Research overview: caracal livestock conflict and persecution

Across parts of Southern Africa and the Middle East, caracals are killed in large numbers as suspected predators of sheep and goats. This overview reviews studies quantifying the species role in livestock loss, which is real but often smaller than perceived, alongside the heavy and largely unregulated lethal control directed at it. Research using diet analysis and GPS tracking has examined when and where caracals take small stock and tested non-lethal mitigation such as guardian animals and improved husbandry. The work matters because persistent persecution is among the most significant pressures on the species, and because indiscriminate killing can disrupt territorial structure without reducing losses, sometimes worsening conflict by opening space for younger, more conflict-prone individuals.