Farmers’ attitudes and potential culling behavior on the reintroduction of lynx to the UK

Abstract

The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) has been extinct from the UK since the late medieval period. Recently, the idea of a reintroduction of the species has entered the public sphere. While reintroduction receives support from the public, there is significant opposition to the idea within the UK farming community. This study used a questionnaire survey to investigate the attitudes of UK farmers towards the reintroduction of the lynx. The theory of planned behavior was also used to predict farmers’ intention to cull lynx in the case of a reintroduction and the drivers behind this. Results indicated negative attitudes towards reintroduction among UK farmers. Older people, those from potential reintroduction areas, and sheep farmers, those whose income is dependent on farming and those with higher perceived knowledge of lynx, had more negative attitudes. Women were significantly more afraid of lynx than men. We also revealed that many farmers intended to hunt lynx in the case of a reintroduction, with attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control being significant predictors of intended behavior. Stronger protective laws for lynx could reduce intention to cull. Additionally, active management and regulation of the lynx population can facilitate harmonious coexistence. These findings suggest that high levels of legal protection and strategies that aim to encourage social norms against illegal culling of lynx, reduce capability to kill lynx (through policies relating to the use of equipment that can be used to kill lynx), or aim to change attitudes to culling lynx could help reduce the perceived conflict of farmers with regard to lynx reintroduction and increase the success of a reintroduction.