Texans support mountain lion conservation management

Abstract

AbstractThe state of Texas encompasses an estimated 7% of the United States mountain lion (Puma concolor) population, a likely overestimate due to their nongame status, unregulated take and high mountain lion mortality rates. In August 2022, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) denied a petition to amend state mountain lion management policies, but was mandated by the Texas Wildlife Commission to form a stakeholder group to assess the potential to initiate mountain lion management and policy. Herein, we synthesize survey data collected and previously published in a report by Ghasemi et al. (2022) to provide members of this mountain lion stakeholder working group, the Commission, and TPWD with succinct summaries of Texas residents’ knowledge and attitudes salient to the evaluation of mountain lion management in the state. We analyzed responses to represent the opinion of all Texans as well as to compare the sentiments of four key stakeholder groups: hunters vs. nonhunters; livestock owners vs. people without livestock; urban vs. rural residents; and Hispanics vs. non-Hispanics. Overall, Texans expressed a positive sentiment about mountain lions and supported management to conserve the species. Respondents exhibited very high consensus regarding the value of scientific research about mountain lions and expressed overwhelming support for mandatory reporting of any mountain lion killed for any purpose by hunters, trappers, or state or federal agents. Texas residents also backed a compensation program supporting livestock producers who lose animals to mountain lions and rapid checking of set traps. Contrary to expectation, hunters and livestock owners were more positive about mountain lions than non-hunters and people without livestock, and we detected no differences in the responses of urban versus rural residents or Hispanics versus non-Hispanics on any topic.