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UK Youth Wary of Reintroducing Big Cats
5 Dec
Summary
- Young people show low support for reintroducing lynx and wolves.
- Girls and rural youth are less supportive of predator reintroduction.
- A significant portion of young people are undecided on carnivore reintroduction.
Research reveals that young people in the UK and Ireland exhibit caution regarding the reintroduction of large carnivores, such as lynx and wolves. A recent study found that support among teenagers for these predators returning to the wild is notably lower than adult figures previously recorded in Great Britain.
The surveys, involving over 6,000 children and 16-year-olds, indicated that just over a third of younger participants agreed with lynx reintroductions, with slightly lower figures for wolves. A substantial number of young people opted for a neutral stance, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the proposals.
Further analysis highlighted that girls and individuals residing in rural areas are significantly less supportive of reintroducing any large carnivores. The study suggests that a higher prevalence of 'don't know' responses for lynx might stem from greater familiarity with wolves, which carry more negative associations, likely due to concerns over human and livestock safety.
