Managing human-wildlife conflicts exacerbated by urbanization in China

Wildlife management is a critical component of land conservation. The unprecedented rapid urbanization dramatically altered habitats for wildlife, increasing the number of human-wildlife conflicts in China. China is a global conservation priority with vast and diverse landscapes, ecosystems, resources, local cultures, traditional beliefs, and populations. Nevertheless, Chinese contemporary wildlife management policies lack the capacity and clarity to balance wildlife conservation and human needs, bringing harm to both humans and wildlife and jeopardizing long-term goals in land conservation. The missing link is an in-depth understanding of Chinese wildlife values.

Human values toward wildlife (wildlife values and value orientations) are at the center of this discussion as values effectively represent fundamental goals and principles that guide human behaviors and determine the state of human-wildlife relationship. Therefore, social science methods that examine human thoughts and values are key to effective land conservation policies regarding human-wildlife conflict and coexistence. However, there is a glaring knowledge gap of Chinese values toward wildlife. This necessitates an in-depth examination of Chinese wildlife values and ongoing value shifts given the rapid social and economic development in modern China. Based on the value-attitude-behavior hierarchy model and generational cohort theory, this study conducted a national study with elicitive interviews and large-scale surveys covering four generational cohorts. Specifically, the elicitive interviews reveal a complex and multi-layered perspective on wildlife attitudes in China, shaped by a hierarchical system, pragmatic considerations, government reliance, and non-disruption. The dominant theme is the hierarchical worldview, where humans are positioned above wildlife in a structured nature system. This belief system underpins attitudes toward wildlife conservation, human-wildlife conflict, and animal use, where compassion for animals exists but is conditional (i.e., pragmatism), determined by their role within the system. Additionally, government authority plays a central role in shaping wildlife perspectives. Whether in wildlife conflict resolution, legal restrictions on animal use, or conservation policies, the expectation is that the government should manage these issues, reinforcing a top-down governance model. Lastly, non-disruption and respect for natural law, which is a part of traditional philosophies, continue to influence wildlife attitudes. The quantitative survey study with more than 1500 participants supported the four-factor structure with generational differences. Distinctions were also identified between urban and rural residents, suggesting the impact of urbanization on wildlife value orientations. The population could be divided into four groups that differed on their scores. Different wildlife value orientations are associate with different attitude and behavioral intentions toward wildlife. The pragmatism wildlife value orientation was found to be consistently related to consuming wildlife for food and medicine, as well as wildlife tourism. People rating high on a hierarchical system is more likely to support non-lethal control of animals. As a result, this study provides the foundational knowledge needed for land conservation policies that manage human-wildlife conflict and coexistence amid urbanization.