Meeting your new neighbors: challenges in carnivore conservation

During the last two decades large carnivores such as wolf (Canis lupus) or lynx (Lynx lynx) have been returning to central Europe where they had been largely depleted by the end of the 19th century. Although a vast majority of... [ view full abstract ]

During the last two decades large carnivores such as wolf (Canis lupus) or lynx (Lynx lynx) have been returning to central Europe where they had been largely depleted by the end of the 19^th century. Although a vast majority of the human population seems to be positive or indifferent towards their return, large carnivores are not welcome everywhere. Interestingly enough, Europeans are usually willing to protect wildlife all around the world, but when it comes to protecting wildlife in their own backyards, this willingness seems to change entirely. While the large carnivores make themselves at home and readily adapt to Europe’s modified landscapes, it is the humans that struggle with their new neighbors. In many areas large carnivore species trigger massive, emotionally heated social and political debates that often go beyond actual conflicts such as livestock depredation; large carnivores frequently make the news and may even affect the fate of government elections. Despite these new dimensions, conservationists struggle to adjust and keep putting their main efforts into “classic” protection and management approaches largely based on ecological knowledge, while providing rather general, unspecific information to the public. Hence, the range of people’s attitudes, perceptions and fears towards large carnivores are rarely integrated into applied nature conservation and communication strategies. Moreover, cultural, psychological, social or economic factors shaping these attitudes are even less considered. Whereas vast literature exists internationally (e.g. US) or for parts of Europe (e.g. Scandinavia), central Europe remains highly underrepresented and lacks vital interdisciplinary exchange on the human dimensions of wildlife. However, this may be the crucial way forward in facing new challenges in large carnivore conservation.

In this literature review, I conducted a thorough search of both scientific and gray literature to identify currently available studies with a main focus on attitudes or perceptions of various stakeholders towards large carnivores, particularly the “big three” of Europe, i.e. wolf, lynx and bear (Ursus arctos). In this I compiled more than 100 sources from all over Europe, but focused on the larger area of central Europe (e.g. Germany, Poland, Slovakia) for in-depths analysis and reviewed papers and reports (n=57) from 1999 to 2018 across 18 countries.

From each selected study I extracted and grouped information on 1) geographical region, 2) methods used, 3) stakeholders involved and 4) main problem addressed or main questions asked; and for each study I identified and categorized key findings with a particular focus on possible attitudes and perceptions towards wolf, lynx and bear. Moreover, for each study I assessed if and which underlying factors (e.g. social, economic) were investigated in relation to attitudes or perceptions, I derived potential recommendations and solutions for nature conservation if provided and identified knowledge gaps to point out opportunities for future work. I summarize and compare my findings in a comprehensive overview, one of the first of its kind for central Europe, which may increase awareness for the importance of integrating human dimensions of wildlife, while serving as a valuable information tool for nature conservationists, wildlife managers and conservation scientists.