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Ziram-treated maize and free-ranging badgers
Journal
Applied Animal Behaviour Science
-
Volume 93, Issues 3-4
,
September 2005,
Pages 309-321
Authors
Sandra E. Baker, Stephen A. Ellwood, Richard W. Watkins and David W. Macdonald
Abstract
There are increasing demands for non-lethal methods of
resolving foraging conflict between people and a wide range of wildlife
species. Badgers make good models for studying human–wildlife conflict
resolution, and they epitomise the circumstances driving research in
this field; they cause millions of pounds worth of crop damage each year
in England and Wales, and yet they are protected legally from culling.
In anticipation of future field conditioning trials, we set out here to
identify the minimum concentration of the repellent ziram for inhibiting
badger damage to maize. We believe this to be the first study to
investigate the dose-dependent effects of a repellent on a wild
free-ranging population of mammals. We adapted a multi-choice design to
test the acceptability to free-ranging badgers of maize cobs treated
topically with a range of ziram concentrations (0–5.3% (w/w)). We used
video surveillance to obtain detailed behavioural observations of
individually identifiable animals. The seven badgers that ate maize
during the trial did not discriminate between treatments on the first
night on which they fed. However, on subsequent nights, most of these
badgers either failed to return to experimental sites or returned
without feeding. These animals may have developed learned aversions to
ziram after a single night's exposure. Two individuals visited and fed
throughout the study, and demonstrated a clear negative dose-dependent
response that reached a plateau at a ziram concentration of 1.3% (w/w).
This effect was evident in both individual behavioural data and the
proportion of cobs suffering badger damage. Our aim was to identify an
optimal (threshold) concentration of ziram for deterring badger feeding
on maize; we conclude that maize cobs should be treated at approximately
1.3–1.5% (w/w), by topical application of a 10% (w/v) ziram paste. A
field experiment of similar design could provide a model starting point
for research with other species, repellents and food substrates.
Keywords
Badgers; Crop damage; Dose–response trial;
Non-lethal control; Repellent; Ziram
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