International audienceHuman dimension is an important component of large carnivore management and conservation. Here, we focus on the human-wildlife conflict related to depredation of livestock by Pyrenean brown bears (Ursus arctos), despite the population being among the smallest in the world. Two reintroductions were performed in the past to ensure the survival of the population, yet its conservation status remains critical due to small size, heavy inbreeding and disagreements over its management. We investigated the often-neglected spatial variations in attitude towards predator presence to improve our understanding of the human dimensions surrounding this conflict. We used a questionnaire to assess the drivers explaining the attitude of the local human population (n = 577) of the Pyrenees towards bear presence. Our results show that spatial variables (place of birth and county of residence of the respondent) are strong predictors of attitude. The residents of two counties in particular (Haute-Garonne and Pyrénées-Atlantiques) displayed a positive attitude, while the residents of the Hautes-Pyrénées county had the most negative attitude. People born outside of the Pyrenees also showed a more positive inclination towards bear presence than people born and raised in France's southwestern mountain range. Both these results may imply a link between the history of local communities with predator presence and their current attitude. Accounting for small-scale spatial heterogeneity in social–ecological studies of human-wildlife conflicts will prove useful to get a more accurate mapping of attitudes and inform subsequent management decisions

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Pour plus d'informations sur l'évolution générale des chasseurs de sanglier et de leurs pratiques cynégétiques, voir Raynal, 2004.

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The presence and recent spread of the wolf and the boar in the mountains of the French Alps are upsetting the organisation of territorial “vivre ensemble” (cohabitation) projects. This article examines how this new situation is being dealt with at the local level and attempts to redefine local life between men and animals. The macro-social approach often adopted in analysing conflicts surrounding “problem” animals is considered to be insufficient and the article attempts to complement this by proposing a micro-geographical perspective that seeks to determine the logic underpinning actors’ behaviour, which until now has been inaccessible. It thus focuses on the role of variability in local situations.
La présence ou le développement récent du loup et du sanglier dans les montagnes des Alpes françaises viennent bouleverser l’organisation des « vivre ensemble » territoriaux. Cet article s’intéresse à l’intégration de cette nouvelle donne dans les territoires et à la redéfinition de la vie locale, entre hommes et animaux. L’approche macrosociale qui a souvent été retenue dans l’analyse des conflits autour des animaux « à problème » est considérée comme insuffisante et l’article tente de la compléter par un regard microgéographique, mettant en lumière des logiques d’acteurs inaccessibles jusqu’à présent. Il porte ainsi son attention sur la part de variabilité des situations locales