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Nature Conservation
Article . 2025 . Peer-reviewed
License: CC BY
Data sources: Crossref
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ZENODO
Article . 2025
License: CC BY
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Mountain lions (Puma concolor) and their current management: Texas residents’ knowledge and attitudes

Authors: Omar Ohrens; Benjamin Ghasemi; Bonnie E. Gulas-Wroblewski; L. Mark Elbroch;

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) and their current management: Texas residents’ knowledge and attitudes

Abstract

Texas hosts approximately seven percent of the United States of America’s mountain lion (Puma concolor) population, although this estimate might be high due to their non-game status and lack of regulation. In August 2022, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) rejected a petition to change state mountain lion policy and established a stakeholder working group to evaluate potential management strategies. Here, we synthesised survey data collected from 740 Texas residents on their knowledge and attitudes about mountain lions and their regional management that is immediately relevant to the ongoing decisions being made by the Mountain Lion Working Group, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, the state-wide mountain lion management plan working group and TPWD more generally. Overall, Texans correctly reported that mountain lions are rare in Texas, but misreported that they are protected. Generally, participants were positive about mountain lions and supported their management. Hunters and livestock producers expressed more positive attitudes for mountain lions and their management than did non-hunters and people who did not own livestock. In contrast to previous research on support for carnivore conservation, we did not detect any differences in responses between rural and urban residents. Together, these data suggest that the traditional constituents of TPWD (i.e. hunters and livestock owners) are supportive of policies that have been proposed for inclusion in a state management plan for the species, such as mandatory reporting of any mountain lion killed for any purpose. Our results highlight the importance of TPWD’s prioritisation of public outreach and education targeting a greater diversity of Texans to: 1) mitigate the perceptions of risks and/or costs associated with mountain lions; 2) increase public knowledge about mountain lions and their management and 3) foster greater trust in natural resource governance to prevent disengagement by the public.

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Keywords

surveys, Attitudes, mountain lion, Puma concolor, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, wildlife management, Texas residents, policy

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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