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USGS2021

Human-polar bear interactions

Human-wildlife interactions (HWI) are driven fundamentally by overlapping space and resources. As competition intensifies, the likelihood of interaction and conflict increases. In turn, conflict may impede conservation efforts by lowering social tolerance of wildlife, especially when human-wildlife conflict (HWC) poses a threat to human safety and economic well-being. Thus, mitigating conflict is one of the most consequential components of a wildlife management program, particularly for large carnivores. However, unlike other large carnivores, the causative factors and conservation consequences of interactions between humans and polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) are poorly understood. Historically, mitigation of human-polar bear conflict has been a low management priority with the exception of a few locations where conflict had been a chronic concern. In part, this was because of low human densities in most of the Arctic and sea ice act as a physical barrier regulating the frequency of human-polar bear interactions. However, as the Arctic has warmed, anthropogenic activities have increased, and polar bears have become more reliant on land. As a result, mitigating interaction and conflict between humans and polar bears has become a growing concern. In this chapter, we explore the nexus of polar bear and human behavior and environmental change in driving the nature and intensity of human-polar bear interaction and conflict. We first provide an overview of behaviors that contribute to the occurrence of interactions and conflicts. We then review historical and contemporary drivers of interaction and conflict and examine how climate-mediated changes to Arctic marine and terrestrial environments are likely to influence distribution and types of future incidents. We close by proposing a conceptual framework that conservationists and managers can use to mitigate the likelihood of future human-polar bear conflict in a rapidly changing Arctic.

Book chapter↗

USGS2026

Diverse novel and avian-associated viruses in the ileal viromes of northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

Viruses are the most abundant and diverse organisms on Earth, though only a small portion cause disease. Understanding viral diversity is key to understanding and predicting pathogen emergence and zoonotic spillover. Here, we use meta-transcriptomic sequencing to examine the viral communities in the ileum of 25 Northern Mockingbirds ( Mimus polyglottos ) from various locations across Texas. We assembled high-quality genomes of 43 viral species (40 species identified to 13 families, one to kingdom, and two to realm), 38 of which were novel. They tentatively represent avian- (n = 3), arthropod- (n = 21), plant- (n = 5) and fungi- (n = 4) associated, or other (n = 10) viruses. The arthropod-associated Dicistroviridae family was the most dominant, comprising known and potentially new species. Of potential epidemiological importance were three novel and avian-associated viruses: members of the families Hepeviridae and Picornaviridae , and a new Matryoshka RNA virus. The Matryoshka RNA virus 8 (MaRNAV-8) is sister to other Matryoshka RNA viruses, and its co-occurrence with haemosporida further supports the nested virus-parasite-vector-vertebrate host relationship of this group of viruses, with potential implications for parasite evolution, fitness and load and vector competence. The Picornaviridae virus is a member of an avian hepatovirus clade, found nested within a clade containing both the mammalian pathogens Hepatovirus A – I and the avian Tremovirus pathogens, suggestive of a newly discovered pathogen of Northern Mockingbird. Although the recovered Hepeviridae virus is of unknown pathology, its family members include the Hepatitis E viruses. With the great diversity and novelty described from ileal viromes, discriminating potential pathogens and commensal microbiota from viruses associated with food items remains challenging. A deeper understanding of virus transmission and the risk of potential zoonosis can be enhanced by tracking viruses through the food web and via inter-specific and predator-prey interactions, particular in areas subject to land-use change, where human-wildlife interactions are increased and the risks from emerging pathogens of veterinary and medical importance are more pronounced.

Texas↗

USGS2024

A systematic review of the effects of climate variability and change on black and brown bear ecology and interactions with humans

Climate change poses a pervasive threat to humans and wildlife by altering resource availability, changing co-occurrences, and directly or indirectly influencing human-wildlife interactions. For many wildlife agencies in North America, managing bears ( Ursus spp.) and human-bear interactions is a priority, yet the direct and indirect effects of climate change are exacerbating management challenges. Understanding the underlying ecological drivers of bear responses to climate variability and change, and the implications for conflict, will be critical for maintaining human-bear coexistence in North America. We synthesized 120 articles that identified direct and indirect mechanisms by which climate variability and change affect brown bears ( Ursus arctos ) and American black bears ( Ursus americanus ) in North America. The literature focused on examining climate impacts on bear diet, body size, habitat selection, space use, activity, denning chronology, and population demographics and dynamics. Across these categories, we summarized the documented and projected bear responses and resulting implications for human-bear interactions. Climate-driven changes in natural food availability were frequently implicated in influencing bear behavior and demography, and creating conditions under which interactions with humans are likely to increase. Bears in North America may face increased challenges as habitat and natural food availability continue to be altered by climate change. Our review provides a foundation upon which to identify climate drivers of bear ecology, conditions conducive to human-bear interactions, and adaptive management strategies. Given substantial evidence of climate impacts to bears, incorporating climate considerations into bear management can help managers strategically allocate resources and promote human-bear coexistence.

