Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference

The terms "good" and ''bad" are completely subjective, yet the public has expectations that wildlife damage management professionals "do bad things to good animals." It is argued that wildlife damage management decisions are made in a value-laden context, with science in a supportive role. The principle of collective human values is the driving force of society's concerns, and collective values are currently highlighting animal welfare and other environmental concerns. Wildlife damage management professionals could modify their operational paradigm from a focus on populations of animals to a focus on aggregations of individual animals in order to respond proactively to both emerging and recognized social values.