Effects of lethal and non‐lethal wolf ( <i>Canis lupus</i> ) management measures on livestock depredation in the Golan Heights, Israel

Abstract The grey wolf ( Canis lupus ) population in the Golan Heights is among the densest globally, with 80–100 individuals in &lt;1000 km 2 of a multi‐use landscape that includes extensive cattle and sheep grazing. Livestock depredation and retaliatory wolf shootings create ongoing conflict between ranchers, conservationists and management authorities. Using 9 years (2013–2021) of verified cattle predation and wolf shooting records, we evaluated the effects of lethal and nonlethal wolf management strategies through time‐to‐event (survival) analysis, spatial and seasonal assessments and a study case comparison of two ranches with contrasting practices. Lethal control did not reduce recurrent predation at 1 or 36 km 2 scales; instead, month and year were stronger predictors, with predation peaking in winter when wild prey availability was lowest. Spatially, 83% of subsequent predation events occurred &gt;6 km from shooting sites, peaking at 6–12 km, indicating a potential spillover effect. The ranch comparison showed that intensive shooting did not lower predation compared to nonlethal management. Practical implication : Lethal interventions are not a consistently effective tool for reducing livestock depredation in high‐density wolf systems. Management should account for ecological side effects of culling and prioritize adaptive nonlethal strategies such as livestock guardian dogs, targeted seasonal calving and rotational grazing.