PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE PERCEPTIONS AND CONFLICTS EXISTING BETWEEN FARMER AND FELINES IN A RURAL AREA OF PLATO MAGDALENA, COLOMBIA

ANÁLISIS PRELIMINAR SOBRE LAS PERCEPCIONES Y CONFLICTOS EXISTENTES ENTRE CAMPESINOS Y FELINOS DE UNA ZONA RURAL DE PLATO MAGDALENA, COLOMBIA

Conflicts appear when the needs of human communities become incompatible with the needs of wildlife. There is a growth in conflicts between felines and humans, however, in some areas of the Caribbean region these problems are not documented. We seek, through ethnographic methods, to determine local perceptions and existing conflicts between the community and the felines found in the area. We interviewed people who have suffered damage from felines in a rural community of Plato Magdalena, recording information about factors that generate conflicts in the area and perceptions about the faunal group in question. It was found that felines are perceived negatively by farmers due to the predation of domestic animals in the study area, this causes communities to use hunting as population control strategies. Here we find an approach to the perceptions and conflict that exist between felines and farmers. We hope that this contribution motivates future research on the phenomenon, especially aimed at defining management actions, quantification of losses and peaceful coexistence with the species.

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