Human-wildlife Interactions Research Articles

Collaborative Governance in Africa’s National Parks: A Systematic Literature Review of Models and Practices

Collaborative governance has emerged as a response to the weaknesses of centralized state-driven protectionist approaches in the governance of national parks. This paper explores in detail how collaborative governance is modelled in Africa’s national parks; the factors that enable or hinder the successful implementation of collaborative governance models in Africa’s national parks; and the effects that the implementation of collaborative governance models induces for fringe communities of those parks. The paper draws upon selected case studies in Africa and adopts Ansell and Gash’s (2008) model of collaborative governance as a frame to analyze the cases. By sourcing data from various databases that publish work on protected areas, this analysis relied on only parks that have a form of collaborative governance in place, thus avoiding paper parks which lack such institutionalized and operationalized governance mechanisms. The results show that collaborative governance is modelled in three main ways depending on the level of power and responsibilities shared and the number of stakeholders involved in the collaboration process. These models include devolution, partnership and de-concentration. This analysis shows that the fringe communities with greater participation in decision-making processes observe more positive outcomes from collaboration, reflecting improved biodiversity, healthy human-wildlife interaction, and peaceful coexistence between park managers and local people. Furthermore, this paper observed that Non-Governmental Organizations’ participation as negotiators for improved access to resources, and the provision of alternative livelihoods incentivize actors’ adherence to the terms of collaboration. Further research on the limits of power each collaborator wields, and the legal frameworks on collaborative governance will be useful for sustaining the model of collaboration deployed within a particular park area. In summary, this paper contributes to the literature on the collaborative governance of protected areas in Africa.

Laws Of Wildlife Protection Through Negative Relationship of People and Wildlife

Animals need space to live freely in their natural habitats without undue human interference or encroachment. As human development expands, habitat loss is a major threat to animal survival and reproduction. It is important to maintain safe and undisturbed refuge areas in places of migration. In turn, humans need residential and agricultural space, and it is ultimately optimal for the two to remain undisturbed by each other. The problems of animals destroying crops/property and humans harming animals in conflict should be avoided as much as possible through preventive measures and non-lethal deterrents. Laws around issues like compensation, population control, and responsibilities help foster an organized, balanced relationship with defined roles for governments, farmers. Overall, a collaborative, planned approach respecting needs on both sides leads to the most harmonious and sustainable human-wildlife interactions long term. However, unchecked expansion also disrupts ecosystems and brings humans and animals into closer contact, raising conflict risks. However, unchecked expansion also disrupts ecosystems and brings humans and animals into closer contact, raising conflict risks.

Growth of the wildland-urban interface and its spatial determinants in the Polish Carpathians

The Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) is the area where natural vegetation is close to housing and area of concern due to various negative consequences for humans and the environment including fire ignitions, landscape fragmentation and human-wildlife interactions. The WUI is a global phenomenon, and widespread in many countries but long-term WUI dynamics and the main factors causing WUI growth are unknown. Our goal was to assess WUI changes in the Polish Carpathians since the mid-19th century, based on high-resolution spatial data for 1860s, 1970s and 2013. We found that WUI covered already 30% of the study area in the 1860s but grew to cover nearly half by 2013, especially at lower elevations. Detailed analysis of WUI determinants confirmed the areas closer to regional administrative centres or located on steep slopes were more WUI-prone. Tourist trail density also fostered WUI occurrence. We conclude that in Central Europe, with a long history of human settlements and agricultural activities, WUI has been a persistent landscape feature for centuries, but increased in area in recent decades due to widespread abandonment of agricultural land combined with development of new residential areas.

Causes and consequences of forest cover transformation on human-wildlife interaction in the Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh

