Contested Conservation: What People Really Think | Special Episode 7 ORC 2025

Special Episode — Recorded live at the Oppenheimer Research Conference 2025. The global conservation debate is loud — but often poorly informed about what people who live with wildlife actually think. In this revealing episode, researchers Dr. Darragh Hare (Oxford) and Dr. Lovemore Sibanda share evidence from multi-country surveys exploring views on militarised conservation, ranger powers, trophy hunting, wildlife crime penalties, and protected area governance.

What they found is both nuanced and surprising: • Communities living near wildlife aren’t always opposed to ranger enforcement • Support varies dramatically depending on governance models • Magadi (Kenya) stands out as a case where community scouts foster high acceptance • Assumptions from global media often misrepresent local realities • Sustainable conservation must factor in perspectives of those most affected

A crucial episode for anyone designing policy, funding projects or shaping the future of African conservation.