The unexpected appetites of predators in the Karoo

An extensive study on the eating habits of predators on farms and a nature reserve in the Karoo Desert of South Africa has yielded some surprising findings: few of the predators in the reserve – leopards, jackal and caracal – prey on livestock on neighbouring farmland. This contrasts with the widespread perception by farmers that protected areas are ‘predator nests’ that present a constant threat to livestock.