Abstract
Value orientations can predict attitudes and possibly behaviors. Wildlife value orientations (WVOs) are useful constructs for predicting differences in attitudes among segments of the public towards issues in the wildlife domain. We carried out face-to-face interviews with a representative sample of the Greek population (n = 2392) to investigate two basic WVOs, domination and mutualism and the four WVO types that result from their combination: traditionalist (high domination, low mutualism), mutualist (high mutualism, low domination), distanced (low mutualism, low domination) and pluralist (high mutualism, high domination), and how they relate to sociodemographics. Based on basic WVOs, the Greek population was predominantly mutualism-oriented. The analysis of WVO types also revealed that mutualists were the most abundant (41.0%) followed by the distanced (31.1%). Traditionalists (17.9%) and pluralists (10.0%) occupied smaller proportions of the population. Younger individuals were more mutualist-oriented, while older individuals (>35 years old) were more traditionalist and distanced-oriented. Females were more mutualist than males, the latter being more traditionalist. Those with higher education were more mutualist and less traditionalist and distanced than those with lower education. Pet owners were more mutualist and less distanced than non-pet owners. WVO types did not vary with current residence. The produced knowledge would inform about differences in WVOs among segments of the public and would be therefore useful for implementing successful wildlife conservation and management plans.
Highlights
Reliability and confirmatory factor analysis results of the two basic Wildlife value orientations (WVOs) scales suggested their applicability in the Greek context
Our findings suggested a dominant mutualism WVO among the Greek population
Further research should examine the WVOs of specific stakeholder groups that are key to wildlife management, such as farmers, hunters and fishers [52]
Summary
The encroachment of natural habitats and the continual expansion of urban areas have caused conservation conflicts among public groups over wildlife impacts, such as crop damage, damage of private or public property and disease transmission to humans and livestock [3,4,5,6]. The conservation of threatened species and the management of conservation conflicts are among the more pressing wildlife-related issues of our time. Consensus cannot be reached without knowing people’s beliefs about wildlife and the effects of such beliefs on people’s support for wildlife conservation and management [4]. Such knowledge would be critical for informing policies and strategies aiming at the conservation of threatened wildlife species and the management of conservation conflicts
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