Human–Wildlife Conflicts and the Need to Include Tolerance and Coexistence: An Introductory Comment

ABSTRACT

The focus on human–wildlife conflict has often been a constraint to wildlife conservation, as practitioners have centered their attention on reducing negative interactions, rather than on increasing positive relations between humans and wildlife. To work toward solutions that maximize conservation success, it is necessary to include positive interactions, coexistence, and attitudes of tolerance toward wildlife. In this article, clarification and definition of the terms conflict, coexistence, and tolerance are offered and human–wildlife interactions are explored along a continuum that ranges from negative to positive attitudes. Such an approach allows highlighting the multiple dimensions influencing human–wildlife relationships, thus drawing attention to other possible pathways to address wildlife issues.

KEYWORDS:

• Coexistence
• conflict
• continuum
• human–wildlife interactions
• tolerance

Acknowledgments

I am grateful for the support of Alistair Bath, Jenny Glikman, Jerry Vaske, Sarah Breen, the reviewers, and all those who have helped me in the different stages of the article writing process.