Friend or foe, what do the locals say? Attitudes towards the endangered Iberian wolf in Central Portugal

The endangered Iberian wolf ( Canis lupus signatus ) populations have been decreasing in Portugal due to a combination of factors such as habitat destruction and human persecution. This is particularly worrying in Central Portugal, where packs are highly fragmented, isolated, and with few individual...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biodiversity and conservation 2024-04, Vol.33 (5), p.1645-1664
Main Authors: Valente, Ana M., Martins, Raquel, Figueiredo, Ana M., Rosalino, Luís M., Fonseca, Carlos, Torres, Rita T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal populations
Attitudes
Biodiversity
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Canis lupus signatus
Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts
Conservation Biology/Ecology
Ecology
Endangered species
Environmental awareness
Environmental degradation
Fear
Gender
Habitat loss
Interest groups
Knowledge
Life Sciences
Livestock
Original Research
Populations
Wildlife
Wildlife management
Wolves
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Summary:The endangered Iberian wolf ( Canis lupus signatus ) populations have been decreasing in Portugal due to a combination of factors such as habitat destruction and human persecution. This is particularly worrying in Central Portugal, where packs are highly fragmented, isolated, and with few individuals. Human-Wildlife-Conflicts occur in this area due to high levels of livestock depredation, an outcome of the low diversity and density of wild prey. As a consequence, human persecution is relatively high and is considered a main threat to wolves’ survival. Through studying public attitudes towards these wolf populations and discerning prevalent patterns, insights can be gained to guide management strategies in mitigating these factors. A total of 222 questionnaires were collected from populations inhabiting Central Portugal, divided into three interest groups (general public, livestock owners, and hunters).We estimated Attitude , Fear , and Knowledge Indexes regarding the wolf. Attitudes towards wolves were positive, with the fear being neutral but the knowledge being low; attitudes tend to be more positive with the decrease of fear and the increase of knowledge, and fear tends to decrease with the increase of knowledge. The main factor negatively influencing attitudes was fear, although age seemed to have more influence on livestock owners’ attitudes. The factors influencing fear included gender, knowledge, and personal experience with wolves. These findings can be used to target specific groups with environmental awareness initiatives, aiming to increase knowledge and reduce sources of fear. It is crucial to develop tailored conservation measures considering stakeholders’ viewpoints to effectively protect the Iberian wolf.
ISSN:0960-3115
1572-9710
DOI:10.1007/s10531-024-02819-8