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Sensitization to human decreases human-wildlife conflict: empirical and simulation study

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Abstract

For resolving human-wildlife conflict, traditional wildlife management often uses population control. However, recent studies suggest that in some cases, there is a weak relationship between conflicts and population size. This is because some problem animals cause most of conflicts and other non-problem animals cause little conflicts. For resolving human-wildlife conflict, managing animal behavior could be effective. This study conducted hazing experiments for managing the sensitivity of wildlife (i.e., habituation and sensitization to humans), because sensitized wildlife should reduce conflicts. Behavioral studies predict this causal relationship, but little critical evaluation of the relationship has been tested in a wildlife management study. Therefore, practical and logical evaluation is needed. A hazing experiment and path analysis revealed that macaques which were frequently hazed using airsoft guns were sensitized and sensitized macaques had reduced conflicts with humans (i.e., crop damage and open land usage). In addition, using flight initiation distance, we developed simulation models which examined the effects of habituation and sensitization on conflicts. The simulation showed that a habituated population had increased conflicts and a sensitized population had reduced conflicts. These results supported the results of our hazing experiment. Both the field experiment and simulation showed the effectiveness of managing wildlife sensitivity practically and logically. Managing sensitivity could be another measure against human-wildlife conflicts. It should be noted that effective hazing did not need intense stimuli but did require high rate hazing.

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Acknowledgments

English editing was conducted by Christopher Ayer.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yamanashi Prefecture Agricultural Research Center, Yamanashi, Japan

    Takeshi Honda

  2. University of Hyogo, 940 Aogaki Sawano, Tanba, Japan

    Naoto Yamabata

  3. Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Japan

    Hayato Iijima

  4. Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, N10W5, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

    Kenta Uchida

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  1. Takeshi Honda
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  2. Naoto Yamabata
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  4. Kenta Uchida
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Correspondence to Takeshi Honda.

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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. This animal research was permitted by Mie Prefectural research assessment committee #20070201.

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Honda, T., Yamabata, N., Iijima, H. et al. Sensitization to human decreases human-wildlife conflict: empirical and simulation study. Eur J Wildl Res 65, 71 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-019-1309-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-019-1309-z

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