Conflicting human interests over the re-introduction of endangered wild dogs in South Africa |
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Authors: | Markus Gusset Anthony H Maddock Glenn J Gunther Micaela Szykman Rob Slotow Michele Walters Michael J Somers |
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Institution: | (1) School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4041, South Africa;(2) Centre for Wildlife Management, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa;(3) Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, PE1 1JY, UK;(4) Hluhluwe Research Centre, Hluhluwe, 3960, South Africa;(5) Conservation and Research Center, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA;(6) Department of Wildlife, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521, USA;(7) Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa;(8) DST–NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa |
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Abstract: | In South Africa, a plan was launched to manage separate sub-populations of endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in several small, geographically isolated, conservation areas as a single meta-population. This intensive management approach
involves the re-introduction of wild dogs into suitable conservation areas and periodic translocations among them. To assess
the attitudes towards re-introduced wild dogs, we conducted a questionnaire survey of multiple stakeholders—local community
members, private landowners and tourists—in and around Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), one of the meta-population conservation
areas. Here, we document conflicting human interests over the re-introduced wild dogs. Tourists in HiP, on the one hand, expressed
overwhelmingly positive opinions about wild dogs across personal details of the respondents, but especially after having seen
free-ranging wild dogs. On the other hand, we found misconceptions and perceptions that were more negative among the rural
population around HiP, again largely independent of personal details of the participants, although educated respondents voiced
more favourable views of wild dogs. These negative attitudes were in particular due to perceived and real threats of livestock
losses. In a follow-up questionnaire survey, we also discovered apparent shortcomings of a previous short-lived conservation
education programme among the local communities adjacent to HiP. Consequently, the mitigation of the conflict between wild
dogs and rural people requires an understanding of the conditions under which livestock predation occurs, the encouragement
of practices that prevent such predation, and increasing local tolerance of co-existence with wild dogs through both economic
and non-monetary incentive schemes as well as continued conservation education. |
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Keywords: | African wild dog Attitudes Conservation education Ecotourism Human– wildlife conflict Livestock predation Lycaon pictus Re-introduction |
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