Sterilize predators

How is the evidence assessed?

Study locations

Key messages

  • One study evaluated the effects on potential prey mammals of sterilizing predators. This study was in the USA and Canada.

COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES)

POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY)

  • Survival (1 study): A before-and-after study in the USA and Canada found that sterilising some wolves (combined with trapping and removing others) did not increase caribou survival.

BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES)

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

  1. A before-and-after study in 1994–2002 in a large forest and shrubland area in Alaska, USA and Yukon, Canada (Boertje et al. 2017) found that sterilising some wolves Canis lupus (and trapping and removing others) did not reduce caribou Rangifer tarandus mortality. The annual mortality of caribou calves (≤1 year old) did not differ after wolf sterilization and removal commenced (50–67%) compared to before (39–65%). Adult female (≥1 year old) annual mortality was also similar after wolf sterilization and removal commenced (9–10%) compared to before (9%). In a 50,000-km2 study area, 52–78 newborn caribou calves/year were radio-collared in May 1994–2002. In fifteen wolf packs, the dominant pair was sterilized in November 1997 and remaining wolves in those packs were translocated, mainly in April 1998. Eight additional packs were similarly treated over the following two winters. Caribou mortality was measured over four years before and five after wolf control commenced during ≥3 aerial surveys/year.

    Study and other actions tested
Please cite as:

Littlewood, N.A., Rocha, R., Smith, R.K., Martin, P.A., Lockhart, S.L., Schoonover, R.F., Wilman, E., Bladon, A.J., Sainsbury, K.A., Pimm S. and Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Terrestrial Mammal Conservation: Global Evidence for the Effects of Interventions for terrestrial mammals excluding bats and primates. Synopses of Conservation Evidence Series. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

Terrestrial Mammal Conservation

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Terrestrial Mammal Conservation
Terrestrial Mammal Conservation

Terrestrial Mammal Conservation - Published 2020

Terrestrial Mammal Conservation

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