Title
Unraveling negative interactions between humans, mammalian carnivores and raptors in South America / Desentrañando las interacciones negativas entre humanos, mamíferos carnívoros y rapaces en América del Sur
Author(s)
Ballejo, Fernando; Plaza, Pablo; di Virgilio, Agustina; Lucherini, Mauro; Gáspero, Pablo; Guerisoli, María M.; Novaro, Andrés; Funes, Martín; Lambertucci, Sergio A.
Published
2022
Publisher
Ecología Austral
Abstract
Human-wildlife interactions can be negative when the needs and behavior of wildlife negatively influence human goals, or vice-versa, and management of these interactions may lead to conflict. Here, we review information on negative interactions between humans and wildlife in South America contained in 136 scientific publications, focusing on terrestrial mammalian predators and raptors. We found that most studies were conducted in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia. The methodology most commonly used to investigate negative interactions was interviews with rural inhabitants. Studies were performed mainly on interactions involving large felids such as Panthera onca and Puma concolor, and -to a lesser extent- on other mammalian predators and raptors such as eagles or scavenger birds. The main drivers of negative interactions involved perceived or actual impacts on human economy (material) (e.g., livestock or crop losses) or were based on non-material (intangible) aspects (e.g., fear, myths, and religious beliefs). The studies showed that negative attitudes and perceptions toward terrestrial mammalian predators and raptors are widespread in South America. Although non-lethal strategies for mitigation of negative interactions have been proposed, most are not widely used and lethal controls are still very common. A multidisciplinary approach is required, based on multiple actions (e.g., improving livestock practices, running educational programs, increasing stakeholder involvement, providing farmers with solutions), which would minimize negative interactions and promote coexistence between humans and wildlife. This is key to maintaining threatened species, ecological interactions and healthy environments in the anthropized landscapes of biodiverse South America. / Human-wildlife interactions can be negative when the needs and behavior of wildlife negatively influence the goals of people, or vice versa, and managing these interactions can generate conflicts. In this article we review scientific information on these types of interactions in 136 publications in South America. We focused on terrestrial predatory mammals and birds of prey. We found that most of the studies were conducted in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia. Interviews with rural inhabitants were the most used methodology. The studies were mainly conducted on interactions with large felids such as Panthera onca and Puma concolor, and -to a lesser extent- on other predatory mammals and raptors such as eagles or scavenger birds. The main drivers of these interactions were impacts - perceived or real - on the economy (material) such as livestock or crop losses, or non-material aspects (intangible) such as fear, myths and religious beliefs. The studies showed that negative attitudes and perceptions towards predatory mammals and raptors are widespread in South America. Although non-lethal strategies were proposed to mitigate negative interactions, most are not widely used and lethal controls are still very common. A multidisciplinary approach is required, based on diverse actions (e.g., improving livestock practices, educational programs, increasing stakeholder participation, providing solutions to farmers) that minimize negative interactions and promote coexistence between humans and wildlife. This is key to conserving threatened species, fostering ecological interactions, and maintaining healthy environments in the anthropized landscapes of biodiverse South America.
Keywords
carnivores; human wildlife conflict; lethal control; predation; raptors; carnívoros; conflicto humano-fauna; control letal; depredación; rapaces

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PUB27492