Biological Conservation↗

USGS2023

Social and biological perspectives to investigate and address illegal shooting of raptors

Humans have shot raptors for centuries. However, in many countries these actions have been illegal since the mid-twentieth century. Despite this history, there is not a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of this activity, its frequency, and why it occurs. We used literature review and principles drawn from ecology, sociology, and criminology to understand this problem. First, we review literature on raptor shooting globally to explore documented motivations for shooting and we describe the history of raptor shooting in the United States of America (USA). Then, to illustrate the contemporary frequency and geographic breadth of the shooting of raptors, we systematically compile records from scientific and media reports from across the USA. Finally, we outline a transdisciplinary framework to meet the challenge of understanding and managing illegal shooting of raptors. Our framework encompasses six best practices: (1) understand the biology of the problem, (2) build professional networks and partnerships, (3) leverage engagement and public support, (4) apply insights from study of human-wildlife interactions, (5) draw lessons from criminology, and (6) use implementation science to evaluate outcomes. We illustrate application of these best practices with a case study from an Illegal Shooting Working Group recently formed in Boise, Idaho, USA. There is growing recognition that illegal shooting of raptors is a pressing conservation challenge. Solving this challenge can be facilitated by inclusion of information from multiple fields of study; the approach we outline provides one potential mechanism to address this issue.

Global Ecology and Conservation↗

USGS2022

Influence of anthropogenic subsidies on movements of common ravens

Anthropogenic subsidies can benefit populations of generalist predators such as common ravens (ravens; Corvus corax ), which in turn may depress populations of many types of species at lower-trophic levels, including desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii ) or greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Management of subsidized ravens often has targeted local breeding populations that are presumed to affect species of concern and ignored “urban” populations of ravens. However, little is known about how ravens move, especially in response to the presence of anthropogenic subsidies. Therefore, subsidized ravens from distant populations that are not managed may influence local prey. To better understand this issue, we deployed global positioning system – global system for mobile communications transmitters to track movements of 19 ravens from September to December 2020 relative to 2 land cover types that provide subsidies: developed areas and cultivated crops. On average, ravens moved 41.5 km (±30.5) per day, although daily movement distances ranged from 0.13– 206.1 km. Raven movement among cover types during the non-breeding season varied widely, with 100% of individuals each using land cover types that provide subsidy and other types at least once in the season. On 100% of days ravens used areas that did not provide subsidy, on 86.7% of days they used developed areas, and on 20.5% of days they used cultivated crops. Although on some days a raven would stay exclusively in areas that did not provide subsidy, there were no days in which a single raven ever stayed exclusively in developed or cultivated crops. Ravens moved shorter distances on days when they used subsidies more frequently. Further, time spent in developed areas and cultivated crops increased when ravens roosted closer to them, although this effect was greater for developed areas than for cultivated crops. Individual ravens were not associated exclusively with either of the subsidy-providing landscapes we considered, but instead all birds used both subsidized and other landscapes. Our research suggests that management of ravens during the non-breeding season and possibly during the breeding season, intended to reduce risk of predation on desert tortoises, will be most effective if conducted on a broad scale because of distances the birds travel and the lack of separation between putative “urban” and “natural” populations of ravens.

