scholarly journals Are wolves welcome? Hunters' attitudes towards wolves in Vermont, USA

Oryx ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Nelson Grima ◽  
John Brainard ◽  
Brendan Fisher

Abstract The forests of the north-east USA were once home to the wolf Canis lupus, a species that played an important role in the ecology of this region. However, wolves were eradicated from the region more than a century ago, altering the species composition of the landscape and driving cascading changes in this ecosystem. Outdoor recreation is a major component of the economy of this region, and outdoor recreationists, including the hunting community, have a strong influence over decision-making related to policies on natural resources. Given their powerful position, hunters are important stakeholders whose views need to be taken into account when designing policies related to wildlife, in particular in relation to a controversial species such as the wolf. In this study, through expert interviews and an online survey, we gained a deeper understanding of the attitudes of hunters towards wolves, and how these attitudes could affect any future reintroduction programme or natural movement of wolves into the state. We found that the majority of hunters hold a suite of negative attitudes towards wolves, their role in the landscape and their potential impact on the region. However, for hunters who were able to recognize the ecological roles of wolves, these negative attitudes were mostly reversed.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamsin Saxton ◽  
Andrew Thorp

Cycling has individual and collective benefits, and thus various initiatives have attempted to increase cycling uptake. Motivations and intentions around cycling can be influenced by perceptions of risk and safety, which can be derived in part from the overtaking manoeuvres of other road users. Yet we know little about the systematic variables between drivers that might give rise to differences in their overtaking of cyclists. Accordingly, we investigated how people’s personality and attitudinal variables covary with their perceptions of adequate space when overtaking cyclists. We recruited 386 participants (including 349 regular drivers and 114 regular cyclists) from networks within the UK (particularly the north-east of England) who completed an online survey where we assessed their Big Five personality traits, attitudes to cyclists, driving anger, optimism, and their perceptions of the acceptability of overtaking manoeuvres by drivers passing cyclists on roads, depicted in photographs. We found that people evaluated a greater number of overtaking manoeuvres as more acceptable in particular if they had more negative views of cyclists, and also if they did not cycle regularly, and if they reported more driving anger. People often report negative attitudes towards cyclists, but attitudes are subject to change, and future work could investigate whether encouraging drivers to view cyclists more positively could also reduce drivers’ close-pass overtaking manoeuvres.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 239-242
Author(s):  
Steven Dixon ◽  
Sean Woodcock

Introduction Advising patients when they are medically fit to drive following general surgical procedures is crucial to minimise risk to patients, the general public as road user’s and pedestrians and also avoid negligence claims against medical practitioners. Historically, in the UK, this advice has come from a number of sources including surgeons, general practitioners, insurers and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The aim of this study was to review how current surgical teams distribute this advice and what this advice is based upon. Materials and methods An online survey was devised and distributed to all consultant general surgeons and trainees in the North East of England via email. Leading vehicle insurance companies and the DVLA were contacted to assess what advice they gave for specific procedures (ventral hernia, appendicectomy, cholecystectomy, fundoplication). Results A total of 135 surveys were distributed, 56 were returned, with a response rate of 41.5%. Twenty-two (39.3%) of respondents were consultants, 30 (53.6%) were speciality trainees (ST3-8) and 4 (7.1%) were core surgical trainees (CT1-2). Some (14.2%) gave driving advice to every patient, 39.3% gave advice to most patients; 42.9% gave advice pre-operatively in clinic, 39.3% gave the advice pre-operatively on the day of surgery, and 96.4% of responders based their advice on traditional teaching. Discussion and conclusions: There is variation in the content and timing of advice regarding driving after general surgical procedures. This inconsistency will undoubtedly lead to incorrect information being distributed to patients and will impact post-operative patient safety. We suggest formulating consistent advice in a written format, standardising the process which in turn will protect patients and surgeons.


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18
Author(s):  
S.O. Sam-Wobo ◽  
C.N. Ukaga ◽  
D. Pam ◽  
I.C.J. Omalu ◽  
A. Mogaji ◽  
...  

The knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) people hold towards a new disease could play a major role in the way they accept measures put in place to curb its spread as Symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to those of other endemic diseases, especially malaria. A cross-sectional KAP/symptomatology online survey was conducted from August –September 2020 across the six geopolitical regions of Nigeria. Data were entered into Google sheets and analyses performed using SPSS version 20. From the 900 respondents, majority 66% were from the North west while 1.2% were from the North east. By sex and age distribution, 69% were males while females were 31%. Age group 15-25 years were more (32.22%) and the least (11%) among respondents were above 65years. Majority of respondents (57.89%), had not experienced symptoms associated with COVID-19 in the past 3 months before this study, however 96.0% of respondents have heard about COVID19 prior the time of survey. Hyperthemia (high fever) 636(70.67%) was accurately recognized by respondents as the most common symptoms. Other highly mentioned symptoms were dry or chesty cough, shortness of breath, catarrh and cough, difficulty in breathing at night, painful breathing, and weakness or tiredness, with significant differences in the responses recorded for the recognition of COVID-19 symptoms across the geopolitical zones (p=0.00). In terms of preventive measures, 771(85.67%) respondents perceive regular hand washing with soap as the major preventive measure for COVID19 infection. This was followed by the usage of face mask 659(73.22%). Also, 794(88.22%) respondents accurately recognized hyperthemia as the most  common overlapping symptom between malaria and COVID-19. Other highly mentioned overlapping symptoms were weakness or tiredness 591(65.67%), loss of appetite 504 (56.00%), loss of taste and smell 388(43.11%), and catarrh and cough 313(34.78%). We conclude that awareness of COVID-19 symptoms is fairly high in the country. Awareness strategies should target those with limited access to information on the disease. Keywords: COVID-19, Knowledge, Symptoms, Preventive measures


Author(s):  
Margarida Hermida ◽  
Cristina Cruz ◽  
Aurélia Saraiva

The ectoparasite community of the blackspot seabream, Pagellus bogaraveo, was studied in different locations in Portuguese waters of the north-east Atlantic Ocean. This is the first study to focus on the ectoparasites of this commercially important sparid fish. Nine ectoparasite species were detected. Gnathia sp., Aega deshaysiana, A. antillensis, Rocinela danmoniensis and Argulus sp. are reported for the first time on this host. Significant differences were detected among the sampling locations, with monogeneans being more prevalent in mainland waters, and crustaceans being more prevalent in the Atlantic islands of Madeira and Azores. Fish from Madeira showed significantly higher infection levels of all ectoparasites, especially crustaceans, and particularly high prevalence of Hatschekia pagellibogneravei. The potential impact of the species detected on captive fish is also discussed, since the blackspot seabream is a promising new species for marine aquaculture.


2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 269 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Pople ◽  
G. C. Grigg ◽  
S. C. Cairns ◽  
L. A. Beard ◽  
P. Alexander

Most of Australia’s sheep rangelands are enclosed by a dingo-proof fence. Within these rangelands, where dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) are rare, red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) are considered to be food limited because their numbers respond to fluctuations in pasture biomass that are driven by highly variable rainfall. Outside this region, where dingoes are common, kangaroo densities are generally substantially lower, suggesting that dingoes are an important limiting factor. However, it is unclear whether dingoes can regulate kangaroo populations. In this study, red kangaroo and emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) numbers were monitored for varying periods during 1978–92 by aerial survey on both sides of the dingo fence in three areas in the north of the South Australian pastoral zone. Densities of red kangaroos and emus were lower outside the fence, although the disparity varied between areas and over time. The similarity in the environments on both sides of the fence and the marked step in kangaroo density at the fence are consistent with dingoes strongly limiting these prey populations. In the north-east of the pastoral zone, where kangaroo and emu densities are greatest, the contrast in density across the fence was most pronounced. Furthermore, the trends in density over time differed across the fence. Outside the fence, red kangaroos and emus remained at low densities following drought as dingo numbers increased. Inside the fence, red kangaroo and emu populations showed a ‘typical’ post-drought recovery. The data therefore suggest that, in some situations, dingoes may not simply limit red kangaroo and emu populations, but also regulate them. For this to occur, predation rate would need to be density dependent at low prey densities. The availability of alternative prey, and the reduction in the numbers of all prey during drought may provide the mechanism.


Antiquity ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 50 (200) ◽  
pp. 216-222
Author(s):  
Beatrice De Cardi

Ras a1 Khaimah is the most northerly of the seven states comprising the United Arab Emirates and its Ruler, H. H. Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad al-Qasimi, is keenly interested in the history of the state and its people. Survey carried out there jointly with Dr D. B. Doe in 1968 had focused attention on the site of JuIfar which lies just north of the present town of Ras a1 Khaimah (de Cardi, 1971, 230-2). Julfar was in existence in Abbasid times and its importance as an entrep6t during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries-the Portuguese Period-is reflected by the quantity and variety of imported wares to be found among the ruins of the city. Most of the sites discovered during the survey dated from that period but a group of cairns near Ghalilah and some long gabled graves in the Shimal area to the north-east of the date-groves behind Ras a1 Khaimah (map, FIG. I) clearly represented a more distant past.


1999 ◽  
Vol 110 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 455-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Güvenç ◽  
Ş Öztürk
Keyword(s):  

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