A Europe‑wide survey of 10,000 respondents shows strong backing for the recovery of wolves, lynx and bears, as well as opposition to hunting and culling, but also shows that a majority opposes any further population growth. Many respondents remain neutral, which indicates that large carnivore recovery is far less polarizing than commonly portrayed.
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References
Chapron, G. et al. Recovery of large carnivores in Europe’s modern human-dominated landscapes. Science 346, 1517–1519 (2014). A review that describes the European continent-wide recovery of large carnivores.
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This is a summary of: Chapron, G. et al. Europeans support large carnivore recovery while opposing both further population growth and hunting. Nat. Ecol. Evol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02914-1 (2025).
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Europeans like wolves, lynx and bears and oppose hunting them but do not want more of these animals. Nat Ecol Evol 10, 22–23 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02915-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02915-0
