Human-wildlife Interactions Research Articles

Insights into human-wildlife interactions and community views on mangrove restoration in Kendrapada District, Odisha, India

This paper evaluates interactions between humans, Wild Boars, and crocodiles in mangrove ecosystems of the villages of Benakanda, Bhateni, and South Jambu in Mahakalapada Block in the Kendrapada District of the Indian state of Odisha, using questionnaire surveys. This is an area where mangrove restoration is currently in progress. Using a targeted sampling procedure, 280 respondents representing 14% of the population participated in the study. The results show that negative perceptions differ throughout villages, with a majority of respondents reporting interaction between humans and animals in Bhateni (91%) and South Jambu (98%). The most frequent animal reported to cause harm to crop and livelihoods is Wild Boar (44%). Communities understand the value of mangrove restoration despite facing obstacles brought on by interactions with wildlife. The vast majority of residents (87%) believe that restoration efforts were necessary, and many had taken part in these by themselves, or in conjunction with other communities.

Human–wildlife interactions on the tidal flats of the Bijagós Archipelago: does shellfishing affect migratory shorebirds?

The Bijagós Archipelago in West Africa is home to an ethnic group with a rich cultural heritage that is tightly linked to nature. The Bijagós people have a shared cultural identity, but management of natural resources varies between islands due to island‐specific context with regards to socio‐political organization and strength of cultural heritage. Across the archipelago, bivalves harvested manually from the mudflats are an important part of the Bijagós people's diet, economy, and culture. Migratory shorebirds share the use of these mudflats during their non‐breeding season, consuming macrobenthos such as crustaceans and bivalves, including those harvested by local people. At the end of their stay in the Bijagós, just before taking off for their migratory flight, it is particularly important that shorebirds have access to undisturbed feeding areas with suitable food resources. In this study we start by exploring shellfishing patterns across different management regimes (via questionnaires to local shellfishers), then assess seasonal variation in the direct impact of shellfishing on shorebirds (through competition for resources and space), and finally quantify the indirect impact of sediment disturbance due to shellfishing upon shorebird prey availability with an experimental approach. Results indicate that bivalve resources are better managed in areas with formal protection, while traditional management based on cultural beliefs results in poorer stock conditions. Interestingly, the high density of shellfishers in mid‐winter (14.4 ind. km−2) decreased markedly towards shorebirds' fuelling period, when they benefit the most from reduced disturbance on the mudflats. Regardless of the season, no direct competition for resources was detected due to differences in targeted sizes. Indirect impacts caused by sediment disturbance during shellfishing were also mostly absent, causing only a small reduction on shorebirds prey density but with no effect on the available biomass.

Ecosystem service assessment of coyote stories reveals tradeoffs from human–coyote interactions in rural Vermont, United States

AbstractThe ecosystem system services framework has potential to help clarify wildlife management challenges at the single species scale, but existing methods struggle to capture the complex values and tradeoffs at play in human–wildlife interactions. We worked with community scientists to gather and use stories (n = 150) as a source of ecosystem services data about living alongside eastern coyotes (Canis latrans var) in rural Vermont, United States. Our a priori ecosystem service assessment showed that human–coyote interactions can have simultaneous positive and negative human well‐being impacts at both the sample scale and for individual interviewees. Our research identified emergent themes that lent insight into how interviewees justified different kinds of relationships with coyotes. We applied a tradeoffs lens to evaluate three policy options based on their potential to mitigate ecosystem disservices and maximize ecosystem services from human–coyote interactions. We found that ecosystem services assessment rooted in a dataset of stories revealed policy‐relevant understanding of value conflicts and alignments at the sample scale without overshadowing the nuances of individual interviewees' experiences.

Detection of Mycobacterium bovis in Free-Ranging Sapajus nigritus, Argentina.

Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are the most relevant among pathogenic mycobacteria, both belonging to the M. tuberculosis complex (MTC). Samples of blood, liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs and caseous tubercles were collected from a free-ranging juvenile black capuchin monkey (Sapajus nigritus) showing non-specific signs of illness. Macroscopic findings included emaciation, a caseous lesion in a tooth and gingiva, disseminated nodules in both lungs and left kidney parenchyma and caseous nodules on the pleura and mesentery. The lesions suggested MTC infection, a diagnosis subsequently supported in the lung by bacilloscopy, immunochromatography and PCR. A multiplex PCR further validated the presence of M. bovis genes. Cases of tuberculosis in platyrrhine primates have only been reported in animals maintained in captivity. We describe for the first time the pathological and molecular findings of M. bovis infection in a free-ranging platyrrhine monkey within an area of intense human-wildlife interaction, which has important implications from a One Health perspective.

Mpox: lessons learnt from previous viral outbreaks applicable to the ongoing outbreak

Human monkeypox (Mpox) is a zoonotic infection caused by Mpox virus (MPXV) that was first identified in a smallpox suspect in 1970, and presents with smallpox-like symptoms but with less severe manifestations. The infection is initiated through rapid replication at the inoculation site, with early symptoms including fever, chills, and exhaustion. The advent of smallpox vaccines has significantly contributed to its prevention. Due to its zoonotic nature, individuals who consume or handle animals susceptible to the virus are at increased risk and should take appropriate precautions. Both vaccines and non-pharmacological interventions have proven potent in limiting the spread of the infection. This narrative review examines the emergence and spread of Mpox in humans, delving into the epidemiology, clinical manifestations and preventive strategies for Mpox, as well as the transmission dynamics of the two MPXV clades. It also highlights the increase in cases outside Africa, with a particular focus on a UK outbreak linked to travel from Nigeria. The importance of vaccination, especially smallpox vaccines, is underscored, noting recent advancements in vaccine development such as the Vaccinia Ankara vaccine. The review emphasizes the need for robust surveillance, diagnostics, and strategies to control and manage epidemics, drawing lessons from past experiences. It concludes by stressing the clinical similarities between Mpox and smallpox and the growing public health concern posed by Mpox, especially in areas with high human-wildlife interactions.

Interactions between reptiles and people: a perspective from wildlife rehabilitation records.

As urbanization expands globally, human-wildlife interactions will inevitably increase. Here, we analysed 10 years of wildlife rehabilitation records of squamate (snake and lizard) reptiles (n = 37 075) from the Greater Sydney region, New South Wales, Australia, to explore their value to address management and conservation issues. Rescues were highly non-random regarding taxonomic focus, spatial occurrences and temporal trends due to the combined influence of (i) reptile phenology and behaviour and (ii) human perceptions of reptiles. Seasonal peaks in rescues reflect reptile and, to a lesser extent, human activity. Spatial patterns of rescues were informative about distributions and presence of easily identified taxa but were primarily driven by human presence. Larger squamate species were rescued more frequently, potentially reflecting a perception of greater danger or rescue priority. While uncommon species were often misidentified, accurate reports of these taxa may guide targeted surveys. The value of these data for conservation and management could be enhanced by emphasizing reptile identification training of volunteers and use of applications for informed species identification. Wildlife rehabilitation data offer a cost-effective means of quantifying thousands of human-reptile interactions, identifying foci (in both time and space) of human-wildlife conflict such as snakebite risk and roadkill-related reptile mortality.

A bird in the hand: connecting children and wildlife through hands-on experiences with birds

ABSTRACT Human-wildlife interactions can strengthen environmental stewardship. Birds in particular harbor significant potential for environmental education and outreach to children. However, the benefits of interacting with birds for children remain unclear. To address this gap, we developed an avian education program by incorporating the ecological method of mist-netting into human dimensions research to understand how hands-on experiences with birds affected children. We used pre- and post-program surveys to examine the impacts of the program on bird knowledge, connection to birds, connection to nature, and environmental values among children (n = 21), aged 11–15 years, who participated in a nature camp in Illinois, U.S.A. We found positive effects of the program on children’s psychological connection to birds and nature, whereas knowledge and values were not significantly influenced by participation. Our study is among the first to empirically demonstrate the effectiveness of mist-netting birds in fostering children’s penchant for for wildlife conservation.

