Wilder Together: How Symbiotic Living with Wildlife Can Allow Everyone to Thrive

As humans living in an increasingly urbanized society, it can be difficult to coexist with wildlife when we ascribe ownership to almost everything; we perceive common outdoor spaces as “my yard,” “my garden,” and “my neighborhood,” yet by claiming shared parts of the world in this way, we often neglect (or hurt) the animals and plants that also call these places home. This seems especially unfair when we consider how much wildlife must change and adapt their behaviors, activity patterns, and diets to better suit our needs to simply survive.

Afterall, compared to humans, wildlife typically has a much longer history inhabiting these spaces and help promote equilibrium in countless ecosystems. Because most animals share our lands and seas symbiotically, it is our responsibility to create simple solutions that benefit everyone, as our own small behavior changes will ultimately reduce conflicts between humans and wildlife; not the other way around. When we move away from a mentality that forces us to choose between animals, environments, and humans, and realize that we all must share with each other, that shift will signify the most meaningful change in a future that prioritizes coexistence and balance.

Using Coexistence Strategies to Reduce Human-Wildlife Conflict

We know that the direct impacts of human-wildlife conflict can be devastating, including human and nonhuman animal lives lost, property damages, agricultural losses, and major income setbacks. Therefore, a strategic approach based on the needs, behaviors, and goals of the animals first is crucial to help minimize conflict long-term. For example, key wildlife coexistence strategies that have previously been successful in the United States include:

• Non-Lethal Predator Management: Employing range riders (specialized horse riders who patrol rangelands to protect livestock from predators), livestock guarding dogs, carcass removal, and temporary electrified fencing (fladry) to protect livestock and reduce the need for lethal control methods.
• Wildlife Corridors and Crossings: Federal and state agencies are investing in infrastructure like underpasses, overpasses, and fencing to steer animals away from high-speed roads, which decreases collisions.
• Attractant Management: To manage urban wildlife like bears, raccoons, and coyotes, cities are implementing wildlife-resistant trash cans, monitoring pets while outside, public education campaigns, and ordinances against feeding wildlife.
• Human-Wildlife Conflict Education: Programs like “BearWise” or local “wildlife ambassadors” at trailheads help educate residents and tourists on how to behave in wildlife habitats and protect themselves should an incident arise, like carrying bear spray and securing food.
• Policy and Planning: States including Washington and California are passing legislation that emphasizes non-lethal management of carnivores and creates funding for habitat connectivity.
• Community-Based Conservation: Collaborative efforts bring together ranchers, conservationists, and government agencies to create incentivized and individualized solutions, like compensating ranchers for using protective measures rather than just for livestock losses caused by predators in the area.

For example, Alderspring Ranch CEO and Co-Founder Glenn Elzinga has successfully gone a decade with no livestock losses to wolves despite living alongside them in the central Idaho Rocky Mountains. According to the Aspen Times, Elzinga saw occasional calf losses up until 2012, when the wolf population peaked in Idaho at around 2,000 wolves. That year, he lost about 10% of his calf crop that year (~$90,000 worth of cattle then and $250,000 to $300,000 worth in today’s economy). After the loss, he decided to switch to traditional ways of ranching, where he herded cattle by hand and slept with them in cowboy camps at night. While that required more work, he found that the cows gained weight more efficiently, which resulted in him earning an additional $150,000 after 100 days of using the traditional methods. In addition to keeping the wolves alive, herding the cattle to graze has also improved the biodiversity of Elzinga’s land by stirring up the soil and improving the grazing lands with more diverse vegetation, enhancing the water flow and quality of onsite streams, increasing the native fish populations in these waterways, and helping beaver populations rebound in the area.

Take Steps this Spring to be a Better Neighbor to Wild Animals

This Spring, we encourage you to join our push to perceive what you may have previously considered to be “nuisance” animals as your “neighbors.” While we can advocate for ourselves and have a legal system in place to uphold our protections, wildlife is not always afforded the same treatment or rights. We must fight for the voiceless to ensure that everyone on this planet, both human and nonhuman animals alike, can surpass simply surviving and thrive—together.

If you are looking for a species-specific guide on everyday wildlife coexistence issues, check out our Wildlife Coexistence Guides!

For the Animals,
Devan