Sheep have many natural predators including jackal, rooikat, dogs, eagles and leopard. As they are defenseless and have no means of protecting themselves, they are vulnerable to predators.

Prey species, like sheep and cattle have a much wider field of vision. With a slight head movement, sheep can scan their entire surroundings. If they detect a threat, their behavioral response is generally to flee.

While there are no documented differences among breeds relating to vulnerability to predators, sheep breeds with a strong flocking instinct would likely be less vulnerable to predators than those that scatter. Some primitive breeds of sheep may have developed unique flight patterns which enable them to successfully elude predators.

The development team of LifeTime Designs has came up with a novel way of controlling predator attacks on livestock.

The LifeTime Designs philosophy was to change the behaviour of the predator in such a way that it would resort to its natural diet and not attack livestock. This would have the added advantage of controlling other problem populations in the field such as mice, rats and guinea fowl. A win-win situation is created as so called “problem animals” will work in favour of the farmer, who does not also have to resort to controlling these animals.

The team developed an electronic device that monitors the movement of sheep. The device monitors normal motion and only triggers to emergency mode if the sheep behaves in an abnormal manner. This abnormal pattern activates an alarm that acts on the central nervous system of the predator. As an additional function, the device activates an LED circuit that pulses with two very bright white LEDs. These LEDs simulate a stroboscopic effect and confuse the predator even further.

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