Attitudes toward jaguars and pumas and the acceptability of killing big cats in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: An application of the Potential for Conflict Index2

Abstract

We explored the overall acceptability of killing jaguars and pumas in different scenarios of people-big cat interactions, the influence of attitudes toward big cats on acceptability, and the level of consensus on the responses. Data were obtained from 326 self-administered questionnaires in areas adjacent to Intervales State Park and Alto Ribeira State Park. Overall, people held slightly positive attitudes toward jaguars and pumas and viewed the killing of big cats as unacceptable. However, individuals that held negative attitudes were more accepting of killing. As the severity of people-big cat interactions increased, the level of consensus decreased. Knowing whether killing a big cat is acceptable or unacceptable in specific situations allows managers to anticipate conflict and avoid illegal killing of big cats.

Can school children influence adults’ behavior toward jaguars? Evidence of intergenerational learning in education for conservation

“…The use of role models, case studies, and examples of coexistence with jaguars, could conceivably enhance the power of school-based communication campaigns to create or redefine social norms concerning conservation-orientated behaviors (Monroe 2003). The ineffectiveness of the book distributed via a conservation organization may result from a lack of trust on environmental agencies, which has been shown to determine intolerance to wildlife in general (Bruskotter and Wilson 2014) and to big cats in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, in particular (Engel et al 2017).…”

Jaguar hunting in Amazonian extractive reserves: acceptance and prevalence

“…Yet, its motivations are complex and not always directly related to this kind of human-wildlife conflict (see Madden 2004). Several social, psychological and contextual factors may interact to influence the acceptance, intentions and behaviour of individuals regarding carnivore hunting (Dickman 2010, Engel et al 2017, Inskip et al 2014, Marchini & Macdonald 2012. For example, Marchini and Macdonald (2012) applied the Theory of Planned Behaviour to investigate rancher's intentions to kill jaguars (Panthera onca) in Brazil, and they found that hunting depended on a complex interplay between psychological (internal) and social (external) influences.…”

“…External factors such as fear of sanctions and social norms also have a role to play in deterring or stimulating illegal hunting of carnivores (St John et al 2012. Since effective interventions aiming at behavioural change depend on knowledge of the underlying factors of behaviour (Klöckner 2013, Steg & Vlek 2009, a better understanding of the major drivers of jaguar hunting is needed in order to guide actions to mitigate this impact (Engel et al 2017).…”

The researches on the hunting in Brazil: a brief overview

“…In addition to these lines of research, several studies have addressed other specific topics in Brazil, such as the question of conflicts between human communities and predators of domestic animals (e.g. Engel et al 2017); hunting of invasive species (Desbiez et al 2011); police data on illegal hunting (e.g. Chagas et al 2015), genetic analyses for the identification of wild meat (e.g.…”