Public attitudes to invasive animal control

Project Leader: Gerard Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald Applied Sociology

Aim: To review the public’s and stakeholders’ attitudes to current and proposed forms of pest animal control.

Projects:  12.d.8

Project summary

This project reviewed predominantly Australasian literature on people’s attitudes to current and proposed forms of pest animal control. Animals covered in the review include: foxes, wild dogs and dingoes, rabbits, horses, pigs, cats, deer, goats, water buffalo, kangaroos, wallabies, possums, stoats and flying foxes. Coyotes, wolves and elk are also briefly discussed.

The research shows that attitudes towards pest animal controls vary according to the:

• characteristics of the person or group — their gender, urban or rural residence, culture and value orientation
• perceptions of the pest animal and its impacts — its size, predation on livestock or other valued species, physical threat to people, impact on people’s livelihood and aesthetic appeal
• environment being impacted — its proximity, accessibility, aesthetic and utilitarian appeal, public or private ownership
• features of the control strategy — safety, specificity, effectiveness, humaneness and cost.

The review suggests that decisions about pest controls need to be made on a case-by-case basis and be informed by systematic assessments, recognising social and physical context. It is recommended that public and stakeholder involvement in decision making be accompanied by well-designed, balanced information.

Key achievements

• The review has been published and is a useful as an information resource for those involved in researching and managing the impacts of animal pests in Australia and New Zealand. An Endnote database of the references reviewed will also be available from the author.

Project team

Gerard Fitzgerald and Dr Wendy Henderson.

Project partners

IA CRC, Fitzgerald Applied Sociology.

Further information

Fitzgerald, G. and Wilkinson, R. (2009). Assessing the social impact of invasive animals in Australia. IA CRC, Canberra.

Fitzgerald G (2009) Public attitudes to current and proposed forms of pest animal control. Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, Canberra.

Ballard, G. (Ed.) (2006) Social Drivers of Invasive Animal Control. Proceedings of the Invasive Animals CRC workshop on social drivers of invasive animal control, 26th – 27th July 2006, Adelaide. Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, Canberra.

Robins L (2010). Enabling Regional Pest Animal Control. Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, Canberra.

See Gerard Fitzgerald’s other publications

For further information, contact us.