Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have historically been interacting with human societies, thus being an important component of socio-ecological systems. In Greece, farmers and hunters have been increasingly complaining about predation of red foxes on livestock and game, and the recurrence of rabies incidents has raised concerns about human and animal health. Understanding public preferences about management is necessary for successful wildlife management. This study aimed at investigating the preferences of north Greece residents for managing the negative impacts of red foxes and also at understanding variation between stakeholder groups: farmers, hunters, farmers-hunters, and the general public. Data were collected from on-site face-to-face surveys (n = 746), between March and May 2017. Respondents were asked to rate their acceptability of management strategies under three impact scenarios: red foxes attack livestock, reduce game, and carry rabies. Stakeholders preferred nonlethal management strategies, with generally high consensus, both between and within groups. Fencing and compensation were the most acceptable strategies for protecting livestock and vaccination and the removal of sick animals for eliminating rabies. Acceptability and consensus for lethal strategies were lower, with hunting being the most acceptable lethal strategy for hunters, especially when foxes threatened game or carried rabies. Doing nothing was becoming more unacceptable and lethal control more acceptable with increasing severity of the impacts, i.e., livestock and game predation versus rabies transmission. Variation in the acceptability of and consensus for management strategies was considerable among scenarios, and both between and within stakeholder groups. Research implications could be used as a guide for reaching consensus for proper management strategies during the conservation conflict management process in the study area. As similar studies are scarce, findings might also prove useful elsewhere, especially in the northern hemisphere where native populations do occur. Findings about managing rabid red foxes would be particularly useful for countries where rabies has not been eliminated, particularly for neighboring Balkan and Asia Minor countries. Findings about managing red fox impacts on livestock and game would be most useful for European countries and especially Mediterranean countries with social and ecological conditions similar to Greece.

中文翻译：

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了解利益相关者在不同情况下管理赤狐的偏好

狐狸（Vulpes vulpes）历史上一直与人类社会互动，因此成为社会生态系统的重要组成部分。在希腊，农民和猎人越来越抱怨牲畜和野味中的猎狐被捕食，狂犬病事件的再次发生引起人们对人类和动物健康的担忧。要成功地进行野生动植物管理，必须了解公众对管理的偏好。这项研究旨在调查希腊北部居民在控制赤狐的负面影响方面的偏好，并旨在了解利益相关者群体（农民，猎人，农民猎人和普通大众）之间的差异。数据收集自2017年3月至5月之间的现场面对面调查（n = 746）。要求受访者对三种影响情景下的管理策略可接受性进行评级：赤狐攻击牲畜，减少猎物和携带狂犬病。利益相关者更喜欢非致命性管理策略，总体而言，在群体之间和群体内部都具有很高的共识。围栏和补偿是保护牲畜和接种疫苗以及清除病畜以消除狂犬病的最可接受的策略。致命策略的可接受性和共识性较低，狩猎是猎人最可接受的致命策略，尤其是当狐狸威胁游戏或携带狂犬病时。随着影响的严重性增加，即无家可归，致死控制与狂犬病传播相比，无所事事变得越来越不可接受，致死性控制也越来越令人接受。在各种场景之间以及利益相关者群体之间以及利益相关者群体内部，管理策略的可接受性和共识的差异都很大。研究意义可以用作在研究区域的保护冲突管理过程中就适当的管理策略达成共识的指南。由于类似研究的稀缺性，因此在其他地方，特别是在发生本地人口的北半球，发现可能也有用。有关管理狂犬病的红狐狸的发现对于狂犬病尚未消除的国家特别有用，特别是对于邻国巴尔干和小亚细亚国家。