Large carnivore survival depends upon people’s ability to accept and coexist with them. The Atlantic Forest is one of the top five hotspots for biodiversity and home for jaguars and pumas, both listed as endangered species in Brazil. We used the cognitive theory to assess the factors that influence the acceptability of jaguars and pumas in the Atlantic Forest. Data were obtained through self-administrated questionnaires (n=326), that included six latent constructs: fear (6 items), sorrow for big cats extinction (2 items), general attitudes (2 items), specific existence values (2 items), agency credibility (1 item), and acceptability (2 items). Responses were coded on a 5-point scale. We used paired t¬-tests to examine difference in the responses between jaguars and pumas. Since no statistically significant differences were found, responses for the two big cats were combined. A structured equation model was used to estimate the interrelationship among the latent variables. Multiple goodness of fit indices suggested that the model fit the data (χ2 = 22.52, df = 16, χ2/df = 1.41; RMSEA (.035); NFI (.985); CFI (.996)). Results indicated that sorrow (β = .21, p < .001), attitudes (β = .28, p < .001), existence values (β =.14, p < .05) and agency credibility (β = .16, p = .005) directly influenced acceptance of jaguars and pumas. Fear of jaguars and pumas did not influence acceptability, but did negatively influence attitudes (β= -.21, p < .001). Overall, people held positive attitudes (M=.53, SD ± 1.07) and existence values (M = 1.07, SD ± .91) toward the big cats, yet 84% feared jaguars and pumas. Our model provided theoretical and practical insights into large carnivore conservation. For example, given significance of park credibility, a healthy relationship between park authorities and residents is crucial for big cats’ conservation.
