and ecologists about the number of wolves that can be hunted and the methods that
can be used. When large predators prey on ungulates, the ungulate population
density drops, fewer damages are caused to agriculture and conflicts between
farmers and hunters are avoided. Moreover, ungulate populations are healthier, so
the spread of diseases reduces. Finally, hunting trophies are larger and more
attractive to hunters.
10.12.2 Nature Tourism
Nature tourism mainly consists of hiking, mountaineering and animal watching.
These activities have increased in recent years in several European countries and are
expected to offer many opportunities in the future through the creation of services,
businesses and jobs. However, it is first necessary to change the local mindset.
People need to take a positive approach to the presence of large carnivores and see
them as an opportunity. It will be necessary to take advantage of the positive
aspects and reduce the negative effects. In the United States, this mindset shift took
place 20 years ago (Mech 1996). Nature tourism is also an opportunity for environmental education. In the Pyrenees, wildlife tourism started with the brown bear
in France and now in Catalonia, and can be expanded to include the wolf and the
lynx. There are already a few bear observation spots in the Pyrenees, but observers
must stay away from the bears to avoid interferences with their behaviour. In the
future, feeding spots can be built with supplementary food, as well as observation
hides for watching, photo and filming. Nature business has already taken off in the
Pyrenees and tourists can now visit the areas inhabited by bears. This activity
makes necessary to draft regulations to protect the animals and the habitat. It is
crucial to strike a balance between conservation and business. In nature tourism,
excessive disturbance of the habitat should be avoided; predators must learn to
adapt to additional food and the presence of humans (family bears can be dangerous, and the final solution may be to kill these bears). Also relevant, among other
factors, is the alteration of wolf behaviour and interference from young wolves
(howling imitations) (Magrama 2015b). Nature tourism has an impact on brown
bear behaviour (Nevin et al. 2005), and contact with humans increases the risk of
death of these large carnivores (Ordiz 2014).
Nature tourism is an alternative to hunting and hunters. Unlike hunting, where an
animal can only be “sold” once, nature tourism enables an animal to be “sold”
several times. Associated products can also be sold. Other locations on the Iberian
Peninsula have an advantage over the Pyrenees. In the Culebra Mountains, nature
tourism focuses on wolf watching because it is relatively easy to watch these
animals. Nature tourism in the area has generated ten times more income than
hunting tourism; thus, society will have to decide if both kinds of tourism are
compatible. The Cantabrian and Pyrenees Mountains are comparable in many ways,
and I believe that a modified Cantabrian model could be transferred to the Pyrenees.
10 The Importance of Reintroducing Large Carnivores …
243
can be used. When large predators prey on ungulates, the ungulate population
density drops, fewer damages are caused to agriculture and conflicts between
farmers and hunters are avoided. Moreover, ungulate populations are healthier, so
the spread of diseases reduces. Finally, hunting trophies are larger and more
attractive to hunters.
10.12.2 Nature Tourism
Nature tourism mainly consists of hiking, mountaineering and animal watching.
These activities have increased in recent years in several European countries and are
expected to offer many opportunities in the future through the creation of services,
businesses and jobs. However, it is first necessary to change the local mindset.
People need to take a positive approach to the presence of large carnivores and see
them as an opportunity. It will be necessary to take advantage of the positive
aspects and reduce the negative effects. In the United States, this mindset shift took
place 20 years ago (Mech 1996). Nature tourism is also an opportunity for environmental education. In the Pyrenees, wildlife tourism started with the brown bear
in France and now in Catalonia, and can be expanded to include the wolf and the
lynx. There are already a few bear observation spots in the Pyrenees, but observers
must stay away from the bears to avoid interferences with their behaviour. In the
future, feeding spots can be built with supplementary food, as well as observation
hides for watching, photo and filming. Nature business has already taken off in the
Pyrenees and tourists can now visit the areas inhabited by bears. This activity
makes necessary to draft regulations to protect the animals and the habitat. It is
crucial to strike a balance between conservation and business. In nature tourism,
excessive disturbance of the habitat should be avoided; predators must learn to
adapt to additional food and the presence of humans (family bears can be dangerous, and the final solution may be to kill these bears). Also relevant, among other
factors, is the alteration of wolf behaviour and interference from young wolves
(howling imitations) (Magrama 2015b). Nature tourism has an impact on brown
bear behaviour (Nevin et al. 2005), and contact with humans increases the risk of
death of these large carnivores (Ordiz 2014).
Nature tourism is an alternative to hunting and hunters. Unlike hunting, where an
animal can only be “sold” once, nature tourism enables an animal to be “sold”
several times. Associated products can also be sold. Other locations on the Iberian
Peninsula have an advantage over the Pyrenees. In the Culebra Mountains, nature
tourism focuses on wolf watching because it is relatively easy to watch these
animals. Nature tourism in the area has generated ten times more income than
hunting tourism; thus, society will have to decide if both kinds of tourism are
compatible. The Cantabrian and Pyrenees Mountains are comparable in many ways,
and I believe that a modified Cantabrian model could be transferred to the Pyrenees.
10 The Importance of Reintroducing Large Carnivores …
243