Coyotes

Coyotes living in human-inhabited areas may come into contact with people, livestock, and pets. Coyote-human conflicts will often be reported in the news as ‘attacks’, though most are not as dramatic as this term would suggest. Coyote-human conflicts that result in the injury or death of a human are extremely rare. Only two fatal attacks on humans have been reported since 1981.

It’s thought that coyotes may be perceived by humans as dangerous or nuisances simply because they are larger predators that sometimes live in the same areas as humans. Yet conflicts between humans and domestic animals far outnumber conflicts between coyotes and humans. For example, in Cook County in the US in 2013, there were 0 recorded bites of people by coyotes, but 3,822 bites from domestic pets.

Where human-coyote conflicts have occurred, it’s usually related to humans having either intentionally or unintentionally fed coyotes. An example of unintentional feeding would be when a coyote gains access to garbage.

Humans have long persecuted coyotes due to human-coyote conflicts and the perceived threat of attack. In the mid-20th century, many states even put out bounties to encourage people to hunt and kill coyotes. To this day, the USDA Wildlife Services are known to use poison, like cyanide bombs, to kill ‘nuisance’ animals like coyotes.

Wolves

One of the primary triggers for human-wolf conflicts is the predation of livestock by wolves. As humans convert land for agricultural use nearer to wolf populations, wolves are more likely to target livestock as a food source, leading to economic losses for farmers.

Farmers will, therefore, sometimes intentionally poison or hunt wolves to protect their livestock from predators. As territorial animals, wolves are more likely to engage in conflict with people when domestic dogs are present. Conflicts are also more likely to happen if the wolves are habituated to humans or infected with rabies.

As one of the top predators in the food web, wolves have few enemies besides humans. In fact, for the majority of regions that wolves inhabit, humans are the leading cause of death for wolves. Sadly, wolves are now near extinct in much of their historical habitat, occupying only a fraction of their original range.

Giraffes

Human-giraffe conflicts have increased as human populations expand and infringe upon the natural habitat of giraffes. As humans settle further into these areas, giraffes are forced to seek resources near human settlements, increasing interactions and conflicts.

Giraffes are already suffering from climate change-induced droughts, with more than 6,000 estimated to have died due to severe droughts in Kenya in 2022. As giraffes roam in search of water, they are more likely to encounter humans, who perceive them as competition for their own scarce water supply.

Humans have attempted to block giraffes from accessing water by building fences and other infrastructure. When giraffes have made it to these water sources, humans have attacked them with lethal methods, including snares, spears, and ditches.

Direct confrontations between humans and giraffes can turn violent, posing risks to both parties. Human-giraffe conflicts contribute to declining giraffe populations. Habitat loss, direct killings, and disruption of natural behaviours can jeopardise the long-term survival of these animals.

Examples of how IFAW is working to prevent human-wildlife conflict?

One of the best ways to reduce human-wildlife conflict is to educate the public on how coexistence with wildlife is possible. At IFAW, we’re working to shift the public perception of wildlife in urban or human-populated areas, helping educate local communities on how to live harmoniously with wild animals.

One example of this is our work on reshaping how people perceive coyotes, one of the most persecuted animals in human history. Despite a low incidence of human-coyote conflicts, there is a fear and hostility towards coyotes. The IFAW team has worked with members of Congress to promote coexistence with coyotes and to push for non-lethal wild management strategies that affect coyote populations. We’re also campaigning to end the cruel poisoning of wolves in Alberta, Canada, as a method to control wolf populations.

As well as reducing conflict with animals that humans deem threatening, IFAW works to promote coexistence with animals that aren’t perceived as threatening yet may end up in conflicts with humans all the same. For instance, we have distributed more than 100 signs across Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to encourage people to maintain a safe distance from the local seals despite how tempting it can be to approach them. They also act to educate people on the seals’ natural shoreline habitats, reminding us that we share our beaches with wildlife.

As IFAW has proven, there are humane ways to deter animals from approaching human-occupied regions, thus reducing the likelihood of conflicts. One example is our use of beehives to deter elephants. By suspending beehives on poles around human communities in Malawi, we have found that elephants tend to stay away due to their instinctual fear of bees. Not only has this created jobs for 150 people in the region, but it’s also expected to decrease the number of human-elephant conflicts by a staggering 85%.

One of the key factors that we cannot ignore when it comes to human-wildlife conflict is the danger that wild animals can present to local human communities and their livelihoods. That’s why we need to empower these communities with coping mechanisms and resilience, supporting them in their coexistence with wildlife. We centre these people within the conservation discussion and work to support wildlife-friendly livelihoods.