Fatal injuries caused by native and non-native predators on South American camelids

Pacheco-Curie J.I.; Machaca-Sillo C.J.; Luque-Machaca H.A. · Revista de Investigaciones Veterinarias del Peru (2025) · DOI: 10.15381/rivep.v36i4.31286

Resumen

Between 2010 and 2018, necropsies were performed on llamas (Lama glama), alpacas (Vicugna pacos), and vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) attacked by pumas (Puma concolor), culpeo foxes (Lycalopex culpaeus), and free-roaming domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) in the department of Cusco at an altitude of 4430 m in southern Peru. The objective was to qualitatively differentiate killing and eating patterns among the three predators. Unlike the culpeo fox, only the puma and domestic dogs attacked adult individuals. Furthermore, only the puma inflicted musculoskeletal injuries on its prey and avoided consuming abdominal viscera. Although based on a small sample size, the empirical evidence provided in this report may contribute to the appropriate identification of predators attacking wild and domestic camelids in the high Andes, which is crucial for managing human-carnivore interactions. This is particularly relevant in landscapes where free-ranging domestic dogs are present, as the attacks and additional economic burdens imposed by these domestic predators on livestock herders are often mistakenly attributed to wild carnivores, thereby exacerbating negative human–carnivore interactions and threatening the conservation of these species. © Los autores.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos