Wildlife stakeholder acceptance capacity for cougars in Montana

Riley and Decker introduced and applied the concept of wildlife stakeholder acceptance capacity (WSAC) to cougars in Montana, measuring the maximum cougar population level that residents would tolerate given perceived risks and benefits. Through surveys they assessed how risk perception, experience, and values shaped acceptance, finding that tolerance limits were driven more by perceived threats to safety and property than by cougar numbers alone. The framework shifted carnivore management from purely biological carrying capacity toward social carrying capacity, recognising that human tolerance often constrains populations before habitat does. The study became a widely used model for incorporating social science into large-carnivore management decisions.