California↗

USGS2023

Pilot study for invasive brown treesnake baiting in residential areas

The nocturnal brown treesnake ( Boiga irregularis ; BTS) was accidentally introduced to the island of Guam, USA, in the Western Pacific in 1945. The BTS has spread throughout all terrestrial habitats, causing wildlife loss and economic damage. Several tools and techniques have been developed to locally reduce BTS numbers and prevent their spread to other islands. The common analgesic acetaminophen has been registered as a low-risk pesticide to manage BTS in non-residential areas. Prior to a more intensive toxic baiting campaign on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, as part of a larger study to evaluate the effects of BTS control on native bird survival, we conducted a pilot study from May 18 to October 6, 2020, to assess the efficacy and safety of BTS baiting within a residential area. We administered large and small domesticated mouse ( Mus musculus ) and bird chick ( Coturnix japonica and Gallus domesticus ) nontoxic carrion baits (without acetaminophen) in bait stations to evaluate BTS and nontarget bait take rates, bait preferences, movements following nighttime bait uptakes, and interactions of humans and domestic animals with baits. We monitored baits with cameras and implanted them with radio-transmitters to verify the species taking the bait and to track BTS to their daytime sheltering locations. Successful BTS bait take rates were low at 20 of 482 baits (4.1%), as were nontarget bait take rates (4 baits; 0.8%). No preference among bait types was discernible, though power to detect differences was limited due to low overall uptake. All first daytime refugia were within vegetation except for 1 location on the roof of a house. No evidence of bait removal or human tampering was found at any of the bait stations. Based on our pilot study, there appeared to be little human or nontarget risk from acetaminophen baiting in this relatively uniform and sparsely vegetated residential area. Because most of the residential areas on Guam are much more variable, similar assessments within a broader diversity of residential areas may be advisable before promoting large-scale use of acetaminophen for managing BTS in close contact with human habitations.

Human-Wildlife Interactions↗

USGS2020

Resource use by American black bear in suburbia: A landholder step selection approach

Range expansion of American black bear ( Ursus americanus ; bear) and residential development has resulted in a growing presence of bear in suburbia. Suburban landscapes exhibiting patchworks of variable-sized parcels and habitats and owned by landowners with diverse values, can create large areas of suitable habitats with limited public access. These landscapes thereby may limit the effectiveness of hunting as a traditional bear population management tool. Managers require better information regarding suburban landowner attitudes regarding hunting before implementing changes intended to increase bear harvest to management populations. To address this need, in 2013, we surveyed landowners to identify properties that allowed bear hunting in three suburban areas of Pennsylvania where bear sightings have increased. We then used location data obtained for 29 bears equipped with global positioning system (GPS) transmitters from 2010 to 2012 to model their resource selection in the study area. We assessed the influence of hunting access, housing density, land cover, and topographic variables on radio-marked black bear monitored 10 days before, during, and after the bear hunting season. We found that resource selection of radio-marked bear was similar for all three periods and bears selected for forested land in all three seasons and herbaceous cover in the pre- and hunting periods. Resource selection by bears was not influenced by whether land was open or closed to hunting in the pre-hunting and hunting periods, but in the post-hunting period lands not open to hunting had support as the second-best model. All radio-marked bears in our study were vulnerable to harvest. However, they did not change resource selection during the hunting season nor did they avoid areas open to hunting. Integrating human dimension data with bear habitat use studies, especially in suburban landscapes, has the potential to address bear space use and population management needs often overlooked in traditional research designs.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS2023

Sea-ice conditions predict polar bear land use around military installations in Alaska

Polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) are threatened by sea-ice loss due to climate change, which is concurrently opening the Arctic to natural resource extraction and a broader scope of national security responsibilities. Mitigating the risk of human–bear conflicts is an emerging challenge as many polar bears spend longer ice-free summers on land where they have limited access to food and come into more frequent contact with people. We investigated a suite of physical and ecological variables that influence the timing of polar bear arrival on, and departure from, land using remote-sensing data on sea-ice extent and satellite telemetry data from 72 radio-collared adult female polar bears from 1986 to 2015. Analyses encompassed the coastline of the Southern Beaufort Sea north of Alaska, USA, and focused on zones within a 35-km radius (mean daily travel distance of a polar bear) of 5 military installations. Sea ice in the Southern Beaufort Sea retreated approximately 1 month earlier in spring, and reformed 1 month later in fall, in 2015 compared to 1979. In generalized linear mixed models, the most important predictors of polar bear arrival and departure were the dates of sea-ice breakup and formation, respectively, in localized marine areas surrounding each military zone. Region-wide sea-ice conditions also influenced land use, although to a lesser extent. We found that polar bears spent longer periods on land in the military zones compared to outside the zones, which may reflect increased land use in areas with human activity and potential attractants (noting that some military installations were in proximity to other human settlements). Our results demonstrate that the timing of polar bear land use in northern Alaska is influenced by sea-ice conditions on multiple spatial scales. This information can be used to predict and manage the presence of polar bears around military installations and other places of interest.

