Human Wildlife Conflict in Ireland: perception versus reality

While concerns over the impact of predators within a human landscape are justified e.g. predation of livestock and other protected species, determining whether perception of loss or impact, - within a naïve human population (i.e. one with no historic exposure to predators) - matches reality is essential to ensure appropriate management actions are employed. The goal of this project is to measure the impact of wild carnivores in Ireland on human interests and compare it to the perception of impact among human populations. This will be conducted via a combination of social surveys, dietary analysis and population assessments, which will culminate in the production of practical management recommendations for government and affected stakeholders, towards practical management actions. This will be essential moving forward given the increasing desire for rewilding and re-introduction of large mammalian predators on these shores. This poster will set out the aims of this PhD project over the next 3 years and encourage interaction and feedback from the conference delegates.