Enumerating genotypic diversity and host specificity of Giardia in wild rodents around a New York watershed

Giardia is a genus of flagellated protozoans that parasitize the gastrointestinal tract of humans and wildlife worldwide. While G. duodenalis is well-studied due to its potential to cause outbreaks of diarrheal illness in humans, other Giardia species from wildlife have been largely understudied. This study examines the occurrence, host specificity, and genotypic diversity of Giardia in wild rodents living within the New York City water supply watershed. A novel nested PCR assay targeting the 18S ssu-rDNA gene is introduced, which captures nearly the entire gene for improved species-level determination versus existing molecular typing methods. Molecular characterization of 55 Giardia specimens reveals at least seven novel lineages. Phylogenetic analysis indicates a close relationship between the newly characterized Giardia lineages and rodent hosts, suggesting rodents as important reservoirs of Giardia and its close relatives. These findings provide insights into the diversity of Giardia species and their public health potential in localities with human-wildlife interaction and further emphasizes the need for continued efforts to improve the molecular tools used to study microbial eukaryotes, especially those with zoonotic potential.

Comparison of hunting site strategies of the common buzzard Buteo buteo in open landscapes and along expressways.

The expansion of human activities in their many forms increases the frequency, diversity, and scale of human-wildlife interactions. One such negative form is the expansion of road infrastructure, causing road kill and traffic-related noise as well as habitat loss and fragmentation. Even so, habitats around road infrastructure are attractive foraging areas that attract certain bird species. We assessed the impact of road infrastructure on the foraging strategies of the common buzzard Buteo buteo. Birds were observed during two winter seasons in two land-use types, along an expressway and an open agricultural landscape. Individual birds were tracked for a 10-min sequence as a separate sample was analysed. The material, covering 1,220 min along the expressway, and 1,100 min in the agricultural landscape, was collected. Time spent by buzzards on medium-height sites was higher along the expressway than in farmland. Buzzards changed their hunting sites following the mean wind speed. Also, they more often changed their sites along the expressway than in farmland. The land-use types, snow cover, and the mean wind speed mediated the number of attacks on prey. These results illustrate the high plasticity of the buzzards' behaviour, which can adapt their hunting strategies to both foraging locations (expressway and farmland) and weather conditions. Roadsides along expressways are attractive foraging areas for this diurnal raptor, so reducing the risk of vehicle collisions with this and other birds of prey may require targeted planning efforts.

Editorial: Climate change, human-wildlife interactions and sustainable tourism nexus in protected areas

Editorial: Climate change, human-wildlife interactions and sustainable tourism nexus in protected areas

Sharing landscapes with megaherbivores: Human-elephant interactions northeast of Tarangire National Park

The rising elephant population in Tarangire National Park of northern Tanzania has led to increasing human-elephant interactions in dispersal areas to the northeast of the park. While the movement dynamics of elephants across the landscape are well documented, anthropological dimensions of human-elephant coexistence warrant more research. The present study used stratified random sampling to survey 1076 people living across twelve villages surrounding Manyara Ranch and Randilen Wildlife Management Area (WMA) about their lived experiences, perceptions, attitudes, and tolerance towards elephants. Villages between Manyara Ranch and Randilen WMA reported regular conflicts with elephants, while those to the west of the ranch did not consider elephants to be a major concern. Crop raiding was particularly frequent in Makuyuni, Lengoolwa, Mswakini Juu, Mswakini, Lemooti, and Nafco. Economic impacts of elephant crop raiding ranged from as low as $4USD per household per year in Lolkisale to approximately $812 per year in Mswakini, and accounts of property damage were most severe in Makuyuni and Naitolia. The vast majority of respondents (96 %) did not have a household member who had been injured by elephants over the preceding twelve-month period, suggesting that elephant attacks on humans were relatively infrequent on the whole. However, between 10 and 24 % of participants in Lemooti, Nafco, Mswakini, and Mswakini Juu noted injuries incurred in the past year. Different ethnic groups had statistically significant differences in their attitudes towards elephants. People with higher levels of education had more positive attitudes towards elephants, and elders had more negative attitudes than youth. Elephants disturbed the sleep of men more than women highlighting the gendered dimensions of human-wildlife interactions. Despite these visible and hidden costs of elephants, most people (72 %) across the whole study area were somewhat tolerant of elephants, except in Makuyuni, Lengoolwa, and Nafco where seasonal crop raiding was severe and tolerance for elephants was extremely low. People in those villages, as well as Mswakini Juu and Mswakini, were largely in favor of government-sanctioned culling, though 94 % of all respondents viewed elephant poaching as bad. Tolerance towards elephants was negatively correlated with livestock holdings and positively associated with total farm size. Greater attention to community perspectives is necessary for promoting human-elephant coexistence in the Tarangire ecosystem.