Protected Areas (PAs) in Bangladesh have been pivotal for conserving wildlife. The country plans to increase the number of PAs by implementing new forest-governing policies with the involvement of local communities. Their efficacy in wildlife conservation and forest preservation is being questioned due to significant land cover changes within PA boundaries. It is essential to understand the current role of existing PAs in forest cover transformation and their impact on wildlife conservation before expanding the PAs and implementing new policies. This study aims to explore the land cover transformation within Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS) and describe the role of the local community and its impact on wildlife. Utilizing Landsat satellite images from 1989 to 2015, this study discovered a 46 % deforestation rate within TWS, surpassing its surrounding areas. Since 1989, 75 % of primary forests have been eradicated, leaving a mere 650 hectares intact. This transformation is shifting forested areas towards the PA boundaries, potentially threatening conservation efforts by making wildlife more vulnerable. Socioeconomic surveys of 5769 households revealed that bigger landowners within the local communities played a significant role in this deforestation. Such community-driven forest alterations increased wildlife vulnerability by intensifying their interaction with forest surrounding communities. This study presents an interesting case of the process of forest transformation within PAs with the intersection of human-wildlife conflict and deforestation. For effective wildlife conservation, strategies need to address and rectify these forest cover transformations and focus on the wildlife habitats, ensuring conservation and coexistence for forests, humans and wildlife.

An index to assess the level of vulnerability to crocodiles in coastal communities


 
 
 
 Human-wildlife negative interactions are a recurring phenomenon worldwide, originating from the shared habitats and resources between both. In several coastal communities, negative interactions occur due to the presence of the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). We have developed an index to assess the level of vulnerability of communities to this reptile. The construction of this index is based on the Approximate SustainabilityIndex developed by Gutiérrez-Espeleta in 1994. The Index of Vulnerability (IVU) is built upon several indicators across four parameters: social, biological-environmental, institutional, and spatial. These indicators are assessed using a performance scale and interpretation. The IVU assigns values to the vulnerability condition, which are presented in a color scale corresponding to defined intervals. For each indicator, reference categories and rating scales are represented with traffic light colors and numerical ratings. The IVU value obtained for a community can be visualized with a map and a corresponding figure, including a table of values for the assessed parameters.
 
 
 

Living with leopards: an assessment of conflict and people's attitudes towards the common leopardPanthera pardusin a protected area in the Indian Himalayan region

AbstractProtected areas are important for wildlife conservation but they are also used by many local communities for livelihood activities. This often leads to conflicts and erodes the tolerance of local people for wildlife, particularly towards carnivores that prey on livestock. To enhance conservation success and improve the social carrying capacity of carnivores, it is essential to understand the factors influencing such conflicts and the attitudes of people interacting with carnivores. We used structured questionnaire surveys to assess the extent of livestock mortality and community responses to common leopardsPanthera pardusin Kishtwar National Park, a relatively understudied protected area in the Greater Himalayan region of India. The mountainous Park and its surroundings have historically served as a haven for the local agro-pastoralists and transhumant pastoralists, resulting in complex human–wildlife interactions across the larger landscape. Our results showed that leopards were responsible for high livestock depredation (71 incidents in 2 years), and households with larger livestock holdings experienced a higher predation rate compared to those with smaller livestock holdings. An ordinal logistic regression model revealed that respondents’ age and period of activity in the Park significantly influenced their opinions regarding leopards. Large losses suffered by otherwise low-income households resulted in more negative attitudes towards these predators. Our study indicates that financial compensation for livestock losses is a key factor in improving human–leopard coexistence. A comprehensive, cross-sector collaborative approach would help to improve conflict resolution and promote favourable attitudes towards these predators.

Climate Change Impacts on Wildlife Protected Areas in Southern Africa: a Bibliometric Analysis

The article examines how climate change has impacted wildlife-protected areas in Southern Africa in the context of tourism development. Protected areas are known as preferred destinations for nature-loving tourists. Using a systematic review and bibliometric analysis the authors identify symptoms of climate change in Southern Africa’s wildlife-protected areas and adaptation strategies for resilient destinations. Some of the key effects of climate change identified in the analysis include species reduction, human-wildlife conflicts, habitat quality and infrastructure modification and social impacts. The authors establish at what levels changing climatic conditions in protected areas affect conservation and tourism processes in protected areas thus contributing to the body of knowledge on wildlife-human interactions, survival strategies of community members and interactions between community members and conservation organizations. The synthesized data can be used in future studies to focus on climate-proofing protected areas and surrounding communities, can help social enterprises and conservation groups to improve community resilience against climate change and inform conservation ecosystem-based adaptation strategies.

