Abstract
The growth and sprawl of the American black bear (Ursus americanus) population have been observed and monitored in the past two decades, especially in south-central Kentucky. To better manage human-black bear interaction and develop informed policy and best practices, the current study sought to 1) understand south-central Kentucky residents’ current knowledge of and previous experience with black bears, 2) investigate residents’ attitudes toward black bears and regulated hunting in wildlife management; and 3) identify residents’ level of acceptance of various black bear related management actions in south-central Kentucky. From February to April 2017, residents of London and Stearns districts (southeastern regions) of the Daniel Boone National Forest, a black bear habitat, were invited to participate in this study. The results from 139 completed surveys showed that residents lacked sufficient knowledge about black bear populations in the region and received minimal information regarding black bear management efforts. In comparison to education efforts and relocation, regulated black bear hunting could be a cost-effective option to promote responsible use of wildlife resources and black bear population control. This study provided lessons and recommendations for black bear management in south-central Kentucky and may be of utilization for any other wildlife conservation areas.
Highlights
Understanding public opinions, values, and behavior toward wildlife is essential for an effective and successful natural resource management for conserving and protecting wildlife [1]
With the black bear population growth in south-central Kentucky, the research findings served as the basis for future outreach and collaboration efforts, such as stakeholder identification, agreement initiation, and public-private partnerships development
The majority of the south-central Kentucky residents in the study were generally aware black bears live in Kentucky; they had limited encounter with black bear populations in the region
Summary
Understanding public opinions, values, and behavior toward wildlife is essential for an effective and successful natural resource management for conserving and protecting wildlife [1]. Evidence showed the reduction of human-bear conflict led to increasing support of black bear conservation [2] [3]. This is especially true for popular, yet controversial species, like American black bears (Ursus americanus). In the last few decades, the primary components of black bear management in North American have been raising public awareness, wildlife education, and reducing human-bear conflicts [4]. North Americans hold a positive attitude toward black bears, as they are often described as highly intelligent and aesthetically appealing [5]. Other studies found evidence of negative perceptions toward black bears when related to property damage and general nuisance behavior [6] [7]
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