Crying wolf over predator attacks

Crying wolf over predator attacks (New Scientist: 24-Sep-04)
It is one of the oldest conflicts between man and beast: farmers killing marauders such as wolves, lynxes, lions and leopards to defend their livestock from the predators. This ancient tension has increased as people have encroached ever further into the wilderness, and many predators have been driven to the verge of extinction as a result… Yet the slaughter may be unnecessary. The first worldwide review of the effect of predators has found little evidence that they have a significant impact on livestock. “There’s this cultural hangover that says predators are bad and killing them is the only way to deal with the problem,” says lead author Kate Graham of the University of Stirling, UK.