Percepción social y tendencia poblacional de mesocarnívoros y ungulados en el noroeste de la península ibérica

Mesocarnivores and ungulates were historically considered as harmful species to humans. Research into the relationship between the actual and perceived population abundance or trend can be useful in mitigating conflicts with these animals. In this work, the information on population trends (i. e. increasing, maintenance or decreasing abundance) obtained through semi-structured interviews with local people was contrasted with the data from a two-times-replicated camera-trap study, separated eight years between them, in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. In general, we found a divergence between the two sources of information regarding the population trend in only two of the six species under study, red fox and wild boar. Specifically, camera-trap results showed a decrease in red fox catches, not reflected in the face-to-face interviews. On the contrary, face-to-face interviews indicated an increase in wild boar populations, not reflected in the camera-trap study. The findings of this study underscore the necessity of integrating different information sources to accurately assess the population dynamics of mesocarnivores and ungulates, thereby enabling informed management decisions.