Exploring human appreciation and perception of spontaneous urban fauna in Paris, France

Abstract

City-dwellers are often confronted with the presence of many spontaneous animal species which they either like or dislike. Using a questionnaire, we assessed the appreciation and perception of the pigeon (Columba livia), the rat (Rattus norvegicus), and the hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) by people in parks, train stations, tourist sites, community gardens, and cemeteries in Paris, France. Two hundred individuals were interviewed between May 2017 and March 2018. While factors such as age, gender, level of education or place or location of the survey did not appear to be decisive in analyzing the differential appreciation of these species by individuals, there was a clear difference in appreciation based on the species and the perceived usefulness of the animal, which is often poorly understood. The rat was disliked (with an average appreciation score of 2.2/10), and the hedgehog was liked (with an average appreciation score of 7.7/10). The case of the pigeon is more complex, with some people loving or hating it, and many others being indifferent (with an average appreciation score of 4.7/10). The most common descriptor associated with pigeons and rats is the word "dirty", while for for hedgehogs it is "cute". Like Driscoll (1995) who found a positive correlation between perceived usefulness an appreciation given to the species, we assume that providing information to the citizens about the ecosystem services provided by unappreciated urban species could improve their perception of these animals, thus enabling better coexistence.