Acknowledging Andean Condor predation on livestock, a first step in addressing the human-condor conflict: A commentary to Estrada Pacheco et al. (2020)

Human-Wildlife Conflicts in the Southern Yungas: What Role do Raptors Play for Local Settlers?

“…Although historically this relationship was considered beneficial, coexistence in the present has been disrupted. Globally, the number of reports of attacks by species that are classified as exclusively scavengers are rising, and reports of conflict between vultures and humans due to livestock losses are widespread [ 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 ]. The Andean condor is no exception, as although it is considered an obligate scavenger by most of the scientific community, it is considered a livestock predator by rural communities [ 21 , 34 , 48 ].…”

“…The Andean condor is no exception, as although it is considered an obligate scavenger by most of the scientific community, it is considered a livestock predator by rural communities [ 21 , 34 , 48 ]. Although at present there are scarce scientific records of Andean condors engaged in this predatory behavior, there is a large bulk of attack reports by local people collected by previous scientific studies [ 48 , 92 ] as well as by the press (valledelermahoy.com.ar/un-condor-es-colgado-en-un-arbol-por-un-productor-ganadero-video/) and filmed by civilians (e.g., , accessed on 11 May 2021). Close similarities were found among all the descriptions of condor behavior and strategies during the attacks to calves provided to us by different stakeholders, which were also very similar with reports recorded in other study areas [ 21 , 38 , 48 ] F.H.V.…”

“…comm. Nonetheless, researchers and conservationists still assume this species to be an obligate scavenger and therefore fail to manage the problem and to engage locals in conservation practices [ 92 ].…”

“…Studies carried out in Patagonia suggest that at least locally, the amount of damage produced by condors is not aligned with local settlers’ perception of damage levels [ 21 ]. However, damage exists and was recorded, and therefore acknowledging Andean condor predatory behavior and taking mitigation actions would probably help to reduce conflict in certain situations [ 12 , 92 ]. Furthermore, to fully comprehend and manage the specific human-condor conflict, it is necessary to consider that the damage perceived is associated with both tangible monetary costs and intangible costs.…”

Presumed killers? Vultures, stakeholders, misperceptions, and fake news

“…Recognizing that some vulture species do kill livestock has been proposed as a better way of solving vulture–farmer conflict (e.g., Zuluaga et al, 2020), but this approach risks perpetuating a historical tendency to blame obligate scavengers as frequent killers. Here we, as scientists with long‐term research experience on the ecology and behavior of scavengers in the New and Old World, argue that any conclusion on the relevance of vulture predation must be based on thorough empirical data collection and analyses and not just on anecdotal observations, often amplified by social media.…”