Human—Wildlife Coexistence: Insights and Strategies for Sustainable Harmony

Dear Colleagues,

Wildlife lives with humans in diverse landscapes, ranging from cities, suburbs and rural communities to resource extraction zones and protected areas across the Global North and Global South. Its presence affects ecosystem wellbeing, functioning and resilience, as well as livelihood success, safety and health risks, economic markets, governance, and individual and cultural connections with nature. Conflicts that arise in human–wildlife interactions are a significant conservation issue.

Human–wildlife coexistence posits a holistic reframing of the human–wildlife relationship, and encourages the multidisciplinary exploration of positive, neutral and negative interactions. Human–wildlife coexistence requires active choices by humans to sustainably share spaces and resources with wildlife. Coexistence recognizes that human–wildlife conflict occurs, and strives to mitigate its impacts on the affected human and wildlife communities through dynamic, adaptive and locally appropriate management.

The complexity, uncertainty and dynamic nature of the social–ecological systems we share with wildlife necessitates coexistence strategies that offer sustainable success at the landscape level while addressing local problems. This Special Issue highlights insights and strategies that support sustainable human–wildlife coexistence in diverse landscapes across the globe, inviting original research articles and reviews that address this aim.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. L. Jen Shaffer
Guest Editor

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