He is also taking flying lessons and trying to obtain a small plane for the project. For the genetic and epidemiological work, the project has sent blood samples from 270 carnivores to top international laboratories. With the cooperation of ranchers who kept detailed records, Ogada studied the circumstances of each domestic animal killed during the study. They kill sheep and goats by jumping in and grabbing them. Leopards jump in, snatch, and bounce out in a flash-jumping walls as high as three meters.
Hyenas typically take unenclosed livestock at night.
Most predators are more likely to kill livestock during the dry season, when they may be weak, with less energy to chase wild prey. Ogada's preliminary analysis indicates that a number of factors under human control can reduce or virtually eliminate livestock losses. Typically the trunk faces out, with the smaller branches inside. However, simply changing the construction by placing the thorny branches on the exterior, with trunks facing in, makes a huge difference. No animal will endanger its eyes and snout by pushing directly against thorns-so predation in these modified acacia bomas drops to near zero.