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The
large carnivores and the human dimension (Erjola Keçi)
Nowadays much is discussed about large
carnivores and a lot of studies are done for them. The relationship of these
animals with humans is gathering more and more importance. Are they damaging
pest animals or species in need of our attention?
One of the most important components of the Balkan
Lynx Recovery Programme, are the human attitudes towards large carnivores,
known as the human dimension. The human dimension is of vital importance for an
effective management of the wildlife in general and large carnivores in
particular. The management of large carnivores is often a socio-political
issue, rather than a biological measure. One of the main topics of the human
dimension study is the identification of the types of conflicts in a way that
the proper solution could be found. From the study carried out till now, it
comes out that the main conflict between large carnivores and humans is depredation
to domestic animals and crop damage. In 78% of the villages visited during our
survey there have been attacks to livestock and/or damages on crops. Direct
attacks on humans happen more rarely and have been reported in 22% of the
visited villages. From these there has been only one case of attack causing a
human’s death, by the wolf in Central Albania, but it needs further
verification. On the other side humans have been persecuting and killing large
carnivores regularly resulting in 33 bears killed between 1991-2006, 12 lynx
killed during the period 1980-2006 and 38 wolves in the years 1999-2006 (from
which 19 individuals only in 2006). |