Agroindustrial landscapes and white-lipped peccary habitat use in the Cerrado of Brazil

The conversion of natural areas into agricultural land has increased human-wildlife interactions, often resulting in crop damage. This study focuses on the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), which thrives in landscapes where well-preserved, naturally-vegetated public and private lands are juxtaposed with agricultural fields. We investigated the habitat use and selection of four herds of white-lipped peccaries in a landscape mosaic along the southern border of Emas National Park in the Cerrado biome of Brazil. Our findings reveal that white-lipped peccaries prefer both corn plantations and gallery forests as habitats. Through high-frequency GPS telemetry, we observed a strong tendency to turn when herds were in agricultural areas and gallery forests, indicating feeding behavior. On the other hand, they typically move in straight lines for long distances when traversing bare soil fields and native Cerrado vegetation, suggesting they are merely passing through these habitats. The extensive feeding on corn crops in agricultural fields has resulted in significant financial losses for producers, leading to a conflict between white-lipped peccaries and landowners. Understanding the movement dynamics of the species and their intensive use of both private and public lands can aid in the development of management strategies that minimize or eliminate crop losses while ensuring the survival of this vulnerable species in landscapes comprising agricultural fields and native habitats.

Modified SEIB-DGVM enables simulation of masting in a temperate forest

Masting, the periodical mass production of seeds, affects forest ecosystems and food web dynamics. However, masting is not included in process-based models of forest dynamics which makes it difficult to predict changes in masting characteristics owing to climate change. We developed a masting model using the Spatially Explicit Individual Based-Dynamic Global Vegetation Model and validated it in a temperate forest containing Quercus crispula. Four models were devised using combinations of three major masting theories: resource budget, pollen limitation, and weather pattern hypotheses. The models simulated masting by modifying the reproduction of a novel plant functional type by parameterising the resource allocation to masting, the threshold limit for flowering, and the cost of acorn production. The results indicate that masting affected tree mortality; when trees allocated too many resources to masting and the threshold limit for flowering was low, tree mortality of the masting group increased. The model based on the resource budget and pollen limitation hypotheses corresponded most closely to observations, particularly under parameter combinations involving low resource allocation to masting and cost of acorn production. The models can be adapted to other species and for global applications, such as simulating the effects of climate change on masting and mitigating negative impacts on forest ecosystems and human–wildlife interactions.

Linking crop availability, forest elephant visitation and perceptions of human–elephant interactions in villages bordering Ivindo National Park, Gabon

AbstractFeeding by Critically Endangered forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis in rural plantations is a conservation issue in Gabon, but studies characterizing drivers of spatiotemporal patterns of human–elephant interactions remain sparse, hindering mitigation. In this study, we use GPS tracking data from two elephants to characterize temporal patterns of village visitation, and surveys of 101 local farmers across seven villages to determine local patterns of crop planting and harvesting and of human–elephant interactions. Local farmers' perceptions of elephant visitations and empirical data on such visits were positively correlated with local crop availability. However, considering the two elephants separately revealed that the correlations were driven by just one individual, with the second elephant showing weak links between crop availability and visitation, highlighting the challenges in reliably predicting human–wildlife interactions. The most popular local perceptions of the drivers of elephant visitation were the presence of crops (53% of responses) and logging (39%). The most popular proposed interventions were letting the government find a solution (32%), killing problem elephants (30%) and providing compensation for lost crops (22%). We discuss the potential feasibility and efficacy of the proposed solutions in the context of human–elephant interactions. Future research efforts should focus on collaring elephants in zones with high potential for negative human–elephant interaction and expanding perception surveys to villages with contrasting ecological contexts (e.g. with and without logging in their surrounding forests), as these could influence local perceptions of conflicts and conservation initiatives.

Detection of echinostomatid trematode eggs at the forest-oil palm interface in Sabah, Malaysia.

In this study, we report the occurrence of echinostomatid eggs in feces of wildlife, domestic animals and humans frequenting the forest–oil palm plantation interface in the Kinabatangan (Sabah, Malaysia), and discuss potential implications for public health. Using microscopy, we detected echinostomatid eggs in six host species, including Asian palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus [13/18]), leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis [3/4]), long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis [1/10]), domestic dogs [3/5] and cats [1/1], and humans [7/9]. Molecular analysis revealed a close genetic proximity of civet echinostomatids to Artyfechinostomum malayanum, a zoonotic parasite of public health relevance. The intermediate hosts for A. malayanum have been reported in at least 3 districts in Sabah, suggesting that all the necessary elements required for the completion of the parasite's life cycle are present. Our findings point at the presence of zoonotic trematodes in an area with high human–wildlife interaction and highlight the potential public and animal health concern of zoonotic trematode infection in the context of Southeast Asia's rapidly changing ecosystems.

