Territories of the unpredictable : conflicts, controversies, coexistence and the management of wildlife as seen in the cases of the wolf and the wild boar in the French Alps ; Les territoires de l'imprévisible. Conflits, controverses et "vivre ensemble" autour de la gestion de la faune sauvage. Le c...
Management of potentially problematical fauna such as wolves and wild boars is complex, and involves controlling essentially unpredictable animal behavior as efficiently as possible. The "right" management methods are subject to conflict and controversy, given that the socio-spatial categories within which such animals must be considered are subject to disagreement. This thesis draws on concepts from both local planning and social geography to explore the types of relationship required in managing wolves and wild boars in contexts of such overlapping, incompatible concepts of space as political divisions, human living areas and animal habitats. Geographical and sociological techniques and theoretical approaches to planning are called upon. One of the thesis's specific features lies in its epistemological approach, with balanced perspectives on animal, layman and scientific actors and agents. The description of controversies concerning the characteristics and behavior of humans and animals brings to light the generic arguments involved. The latter show the similarities inherent in the opposition between partisans and detractors of this type of wildlife. If such arguments contribute to understanding the conflicts involved, they also give an oversimplified image of local reactions to the management of wolves and wild boars. Socio-spatial innovations driven by the territorial operators "wolf" and "wild boar" can only be updated via micro-geographic procedures. Area-specific operators explaining the contentious or non-contentious nature of coexistence are identified. Possible approaches to implementation are postulated. ; La gestion d'animaux potentiellement "à problème", tels que le loup et le sanglier, est complexe. Il s'agit de maîtriser au mieux des comportements animaux intrinsèquement imprévisibles. Mais en plus, les modalités d'une « bonne gestion » font l'objet de conflits et de controverses, les hommes ne s'accordant pas sur les catégories socio-spatiales dans lesquelles ces animaux doivent être pensés. A la ...