The accelerated growth of some wildlife populations in Europe, especially ungulates, has led to an increase in human-wildlife conflicts, as they have to coexist in humanized landscapes. Addressing the human dimensions of these conflicts and understanding how people perceive wildlife is important to guide measures that address conflict mitigation respond to people's needs and meet conservation objectives. In this context, a special case is the wild boar (Sus scrofa), an ungulate that has increased in numbers and spread across Europe, generating impacts on agriculture, livestock, and human security, among others. Stakeholders may perceive the increase in wild boar populations differently, especially if their work involves a direct relationship with the species. In this study, we sought to understand the perception of Spanish environmental rangers (n=734) regarding wild boar population trends and current management objectives. As well as their concerns regarding potential benefits and costs. Respondents had, in general, a negative perception of wild boar, giving greater importance to its detriments than to its benefits. 84% of respondents identified an increase in wild boar populations in recent years and linked this overabundance to both environmental and socio-economic factors. 79% considered that wild boar were causing important impacts on their territory, especially on agriculture. This compares with 11% who considered its benefits to be important. They identified recreational hunting as the main benefit. 90% of respondents considered that measures to manage the species focused only on population management and neglected measures on habitat and social context. This study provides information that can help guide management strategies to address wild boar densities in Spain.

Peer reviewed