A sweeping international study has surfaced a quiet truth long buried beneath policy debates and conservation strategies: the way societies across the Americas relate to wild animals is less a product of present circumstance than of centuries-old colonial and religious inheritance. Researchers surveying nearly 18,500 people across 33 countries found that Latin America leans toward seeing animals as community members, while North America tends to treat them as resources to be managed — a divergence rooted in the distinct worldviews carried across the Atlantic by Spanish, Portuguese, and British
DW.com
· May 20, 2026
· environment
· 4 min read
High
Sourcing: Verified
Colonial Legacy Shapes How Americas View Wildlife, Study Finds
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Bias & Framing
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Geopolitical Impact
🌎
Colonial heritage and religious traditions continue shaping divergent wildlife conservation philosophies across Americas, with Latin America favoring mutualism and North America emphasizing resource management.
Escalation Risk
low
Confidence
MED
Latin America
North America
Southern Europe
Northern Europe
Reflects historical power asymmetries from colonialism persisting in environmental governance. Latin American mutualistic approaches may gain diplomatic leverage in biodiversity negotiations, while North American dominance-based frameworks influence global conservation standards and resource extraction policies.
Similar to how colonial-era religious and philosophical frameworks (Protestant work ethic vs. Catholic indigenous syncretism) shaped economic systems, these wildlife values reflect enduring ideological divisions rooted in 16th-19th century European expansion.
Economic Lens
📈
Study reveals colonial heritage shapes wildlife management approaches across Americas, with Latin America favoring mutualism and North America favoring resource dominance, affecting conservation policy and natural resource economics.
Market Signal
neutral
Confidence
MED
Agriculture and forestry
Wildlife management and conservation
Tourism and ecotourism
Natural resource extraction
Environmental services
Hunting and fishing industries
Consumers in different regions may face varying wildlife product availability, conservation fees, and ecotourism opportunities. Latin American consumers may experience stricter wildlife protections affecting hunting/fishing access, while North American consumers may see continued resource-based management affecting prices of wildlife-derived products.
Governments may need to recalibrate wildlife management policies recognizing cultural values rather than imposing uniform approaches. This could lead to differentiated conservation strategies, trade agreements reflecting regional attitudes toward wildlife, and international negotiations on biodiversity protection accounting for cultural-historical contexts.