Cattle have been and still remain a big part of Arizona's economy. All Arizonans are taught in school that cattle is one of the 5 C's of the Arizona economy. Arizonans take pride in their cattle ranches and have even become part of the Arizona culture. So when their cattle are attacked it is an attack on the ranchers livelihoods.
Before Phoenix became a big developed oasis in the desert it was open range for cattle ranchers. Cattle ranchers controlled the land their livestock were their lives. All day, every day was spent caring for the cattle to assure they survived in this harsh environment.
Ranchers have to worry about a number of different things outside the arid climate and lack of water. There are a number of dangerous animals to worry about like rattle snakes, coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, lynx, wolves, vultures and more. The big cats and coyotes being the most bothersome.
The Big cats and coyotes sat at the top of the food chain way before the ranchers arrived in Arizona. They fed off small rodents, rabbits, birds, deer and sometimes even snakes. As ranchers moved in and Phoenix became a more popular place these predators food sources became more and more displaced.
Over time ranchers reported more and more deaths of their livestock. In an attempt to survive the predators in the area turned their eyes to easy meals placed out in front of them, the cattle.
Before there was ever animal control and wildlife conservation efforts, ranchers had to fend for themselves. This means that if they or their livestock were attacked they needed to take action to remove the animals threatening their livelihood.
Ranchers and hunters banded together to start depredation efforts that involved hunting the predators and killing them. The only problem was, there are so many big predators. How can ranchers be sure they are getting the right predator.
Flash forward to the late 2000's. As technological advancements become more and more prevalent in society these once unidentified predators can now be identified through the use of DNA technology.
When cattle are attacked the predator usually leaves behind something that can be used as DNA evidence, such as hair and feathers or sometimes even teeth and blood. These samples can be collected for DNA and tested against known DNA sources from all suspect animals to find a match.
If a match is made conservationists can search for those types of predators in the area and use humane methods to catch and relocate these predators to other less populated areas of Arizona where they can thrive.
DNA has become a useful tool in animal identification and can help preserve predators as well as ranchers cattle in Arizona.