Sharks, the media, and risk perception

This post is a little off topic, but still about something relevant to human-wildlife conflict: people's perception of high (or perceived high) conflict species. In this case, sharks. This post will talk about how people's negative perception of sharks is likely exacerbated by the media, and why that could be leading us to unnecessarily kill sharks in the name of safety. This is definitely not a new concept, but one that needs more air time.

Drought and human-wildlife conflict in Kenya

Kenya has had lots of human-wildlife conflict news lately. They are experiencing an extreme drought that is leading to increased human-wildlife conflict.

Indias 30% Tiger Population Increase in Question

This is important, though only partly related to this blog due to the species involved-- the Bengal tiger-- which is frequently involved in human-wildlife conflict in India.

Image from recent tiger census

Wolves in Norway

Source: The Guardian

Something I've noticed while writing these posts is that people in first world countries are often oddly unaccepting of non-lethal human-wildlife conflict mitigation plans. This is especially true if they're focused on predators. Often the preferred solution is lethal control, with an active refusal of non-lethal methods, as can be learned by the frequent culling of animals such as wolves, bears, and coyotes throughout many countries. This post will focus on wolves in Norway, which are kept at artificially low numbers through culling, due to local fear and perceived threat to livestock.

Herding Dogs Mitigate Human-Cheetah Conflict in Namibia

This post is about a great human-wildlife conflict resolution program started by Dr. Laurie Marker over 20 years ago in Namibia. Read on for some background about human-cheetah conflict in Namibia and how Livestock Guarding Dogs are making a difference in the lives of both local farmers and cheetahs alike.

Human-Shark Conflict

Source: Sharks-World

People have an obsession with sharks. Maybe it's their ferocity, their cold, calculating demeanor, their inordinate number of teeth, or just the fact that they exist in the water, where you can't see them until its too late. Whatever it is, you can't swing a dead cat on the internet without hitting a shark post. Here is another one.

Human-Tiger Conflict in the Sundarbans

Source: Sundarban National Park

Tigers (Panthera tigris) are the biggest and baddest of the big cats; and the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), the subspecies found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, experiences the most conflict with humans, specifically in the Sundarbans.

Human-leopard conflict in India

Most people who pay attention to wildlife related issues are aware of human-tiger conflict in India, but there is another big cat in town making an even bigger ruckus- the Indian leopard. These leopards wreak havoc on the lives of people throughout the country, and have havoc wrought on them in return. Read on to learn about these issues and what is (or isn't) being done about them.

Human-Lion Conflict in Kenya

This post will talk about human-lion conflict in Kenyan Maasailand-- the area of Kenya that is occupied by the Maasai. This is a section of their range in which lions are at high risk of being wiped out. There are some really interesting and effective programs being implemented by local people and conservationists to mitigate these problems. Read on to learn about them!

UPDATE: Human-gorilla conflict

Updated April 21, 2014

This short post is an addition to this blog entry on human-gorilla conflict in Virunga National Park.

The director of Virunga National Park, Emmanuel de Merode, was shot by 3 gunmen in an ambush yesterday, April 15, 2014. He was rushed to Heal Africa hospital in Goma, and survived a surgery to remove the bullets, which hit his stomach and thorax. He is now in Nairobi recovering with his family.

Human-Gorilla Conflict in Virunga National Park

In this post I will talk about human-mountain gorilla conflict in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The situation over there is heartbreaking, but I guarantee your faith in humanity will be restored when you read about the people who are working to save them. 

Human - Aye-Aye Conflict

I am going to kick off this blog with one of my favorite animals, the Aye-Aye. I am particularly drawn to this case of human-wildlife conflict because there is an interesting cultural aspect to it that isn't commonplace; the Aye-Aye itself isn't commonplace either. Unfortunately, not too much is being done about the conflict with the Aye-Aye that is going on in Madagascar. If you know of any specific efforts or programs in place to help them, please let me know. 

The intent of this blog...

On my quest  to figure out what I want to do with my career I took a job doing research on human-wildlife conflict for a documentary and I ended up feeling very connected to it in a way that I didn't expect. Now, I am hoping to get involved in human-wildlife conflict resolution. But before I figure out what direction to go with it, I wanted to educate myself more about the different types of conflict and ways people handle it around the world; and I thought: what better way to do that than compile research and post it for others to learn from? Hence this blog.