Research overview: guardian donkeys and llamas as alternative livestock protectors

This overview reviews the use of guardian animals other than dogs, notably donkeys and llamas, to deter big cats and other predators from livestock herds. It synthesises evidence that aggressive donkeys and protective llamas bonded to sheep or goats can reduce depredation by confronting or alarming at predators, particularly pumas and smaller carnivores, with lower feeding and management demands than guardian dogs. The literature notes variable effectiveness, limits against large or determined predators, and the importance of selecting suitable individual guardian animals. The survey frames donkeys and llamas as low-cost, low-maintenance complements to other husbandry tools, useful in specific contexts though generally less robust than well-trained livestock-guarding dogs.