Study: People mean different things when they talk about managing wolves through fear

As in many arguments, opposing sides don’t always speak the same language. Such is the controversy of wolf management in the West, which is why new research found it’s important to clarify what people mean when they talk about managing the predators.

Wolves need to fear people so that they can coexist with people and livestock. However, wildlife managers and livestock producers often misunderstand each other when they talk about wolf management and fear, according to the paper, published in The Canadian Geographer.

Increasingly, politics and people influence wolf behavior, lead author Rob Anderson argued in the paper.

That’s why, as a part of his doctorate in geography from the University of Washington, Anderson conducted an ethnographic study of wolf management in the state, taking a close look at how fear plays a role for wildlife biologists and livestock producers as they interact with wolves.

In his research, Anderson found biologists, livestock producers, and rural residents think about fear differently with regard to wolves, which he said can create misunderstandings.