Ecological forecasts for marine resource management during climate extremes

Forecasting weather has become commonplace, but as society faces novel and uncertain environmental conditions there is a critical need to forecast ecology. Forewarning of ecosystem conditions during climate extremes can support proactive decision-making, yet applications of ecological forecasts are still limited. We showcase the capacity for existing marine management tools to transition to a forecasting configuration and provide skilful ecological forecasts up to 12 months in advance. The management tools use ocean temperature anomalies to help mitigate whale entanglements and sea turtle bycatch, and we show that forecasts can forewarn of human-wildlife interactions caused by unprecedented climate extremes. We further show that regionally downscaled forecasts are not a necessity for ecological forecasting and can be less skilful than global forecasts if they have fewer ensemble members. Our results highlight capacity for ecological forecasts to be explored for regions without the infrastructure or capacity to regionally downscale, ultimately helping to improve marine resource management and climate adaptation globally.

Zoonotic transmission risk of Acinetobacter baumannii from Alaskan wildlife

Abstract Introduction/Objective Acinetobacter baumannii is a multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacterium often isolated in water and soil. A challenge in both human and veterinary nosocomial infections, Acinetobacter is adaptable, forming biofilms and carbapenem resistance (CRAB). As an opportunistic infection, Acinetobacter is an emerging pathogen especially in immunocompromised individuals which include marginalized housing insecure populations. Anchorage dedicates large areas for urban park environments providing high impact of human and moose wildlife interaction. Previous studies link zoonotic transmission of bacteria through direct fecal contact or water contamination. The significant number of vulnerable unsheltered individuals in Anchorage using public green belts presents a potential risk for Acinetobacter baumannii colonization. Methods/Case Report To assess environmental Acinetobacter exposure from urban wildlife, we ground collected 150 moose fecal samples between 2019-2022. Samples were placed into support medium, cultured onto MacConkey agar and incubated at 37C. Biochemical identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed using MicroScan™ (Beckman/Coulter Brea, CA) conventional panels with antimicrobial interpretation along clinical laboratory standards (CLSI). Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Acinetobacter baumannii was isolated in moose feces, with proportion of positive samples increasing annually: 7.5% (2019), 12.5% (2020), and 14.2% (2021). Antimicrobial analysis found 100% of samples resistant to cefpodoxime, cefazolin, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, ampicillin, and ampicillin-sulbactam, with 72% resistant to ertapenem and imipenem. Aztreonam resistance was 22%, cefepime 17%, with only 5% resistant to ciprofloxacin. Conclusion The increasing colonization of moose feces with multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii potentially poses a significant public health risk in Anchorage, Alaska. With moose inhabiting areas used by the vulnerable homeless and outdoor enthusiasts, there exists a high risk for exposure potential towards opportunistic infection, and colonization. The multi-drug resistance pattern on observed on several of A. baumannii isolates suggests the possibility of CRAB. As one of the five pathogens listed as an urgent threat by the CDC, it is imperative to study potential sources of carbapenem resistant A. baumannii, including environmental exposure. Finding moose fecal samples positive for A. baumannii indicates a need for continued surveillance and risk assessment for community acquired infection.