Assessment of conflicts under human-wildlife interactions: An application of the conservation conflict transformation model in communities adjacent to Nyerere National Park, Tanzania

Conflicts arising from human-wildlife interactions (HWIs) pose a significant challenge in communities neighboring Nyerere National Park. To achieve long-term conservation success, it is critical to understand and resolve complex social conflicts. Currently, most attention is focused on addressing dispute-related conflicts, whereas underlying, and identity-based conflicts are understudied, resulting in inadequate information in literature regarding underlying and identity-based conflicts that drive social conflicts. Through the use of the Conservation Conflict Transformation Model (CCT), this study aimed to identify existing conflicts across three levels of conflict and assess current intervention strategies employed within the study area. Based on data collected from 324 respondents through questionnaire surveys, the study revealed that the dispute level of conflicts was lower than the underlying and identity-based levels of conflicts, emphasizing the limited scope of addressing conflicts solely at the dispute level within the context of conflicts arising from HWIs. To alleviate conflicts at the dispute level, respondents employed both lethal and non-lethal control techniques, with a preference for non-lethal methods. Additionally, socio-demographic factors including age, gender, household size, respondent's attitude towards wildlife, and residence significantly influenced the implementation of intervention strategies (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the findings revealed that respondents faced several challenges, including a lengthy incident reporting process for conflicts arising from HWIs, lack of consolation payment for damages, exclusionary practices, and lack of transparency in seeking assistance from local, wildlife, and government authorities. Overall, the study recommends adopting and implementing a holistic approach aligned with the CCT model to effectively address conflicts under HWIs. Future research should focus on thorough case studies and actual applications of the CCT model to manage conflicts under HWIs.

Effect of Climate Change on Wildlife

Climate change is a global catastrophe that disrupts the balance of ecosystem by altering the climatic measures. Human being are not the only living species on earth that is affected by climate change. All the inhabitants on Earth are dependent on suitable living conditions for their survival. All human and non-human species on Earth either directly or indirectly relying on each other. Wildlife is the key indicator of climatic changes in the environment as they are part of various biological and ecological cycles in the atmosphere. Over the century, the atmospheric temperature has increased around 1.1°C. Changes in climatic conditions is affecting the terrestrial and aquatic biomes in plenty of ways. Limiting basic living conditions of animals by destruction of their natural habitation and its transformation into urban lands which intensifies the human-wildlife interactions. Migration of temperature sensitive species to the areas of higher altitude. High temperatures have increased the occurrence of wild-land fires, floods and droughts five times more than past 50 years. Animals naturally respond to altering climatic conditions by exhibiting changes in their general and reproductive behavior, growth patterns, increased zoonotic diseases. All these above cited effect put them to the status of endangered species and ultimately to the extinction. Strategic approaches i.e., protection, management, planning and evaluation of natural biomes to conserve the Earth’s biodiversity must be opted to avoid the extinction of wild species.

