Poorer, rural communities pay the highest price for living with large, carnivorous wild animals such as lions and tigers, according to a new study which calls for more support for those at the sharp end, SciDev.Net reported in March 2023.

Conflict between people and animals is one of the biggest threats to the long-term survival of some of the world’s most prized species. But it also has significant economic implications and food security risks for the cattle keepers they live alongside, say the researchers.

Livestock losses resulting from carnivorous predators places increased costs on already impoverished households, according to the study.