The Tragedy of Becoming Common: Landscape Change and Perceptions of Wildlife

Abstract

Some wildlife species are adapting to urbanizing settings made more attractive due to changes in land-use practices, human attitudes and behaviors, and conservation efforts. People who live in communities near suburban parks are encountering wildlife more frequently than in the past, with varying reactions. In-depth interviews conducted with residents living near three national parks yielded insight on “suburban deer” as an emerging social construct. Interviewees described expectations about deer abundance and behavior that guided their interactions with suburban deer and affected deer behavior, which in turn affected interviewees’ evaluations of deer and subsequent responses to interactions. Left unchecked, this process may result in the ultimate “tragedy of becoming common,” when species are no longer viewed as wildlife, but as pests or pets. In the absence of an established cultural construct for suburban wildlife, stakeholder engagement will continue to play an important role in understanding and addressing these diverging views.

Keywords:

• folk model
• habituation
• human–wildlife interactions
• Odocoileus virginianus
• social construction

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to the local community members who made this study possible by sharing their insights and experiences and to Natural Resource Management staff at FINS, VFNHP, and PWFP who assisted in study design and facilitated entry into local communities. In addition, NPS Regional Chief Scientists of the Northeast and National Capital Regions acted as advisors to the project. Staff of the NPS Biological Resource Management Division (BRMD) and Cornell University Department of Natural Resources also provided ongoing guidance on the project and input on drafts of this report. Funding for this study was provided by the NPS BRMD, NPSDOI ID CA 4560C0047, OSP 43138/A001, and by the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station federal formula funds, project NYC-47433, received from Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. This study was approved by Cornell University UCHS Protocol ID 04-04-043 on 6/23/2005; Office of Management and Budget number 1024-0224 (NPS number 05-047), expiration date 06/30/2006; FINS, research permit number FIIS-2005-SCI-0012, expiration date 12/31/06; VFNHP, research permit number VAFO-2005-SCI-0003, expiration date 12/31/06, and; PWFP, research permit number PRWI-2005-SCI-0014, expiration date 12/31/06. The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. government.

Notes

Note. Asterisk indicates significant difference (p < .05).

The NPS administers many different types of units, one of which is National Park. For convenience, I use the terms “national park” and “park” throughout the rest of this article to refer to any unit administered by the NPS, regardless of actual designation.

The white flag refers to the white tail raised as a signal of alarm, usually when a deer is in flight.

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, s.v. “common”; http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/common (accessed 18 August 2008).

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