Good Dog, Bad Dog!  exploring public attitudes towards wild carnivores

Wildland Research Institute

This event explores the relationship between people and wild carnivores, and how might learn to coexist.

School of Geography, Seminar Room 2

In collaboration with IUCN CEM Europe, IUCN CEM RTG, Boydell &amp; Brewer Academic Press, Wildland Research Institute, University of Leeds, University of Hull and University of Cumbria.T﻿he event features short talks from three writer/researchers exploring the politics, psychology and ecology of living with wild carnivores, with particular reference to the UKs fox population with thoughts on how in the future we might accommodate wolves. Talks will last 20 minutes and will be followed by a discussion panel with plenty of time for questions from the audience.Frankenwolves: the Politics of Red Wolf Identity.Peter Brewitt (Professor, Environmental Studies, Wofford College, USA)Red wolves (Canis rufus), one of the rarest predators on earth, went extinct in the wild but were reintroduced to their former habitat in North Carolina, USA. They have faced persecution by local people, driven partly by the belief that the reintroduced wolves are not a real species, but rather a “frankenwolf” produced in a conspiracy between government agencies and environmentalists. We studied storylines about wolf taxonomy and scientific authority in an influential online message board and found that while nearly everyone believes in science, political partisans interpret that science differently depending on their views of red wolf reintroduction. Can animal psychology research be used to encourage public tolerance of wild carnivores?Blake Morton (Lecturer in Psychology, University of Hull) and colleaguesMost global environmental problems hinge on people developing a stronger sense of empathy and stewardship for protecting the natural world. Wild carnivores are a major source of global biodiversity and are vital to ecosystem health, but negative public attitudes about these animals have severely impacted their welfare and local extinction risk. Promoting public awareness of psychological traits in carnivores, such as their intelligence and personality, may improve people&#x27;s tolerance towards them and encourage coexistence. We tested this hypothesis in wild red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) by disseminating information about their boldness and problem-solving abilities. We also tested what method of disseminating such information might be more impactful. Our results reveal that, in some respects, information about wild fox psychology can have a positive but complex effect on people&#x27;s attitudes towards this species. We discuss these findings in terms of how best to market and promote carnivore psychology for important environmental programs that require local community support due to increased human-carnivore interactions.The Ecological Disadvantage of Living on an IslandMark Fisher (Honorary Research Fellow, Wildland Research Institute, University of Leeds)The absence of wolves in Britain, and the history of destruction of wild nature in the country are described and a personal manifesto for the rewilding of Britain, which includes the reinstatement of top predators such as wolves, is presented. Here I argue that broader discussions are essential to provide scientific evidence to inform the decision-making process. I also discuss the government-sanctioned experiment of badger culling, which showed a perturbation effect caused by predator removal. The results of the experiment showed a significant increase in the number of foxes, among other things. I argue that the reintroduction of wolves in Britain would be a significant opportunity to engage people in ecological understanding and break through power and ownership structures, as well as force land users to face human-wildlife conflicts constructively.

Good Dog, Bad Dog! exploring public attitudes towards wild carnivores

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Good Dog, Bad Dog! exploring public attitudes towards wild carnivores

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