The king of the forest: Local knowledge about European brown bears (Ursus arctos) and implications for their conservation in contemporary Western Macedonia

Lescureux, Nicolas; Linnell, John D. C.; Mustafa, Sabit; Melovski, Dime; Stojanov, Aleksandar; Ivanov, Gjorge; Avukatov, Vasko

doi:10.4103/0972-4923.86990

Cited by 16 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The sole individual that was reintroduced here in 2006, Francka, caused a lot of damage to sheep flocks until her death in 2007 (Camarra et al, 2007). The difference in perception between Cannelle and Francka may explain why bear presence is seen as a major nuisance in HP, while in PA it is seen as a minor issue and confirms the importance of individual bears, both in their behavior and their appropriation by locals (Fagen and Fagen, 1996;Linnell et al, 1999, Lescureux et al, 2011. The recent co-presence in HP may also be linked to more negative attitudes towards large carnivores (Zimmermann et al, 2001), especially when compared with the continuous presence in PA.…”

Section: County Of Residencementioning

confidence: 98%

“…The former may be associated with a scientific knowledge of bears' ecology, which can be linked to positive attitudes (Glikman et al, 2012): bears are shy animals, and the detection and identification of bear signs require a good understanding of their biology. However, detailed experience-based knowledge (Lescureux et al, 2011) or familiarity (Reimer et al, 2014) with the bears was not investigated in this study, neither was the extent to which the species' behavior and ecology might influence attitudes (Lescureux and Linnell, 2010).…”

Section: Control Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial variation in public attitudes towards brown bears in the French Pyrenees

Piédallu

Quenette

Mounet

et al. 2016

Biological Conservation

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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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Section: County Of Residencementioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Control Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial variation in public attitudes towards brown bears in the French Pyrenees

Piédallu

Quenette

Mounet

et al. 2016

Biological Conservation

Self Cite

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“…Different cultures around the world conceptualize nature, and wildlife in particular, in ways that can be radically divergent from the formalized, modern, urban, academic understanding of the same concept (Aiyadurai, ; Gebresenbet, ; Govindrajan, ; Hill & Webber, ; Knight, ; Lescureux et al, ; Saunders, ). Currently, as reflected in conservation literature, the approach to studying wildlife–human interactions usually lies in the domains of the ecological and socio‐economic sciences, often reducing very complex issues to metrics like economic damage or resource value that can be easily quantified in monetary terms (Inskip & Zimmermann, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The leopard that learnt from the cat and other narratives of carnivore–human coexistence in northern India

et al. 2019

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This study explores the diversity of factors that influence human–leopard relationships in Himachal Pradesh, India. Looking beyond the socio‐economic and ecological dimensions of human–leopard conflict, it documents the multifaceted nature of human–wildlife relationships. We carried out a qualitative analysis of human–leopard interactions based on interviews conducted during an ethnographic study of various stakeholders in the vicinity of a village in Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh, an area with a long history of co‐habitation between leopards and rural inhabitants. We propose that the unique ways in which our participants relate with non‐human beings arose from both culturally informed and experience‐based knowledge systems. Based on the narratives of the everyday interactions between humans and leopards, we propose that the people in the landscape relate to leopards with an underlying belief that leopards are thinking beings. We explore the influence of myth and storytelling in the production of narratives that define the image of the leopard in the landscape. We also underline the possible shortcomings of looking at human–animal dynamics only through the narrow lenses of ecology or socio‐economics during the production of policy and illustrate the consequence of discounting the significance of coexistence‐promoting narratives in shared landscapes. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

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“…perceived risk of conflict, perceived bear population growth), including values and attitudes (Bruskotter et al 2009), while affective factors include fear or worry about bears and conflicts (Sjöberg 1998). Similarly to other regions (Lescureux et al 2011), people's perceptions about bears were mediated through direct interactions with bears. The importance of direct interactions was shown in themes such as 'bear behaviour' in the landscape-bear strand (Table 1, row c).…”

Section: Factors Mediating Coexistence In Southern Transylvaniamentioning

confidence: 99%

Social factors mediating human–carnivore coexistence: Understanding thematic strands influencing coexistence in Central Romania

Dorresteijn

Milcu

Leventon

et al. 2016

Ambio

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Facilitating human-carnivore coexistence depends on the biophysical environment but also on social factors. Focusing on Central Romania, we conducted 71 semi-structured interviews to explore human-bear (Ursus arctos) coexistence. Qualitative content and discourse analysis identified three socially mediated thematic strands, which showed different ways in which perceived interactions between people, bears and the environment shape coexistence. The ''landscape-bear strand'' described perceptions of the way in which the landscape offers resources for the bear, while the ''landscape-human strand'' related to ways in which humans experience the landscape. The ''management strand'' related to the way bears was managed. All three strands highlight both threats and opportunities for the peaceful coexistence of people and bears. Management and policy interventions could be improved by systematically considering the possible effects of interventions on each of the three strands shaping coexistence. Future research should explore the relevance of the identified thematic strands in other settings worldwide.

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The king of the forest: Local knowledge about European brown bears (Ursus arctos) and implications for their conservation in contemporary Western Macedonia

Cited by 16 publications

References 30 publications

Spatial variation in public attitudes towards brown bears in the French Pyrenees

Spatial variation in public attitudes towards brown bears in the French Pyrenees

The leopard that learnt from the cat and other narratives of carnivore–human coexistence in northern India

Social factors mediating human–carnivore coexistence: Understanding thematic strands influencing coexistence in Central Romania

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