Staging behaviours identify spatial and temporal risk of human-wildlife conflict

Authors: Nathan R. Hahn, Jake Wall, Kristen Denninger-Snyder, Wilson Sairowua, Marc Goss, Stephen Ndambuki, Ernest Eblate, Noel Mbise, Sospeter Kiambi & George Wittemyer

Abstract.

Habitat conversion to farmland has increased human-wildlife interactions, which often lead to conflict, injury or death for people and animals. Understanding the behavioural and landscape drivers of human-wildlife conflict is critical for managing wildlife populations. Staging behaviour prior to crop incursions has been described across multiple taxa and offers potential utility in managing conflict, but few quantitative assessments of staging have been undertaken. Animal movement data can provide valuable, fine-scale information on such behaviour with opportunities for application to real-time management for conflict prediction. Read the full article.