As wildlife habitats continue to shrink around the world, animals and people are coming into contact more frequently. These interactions can sometimes lead to human-wildlife conflict, a broad term that encompasses a wide range of encounters between people and wild animals. While some conflicts result in property damage, livestock loss, or crop raiding, others involve direct encounters that can lead to injuries or fatalities. Understanding why these encounters occur, and whether they stem from defensive or predatory behaviour, is essential for developing effective strategies that help both wildlife and people safely share the landscape. To better understand these complex interactions, we asked Thomas Sharp, a biologist with Wildlife SOS who has worked extensively with bears, tigers, and leopards, to answer some common questions about human-wildlife conflict and coexistence.
You’ve worked with several species of bears, as well as tigers and leopards. How has that experience shaped your understanding of human-wildlife conflict?
- Human-wildlife conflict comes in many different forms and the vast majority are not very detrimental or dangerous to people. Most are little more than an annoyance, such as deer or rabbits feeding in your garden. When we talk about large carnivore human-wildlife conflicts, people’s minds go straight to people being attacked. Though in truth, even when talking about large carnivores, most conflicts are about predators killing livestock or pets and sometimes in the case of bears, raiding crop fields or getting into garbage. However, a small percentage of the conflict are attacks on humans, and a very small percentage of those attacks are predatory.
What is human-wildlife conflict, and why is it becoming more common around the world?
- Human-wildlife conflict has existed as long as humans have existed. It is generally defined as negative interactions between humans and wild animals that impact human livelihood and safety as well as wildlife conservation. Things like habitat encroachment and climate change are forcing wildlife into closer proximity with humans.
What is the difference between a defensive encounter and a predatory encounter?
- I think you are referring to defensive attack and predatorial attack. The vast majority of attacks by large carnivores, whether it be grizzly bears in the United States and Canada or leopards in India, are defensive. A defensive attack occurs when the animal feels threatened, or feels its cubs are threatened. The animal attacks so that it, and potentially its cubs, can safely escape the situation. In essence they are attempting to neutralise the threat and escape. A predatorial attack occurs when a large carnivore is attacking for the sole purpose of eating the victim. These attacks are very rare, though generally more common for large cats (tigers and leopards) than bears.
Why do animals behave defensively toward people?
- Animals, even large carnivores, tend to treat people as apex predators. As such they tend to give people space. Sloth bears, for example, seem to react to tigers and humans the same way. However, my recent research shows that sloth bears in India do not show the same level of concern for leopards, a mesopredator (mid-level predator).
How common are predatory encounters compared to defensive encounters?
- Predatory attacks are very rare. For grizzly bears, predatory attacks can be as little as 2% of all attacks, though some studies show up to 15% in certain areas. Predatory attacks are more common for obligate carnivores, namely big cats. For leopards in Kashmir, our most recent study resulted in roughly 25% predatorial attacks, though it should be mentioned that other leopard studies from other parts of India and the world resulted in less than 20%.
Are there particular situations or warning signs that people should be aware of before a defensive conflict occurs?
- Defensive attacks most often occur when a large carnivore is surprised, or a mother is with cubs. The best thing one can do to avoid defensive attacks is to make noise while going through, say, a grizzly bear habitat. Be aware of your surroundings. Try not to surprise large carnivores at close distance. That’s when they feel threatened and may react by attacking.
How does habitat loss and changing land use contribute to human-wildlife conflict?
- Habitat loss, habitat degradation and human encroachment are forcing wildlife to be closer to humans simply to gain the resources that they need to survive. Remember, large carnivores need large areas over which to hunt or collect food.
Why is it important to understand whether a conflict is defensive or predatory when developing conservation and management solutions?
- Understanding if an attack is defensive or predatory is key to knowing how to react to the situation. If you come across a mother grizzly with cubs she may charge and even attack. If you do not have bear spray with you and the bear is going to make contact, it is best to fall to the ground and cover your face and head. However if a grizzly bear has been stalking you and is slowly approaching you, falling to the ground would be a very bad option as the bear just might begin feeding on you.
What are some effective ways communities can reduce conflict and safely coexist with wildlife?
- The answer to this question largely depends on the species you are talking about. Brown bears for example can become food-conditioned by feeding at human trash sites. This inevitably leads to more frequent and more intense conflicts. So communities need to keep this in mind.
What gives you hope for the future of human-wildlife coexistence?
- People in India have been living with wildlife for over 50,000 years and there are still intact ecosystems spread around the country. Living with wildlife is a choice and most people recognise that our lives would be empty without wildlife around them.
Can you share an example from your work that illustrates the difference between a defensive and a predatory encounter?
- Predatory attacks are much more dangerous than defensive attacks. This holds true for most species. When a predator is defensive, they will attack but then quickly run away. They just want to escape the situation. Predatorial attacks are much more dangerous because the animal’s purpose is to kill and eat you … and not necessarily in that order. If you are being attacked predatorially you must fight back.
As human populations expand and wildlife habitats continue to shrink, encounters between people and wild animals are becoming more common. However, most conflicts are not the result of animals seeking to harm people. Large carnivores typically attack defensively when they feel threatened, while truly predatorial attacks remain rare. Understanding these differences is essential for developing effective conservation solutions that protect both people and wildlife. Through research, community outreach, and conflict-mitigation education programmes, Wildlife SOS works to reduce risks for both humans and animals. Your financial support helps make these efforts possible, funding programmes that promote safer coexistence, protect vulnerable wildlife, and empower communities to share their landscapes with wild animals for generations to come.