Alaska↗

USGS2022

Multi-objective modeling as a decision-support tool for free-roaming horse management

Decisions related to controversial problems in natural resource management receive the greatest support when they account for multiple objectives of stakeholders in a structured and transparent fashion. In the United States, management of free-roaming horses ( Equus caballus ; horses) is a controversial multiple-objective problem because disparate stakeholder groups have varying objectives and opinions about how to manage fast-growing horse populations in ways that sustain both natural ecosystems and healthy horses. Despite much decision-support research on management alternatives that prevent excessive population size or cost, horse management decisions still receive resistance from a variety of stakeholder groups, potentially because decisions fail to explicitly or transparently account for multiple objectives of diverse stakeholders. Here, we used a predictive model for horse populations to evaluate the degree to which alternative management strategies involving removals and fertility control treatment with the immunocontraceptive vaccine PZP-22 maximize 4 objectives in horse management: maximize ecosystem health, maximize horse health, minimize effects on horse behavior, and minimize management cost. We simulated scenarios varying in management action, frequency, magnitude, and starting population size over a 10-year interval and evaluated scenario performance with a weighted multiple-objective utility reward function. Management involving high-magnitude removals along with PZP-22 treatment generally outperformed other alternatives by achieving higher reward relative to alternatives in 2 scenario analyses. Simulation of 1,372 scenarios at 5 starting population sizes generally found that management with biannual removals and 2 doses of PZP-22 treatment for half of eligible females during years 1 and 5 generated the most rewarding outcomes. However, a removal scenario with more frequent PZP-22 application generated the greatest reward when starting population size was already within target population size range. Our paper demonstrates how values and objectives of diverse stakeholders can be used to support management decisions in ways that might lead to greater acceptance of decisions by a broad array of stakeholder groups.

Human-Wildlife Interactions↗

USGS2023

Ecological associations of non-native ungulates on the Hawaiian Island of Lāna‘i

Sustained-yield hunting of introduced ungulates in the Hawaiian Islands often conflicts with the conservation of native species, but there is little reliable data to guide effective management. European mouflon sheep ( Ovis musimon ; mouflon) and axis deer ( Axis axis ; deer) were introduced on the island of Lāna‘i to provide additional hunting opportunities. Managers will require better information regarding the ecological associations of introduced ungulate species, relative to the habitats occupied, to resolve longstanding conflicts between native species conservation and sustained-yield hunting on islands. To address this information need, we modeled sheep and deer ecological associations, habitat-use, and suitability using data obtained from an intensive aerial survey completed in 2013 and temporally matching environmental data. In habitat suitability models evaluated by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) metrics, predictor importance in a generalized linear model (GLM) of deer decreased in the following order: afternoon cloud cover, topographic slope, mean annual precipitation (MAP), elevation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and bare soil index. In a random GLM model of mouflon, predictor importance decreased in the following order: afternoon cloud cover, deer habitat suitability, NDVI, bare soil index, topographic slope, elevation, and MAP. Mouflon were restricted to lower elevation arid slopes, whereas deer were more broadly distributed throughout upland environments of the island. The presence of deer was also an important predictor for mouflon distribution, although mouflon was not an important predictor of deer, suggesting asymmetrical competition. Removal of the more abundant deer population may lead to an increase in abundance and distribution of mouflon without containment. This work represents the first habitat suitability analysis for all nonnative ungulates on any entire Hawaiian island. Our results are applicable to other islands where conflicts may arise with introduced ungulates, sustained-yield hunting, and native species conservation.

