Humans and Jaguars-New insights into the role of social factors in an old conflict

CARUSO FLAVIA; PEROVIC PABLO; TÁLAMO ANDRÉS; TRIGO CAROLINA; ANDRADE-DÍAZ SOLEDAD; MARAS GUSTAVO; SARAVIA DIEGO; SILLERO-ZUBIRI CLAUDIO; ALTRICHTER MARIANA

ORYX

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2019

0030-6053

Throughout its range in Latin America, the jaguar Panthera onca is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as by coexistence with people that leads to conflict. Understanding local people´s attitudes and perceptions and the factors that might influence them is crucial to the conservation of the species. This study assesses how the level of knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards jaguars among local people in northern Argentina vary depending on their level of education, age and activity. The jaguar is an endangered top predator, often illegally hunted by local people throughout its entire range. We interviewed 810 people living in and around ten protected areas in northern Argentina. Positive perceptions and attitudes towards the jaguar were associated with economic benefits that people may receive from the species? presence, such as tourism. Surprisingly, higher levels of formal education were not associated with positive attitudes and perceptions. Negative attitudes and perceptions towards the species were determined by fear; people see jaguars as a threat to their life. This study shows that the socioeconomic factors that affect the level of tolerance towards jaguars are not related only to economic losses. These results provide valuable information for the design, orientation, execution and evaluation of species conservation programs and projects in Argentina.