Animal Biodiversity and Conservation. Volum 49.2 (2026) Pàgines: e0017-

Wild prey availability and livestock protection may shape low livestock consumption by Iberian wolves in pastoral landscapes of northern Spain

Palomares, F., Rivilla, J. C., Román, J., Calzada, J., Ruiz-Villar, H., Martínez-Vera, E., Sánchez, J. M.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32800/abc.2026.49.0017

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Resum

Understanding when wolves use livestock instead of wild prey is central to carnivore conservation and conflict mitigation in pastoral landscapes. We tested the expectation that Iberian wolves Canis lupus would rely primarily on wild ungulates, rather than livestock, in mountain areas where wild prey are abundant, and livestock is commonly protected, and that spatial differences in diet would reflect differences in prey communities and landscape context. We analysed 167 wolf scats from two pastoral areas of the Cantabrian Mountains (northern Spain), all previously confirmed by molecular identification, and described diet composition using frequency of occurrence. Wild ungulates dominated the diet in both areas, with red deer Cervus elaphus being the most frequent prey in Montaña Palentina and wild boar Sus scrofa in the western Cantabrian Mountains. Livestock remains occurred at low frequencies, although extensive livestock farming is a major activity in both study areas. Diet composition differed significantly among study areas and varied over time within Montaña Palentina. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that, in pastoral landscapes, wolves’ consumption of livestock depends not only on livestock presence but also on the availability of wild prey, livestock protection, and landscape-mediated prey vulnerability. Maintaining healthy ungulate communities together with effective husbandry practices may help reduce wolf-livestock conflicts.

Paraules clau

Canis lupus, Diet, Cantabrian Mountains, Human-dominated landscapes, Scat analysis, Spatial variation

Cita

Palomares, F., Rivilla, J. C., Román, J., Calzada, J., Ruiz-Villar, H., Martínez-Vera, E., Sánchez, J. M., 2026. Wild prey availability and livestock protection may shape low livestock consumption by Iberian wolves in pastoral landscapes of northern Spain. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, 49: e0017-, DOI: https://doi.org/10.32800/abc.2026.49.0017