Targeting your audience: wildlife value orientations and the relevance of messages about bear safety

While there is an assumption that wildlife value orientations can be useful in strategic communication, few studies have empirically explored this topic. This article used the concept of wildlife value orientations to understand how to increase the motivation of people to process information about wildlife in the context of persuasive communication. A confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify mutualism and domination wildlife value orientations. From the wildlife value orientations, crosstabs were used to create a typology with four discreet segments: mutualists, pluralists, traditionalists, and distanced. A series of ANOVAs examined how important different messages about bear safety were to the typology segments. Results indicated that message relevancy differs among wildlife value orientations. Managers can use this information to help frame their communications about wildlife-related issues. Future research should continue to explore the impact of this value-framing approach to other persuasive communication concepts, like attitudes and behaviors.     

Andean Bear Livestock Depredation and Community Perceptions in Northern Ecuador

Human–carnivore conflicts are a major cause of the decline in global carnivore populations. Since 2009, Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) depredation incidents in Ecuador’s northern Andes cordillera have reached unprecedented levels: more than 320 livestock deaths. The objectives of this article were to: evaluate local perceptions and knowledge of the Andean bear in response to frequent depredation incidents; better understand the cattle-raising culture of the region; and describe noted depredation incidents. Interviews were conducted with 83 participants in three locations within the depredation-conflict zone. Locals knew that pastures near the forest were vulnerable to bear depredation but often had few alternatives to raise cattle. Six depredation incidents were described. An effective management approach should concurrently improve livestock husbandry, track several of the region’s bears, develop policies that do not reward compensation but acknowledge depredation incidents, and use education to rectify false perceptions and misinformation of bears in the region.     

Public Perception and Understanding of Shark Attack Mitigation Measures in Australia

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is a significant and growing problem, with mitigation measures being increasingly dependent on sociopolitical landscapes. We surveyed 766 people from two Australian states to assess their understanding of shark attack mitigation measures. Although beach users were relatively aware of existing mitigation measures, the efficacy of aerial patrol was overestimated, as was the risk of shark attack. The latter, as well as the innate fear of shark attacks, is likely to explain the high level of worry related with shark attack and fits within the affect heuristic that can influence how people respond to risk situations. Beach users did not, however, choose beaches based on existing mitigation measures. Results highlight the need for improved education about the risks of shark attack and for further research into the emotional response from low probability–high consequences incidents.     

Living With Urban Baboons: Exploring Attitudes and Their Implications for Local Baboon Conservation and Management in Knysna,South Africa

Humans and primates are coming into increasing contact within urban landscapes. Few studies have investigated how the impacts of living alongside urban primates affect residents’ perceptions of primates. Perceptions have been shown to play a role in conservation interest and management of other urban wildlife species. A survey of suburban residents in Knysna, South Africa was used to explore the relationships between attitudes, level of perceived threat and extent to which baboons were considered a problem, support for local baboon conservation and preferred baboon management strategies. Results indicated that perceived threat was associated with less positive attitudes toward baboons, a greater perceived problem, decreased concern for baboon conservation, and increased advocacy for their lethal removal. This article illustrates the link between respondent perceptions and acceptance of urban primates and the need for further investigation for the wellbeing of both humans and primates.     

Human conflict over wildlife: exploring social constructions of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Botswana

Researchers argue that human–wildlife conflict (HWC) can be understood better in terms of conflict between humans over wildlife. We explore human conflict over wildlife by using a social constructionist approach to examine meanings of African wild dogs in Botswana. In 2013 and 2015, we conducted a qualitative study in four study sites by completing: (a) 113 semi-structured interviews with individuals in the agricultural, conservation, and tourism sectors; (b) participant observation; and (c) document analysis. Our results reveal that wild dogs are socially constructed as problem animals, as an endangered species, and as an economic resource, reflecting stakeholders’ diverging agendas, priorities, and values. The social constructions are driven by and emblematic of politico-economic and sociocultural trends, and competing development trends in Botswana. We propose: (a) seeing HWC as human conflict over wildlife can increase communication between conservationists and affected communities, and (b) integrative management plans that increase collaboration among stakeholder groups.     

Explaining Anti-Angling Sentiments in the General Population of Germany: An Application of the Cognitive Hierarchy Model

A cognitive hierarchy framework was used for understanding the impact of two wildlife value orientations (WVO), domination and mutualism, on anti-angling sentiments in Germany. We also explored anthropomorphism (i.e., attribution of sentience and pain perception to animals), attitudes toward animal rights, and attitudes toward recreational and catch-and-release angling as constructs that might mediate the influence of WVO on the support for a ban on recreational angling. Data from 1,043 randomly selected persons were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results supported the suitability of WVO to explain the moral acceptability of recreational fishing mediated by animal rights ideology. We found little effect of anthropomorphism on attitudes toward recreational fishing. We conclude that convincingly answering the question of whether or not fish feel pain is unlikely to alter the social climate related to recreational fishing. By contrast, an increase of mutualism WVO in Germany is likely to elevate negative resentment to recreational fishing.     

Effectiveness of electro-fencing for restricting the ranging behaviour of wildlife: a case study in the degazetted parts of Akagera National Park

Several national parks on the African continent have been fenced to mitigate human–wildlife conflict, but the effectiveness of different fencing strategies seems to vary between regions. Here, we assessed the effectiveness of electro-fencing for restricting movement patterns of several wild ungulates in Akagera National Park (NP), Rwanda. Following the turmoil of the Rwandan genocide and civil war (1991–1995), large numbers of returning war refugees brought about an increasing pressure on land use, after which considerable parts of the western Akagera NP and adjacent Mutara Game Reserve were degazetted, followed by the construction of an electric fence in 2013 and a helicopter-based game-drive of ungulates into the modern park. We conducted distance sampling of wildlife and domestic livestock in the Uruhita plain – now no longer part of Akagera NP but bordering the modern Akagera NP to the west – for extended periods of time (2010–2015) before and after fencing. For abundant species population densities could be calculated, whereas for other species encounter frequencies are reported. We report on continuously high cattle densities, and increasing encounter frequencies of sheep/goats in the Uruhita plain. We found decreasing densities of zebra (Equus quagga) and decreasing encounter frequencies of waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), stagnant encounter frequencies in the case of topi (Damaliscus lunatus jimela) and stagnant densities of impala (Aepyceros melampus). The latter species can jump fences, and we argue that competitive release and reduced predation may be the prime factors leading impala to (temporarily) exploit grasslands outside the modern national park.