A spatial analysis of urban gulls contribution to the potential spread of zoonotic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Wildlife human interactions within cities are becoming more common with consequences for pathogen transmission and human health. Large gulls are opportunistic feeders, adapted to coexist with humans in urban environments, and are potential vectors for spread and transmission of pathogens, including antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. We investigated the potential role that urban gulls play in the spread and dispersal of these bacteria. We analysed 129 faecal swabs from yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) of different ages (56 adults and 73 immatures) during the breeding period from three years in the highly populated city of Barcelona (northeastern Spain). Thirteen individuals tested positive for the pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni), including antibiotic-resistant strains. We modelled the potential spatial spread of pathogens using the GPS trajectories of 58 yellow-legged gulls (23 adults, 35 immature individuals), which included the thirteen individuals that tested positive for pathogenic bacteria. By overlapping the spatially explicit pathogen dispersal maps with the distribution of urban installations sensitive at risk of possible pathogen spillover (e.g. elder and medical centres, markets, food industries, kindergartens, or public water sources), we identified potential areas at risk of pathogen spillover. Pathogens may be potentially spread to municipalities beyond Barcelona city borders. The results revealed that immature gulls dispersed pathogens over larger areas than adults (maximum dispersal distances of 167 km versus 53.2 km, respectively). Recreational urban water sources were the most sensitive habitats visited by GPS-tagged gulls that tested positive, followed by schools. Combining GPS movement data with pathogen analytics allows spatially explicit maps to be generated using a One Health approach that can help urban and public health management within large cities, such as Barcelona, and identify areas used by humans that are sensitive to pathogen spillover from gulls.

Silent domestication of wildlife in the Anthropocene: The mallard as a case study

In the Anthropocene, human activities have been a dominant force affecting wildlife, natural habitats, and climate worldwide. Over time, increasing incidences of wildlife-human interactions may have positive outcomes for some generalist species, but studies continue to uncover that most predictably these generalist wild species also suffer from such interactions. In particular, the line between domestic and wild continues to blur as gene flow between these groups intensifies in the Anthropocene. We explore the meaning of wildness, focusing on the mallard, currently the most abundant duck species in the world. Mallard has been connected to humans for tens of thousands of years. Considered an exemplary generalist species with the capacity to adapt to rapidly changing environments, evidence gathered from a variety of disciplines suggests that some management efforts over the last centuries have resulted in the deterioration of the mallard's prolific nature, and that the apparent success in terms of current population size and wide distribution could mask a genetic collapse. Highlighting warning signs from the mallard system, in this Perspectives paper we discuss how active management of habitats and populations runs the risk of compromising species' wildness, and we suggest precautionary and counter-measures in the context of species management and conservation.

Urban rewilding: Human-wildlife relations in Genoa, NW Italy

In recent years, the presence of urban wildlife has increased in many cities around the world, with the consequent increase of human-animal relations. The city of Genoa (NW Italy) is a particularly complex case study where such phenomena are associated with rural depopulation of the surrounding countryside and spontaneous rewilding processes that have led several animal species to approach urban areas in search of new spaces. This paper deals with human-wildlife interactions in Genoa in relation to the geography of the city by way of a survey circulated throughout Genoa. Drawing from survey data, the research investigates residents' perceptions and understanding of urban wildlife in relation to their area of residency with a focus on wild boars. People's responses show that some areas of the city have a higher level of interaction with wildlife, and this partly affects the way in which such phenomena are perceived and tolerated by the population. In addition, the results show that there is no clear opposition towards urban wildlife and that people are concerned about sustainable forms of urban planning to the benefit of both residents and wildlife.

Lunar phase as a dynamic landscape of fear factor affecting elephant crop raiding potential

Risk assessment relies on cost–benefit analysis by prey species in relation to predator behavior. The lunar cycle can have strong influences on the way that predator and prey species behave in their environment as light levels can influence activity patterns. By examining how lunar phase influences behavior, we may be able to better predict instances of human–wildlife conflict. As part of the Elephants and Sustainable Agriculture in Kenya project, over 5 years of study have been dedicated to mitigating human–elephant conflict in the Kasigau Wildlife Corridor in southern Kenya, focusing on the construction of deterrent fences and the collection of environmental data in and bordering the Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary. Elephant presence around crop fields was hypothesized to have a negative relationship with lunar light levels because of an increase in perceived risk from typically greater human activity with moonlight, and a positive relationship with increased darkness during the waning moon phases. The lunar phase data were compared to elephant presence within 12 m of experimental crop fields along the boundary of their wild habitat and human agricultural land to provide insight for potential crop raiding events. Elephants were present significantly less during the full and gibbous moon phases when compared to the new moon phase, and significantly more during the new and waning moon phases. Our findings are being shared with the farmers living in the KWC and may be useful to others living in high HEC areas by providing a form of early warning system that also may have broader applications in the mitigation of other human–wildlife interactions.

