Understanding the Hidden Costs and Benefits of Living With Grizzly Bears in Montana

Abstract

Wildlife sometimes impose unmitigated costs and provide unevenly distributed benefits that exacerbate conflict among people or between wildlife and groups of people. Although previous research has primarily focused on the visible effects of wildlife, reducing conflict will require a broader understanding of wildlife effects on human well-being. Using a “noticing, collecting, thinking” analysis of 25 interviews with people living near grizzly bears in Montana, USA, we provide a nuanced profile of their perceived costs and benefits, including hidden and nonmaterial effects. Interviewees described the interconnected nature of grizzly bear effects on people, where visible effects on livelihoods, health, social relations, personal security, and freedom led to negative hidden effects such as threats to cultural identity and diminished perceptions of livelihood sustainability. Positive effects included enhanced mental, spiritual, and cultural well-being, such as enhanced feelings of connection to wild places. We discuss how this broader understanding of wildlife costs and benefits helps provide a more thorough understanding of the effects of living with grizzly bears.

Keywords:

• Large carnivore conservation
• human well-being
• hidden and non-material costs and benefits
• qualitative research

Acknowledgements

We thank our interviewees for graciously sharing their time and experience and telling us their stories. We also acknowledge that the work presented in this manuscript is based on Sara Halm’s thesis completed at Idaho State University.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).