Leverage ranger’s knowledge to assess wild boar contributions to people in Spain

Human – wildlife interactions range from beneficial to detrimental, affecting both biodiversity conservation and human well-being. In Europe, wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations have expanded due to environmental changes and conservation measures, intensifying conflicts and posing management challenges. This study examines these dynamics in southern Europe through the framework of nature’s contributions to people (NCP), using wild boar as a case study. Environmental rangers, who possess expert wildlife knowledge and maintain daily contact with rural residents, served as key informants to assess residents’ perceived beneficial and detrimental wild boar NCP, their relative importance, and the main social actors affected. We also evaluated rangers’ perceptions of wild boar population trends – anticipating links between trends and NCP – and documented management measures in use. Results indicate that, based on rangers’ knowledge, residents generally perceive wild boar as a conflict-causing species, with detrimental NCP outweighing beneficial NCP. Agricultural damage emerged as the primary detriment, making farmers the most affected group. Detrimental NCP were reported widely across surveyed areas regardless of socioeconomic context, whereas beneficial NCP were less frequent and lacked a consistent spatial pattern. Most management actions focus on species-level interventions, such as monitoring, population control, and recreational hunting, aiming to mitigate local-scale impacts. Overall, the study highlights the importance of recognizing both positive and negative roles of expanding wildlife in human societies. It further demonstrates the value of integrating local expert knowledge, such as that of rangers, with scientific approaches to inform holistic, adaptive wildlife management and to address the root causes of human – wildlife conflict.