Abstract

This research aims to understand ethical attitudes of the U.S. public towards the use of a toxicant to control wild pigs (Sus scrofa), a destructive invasive species whose population growth is proving difficult to control through conventional management methods. Using a nationwide self-administered survey with 2,186 completed and returned questionnaires, we found that among six different lethal control methods, toxicant usage was the only method that a majority of respondents (51%) found to be unethical, with no significant differences between rural and urban respondents or between respondents from counties with wild pigs and counties where the species is absent. The primary concerns of respondents were collateral harm to other animals (33%) and possible pain and suffering of wild pigs (13%). This research suggests that the introduction of a wild pig toxicant in the U.S. could face significant opposition, particularly if the public's concerns highlighted in this study are not well understood and addressed in product development and outreach.

摘要

本研究旨在了解美国公众对使用毒物控制野猪 ( Sus scrofa) 的道德态度)，一种破坏性的入侵物种，事实证明其种群增长难以通过常规管理方法控制。通过对 2,186 份已完成并返回的问卷的全国性自我管理调查，我们发现在六种不同的致死控制方法中，毒物使用是大多数受访者（51%）认为不道德的唯一方法，农村之间没有显着差异和城市受访者或来自有野猪的县和没有该物种的县的受访者之间。受访者的主要担忧是对其他动物的附带伤害（33%）和野猪可能的疼痛和痛苦（13%）。这项研究表明，在美国引入野猪毒物可能会面临强烈反对，特别是如果公众“