Sixteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

We applied soft system methodology (SSM), an approach for dealing with ill-structured problems involving human activities, to the study of a cougar (Puma concolor)-goat husbandry conflict. Goat husbandry is a common economic activity among rural families in the Llanos Riojanos (La Rioja Province, Argentina). Families own small herds (50-150 goats) that browse in open fields during the day without human supervision, or in some cases accompanied by 1-2 small mixed breed guarding dogs. Herds normally return before sunset to the family house where they are kept in corrals during the night. Because of habitat degradation and low productivity, goats cover long distances (5 km or more from the family’s house) while foraging, and frequently fail to return at the end of the day. Attacks by cougars often occur when goats remain in the field overnight, resulting in significant losses (numerically and economically). Results from SSM applied during six meetings with stakeholders suggests that: a) changes in the family structure (aging parents and younger generations moving to the city), contribute to deficient husbandry practices which aggravates cougar-goat conflict; b) information exchange between outreach agencies and local families is interrupted - outreach agents may need to adjust outreach objectives to family’s priorities and immediate needs; and c) development and implementation of husbandry practices adapted to the new family structure and composition. Habitat restoration and increased profitability of goat production system (e.g. technical support, financing, and developing new markets), appear as necessary preliminary actions before solutions to this conflict can be sought.