Plain Language Summary: Ranchers’ Views on Pumas Remain Unchanged Despite its Growing Population.

By Esperanza C. Iranzo, Omar Ohrens, Cristina Mata, Juan Traba, Pablo Acebes, Benito A. González, Fernando R. Tortato, Rafael Hoogesteijn, Dania Goic, L. Mark Elbroch, and Juan E. Malo.

Read the full paper here.

Human-wildlife conflicts are a big challenge for conservation, especially when it comes to large carnivores like pumas. These animals can pose real and perceived threats to livestock and even human safety. We aimed to explore how ranchers in the Torres del Paine area of Chile view pumas and if their opinions fit with predator density, so we conducted interviews in 2011 and 2018. We asked them about their thoughts on puma presence, any livestock losses, and whether they felt the need to manage puma populations. In parallel, we sampled on both occasions the presence of pumas across the area and built probability maps for the predator. Our results show that pumas spread over the area over the decade, and their numbers increased on ranches. Despite this, ranchers’ views about the number of pumas or the losses they face changed little over the years. Interestingly, while some ranchers began to see pumas as a bigger threat, this perception did not match the actual rise in puma numbers. That is, there is a gap between what ranchers believe about pumas and the reality of their population. And social factors rather than just the actual presence of pumas or their livestock losses drive farmer concerns about pumas.

These findings highlight a complex situation. Some ranchers benefit from tourism related to pumas, while others feel the load of increasing puma populations. As fears about pumas grow, conflicts could arise. We believe it is essential to address the concerns of ranchers while also protecting wildlife and finding a balance between these needs will be crucial for effective conservation and the future of both the ranchers and the pumas in this region.