Environmental Factors Affecting Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Crop-Exploiting Species: Implications for Coexistence Between Agricultural Production and Avifauna Conservation in Wetlands

Bird communities in agroecosystems bring both ecosystem services (e.g., pollination) and disservices (e.g., crop exploitation) to farmers. However, in the proximity of wetland reserves, farmers disproportionately experience harvest yield loss due to large aggregation of bird species that can utilize various agricultural resources. This often results in negative human–wildlife interactions which lower conservation support among farmers. Knowledge about the distribution of avian species that negatively influence yields, and its environmental drivers is thus fundamental to reconcile crop production and bird conservation. This study aims to examine the spatio-temporal patterns in richness and abundance of bird species known to cause agricultural yield loss as well as species-specific distribution patterns for the six bird species that are most challenging for local farmers. In combination with interview surveys of local farmers (n = 367) and seasonal bird surveys (n = 720), we investigated distribution of crop-exploiting avian species in the Indawgyi wetland ecosystem in Myanmar. Our results showed high richness and abundance of crop-exploiting species in the water habitat across all seasons, with most challenging species exhibiting higher presence closer to these water sources. The crop phenology had positive effect on species richness and abundance during the growing season. The agricultural use of crop-exploiting species was season- and species-specific, where the presence probability in the agricultural habitat was higher in habitat generalists than wetland specialists. Therefore, we suggest improved management of natural wetland habitats (e.g., habitat restoration), sustainable coexistence mechanisms in farms close to water (e.g., bird-friendly rice farming and Ecolabel certification) to reduce avian impacts on the farming communities and, at the same time, to promote bird conservation in wetlands of international importance.

Control or coexist with urban baboons: Exploring residents' views and values in Cape Town

AbstractHumans and wildlife increasingly share urban space, which elevates the risk of negative interactions. Management efforts conventionally focus on controlling species that are considered problematic, but polarization in affected communities' perceptions and values may pose a greater problem for management in cities where ideas about preferred human–wildlife interactions vary greatly. This study uses Q‐method to investigate what type of human‐baboon relations are desirable among residents from seven areas in Cape Town regularly visited by chacma baboons. Two main perspectives emerged, each is motivated by a distinct set of values: 'Live with Baboons' is focused on positive outcomes for nature and society, recognizing humans' responsibility to mitigate negative interactions; whereas 'Control and Manage Baboons' views nature as something that should be controlled in order to maintain a stable and safe human society. Despite differences, the two perspectives also agree in rejecting abusive language toward baboons, recognizing that contexts differ and require different solutions, and acknowledging that resolving conflict requires collaboration. This has important bearing for recent public engagement processes led by local authorities to review management strategies. Residents' values and perceptions are manifestations of different lived realities and actively engaging with them can help to nuance dichotomies in the baboon discourse.

Wildlife corridors in a Southern African conservation landscape: the political ecology of multispecies mobilities along the arteries of anthropogenic conservation

The decline of biodiversity is a key topic in public discussions around the globe. These debates have triggered massive efforts to increase protected areas and to safeguard the corridors connecting them. The wildlife corridors dealt with in this article are mainly thought to facilitate the mobility of elephants and some other large herbivores (for example, zebra and buffalo). Wildlife corridors are not only essential for species connectivity but also an integral part of the booming ecotourism in north-eastern Namibia’s conservation landscapes. Coexistence infrastructure is meant to contribute to economic development and local incomes. Conservancies — community-based conservation organisations in the Namibian context — gazette corridors and market wildlife abundance to ecotourists, potential investors in tourism and commercial hunters. The coexistence of humans and wildlife is challenging, though. Human-wildlife interactions frequently result in damage, and often conservationist environmental infrastructuring runs against the aims of farmers to expand their fields for commercial crop production and to gain pastures for growing cattle herds. It also runs against other governmentally endorsed infrastructuring that brings tarred roads, water pipelines and boreholes. This article analyses contested wildlife corridors as part of a larger conservationist project in the western parts of Namibia’s Zambezi Region.

The influence of social identity on attitudes toward wildlife.

