Oral Presentation- Symposium 12th International Mammalogical Congress

Killing mammal predators: An assessment of current management programs and methods. (#23)

Gilbert Proulx 1
  1. Alpha Wildlife Research & Management Ltd., Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada

Throughout history, humans have considered mammal predators as threats to their wellbeing, industries, and subsistence and recreational hunting activities. Although attitudes have changed with the evolution of human societies and wildlife management programs, and predators have been recognised as playing an important role in the maintenance of wildlife communities and ecosystems, lethal control and eradication of mammal predators is still being promoted by today’s governments, industries and special interest groups. On the basis of ecological and ethical considerations, this paper assesses a series of current mammal predator management programs, and their lethal and non-lethal methods. This paper also makes a series of recommendations to ensure the implementation of mammal predator management programs that are based on sound research protocols and scientific data, and are humane and ecologically and socially acceptable.