Research overview: non-lethal conflict mitigation around urban-edge felids

Protecting livestock and poultry from felid predation through non-lethal means is central to reducing conflict and retaliatory killing at the urban and agricultural edge. This overview synthesises research evaluating predator-proof enclosures, guarding animals, improved husbandry, deterrents and compensation or insurance schemes across felids from leopards to caracals, fishing cats and leopard cats. It examines what makes interventions effective and adoptable, the role of community engagement, and the evidence that reducing depredation raises tolerance. The synthesis frames non-lethal mitigation as a practical, widely applicable toolkit for lowering the conflict that often determines whether felids are tolerated near human settlement.