Hawaii↗

USGS2021

Estimating trends of common raven populations in North America, 1966—2018

Over the last half century, common raven ( Corvus corax; raven) populations have increased in abundance across much of North America. Ravens are generalist predators known to depredate the eggs and young of several sensitive species. Quantifying raven population increases at multiple spatial scales across North America will help wildlife resource managers identify areas where population increases present the greatest risk to species conservation. We used a hierarchical Bayesian modeling approach to analyze trends of standardized raven counts from 1966 to 2018 using Breeding Bird Survey data within each Level I and II ecoregion of the United States and Canada. We also compared raven abundance within and outside the distributions of 9 sensitive or endangered species. Although we found substantial evidence that raven populations have increased across North America, populations varied in growth rates and relative abundances among regions. We found 73% of Level I (11/15) and II (25/34) ecoregions demonstrated positive annual population growth rates ranging from 0.2–9.4%. We found higher raven abundance inside versus outside the distributions of 7 of the 9 sensitive species included in our analysis. Gunnison sage-grouse ( Centrocercus minimus ) had the highest discrepancy, with 293% more ravens within compared to outside of their range, followed by greater sandhill crane ( Antigone canadensis tabida ; 280%), and greater sage-grouse ( C. urophasianus ; 204%). Only 2 species, least tern ( Sternula antillarum ) and piping plover ( Charadrius melodus ), indicated lower raven abundance within relative to outside their distributions. Our findings will help wildlife resource managers identify regional trends in abundance of ravens and anticipate which sensitive species are at greatest risk from elevated raven populations. Future research directed at identifying the underlying regional drivers of these trends could help elucidate the most appropriate and responsive management actions and, thereby, guide the development of raven population management plans to mitigate impacts to sensitive species.

Human-Wildlife Interactions↗

USGS2024

Dust management at an active construction area impacts monarch distribution

The North American population of monarch butterflies ( Danaus plexippus) is experiencing dramatic declines, necessitating investigations into challenges facing this species that can be resolved through management actions. For instance, dust made airborne by heavy equipment driving along a dirt road can settle on roadside vegetation, resulting in reduced use by monarchs. Dust accumulation on areas where floral nectaries such as leaves, stems, and flowers may be present could reduce the ability of pollinators, such as monarchs, to access nectar from flowering plants needed during migration. One such challenge was observed on Poplar Island, an island restoration project located in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay, USA. To determine if road watering would result in notable reductions of dust accumulation on adjacent roadside vegetation, and if such a reduction in dust would affect monarch use of treated habitat, water was applied via spraying to sections of the roadway during the 2022 fall migration period. Treatment areas where water was applied to the road were found to have significant reductions in dust accumulation ( P ≤0.001) as well as significantly higher use by monarchs ( P = 0.002), relative to non-watered control areas. While these results indicate potential utility of road watering to support monarchs at sites with high dust accumulation, numerous additional elements such as water usage and logistical constraints must also be considered. While limited in scope, these data do provide a notable proof-of-concept for managing this issue at other sites and can be built upon with further research.

Maryland↗

USGS2021

A decision tool to identify population management strategies for common ravens and other avian predators

Some avian species have developed the capacity to leverage resource subsidies associated with human manipulated landscapes to increase population densities in habitats with naturally low carrying capacities. Elevated corvid densities and new territory establishment have led to an unsustainable increase in depredation pressure on sympatric native wildlife prey populations as well as in crop damage. Yet, subsidized predator removal programs aimed at reducing densities are likely most effective longer-term when conducted in tandem with subsidy control, habitat management, and robust assessment monitoring programs. We developed decision support software that leverages stage structured Lefkovitch population matrices to compare and identify treatment strategies that reduce subsidized avian predator densities most efficiently, in terms of limiting both cost and take levels. The StallPOPd (Version 4; available at https://doi.org/10.7298/sk2e-0c38.4) software enables managers to enter the area of their management stratum and the demographic properties (vital rates) of target bird population(s) of interest to evaluate strategies to decrease or curtail further population growth. Strategies explicitly include the reduction in fertility (i.e., eggs hatched) and/or the culling of hatchlings, non-breeders and/or breeders, but implicitly comprise reduction in survival or reproduction through subsidy denial. We illustrate the utilities of the software with examples using common ravens ( Corvus corax; ravens) in the Mojave Desert of California, USA. Unfortunately, the survival and reproduction effects of each unit of a particular subsidy in that system have remained elusive, though this is the priority of current research. Because the software leverages a life history representation that is known to characterize hundreds of wildlife species in addition to ravens, the work expands the suite of tools available to wildlife managers and agricultural industry specialists to abate bird damage and impacts on sensitive wildlife in habitats with persistent human subsidies.

