Are large predators vital to our ecosphere?: Institutional anti-predator policy bias in eleven western states and recommendations for implementing ethical changes in large mammal predator management policies in a changing landscape.

摘要

This thesis examines the predator management policies of eleven Western States as they compare to the management policies of non-predatory game mammals. I measured for bias by determining the minimum number of discrete actions required for the legal take of each mammal under study. The results yielded qualitative numeric values indicating consistent bias against predatory mammals.; I included discussions of trophic influences imparted by large mammalian predators on ecosystems, prehistorical (i.e., Clovis-era 13,000 years ago) and historical origins of anti-predator bias, historical and present-day state predator management policies, emerging multi-disciplinary policies, and suggestions for future policies based on environmental and animal rights concerns from an ethical perspective.; My findings indicate both ethical and unethical biases within existing state wildlife management policies. I offer suggestions for creating predator management policies that are both ethical and take into account the necessary public safety issues that are increasingly more relevant due to an ever-expanding urban-wild interface.