Public interactions, attitudes, and conflict regarding management of a “novel” urban species

ABSTRACT

As coyotes (Canis latrans) expand their range into urban areas across the U.S., monitoring human-coyote conflicts and discussing future management options can avoid reactionary decisions that often accompany public conflict. We evaluated the acceptance and potential for conflict of implementing no management (NM), public education (PE), and trap and euthanasia (TE) among segmented portions of the public in an urban county where coyotes were established in 2000. PE was the most acceptable management method countywide. NM was acceptable for female respondents, younger respondents, members of animal rights groups, and those who considered coyotes to be native, whereas TE was acceptable for respondents from opposite demographic segments. Countywide and within segments, residents were least conflicted about PE; NM and TE had higher levels of conflict. Seeking public opinion early will likely benefit natural resource managers by increasing public support for decisions, reducing conflict, and facilitating a more proactive approach to coyote management.

KEYWORDS:

• Acceptability
• coyote
• human-wildlife conflict
• potential for Conflict Index
• survey

Acknowledgments

We thank our community partners, the Landfall Council of Associations and the NHC Commission, and our funding source. We also thank the UNCW students who helped prepare surveys for mailing and our focus group participants, L. Rutledge, C. Olfenbuttel, T. Menke, C. Dukes, and M. Polk, for reviewing an early version of our survey.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of North Carolina Community Engagement Grant program.