Recent arrivals or established tenants? History of wolf presence influences attitudes toward the carnivore

Abstract

ABSTRACTHuman dimensions are a critical part of large carnivore conservation. We investigated how the historical presence of wolves (Canis lupus) influences public attitudes toward the carnivore and its management in rural areas of Poland. From March 2016 to March 2017, we used a self‐administered questionnaire to assess attitudes of rural residents (n = 292) and foresters (n = 325) in 6 regions where wolves have either been continuously present, or where they have recently recovered after a period of absence. While we found that attitudes toward wolves were generally neutral or positive, differences in attitudes did exist across target groups and regions with long and short histories of wolf presence. Foresters tended to have more negative attitudes toward wolves than did rural residents, and their attitudes remained stable across regions. In contrast, rural residents from the regions with an uninterrupted history of wolf presence, which also suffer greater rates of livestock depredation, tended to have less positive attitudes than did residents from regions where wolves have recovered more recently. Knowledge of wolves and wildlife value orientations were also positive predictors of attitudes. Negative attitudes among local residents and lower support for wolf conservation in response to wolf attacks on livestock could be a major obstacle for the continued recovery of wolves in Europe. Our results reinforce the need for proactive approaches, involving both information campaigns and actions to mitigate wolf predation on livestock, to maintain local support for wolf conservation. © 2019 The Authors. Wildlife Society Bulletin published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Wildlife Society.