Living with prairie dogs; understanding emotive forces for co-existence readiness

Prairie dog conservation exists within a complex historical, economical, societal, and psychological context. In order to foster human co-existence with wildlife that are considered controversial, like prairie dogs,... [ view full abstract ]

Prairie dog conservation exists within a complex historical, economical, societal, and psychological context. In order to foster human co-existence with wildlife that are considered controversial, like prairie dogs, understanding the multi-levels in which the conflict exists is necessary. Conservation social work and social science offers insight into how to understand and work within these complex systems in order to build positive relationships between humans and other animals. Kristen Nelson recently conducted conservation social science research in Fort Collins, CO, to assess the current rate of co-existence readiness between residents in this city and urban prairie dogs. It demonstrated that the majority of people within the city oppose lethal control measures, which have historically been the primary method of management on both private and public lands. Results in this research also demonstrated that when prairie dogs evoke emotions such as joy, interest, and sadness in people, they are more likely to want to protect them. This information informs Prairie Dog Coalition’s work to protect these iconic keystones species, as well as provide emotive categories for the humane education program that is currently being developed and implemented by this organization.