Tolerance for jaguars among ranching communities in the Colombian Llanos

Abstract A common intervention to increase tolerance for carnivores is the prevention of livestock losses under the premise that ranchers will better tolerate carnivores if livestock loss is reduced or eliminated. We conducted interview‐assisted surveys in four communities in the Colombian Llanos to characterize human–jaguar ( Panthera onca ) conflict, identify predictors of tolerance (i.e., intention to kill jaguars after a livestock loss), and evaluate the impact of a fencing intervention to increase tolerance. The majority of respondents reported moderate to severe livestock losses pre‐ and post‐intervention. Attitudes and normative support in favor of killing jaguars after a livestock depredation were pervasive. The social psychological variables from theory of planned behavior were stronger predictors of intention to kill jaguars than severity of past losses. The intervention did not increase tolerance, likely because self‐selection bias led to a treatment group that was already tolerant pre‐intervention. Our results suggest that an approach focused only on reducing depredations is unlikely to reduce jaguar killings, as livestock losses are not the only driver. The pervasiveness of livestock losses and support for killing jaguars following a depredation demonstrate a need to reduce livelihood impacts and consider alternative, community‐led approaches to conflict mitigation in the area.