Conserving Large Carnivores in a Modern World

Human beings and our associated activities are arguably the most important factor limiting the success of carnivore conservation. Human populations limit carnivore populations both indirectly, through habitat modification and... [ view full abstract ]

Human beings and our associated activities are arguably the most important factor limiting the success of carnivore conservation. Human populations limit carnivore populations both indirectly, through habitat modification and competition for shared prey, and directly, through regulated and illegal hunting of carnivores.  The variability in the types and extent of human impacts suggests conservation successes may be facilitated by a wide variety of human interventions.  In some cases, successful conservation will likely require perpetual efforts to promote and steward carnivore populations; in others, successful conservation may require only modest restraint from the most damaging types of interactions (e.g., limiting intentional killing of carnivores).  In addition to active management efforts such as reintroductions, and depredation management, successful conservation might also be indirectly facilitated by social changes, especially those that make human populations more tolerant of carnivores.  We first describe how social and ecological changes associated with societal modernization have created environments more conducive to the conservation of carnivores, and propose two mechanisms (i.e., value shift, risk/interaction reduction, increased tolerance) that ultimately serve to facilitate successful conservation outcomes.   Next, and paradoxically, we explain how these changes are currently challenging carnivore conservation efforts—i.e., the same mechanisms that ultimately promote successful conservation are likely to increase social conflicts concerning carnivore management.  These analyses point toward the need to find means of reducing social conflicts surrounding large carnivores without jeopardizing their conservation.