Human-Wildlife Interactions↗

USGS2020

Management of the brown-headed cowbird: Implications for endangered species and agricultural damage mitigation

The brown-headed cowbird ( Molothrus ater ; cowbird) is unique among North American blackbirds (Icteridae) because it is managed to mitigate the negative effects on endangered songbirds and economic losses in agricultural crops. Cowbird brood parasitism can further affect species that are considered threatened or endangered due to anthropogenic land uses. Historically, cowbirds have often been culled without addressing ultimate causes of songbird population declines. Similar to other North American blackbirds, cowbirds depredate agricultural crops, albeit at a lower rate reported for other blackbird species. Conflicting information exists on the extent of agricultural damage caused by cowbirds and the effectiveness of mitigation measures for application to management. In this paper, we reviewed the progress that has been made in cowbird management from approximately 2005 to 2020 in relation to endangered species. We also reviewed losses to the rice ( Oryza sativa ) crop attributed to cowbirds and the programs designed to reduce depredation. Of the 4 songbird species in which cowbirds have been managed, both the Kirtland’s warbler ( Dendroica kirtlandii ) and black-capped vireo ( Vireo atricapilla ) have been removed from the endangered species list following population increases in response to habitat expansion. Cowbird trapping has ceased for Kirtland’s warbler but continues for the vireo. In contrast, least Bell’s vireo ( V. bellii pusillus ) and southwestern willow flycatcher ( Empidonax traillii extimus ) still require cowbird control after modest increases in suitable habitat. Our review of rice depredation by cowbirds revealed models that have been created to determine the number of cowbirds that can be taken to decrease rice loss have been useful but require refinement with new data that incorporate cowbird population changes in the rice growing region, dietary preference studies, and current information on population sex ratios and female cowbird egg laying. Once this information has been gathered, bioenergetic and economic models would increase our understanding of the damage caused by cowbirds.

California↗

USGS2022

Human-cougar interactions: A literature review related to common management questions

Interactions between humans and cougars ( Puma concolor ) present unique challenges for wildlife managers; reducing occurrences that lead to conflict is a priority for state and provincial wildlife agencies throughout western North America, including Washington. With an increase in management emphasis of human-wildlife conflict resolution, a growing body of scientific literature related to cougar wildland-urban ecology and the factors that contribute to interactions between cougars and people has developed. Based on discussions with the Fish and Wildlife Commission, our 10-member Human-Cougar Interaction Science Review Team assessed both the analytical and ecological merits of current literature, focusing on data and methods, to summarize the current state of knowledge on human-cougar interactions and factors affecting these interactions. We did not use our review findings to provide management recommendations or evaluate/suggest policy alternatives, but we did highlight important information gaps, research needs, and proposed strategies for conducting scientific investigations to benefit managers and policy makers in the future. We used bibliographic lists, keyword searches in research databases, and new literature encountered as citations within papers we reviewed to identify 96 potential studies for review. We evaluated 41 studies that aligned with eight commonly asked questions regarding how various factors contribute to cougar proximity to, and interactions with people. Our review concluded that the roles of cougar removals (Question 1), cougar population size or trajectory (Question 2), the abundance or diversity of prey (Question 3), human population size, distribution, or recreation levels (Question 6), human attitudes (Question 7), and competition with other large carnivores (Question 8) in cougar interactions with people remain uncertain. We found the studies evaluating the efficacy of nonlethal deterrents (Question 4) provided some evidence that these methods reduce conflict, most notably that flashing lights can reduce interactions in specific situations. Our review of papers investigating the role of landscape characteristics (Question 5) revealed spatial ecology to be the most reliably studied and best understood facet of cougar wildland-urban ecology; study designs in these investigations were also the most rigorous. Most cougar use, and subsequent interactions with people, occur at the wildland-urban interface or in exurban and rural residential settings immediately adjacent because these habitats provide both abundant native prey (deer) and stalking cover, or they retain enough native landcover, connectivity, and prey to support cougar use, but with a human presence at a level that does not substantially deter cougars. We identified only a limited number of informative studies in our review, primarily because many studies did not collect data to specifically address relevant management questions after developing testable hypotheses. Much of the literature we reviewed was derived from ad hoc mining of pre-existing data that had been collected for other routine reasons, data were often not assessed for accuracy, and confounding factors were inadequately addressed. Consequently, many factors theorized to contribute to cougar interactions with people require more rigorous investigation. Because wildland-urban systems are complex, and interactions encompass both human and cougar behavior, we recommend the use of long-term studies that incorporate both ecological and anthropogenic factors within a control-treatment design with replicate study sites to address questions with direct management relevance.

