Heterogeneity among Rural Resident Attitudes Toward Wolves

Abstract

Rural communities are often considered a homogeneous population in resource management. Wolf management is no exception. To understand the diversity of rural attitudes toward wolves and wolf management, data were obtained through a mail questionnaire to rural residents (n = 555; 69% response rate) of southwestern Alberta. Results indicated three distinct clusters differentiated by respondents' attitudes toward: (a) wolves and fear and (b) wolf management. Cluster 1 had negative attitudes toward wolves (n = 85) and was composed of livestock producers and hunters. Cluster 2 was neutral (n = 184), and cluster 3 was positive (n = 276) toward wolves. Cluster 2 and 3 were primarily composed of non-hunters and non-livestock producers. With movement of people into rural areas with varying backgrounds the rural community now has multiple attitudinal groups and wildlife managers will need to tailor their efforts to communicate with different groups.

Keywords:

• attitudes toward wolves
• classification tree
• rural residents
• wildlife management
• K-means cluster analysis

Acknowledgments

We thank the individuals and organizations that contributed information and support: residents of southwestern Alberta, Southern Alberta Montane Elk Research Project (http://www.montaneelk.com), and Alberta Conservation Association's Grants in Biodiversity. This project was supported by NSERC, Canada, and a Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship. We also thank Dr. Tyler Muhly for his guidance.