Living with Wildlife:
Human and Wildlife Conflict

As human populations continue to grow in North America and around the world, wildlife habitat is shrinking, and people and animals are increasingly coming into conflict. You might be surprised by the effects of people and wildlife crossing paths. People sustain damage to their crops, livestock, property, and sometimes even their lives. Wildlife struggle for food, are more likely to be exposed to disease and health issues, and are often killed by cars and even people as they are more frequently viewed as pests. Human-wildlife conflict is one of the main wildlife management issues. State fish and wildlife agencies recieve and overwhelming number of calls about wildlife in their backyard and nieghborhoods, such as bear, coyote, mountain lions, and beaver. And, if solutions to conflicts are not adequate, local support for conservation also declines.

Bears in the Backyard, Deer in the Driveway 2005

The US and Canadian public is becoming increasingly less tolerant of growing wildlife populations, according to a new survey of wildlife professionals. As the populations of species such as beaver, bear and deer continue to grow, and contact with people becomes more frequent, wildlife professionals say they fear that an increasing proportion of the public is beginning to view wildlife as pests and not with the respect they deserve. Nearly 75 percent of the fish and wildlife agencies reported they fear their public is becoming less tolerant of wildlife overpopulation issues. 

"It is our experience that hunting and trapping make an important contribution to preventing or mitigating problem wildlife situations," says Bob Carmichael, of Manitoba Conservation and chairman of the committee that developed this report. "These activities save provincial and state governments hundreds of millions of dollars annually."

Wildlife professionals in the US and Canada stress that being able to use management techniques that include hunting and trapping helps them maintain a balance between the numbers of people and animals. Fish and wildlife agencies report that the greatest increases in deer populations are where hunting is not allowed or access to the land is limited, such as urban and suburban communities.

"Seventy billion dollars represents a major social loss," says Carmichael. "Instead of being available for investment in new jobs, technologies, education, health care, or other places that enhance our quality of life, these funds would go towards replacing homes, crops, infrastructure and other items previously paid for. From a social standpoint, it is important to manage wildlife populations and their related damages within levels acceptable by the public. Hunting and trapping are a vital part of this complex balancing act."

In addition, the report indicates that as rapid human development destroys habitat in many areas of the country, wildlife and people are forced to interact more frequently, thus setting the stage for conflict. As a result, problems are escalating for wildlife professionals throughout the United States and Canada – problems ranging from deer-auto collisions, property and environmental damage, and the spread of diseases contracted both by people and animals.

For more information, contact us at 202/624-7890 or info@fishwildlife.org.

Important Links:

Facts: Bears in the Backyard, Deer in the Driveway

Bears in the Backyard Report

State Agency Resources

Wildlife Conflict Resources:

• Fact Sheets: Colorado State University

• National Geographic Lesson Plans

• Wildlife Conflict: Using the Right Messages

• California Game and Fish Department's "Keep Me Wild" Campaign