Report↗

USGS2023

Pardus in the press: Drivers of leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) attack occurrence on humans in Nepal

The negative impact of large carnivore presence in human-dominated landscapes manifests as livestock depredation and in extreme cases as attacks on humans. In the case of conflict with leopards in Nepal, attacks resulting in human fatality have become more frequent over time, thus creating an urgent socio-ecological and management issue. We estimated the occurrence of leopard attacks in Nepal from human-leopard conflict cases reported in the media. We used occupancy models to analyse data collected from online news reports on incidents of leopard attacks on humans to explore drivers of leopard attacks on a landscape scale. Our results suggest that the probability of occurrence of leopard attack is associated with human population density, terrain ruggedness and livestock density. The human population density effect may be indicative of a density-dependent relationship, where attacks are more likely in areas where an increased abundance of humans increases encounter rates with leopards. The positive effect of livestock density suggests that livestock may be drawing leopards into human settlements, and consequently increasing the likelihood of attacks on humans. Terrain ruggedness might be offering ideal conditions to facilitate attacks on humans, for example remoteness and high amounts of cover to launch ambush attacks. We provide inference and insights into key determinants of leopard attacks on humans on a landscape scale. These insights can be used to guide future research, inform mitigation measures to reduce leopard attacks and foster a better understanding of the interaction between people and leopards. This study demonstrates the applicability and novelty of using a hierarchical modelling framework applied to freely and publicly available media reports to inform the applied management of human-wildlife conflict at a national scale.

People and Nature↗

USGS2026

Resilience thinking for human-wildlife coexistence: Bridging dynamic systems, archetypes, and transformations

As human activities and wildlife increasingly overlap in the Anthropocene, conventional conservation paradigms focused on land-sparing are shifting toward strategies that support human–wildlife coexistence. However, achieving sustainable coexistence is often hindered by a limited understanding of the dynamic social–ecological processes that drive integrated human–wildlife systems. This Special Issue explores “resilience thinking” as a scientific framework to address these knowledge gaps. By bridging sustainability and wildlife sciences, we examine how concepts such as adaptive capacity, feedback loops, system archetypes, and tipping points can illuminate the conditions that facilitate stable coexistence or lead to persistent conflict. Through diverse global case studies ranging from carnivore management in Europe to primate interactions in Indonesia, contributions highlight how societal perceptions, governance, and co-adaptation shape system trajectories. Ultimately, we argue that fostering durable coexistence requires moving beyond incremental adaptation toward transformative governance that centers on equity, relationality, and proactive management.

Ambio↗

USGS2021

Integrating socioecological suitability with human-wildlife conflict risk: Case study for translocation of a large ungulate

Translocations are essential for re-establishing wildlife populations. As they sometimes fail, it is critical to assess factors that influence their success pre-translocation. Socioecological suitability models (SESMs) integrate social acceptance and ecological suitability to enable identification of areas where wildlife populations will expand, which makes it likely that SESMs will also be useful for predicting translocation success. To inform site selection for potential elk Cervus canadensis reintroduction to north-eastern Minnesota, United States, we developed broadscale maps of social acceptance from surveys of local residents and landowners, animal use equivalence (AUE) from forage measured in the field and empirical conflict risk from geospatial data. Resulting SESMs integrated social acceptance favourability scores, AUE and conflict risk, and weighted SESMs showed the relative influences of acceptance and conflict. Social acceptance was positive for local residents and landowners (mean ≥ 5.4; scale of 1–7). AUE (scaled to an elk home range) ranged between 1 and 9 elk/16 km 2 during winter, and from 14 to 83 elk/16 km 2 during summer. Human–elk conflict risk was low (mean ≤ 0.10; scaled 0–1), increasing from north to south. Geographical distributions differed for social acceptance, AUE and conflict risk, and weighted SESMs revealed unsuitable areas that were otherwise obscured. Synthesis and applications . Integrating human–wildlife conflict risk into SESMs shows where social acceptance of translocated species is likely to erode, even where viewed favourably pre-translocation, to inform translocation planning by highlighting interactions between key factors. Such integrated models supplement existing reintroduction biology frameworks by supporting decision-making and knowledge development. In north-eastern Minnesota, natural resource managers who are considering elk reintroductions are using SESMs reported here to identify where human–elk conflict is unlikely to result in an isolated elk population and where addressing concerns for area residents about conflict risk is essential.

Minnesota↗