Stakeholder’s Risk Perceptions of Wild Pigs: Is There a Gender Difference?

Abstract

Substantial literature indicates that genders differ in terms of risk perception and values regarding wildlife management. Lack of equal stakeholder representation is also documented, which can also impact the effectiveness of human-wildlife conflict resolution interventions and education and outreach efforts. This paper investigates gender differences in perceptions about risks and potential adverse impacts on production, health, environment, safety, and population management posed by wild pigs. A survey was used to collect data from a random sample of adult residents (N = 1221) in Louisiana. We analyzed responses from 226 female and 832 male producers. We observed differences in how these groups perceive production risk and health risk. No distinct differences were found on how the two genders perceive wild pig impact on natural resources and safety. No difference is reported on how the two genders consider the management of the wild pig population.

Keywords

• gender
• human-wildlife conflicts
• perceptions
• wildlife
• wild pigs
• wildlife management