Abstract
The modification of landscapes is increasing the interface between humans and wildlife, while conflicts concerning predator impacts on human activities persist. Some previously persecuted but now protected predator species are experiencing recovery and range expansion.
Tolerance is considered essential for achieving coexistence between humans and wildlife; however, its conceptualisation remains unresolved. Little is known about tolerance in the context of recovering predators, particularly which drivers are relevant to all or specific species and human interests.
Using an online questionnaire survey shared with members of organisations with interests in rural land-based activities, we collected data on interests and beliefs, and attitudes, perceptions, experience and management preferences for six recovering vertebrate predators in the United Kingdom (n = 819). We created a species tolerance score representing the management choices of the respondents in different conflict scenarios, which differed in the degree of impact on the predator population.
Our species tolerance score was characterised by a complex combination of the interests and beliefs of the respondents about wildlife management, perceptions and experience of that species (perceived benefits, population trend, positive and negative experience, indirect negative experience) and negative experience of other recovering predators.
We found a tolerance gradient between interest groups with notable overlap between groups with primary interests in wildlife conservation, shooting, farming and fishing. Although higher perceived benefits consistently corresponded to higher tolerance, having a negative experience of the species dampened the effect of perceived benefits on tolerance. When both negative personal and indirect experiences were reported, tolerance was dramatically reduced. The classification of species from least to most tolerated was consistent between interest groups.
The application of our species tolerance score as the normative dimension (i.e. acceptability) in Brenner and Metcalf's (2020) Social Tolerance of Wildlife Framework highlights that tolerance (negative attitude—high acceptability) is potentially rare and more positive attitudes must be achieved before acceptance of the impacts of species can increase.
Our findings highlight that considering only primary interests may hinder debates concerning recovering predators. Strategies to reduce negative experiences or change how they are perceived could significantly increase tolerance in combination with increasing positive experiences.
Tolerance is considered essential for achieving coexistence between humans and wildlife; however, its conceptualisation remains unresolved. Little is known about tolerance in the context of recovering predators, particularly which drivers are relevant to all or specific species and human interests.
Using an online questionnaire survey shared with members of organisations with interests in rural land-based activities, we collected data on interests and beliefs, and attitudes, perceptions, experience and management preferences for six recovering vertebrate predators in the United Kingdom (n = 819). We created a species tolerance score representing the management choices of the respondents in different conflict scenarios, which differed in the degree of impact on the predator population.
Our species tolerance score was characterised by a complex combination of the interests and beliefs of the respondents about wildlife management, perceptions and experience of that species (perceived benefits, population trend, positive and negative experience, indirect negative experience) and negative experience of other recovering predators.
We found a tolerance gradient between interest groups with notable overlap between groups with primary interests in wildlife conservation, shooting, farming and fishing. Although higher perceived benefits consistently corresponded to higher tolerance, having a negative experience of the species dampened the effect of perceived benefits on tolerance. When both negative personal and indirect experiences were reported, tolerance was dramatically reduced. The classification of species from least to most tolerated was consistent between interest groups.
The application of our species tolerance score as the normative dimension (i.e. acceptability) in Brenner and Metcalf's (2020) Social Tolerance of Wildlife Framework highlights that tolerance (negative attitude—high acceptability) is potentially rare and more positive attitudes must be achieved before acceptance of the impacts of species can increase.
Our findings highlight that considering only primary interests may hinder debates concerning recovering predators. Strategies to reduce negative experiences or change how they are perceived could significantly increase tolerance in combination with increasing positive experiences.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 117-133 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | People and Nature |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 23 Nov 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Open Access via the Wiley/JISC agreementACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful to all the respondents who participated in this study and the organisations that shared information about the research and questionnaire with their members: British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), Confederation of Forest Industries (CONFOR), Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, National Gamekeepers' Organisation (NGO), Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE) and local squirrel groups, Royal Forestry Society (RFS), Scottish Gamekeepers' Association (SGA), Scottish Land and Estates (SLE), Scottish Wildlife Trust, Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels Project (SSRS), Small Woods and UK Squirrel Accord and partners. Thanks to J. Spencer for input at the early stages of the research, M. Dunn, M. Marzano, J. Wilson and K. August, for comments on the questionnaire, and D. Hare, M. Nuttall, P. García-Díaz, K. Ives, K. Thompson and E. Sheehy for comments on the draft manuscript. We are grateful to the anonymous reviewers and editors for their comments and suggestions that have improved the quality of the manuscript.
FUNDING INFORMATION
Keziah Hobson was supported by a NERC studentship grant (NE/N008960/1) at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, in partnership with Forestry England, Vincent Wildlife Trust, Forest Research, RSNE and CONFOR.
Data Availability Statement
Data supporting this study are openly available from Dryad at https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.k6djh9wd6.Keywords
- acceptability
- attitude
- experience
- impacts
- interests
- perceptions
- predator
- recovering predator
- tolerance