Abstract
Medium and large carnivores coexist with people in urban areas globally, occasionally resulting in negative interactions that prompt questions about how to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Hazing, i.e., scaring wildlife, is frequently promoted as an important non-lethal means for urbanites to reduce conflict but there is limited scientific evidence for its efficacy. We used a population of captive coyotes (Canis latrans) to simulate urban human-coyote interactions and subsequent effects of hazing on coyote behavior. Past experiences with humans significantly affected the number of times a coyote approached a human to necessitate hazing. Coyotes that had been hand fed by adults had to be more frequently hazed than coyotes with other or no past experiences with adults. Past experience with children had no impact on the number of hazing events. The number of times a coyote approached an adult or child was reduced across days based on the accumulative number of times hazed, suggesting coyotes learn to avoid behaviors warranting hazing and that this could be used as a non-lethal management tool. However, prior experience and whether the interaction is with an adult or child can alter the outcomes of hazing and must be considered in determining the efficacy of hazing programs.
Highlights
Medium and large carnivores coexist with people in urban areas globally, occasionally resulting in negative interactions that prompt questions about how to reduce human-wildlife conflict
Only in recent decades has it become common that both humans and wildlife coexist at high densities in communal environments like urban areas[1]
We used a population of captive coyotes and simulated scenarios between coyotes and people that commonly occur in urban settings
Summary
Medium and large carnivores coexist with people in urban areas globally, occasionally resulting in negative interactions that prompt questions about how to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Coyotes (Canis latrans) live in cities throughout North and Central America, including all major cities in the USA2; leopards (Panthera pardus) roam India’s cities[3]; spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) subsist on anthropogenic resources throughout urban areas of Ethiopia[4]; and Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) live amongst humans in Norway[5]. These co-occurrences between people and large carnivores reflect societal changes in human values toward carnivores, from persecution[6,7] to protection and conservation[8]. Coyotes live in all major cities in the USA21, have rapidly expanded their range[22], and urban coyotes exhibit behavioral plasticity (i.e.11,)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
