Researching Human-Cattle Interaction on Rangelands: Challenges and Potential Solutions

Abstract

Human-animal interaction (HAI) research spans across many scientific fields and animal taxa. For livestock species, HAI research tends to focus on animals that are managed in close proximity with humans such as poultry, dairy cattle, and swine. Given the nature of rangeland cattle production, HAI research with beef cattle often occurs in and around the processing environment. This high arousal context may skew behavioral and physiological responses by the animals due to the potentially negative interaction. The aim of this review is to describe cattle production on rangelands, examine the considerations and limitations of current HAI research used to evaluate interaction quality or traits of rangeland cattle, identify contexts in which rangeland cattle interact with humans, and provide recommendations for improving future HAI research with rangeland cattle. Current research delineating individual differences in response to humans by beef cattle occur during routine husbandry and management on rangelands (pragmatic) and in a research context (experimental). Human-cattle interactions can be distinguished based on the quality and goal of the interaction into four broad categories: human presence, human approach, human contact, and restraint. Limitations of HAI research with rangeland cattle are identified and reconciled by recommendations for HAI research that can take place outside of the processing environment (i.e., while cattle are ruminating, resting or grazing on rangelands).

Avoidance-related behavioral and blood-based physiological responses of Nguni and Boran cattle subjected to routine handling activities post relocation

“…Cortisol levels were interestingly shown to significantly interact with breed and week, indicating that the two breeds may handle stress differently over time. Our results are in line with earlier studies (31,32), which have demonstrated that breed can considerably affect the stress response of cattle during handling activities. Furthermore, the observed alterations in the stress response over time emphasize the significance of taking into account the long-term impacts of handling stress on animal welfare and output.…”

Examining the Attitudes of Livestock Keepers within Animal Production Systems

“…In 2021, an article was published that focused on positive management: Positive Human Contact and Housing Systems Impact the Responses of Piglets to Various Stressors [34]; The Ethics of Touch and the Importance of Nonhuman Relationships in Animal Agriculture [35]; Researching Human-Cattle Interaction on Rangelands: Challenges and Potential Solutions [36]; Human-animal relationship influences husbandry practices, animal welfare and productivity in pig farming [37]; Costs and Benefits of Improving Farm Animal Welfare [38]; and Human-animal relations in business and society: Advancing the feminist interpretation of stakeholder theory [39]. Also in 2021, three important lectures occurred during the writing of this article: two in Brazil, whose authors were França [40] and Néstor [41] and one in Portugal, by Ceballos [42].…”

Physiological Stress Responses in Cattle Used in the Spanish Rodeo

“…Animal–human interaction varies the animal’s behavioral and physiological response resulting, in some cases, in a stressful stimulus for the animal. Depending on the magnitude and type of the stressful stimuli, animals can modulate their physiological response [ 4 ].…”