Social and behavioural aspects of a pine marten translocation.

Abstract

Reversing global declines in predator populations is a major conservation objective. Translocations are frequently used to address this but are associated with relatively low success rates. I used the opportunity of a pine marten Martes martes translocation to explore ecological and social aspects of the process. Translocations can be associated with adverse outcomes for animals, including long-distance dispersal, poor welfare, high mortality, and failure to establish populations. In chapter 2 I investigate the relationships between the behaviour of candidate animals in the wild at the source sites, their behaviour at the point of release, including stress levels in captivity, and their post release movement. I identified some simple assays employable at the source sites that indicate which individuals are most likely to exhibit greater levels of stress in captivity, and to disperse long distance from the release site. I suggest that these individuals require prioritized monitoring, reducing the potential for lost animals, improving the quality of monitoring and welfare of released individuals, satisfying responsibilities to stakeholders, and enabling proactive conflict mitigation by prioritizing monitoring of individuals that are most likely to come into contact with humans. People frequently come into conflict over carnivore conservation. In chapter 3 I use Q-methodology to investigate the perspectives of affected communities towards pine martens and the proposed translocation. I uncovered a spectrum of support characterised by three distinct perspectives, and one perspective in opposition to the proposed translocation. I elucidate in detail the factors contributing to these perspectives and discuss the implications for the proposition of pine marten reinforcement in Wales, presenting the outcomes in 3 a broader context of carnivore recovery and democratic process in conservation. In chapter 4 I discuss and synthesize the findings of chapters 2 and 3, framing them within a context of coexistence between people and recovering carnivores.