Caracals in a Heterogeneous Landscape: Resolutions for Human-Carnivore Conflicts Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Neils, Aletris Marie Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 26/09/2021 18:05:44 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/627732 CARACALS IN A HETEROGENEOUS LANDSCAPE: RESOLUTIONS FOR HUMAN-CARNIVORE CONFLICTS by Aletris Marie Neils __________________________ Copyright © Aletris Marie Neils 2018 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the SCHOOL OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY WITH A MAJOR IN NATURAL RESOURCES In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2018 1 2 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that an accurate acknowledgement of the source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his or her judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: Aletris Marie Neils 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to my local farming hosts at Kiripotib Guest Farm, Hans and Claudia von Hase, your lovely family and the whole Kiripotib team! You gave me my Namibian home away from home. I owe you so much- keep farming grass! Many thanks to Tyse and Annetta Swart for being the first family to allow me to release a radio collared caracal back onto their farm, for teaching me to “get out of my western way of seeing wildlife conflicts”, and for hours of great discussions and Afrikaans lessons. Thank you Timm and Inez Miller- your incredible farm embodies what conservation farming can and should be. You are the future of Namibian farming and personify that coexistence is not just a dream! I also thank Udo and Tenda Bartsch for all your support. Thank you, Pierre and Select Cars, for keeping my bakkie (truck) running after the thousands of hard kilometers I drove, I literally would have been stuck without you. I also acknowledge the hundreds of livestock farmers that contributed specimens, assistance, information, stories, and cups of rooibos tea. I could not have done it without your cooperation and trust. Field research was conducted with meticulous detail in part by the exceptional Elin Gromberg and Magnus Nystrand- thank you both for doing an incredible job continuing this research while I was back in the U.S. I am very grateful for field assistance from several passionate interns especially my amazing little sister (and fledgling conservationist) Elan Prince Henry Fox, Lily Harrison, Amanda Veals, Colleen Cavanaugh, Allie Pena, and Sean Thomann and many others who contributed to the success of the project through the years. Necropsy protocols were developed with direction and guidance from Dr. Axel Hartmann, Lizzy Hartmann, and the Otijiwarongo Veterinary Clinic – thank you for devoting so much time to training me. I also thank 4 the Bitterwasser Flying Center for accomidations and support. I am appreciative for Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, particularly Linda Searles and for allowing me to refine collars and methodology before deploying them in the field. This research was conducted with support from the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism (under permit number 1539). The American Cultural Center in Windhoek was very helpful in assisting me in country. Funding was provided by Fulbright, Cheetah Kids, Crosby Family, Bonnie Kay, Martha Sloan, and contributions from many other private donors – without you support these caracals would never have been able to be released. I thank my advisors Dr. John Koprowski and Dr. Cecil Schwalbe for all of their assistance throughout this project, and for granting me complete freedom but being there when I needed help most. John without your patience, motivation, and guidance in navigating this process I would not be here. Cecil, there exists no better cheerleader! Thank you for your endless enthusiasm. I also greatly appreciate Dr. Tom Sheridan for encouraging me to explore the social science component of this work and guiding me though the complexities of the “soft science”- this turned out to be the most important piece to the puzzle and I would not have discovered it without you. I would also like to thank Dr. Kevin Bonine for his ecological insight, support, and for being a mentor on disseminating science to the public. Thank you, William Shaw, for your insight on the social dimensions of wildlife managements. Thank you all for your guidance and constructive comments. I thank Diane Austin for her advice and direction in my qualitative interview templates and for teaching me the nuances of social science methodology. I thank Cheyenne Rose McChesney for her assistance transcribing and coding. I owe a debt of graditute to Katie Hughes (SNRE) and Lori D’Anna (Graduate College) for technical support and helping navigate hurdles and make 5 deadlines. Thank you, ladies, for everything! I would also like to thank my eighth-grade science teacher Mrs. Eileen Jones for transforming my views of science class and inspiring me to keep my career trajectory on “scientist”. I would also like to thank the many mentors who have helped me get to where I am today, especially the legendary David E. Brown, who since I was a teenager has showed me how to be a naturalist and holistically understand the landscape I am in. The encyclopedic ecologist, Randy Babb was always willing and helpful to “talk Africa” with. Thank you Dr. Andrew Smith for opening my eyes to the amazing diversity of mammals. I am grateful to Dr. Laurie Marker and the Cheetah Conservation Fund for being my platform while I was getting started and being my introduction to human-carnivore conflict in Namibia. Without Jack Childs introducing me to apex cats (nearly twenty years ago now), I never would have ventured to Namibia in the first place – for this and for all you taught me about how to track predators I am eternally grateful. I am also indebted to the dynamic Sandy Anderson for her inspiration and helping me cut through the crap and focus on what matters – you are the architype that number of degrees should not be the rubric on knowledge. I am so grateful to Andy Salazar for showing me how to trail with hounds and for sharing all his insights on predators – you will always be remembered. Thank you to the late William ‘Sky’ Crosby for your long conversations, great questions, infectious laugh, and all you have done for conservation across the globe. I am so blessed to have found such great friendship with Bella Hilda – thank you for showing me how Namibian farmers live and for all the great picnics with Stephan, Klara, and Dawid in the veld. To Elizabeth ‘Lizard’ Ridder thank you for your friendship, love, and support. To my best friend Paige McNickle, thank you for your great advice, for always being a shoulder I can lean on, and for always believing in me. To my best amigo Matt Skroch, thank you for your 6 support, long conversations, direction, and of course for introducing me to the sky islands. Julia Muldoon Marquez, thank you for your friendship and for loving our critters while we were traveling – I can’t wait to see the great contributions you make in this field. I am forever grateful to the Carver family – John, Jody, Cameron and Kristin for all of your support getting started. Without your organization, CheetahKids, I would have never been able to radio-collar the first caracals. Your family is so special to me. Finally, I would like to thank my family for always supporting me and sending their love and care packages while I was overseas for extended periods of time. I am so privileged to have been born with parents that fostered my love for nature, encouraged me to explore outside, and tolerated all the specimens I was always collecting. Without my huge, dynamic, loving family (Michael Neils, Kathleen Henry, Yaro Shon Neils, Raemi Neils, Courtney (and Winston) Neils, Elan Fox, Betty Neils, Liam Neils, Eliza Neils, Stephanie, Heath & Ben) I could not have accomplished this monumental task- it would not have been possible. My grandma Betty gave me my first book on African Cats when I was five years old and is responsible for planting the seed for this work; thank you for watching over me! I am also grateful for my late uncle Brett for always being so incredibly proud of us and for always wanting to hear my stories about Africa; I hope you can see it now. My grandpa Bill shared his love for adventure and cats, and my grandma Marie shared her admiration for African wildlife, and my uncle Benny (Benton Henry) helped shape how I see things. I am also so appreciative of my in-laws Rebecca and Ted Crosby and Don Bugbee and my Connecticut family for your love, encouragement, and support (and for raising such a great son).