The Psychology Driving Human's Tolerance for Large Carnivores

Promoting coexistence with humans appears to be a vital strategy for large-carnivore conservation. This requires tolerance among communities who often bear a disproportionate burden of cost. In this investigation, we... [ view full abstract ]

Promoting coexistence with humans appears to be a vital strategy for large-carnivore conservation. This requires tolerance among communities who often bear a disproportionate burden of cost. In this investigation, we empirically tested a model, using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), depicting the psychological processes driving community tolerance for leopards, black-backed jackals, and caracals in South Africa. These animals are considered by agricultural communities to be a problem for livestock farming which often results in lethal consequences for the species and threatens their viability. We modeled residents’ perceptions of the risks and benefits associated with large carnivores. These effects were examined in conjunction with residents’ emotional responses to the species, trust in the agencies charged with their management, and residents’ perceptions of control over conflict with the animals. Furthermore, a multigroup SEM between landowners and urban residents revealed the differences in underlying processes for these two groups with different levels of interactions with large carnivores. Our findings underscored the importance of building positive affections and trust, and highlighting the potential benefits in increasing tolerance for large carnivores. Moreover, the multigroup analysis discovered that these measures will be more effective in the case of landowners than urban residents. Practical and theoretical implications for increasing tolerance for large carnivores will be discussed.