Volunteers promote wolf and livestock coexistence
Abstract
Wolves pose problems for livestock farmers, especially when returning after being absent for long periods of time because traditional defence mechanisms against wolf attacks as livestock guardian dogs or shepherds aren’t in... [ view full abstract ]
Wolves pose problems for livestock farmers, especially when returning after being absent for long periods of time because traditional defence mechanisms against wolf attacks as livestock guardian dogs or shepherds aren’t in use anymore. Wolves made their first reappearance in Lower Saxony, Germany in 2008 and have since then established themselves quite quickly, forming 14 reproducing wolf packs, 2 territorial pairs and 1 residential individual to the end of 2017. Although the government of Lower Saxony reacted to the new situation by establishing the so-called ‘Wolfsbüro’ in 2015 and appointed roughly one hundred voluntary wolf consultants, the now statewide presence of wolves and the sheer size of Lower Saxony with several ten thousands of livestock farmers and hobby keepers calls for broader societal assistance to safeguard wolves and grazing livestock alike. The new livestock protection programme -‘Herdenschutz Niedersachsen’- of Lower Saxony‘s Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) supports livestock farmers from hobbyists to full-time breeders by providing volunteers to assist them when protective measures against wolf attacks on livestock are necessary. This new form of collaboration between two groups often at odds when nature conservation is concerned was examined during its start in 2017. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 sheep farmers (hobbyist, sideline to full-time breeders) and 10 participating volunteers (WikiWolves, NABU). Volunteers in general are attracted by wolves but see livestock farmers as a group especially threatened by their return. They see their personal engagement rewarded by practical work in the open and positive outdoor and group experiences. Sheep farmers feel especially threatened by wolves. Some see their way of living jeopardized and obliged by society to cope with the returning wolves even when they personally wish otherwise. Wolves mean a new hardship for them in their everyday work as livestock owners. Especially hobbyists appreciate the help by volunteers whereas full-time sheep farmers see themselves both as individualistic and highly specialised. This self-conception combined with unpredictable daily working routines leads them to doubt the success of volunteer programmes as mitigation strategy for their extra work due to wolves. The ongoing challenge of volunteer programmes will be to balance volunteer motivation and positive rewards from their work with sheep farmer’s demands and often negative disposition in regard to the future of sheep farming in general and especially under wolf presence.
Authors
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Torsten Richter
(Hildesheim University)
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Sophie Hoffmann
(Hildesheim University)
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Katharina Thies
(Hildesheim University)
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Peter Schuette
(NABU Niedersachsen)
Topic Area
Topics: Management of Human-Wildlife Conflicts: Large Carnivores in Europe
Session
PP-1 » Poster and Pasta Session (19:00 - Monday, 17th September, Marmorsaal)
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