We thank Goswami et al. (1), Harihar et al. (2), and Karanth et al. (3), for their interest in our study (4). However, unfortunately their critiques are misinterpretations and misrepresentations of our report. Because of space limits, we can only comment on their main points briefly.
Fostering local community tolerance for endangered carnivores, such as tigers (Panthera tigris), is a core component of many conservation strategies. Identification of antecedents of tolerance will facilitate the development of effective tolerance-building conservation action and secure local community support for, and involvement in, conservation initiatives. We use a stated preference approach for measuring tolerance, based on the 'Wildlife Stakeholder Acceptance Capacity' concept, to explore villagers' tolerance levels for tigers in the Bangladesh Sundarbans, an area where, at the time of the research, human-tiger conflict was severe. We apply structural equation modeling to test an a priori defined theoretical model of tolerance and identify the experiential and psychological basis of tolerance in this community. Our results indicate that beliefs about tigers and about the perceived current tiger population trend are predictors of tolerance for tigers. Positive beliefs about tigers and a belief that the tiger population is not currently increasing are both associated with greater stated tolerance for the species. Contrary to commonly-held notions, negative experiences with tigers do not directly affect tolerance levels; instead, their effect is mediated by villagers' beliefs about tigers and risk perceptions concerning human-tiger conflict incidents. These findings highlight a need to explore and understand the socio-psychological factors that encourage tolerance towards endangered species. Our research also demonstrates the applicability of this approach to tolerance research to a wide range of socio-economic and cultural contexts and reveals its capacity to enhance carnivore conservation efforts worldwide.
Understanding the extent to which people and wildlife overlap in space and time is critical for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological services. Yet, how global change will reshape the future of human-wildlife overlap has not been assessed. We show that the potential spatial overlap of global human populations and 22,374 terrestrial vertebrate species will increase across ~56.6% and decrease across only ~11.8% of the Earth's terrestrial surface by 2070. Increases are driven primarily by intensification of human population densities, not change in wildlife distributions caused by climate change. The strong spatial heterogeneity of future human-wildlife overlap found in our study makes it clear that local context is imperative to consider, and more targeted area-based land-use planning should be integrated into systematic conservation planning.
Human-carnivore conflict in agrarian landscapes poses a significant threat to both large carnivore populations and human livelihoods. Conservation strategies aimed at mitigating conflict often rely primarily on ecological, landscape-scale factors. However, assessing the influence of microhabitat, as well as local variation in human perceptions, can offer valuable insights into the spatial patterns of human-carnivore conflict. The objectives of this study were to identify landscape predictors of livestock depredation risk, characterize microhabitat vegetation patterns at kill sites, and assess the spatial alignment between ecologically-predicted and human-perceived depredation risk. Through use of predation risk modeling, microhabitat pattern analysis, and participatory mapping exercises, we provide insight into the spatial patterns of livestock depredation risk from a multi-carnivore guild in an agrarian landscape located in the Makgadikgadi region of Botswana. We identified 170 depredation events and conducted 63 participatory mapping exercises across community lands situated between two wildlife protected areas. Results indicated anthropogenic landscape variables as the primary drivers of general depredation risk. Notably, distinct spatial patterns emerged between African lion (Panthera leo) and African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) depredation, underscoring the need for species-specific conservation strategies. Microhabitat analysis indicated a preference for lower vegetation cover within the multi-predator guild, suggesting livestock microhabitat risk-mitigation behaviors outweigh predator hunting strategies. While human perceptions generally aligned with ecologically predicted risk, identified divergences emphasize the importance of tailored conflict mitigation strategies to accommodate varying influences. Overall, the findings advocate for species-specific depredation risk analyses and the inclusion of human perceptions for a comprehensive spatial understanding of livestock depredation risk.