Depredation influences anglers’ perceptions on coastal shark management and conservation in the United States Gulf of Mexico

Overfishing, habitat degradation, and climate change have caused declines in shark populations throughout the world’s oceans. However, in the United States Gulf of Mexico (GoM), populations of several coastal shark species are starting to stabilize following decades of successful regulations and enforcement. The stabilization of coastal shark populations, coupled with increases in recreational fishing effort, has the potential to escalate human-wildlife interactions. The most often reported conflict is shark depredation, the partial or complete removal of a hooked species by a shark. Reported increases in shark depredation within the last several years have begun to erode angler support for shark conservation, potentially undermining decades of previous work. To address these concerns, we implemented a GoM-wide online survey to characterize the impact of depredation on recreational reef fish anglers’ fishing satisfaction and perceptions of shark management and conservation. Our results revealed that most recreational anglers in the GoM have witnessed depredation but have not changed their fishing behaviors. In contrast, anglers’ viewpoints on managing shark populations were split between reducing population sizes and maintaining current population levels. As coastal shark populations in the GoM continue to recover, shark depredation is likely to increase. Consequently, efforts to characterize anglers’ satisfaction and perceptions are a critical component of future shark conservation initiatives.

How fences communicate interspecies codes of conduct in the landscape: toward bidirectional communication?

The fence provides two functions in wildlife management. First, it physically blocks, deters or impedes wild animals from access to protected areas or resources. Second, the fence signals impassability, danger, pain or irritation to animals through both of these pathways: the actual blockade and the signal of no access both communicates to wild animals that they should stay away, producing area effects which constrain animal mobility. The mere presence of a fence, while imperfect and potentially passable, can come to establish an area effect of avoidance. In this regard, fences are part of an interspecies communication on the basis of mutually understood signals in the landscape. In this paper, we consider how fences, both physical, such as walls, and virtual, such as ‘biofences' that use sensory deterrents, signal danger or no access to wildlife, and with what practical and conceptual limitations. Through a framework of ecosemiotics, the communication of signals between wildlife and humans, we discuss the communicative role fences play in human–wildlife interactions. First, we outline the way in which ecosemiotics may be leveraged to manage human–wildlife conflicts by utilizing fences as signals. Then we explain miscommunication, and how this impacts the success of fences. Finally, we discuss the normative problems of attempting to signal to wildlife how to behave and where to be, and raise the need for bidirectional communication across species, such that wild animals are also seen as participants in negotiating space and access around humans.

The global risk of infectious disease emergence from giant land snail invasion and pet trade

BackgroundPathogen outbreaks mostly originate from animals, but some species are more likely to trigger epidemics. The giant land snail (Lissachatina fulica) is a widespread invader, a popular exotic pet, and a notorious vector of the rat lungworm, causing eosinophilic meningitis in humans. However, a comprehensive assessment of the risks of disease outbreak associated with this species is lacking.MethodsWe assessed and mapped the risk of disease transmission associated with the invasion and pet trade of L. fulica. First, we conducted a review of the scientific literature to list all known L. fulica parasites and pathogens and query host–pathogen databases to identify their potential mammalian hosts. Then, to assess the potential for L. fulica to spread globally, we modelled its suitable climatic conditions and tested whether, within climatically suitable areas, the species tended to occur near humans or not. Finally, we used social media data to map L. fulica possession as an exotic pet and to identify human behaviours associated with increased risk of disease transmission.ResultsLissachatina fulica can carry at least 36 pathogen species, including two-thirds that can infect humans. The global invasion of L. fulica is climatically limited to tropical areas, but the species is strongly associated with densely populated areas where snails are more likely to enter in contact with humans. In temperate countries, however, climatic conditions should prevent L. fulica's spread. However, we show that in Europe, giant snails are popular exotic pets and are often handled with direct skin contact, likely increasing the risk of pathogen transmission to their owners.ConclusionsIt is urgent to raise public awareness of the health risks associated with L. fulica in both tropical countries and Europe and to regulate its trade and ownership internationally. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for multiple types of human-wildlife interactions when assessing risks of infectious disease emergence. Furthermore, by targeting the species most likely to spread pathogens, we show that it is possible to rapidly identify emerging disease risks on a global scale, thus guiding timely and appropriate responses.Graphical