Considering wolves as active agents in understanding stakeholder perceptions and developing management strategies

International audienceUntil recently, the diversity of human-wolf relationships and the associated conflicts have mainly been explained through various socio-cultural contexts. The agency of wolves, notably their ability to adapt their behaviour to human practices, has been underestimated and so the intrinsic dynamic dimension of the relationships. Our surveys in several countries (Kyrgyzstan, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France) showed that radical changes in husbandry or hunting practices have led to modifications in the socio-environmental context and the nature of human-wolf interactions, resulting in apparent changes in wolf behaviour. These changes have often resulted in an increased vulnerability of local people to wolf damages, a reduced acceptance for wolves and increasing conflicts, even in countries where humans and wolves have continuously coexisted. Therefore, the diversity of human-wolf relationships is not only the result of various socio-cultural contexts but also emerges in diverse historical trajectories that engage both humans and wolves in specific socio-ecological contexts. Considering wolves as active agents in the human-wolf relationship appears necessary to understand conflicts and adopt appropriate management strategies, not only based on damage prevention, but also implying direct pressure on wolves to make coexistence conceivable