IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Martins, C.S.G. | |
| Human dimensions of the relations between people and jaguar (_Panthera onca_) and puma (_Puma concolor_) in Caatinga biome | |
| 2020 Full Book | |
The BoqueirÆo da On‡a, a polygon that houses three federal protected areas, is one of the last and largest contiguous areas of 'caatinga', territory of subpopulations of the two largest feline species in the Americas, jaguars (_Panthera onca_) and pumas (_Puma concolor_). Although the presence of felines is familiar and most people recognize their value of existence and many condemn any form of slaughtering individuals, their proximity is not always tolerated, on the grounds of economic loss, relevant if we consider the regional Human Development Indexes (HDI). Aiming to investigate cognitive, socioeconomic, normative, attitudinal, psychological and behavioral variables, the first social survey was conducted using a face-to-face questionnaire applied to residents of 31 locations in BoqueirÆo da On‡a. With 108 issues organized into categories similar to those that climate change science uses to determine climate change vulnerability, that are, exposure, sensitivity and coping capacity, it was applied using an open source software designed for agility in collecting and systematizing primary data response to the protocol. Knowledge, habits, risk perception, tolerance to proximity to jaguars and pumas, existence value were measured, and associations between gender, age, socioeconomic status, fear, levels of knowledge, and the variables attitudes, knowledge, impact perception existence value and vulnerability to conflict were investigated in order to know which variables impact and how the relations established with jaguar and puma, to clarify the typology of these relations, and to predict favorable behaviors for the management and conservation of species and their environments. The results indicated that aspects such as economic condition, difficulty in implementing habits changes and lack of trust in the institutions contribute to the conflict. Looking beyond the individual and considering the socioecological (SES) complex system where these relations happen, it is consensual that to avail a method that identify and communicate which criteria of which category weight more on the vulnerability to conflict. That SES includes communities and institutions, single and collective stakeholders, beyond wildlife and its habitats. This approach to BoqueirÆo da On‡a become a proposed index of social vulnerability to conflict (IsVC), with one layer still, the social dimension category. Results displayed 23 medium and low IsVC gathering 134 individual IsVC. Only a start, it aims to challenge conceptual and methodologically the multidisciplinary teams working with wildlife management towards coexistence. Naturally, data collection brought physically closer researchers and communities within a large territory. This encounter arose different feelings and reactions, due to the simple act of questioning, due to the sensitiveness of the subjects, causing trust and empathy or fear and constraints, on everyone involved in the process. This binary analysis, which were not planned, brought the ethnographic and anthropological frameworks, increasing the knowledge about the region and the people in it. It also exposed conflicts threatening research, promoted ethical and moral discussions, before decision-taking on wildlife management. |
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