was additive to natural mortality in heavily hunted cougar population

(Monroe)

What are the real vs perceived threats to humans &

to urban carnivores

Studies• Bobcats (Arlington, Texas)• Coyotes (captive, Denver, Colorado, and national survey)• Black bears (Aspen & Durango, Colorado)

Urban carnivores Breck, Young, Gese

n Wild, captive, & urban landscapes

Predator behavior, endocrinology, genetics

Predator behavior Young

Do captive behaviors predict post-release fitness

• Captive behavioral assessment tests• Novel object, startling response, OFT, focal samples

• Post-release monitoring• Short- & long-term activity patterns, habitat use, den selection, survival,

fecundity

Predator endocrinology Young

What are hormonal and behavior affects of conspecific cues during pregnancy in coyotes

• Marked captive territories with odor cues • Behavioral and hormone samples• Repeated first and second pregnancies (over 3 years)

• Dominance (females) & investigatory (males) behaviors consistent• Odor cues increased fecal androgen metabolites (FAMs)• Pregnancy experience decreased FAMs

• FAMs = litter size

What are common degradation rates of forensic DNA

• Gave lamb and calf carcasses to predators (coyote, wolves, & cougars)• Exposed to elements for 0, 8,12, 24,36, & 48 hours

• Field work complete• Lab work ongoing• Expect to make recommendations for forensic DNA sampling

Predator genetics Piaggio, Gese, Young

Can DNA forensics improve predator identification of sage grouse nests

• Sampled 36 depredated eggs• Amplified mtDNA

• Detected coyotes, skunk, mouse, cow, & human DNA on eggs• Increased detection rate

• Produced technique to identify predators of nests

Predator genetics Piaggio, Young

n Focus on species-specific nonlethal & lethal toolsn Improve specificity, implementation guidelines, & humanness

Control methods

M44 selectivity Young How selective are M44 devices

• Monitor M44 use via camera traps• Detected 19 species visit M44s

• 2.8:1 non-coyote:coyote visitation rate• No non-canid activations

M44 selectivity Young Can we reduce risk of activation by swift or kit foxes

• Modify design to reduce ability of activation• Tested on captive coyotes

• Increased height to 7”• Tested on captive foxes & wild coyotes

Sterilization Gese

Does coyote sterilization reduce pronghorn fawn predation

• Pronghorn fawn survival rates 2.4x higher in sterile territories• Surviving fawns recruited into adult cohort (i.e., high winter survival)• Prey base (small mammals & lagomorphs) not a factor in observed

survival• Space use, territory fidelity, pair-bonds, & survival similar

Sterilization Young & Gese

What chemical sterilization method works for coyotes

• Tested Gonacon in males, Gonacon in females, & GnRH implants in males• Compared to vasectomized males• Measured hormones and behavior

Sterilization Young & Gese

What chemical sterilization method works for coyotes

• Tested Gonacon in males, Gonacon in females, & GnRH implants in males• Compared to vasectomized males• Measured hormones and behavior

• Behavior is similar• 15 of 18 pairs had puppies!!!!

Fencing for Black-Footed Ferrets

Can exclusionary fencing increase kit survival

• Measure effectiveness of fence for excluding coyotes, boosting juvenile survival

• Explore cost-benefits of fence as an alternative to captive breeding

• Fencing effective for excluding medium-sized carnivores

• Kit survival increased 22% or more

• Fencing = $5,400 - $1,700 per kit

Fladry

How can fladry be more effective

• Identify fladry designs less likely to coil • Created 6 designs• Tested each design using 2 materials

• Rip-stop nylon & marine vinyl• Identified 2 best designs

• Currently testing designs with captive coyotes

Fladry

How can fladry be more effective

Management implications

0Cost of control

% R

isk

of

dep

red

ati

on

to

liv

esto

ck

01

00

Management implications

0Cost of control

% R

isk

of

dep

red

ati

on

to

liv

esto

ck

01

00

Management implications

0Cost of control

% R

isk

of

dep

red

ati

on

to

liv

esto

ck

01

00

Management implications

0Cost of control

% R

isk

of

dep

red

ati

on

to

liv

esto

ck

01

00

Management implications

0Cost of control

% R

isk

of

dep

red

ati

on

to

liv

esto

ck

01

00

Management implications

0Cost of NONLETHAL control

% R

isk

of

dep

red

ati

on

to

liv

esto

ck

01

00

Thank you