A new nationwide survey conducted by Colorado State University and Project Coyote reveals strong support for criminalizing acts of cruelty to wildlife. Between 77.5 and 85.8% of respondents said they would support various federal and state policies restricting killing of wild carnivores and banning practices such as running down wolves with snowmobiles.
The results also demonstrate the importance of raising awareness of the need for reform. While people are largely aware of animal cruelty in lab testing and factory farming, few realize the extent of the lack of protections for native carnivores. The majority of people surveyed were previously unaware that species like wolves, foxes, bobcats, and coyotes can be killed without limit across much of their range in North America. With few exceptions (such as cougars in California), states afford few legal protections for wild carnivores not classified as endangered, compared to other hunted big game species such as deer and elk.
The results showed:
- 74.1% of respondents originally believed that “for all carnivore species (e.g. coyotes, bobcats, and foxes), there are limits in my state on the number that can be killed by a hunter in one season” prior to taking the survey (false for all states).
- 85.8% of respondents supported federal legislation criminalizing cruelty to wildlife
- 80.2% backed banning the use of snowmobiles to run over wildlife
- 81.7% supported state laws banning wildlife killing contests and restricting hunting seasons for carnivores
- 78.2% supported banning wildlife killing contests under federal law
- 77.5% supported mandating bag limits for all carnivores under federal law
Representing Colorado State University’s Animal-Human Policy Center, Dr. Rebecca Niemiec stated: “We found that the United States public strongly supports a variety of animal protection policies, especially policies that reduce suffering among wild carnivores. However, we also found that the public underestimates the extent to which others in the country care about these issues. By correcting these perceptions, we can show the public and policymakers that reducing animal suffering is indeed a priority for the vast majority of Americans.”
Representing Project Coyote, Renee Seacor stated: “The legal, relentless persecution of wild carnivores doesn’t match broad public values in the United States. This survey conducted in partnership with the Animal-Human Policy Center provides essential data for our ongoing policy reform work and will help convince policymakers to take more immediate action to address the mismanagement of our nation’s wildlife. Thanks to the support of Coyote Collective members, we will continue collaborating with researchers, like-minded organizations, wildlife advocates, and policymakers to safeguard our nation’s wild carnivores from unjust and unscientific persecution.”
Read a fact sheet about the survey here.
View the survey results in full here.