Wildlife conservation depends on supportive social as well as biophysical conditions. Social identities such as hunter and nonhunter are often associated with different attitudes toward wildlife. However, it is unknown whether dynamics within and among these identity groups explain how attitudes form and why they differ. To investigate how social identities help shape wildlife-related attitudes and the implications for wildlife policy and conservation, we built a structural equation model with survey data from Montana (USA) residents (n=1758) that tested how social identities affect the relationship between experiences with grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) and attitudes toward the species. Model results (r2=0.51) demonstrated that the hunter identity magnified the negative effect of vicarious property damage on attitudes toward grizzly bears (β=-0.381, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.584 to -0.178, p<0.001), which in turn strongly influenced acceptance (β=-0.571, 95% CI: -0.611 to -0.531, p<0.001). Our findings suggested that hunters' attitudes toward grizzly bears likely become more negative primarily because of in-group social interactions about negative experiences, and similar group dynamics may lead nonhunters to disregard the negative experiences that out-group members have with grizzly bears. Given the profound influence of social identity on human cognitions and behaviors in myriad contexts, the patterns we observed are likely important in a variety of wildlife conservation situations. To foster positive conservation outcomes and minimize polarization, management strategies should account for these identity-driven perceptions while prioritizing conflict prevention and promoting positive wildlife narratives within and among identity groups. This study illustrates the utility of social identity theory for explaining and influencing human-wildlife interactions.

Wild sulphur-crested cockatoos match human activity rhythms to access food in the urban environment

Urban areas are growing rapidly across the globe. Such environments present specific challenges to wildlife. Resources can be highly fragmented in space and time, accompanied by specific risks and opportunities that can emerge from proximity with humans. Overall, these have been shown to lead to specific activity patterns in wildlife, which tend to restrict their space use accordingly to avoid encounters with humans. Yet, some foraging opportunities supplied by humans can also attract wildlife. Urban-dwelling species would therefore benefit from learning when and where to exploit human derived food. Here, we investigate how birds exploit areas of different degrees of urbanization and if they do so with specific time patterns. We used the example of feeding sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) in Sydney, Australia. We combined tracking birds to identify key resources, and a citizen science approach to investigate human-wildlife interactions in the urban landscape. Our data suggest that SCC do not use all parts of their home range equally, but use green spaces as roosting and foraging areas, while facultatively using more urbanized areas at specific times when they are the most rewarding. This implies a role for sophisticated time and place learning, with birds matching activity to human patterns. This study builds on the literature investigating human-animal interactions, expanding our understanding of animals’ exploitation of human behavior. Our results highlight the unique opportunity that studies on urban wildlife have for understanding urban biodiversity establishment, maintenance, and cognitive ecology.

Incorporation of human-wildlife interactions in ecosystem-based management to enhance conservation of endangered guitarfish.

Growing human use of the marine environment increases the proximity of humans to marine wildlife and thus likely increases human-wildlife interactions. Such interactions influence perceptions of nature and promote or undermine conservation. Despite their importance, human-wildlife interactions are rarely considered in ecosystem-based marine spatial planning (MSP). Ideally, these interactions should be identified and considered in ecosystem-based management (EBM), which is often purported to be the basis for MSP. We used Marxan software and data from a citizen science project documenting location, species, age, sex, and activity type to identify regions along Israel's coast with a high probability of encounters between people and 2 species of guitarfish. We considered the geographic distribution of these encounters and the various activities undertaken by the reporting observers. We ran 4 scenarios in Marxan. Two had conservation goals of 30% and 50% guitarfish habitat protection. In the third and fourth scenarios, we added a 50% conservation goal of human leisure activities to each guitarfish conservation goal. We also conducted a gap analysis between our guitarfish conservation goals and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority's master plan for marine protected areas. We found the park authority was close to meeting the 30% goal but was far from meeting the conservation goal of 50% of guitarfish habitat conservation. Different human uses were more likely to interact with different life stages of guitarfish, and different recreational activities occurred in different areas. Identifying areas of specific human use showed which activities should be addressed in conservation management decisions. Our addition of certain recreational uses to the model of habitat conservation showed how enhancing human dimensions in conservation planning can lead to more holistic ecosystem-based conservation necessary for effective marine planning.

Landscape fragmentation and connectivity as key variables on occurrence of human-wildlife interactions

Landscape fragmentation and connectivity as key variables on occurrence of human-wildlife interactions