Knowledge, perception, and awareness of society regarding (over)abundance of wild ungulate populations

Abstract

Social perception of ungulates and their management depends on both their abundance and the socioeconomic context. However, an approach that addresses this issue is currently unavailable. Our objective was to employ a survey in Spain (n = 440) to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions on the eight species of wild ungulates that inhabit the Iberian Peninsula, and their abundance. The results showed that respondents were unaware of the existence of many of the species. Only wild boar (95% of the surveyed population) and red deer (72%) were widely identified. Respondents perceived that urban, agricultural, and livestock contexts were the most frequent suffering overabundance, with the wild boar as most relevant species (86%). This study illustrates how a better understanding of overabundance and public perceptions is important to ensure effective communication on ungulate population status and to improve public support for their management, thus avoiding bias toward certain species, impacts, or specific contexts.

Keywords

• overabundance indicator
• social attitudes
• wildlife acceptance capacity
• wildlife management