Author Archives: Nathan Lyle

Poaching is the major cause of death for large carnivores in several regions, contributing to their global endangerment. The traditional hypothesis used in wildlife management (killing for tolerance) suggests reducing protections for a species will decrease poaching. However, recent studies … read more

Recovery of large carnivores remains a challenge because complex spatial dynamics that facilitate population persistence are poorly understood. In particular, recovery of the critically endangered red wolf (Canis rufus) has been challenging because of its vulnerability to extinction via human-caused … read more

Once widespread in the Eastern United States, early 20th century predator-control programs reduced red wolves to a remnant population by the 1970s. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, through the Red Wolf Recovery Program, restored red wolves to northeastern North … read more

There is much debate regarding the role wolves have on deer populations and deer hunting in particular. Many have stated that wolves are “decimating” the deer population in Minnesota and that we need to kill wolves to resolve this issue. … read more

Large carnivores often exhibit high survival rates in protected areas, whereas intentional and unintentional human-caused mortality may be greater in adjacent areas. These patterns can result in source-sink dynamics and limit population expansion beyond protected areas. We used telemetry data … read more

Large predators are known to shape the behavior and ecology of sympatric predators via conflict and competition, with mesopredators thought to avoid large predators, while dogs suppress predator activity and act as guardians of human property. However, interspecific communication between … read more