Louisiana Urban Wildlife Coalition

What is Human-Wildlife Conflict?

As the human population grows the demand for land for housing, agriculture, and infrastructure also grows. As development expands into wildlife habitats, migration corridors and buffer zones, the instances of positive and negative human–wildlife interactions rises. Some wildlife, such as raccoons, skunks, coyotes, rodents and birds, are considered edge species and have adapted to urban and suburban life and are present around urban parks, neighborhoods, and yards. These animals actual thrive living alongside humans.

Lethal control is often the first approach to human-wildlife conflict. But, nowadays we are more aware of the negative impacts removing local wildlife can have on an area. Not only is it inhumane, as it orphans babies and splits up families, it throws local ecosystems out of balance. As we come to understand more about ecology and edge species likes raccoons, opossums, foxes and coyotes, we know that removing wildlife is also not a long term or sustainable solution to human-wildlife conflict. It's only a temporary fix that opens up a vacancy for more wildlife to eventually move in to occupy. We also know that human behavior is the controllable factor, not the wildlife.

By modifiying our behaviors we can keep our families and properties safe while respecting our wild neighbors.

Human-wildife coexistence requires respect, education and proactive strategies. By understanding why animals are in our neighborhoods, respecting their presence and taking steps to deter them humanely if needed, we can create an environment where humans and wildlife thrive. Remember: Humans are part of the natural world and the ecosystem; we do not live outside of nature. Our health and well being depend greatly on the balance of nature.

Human-wildife coexistence is our responsibility.

Where To Start With Proactive Wildlife Co-existence Strategies and Why it Matters

Fortunately there are humane strategies we can use to promote human-wildlife coexistence within our local communities. We can enact change in our own local communities through educational initiatives that help keep our neighborhoods safe for humans, companion animals, and wildlife. We can help shift the antiquated reactive lethal removal of "nuisance" wildlife in neighborhoods to sustainable proactive methods that keep our local ecosystems healthy.

Effective neighborhood initiatives for human-wildlife coexistence prioritize education, collaboration, and habitat-conscious planning.

We can start with our neighbors, by just having a conversation. We can print flyers with wildlife facts, yard audits, deterrence tips, and pass them around at our neighborhood parks and HOA meetings. We can provide educational links to resources in neighborhood newsletters or through the Next Door app. We can take it a step further by having professionals speak at neighborhood meetings and by working with the HOA to adopt a non-lethal community action plan for wildlife.

What attractants do our urban and suburban spaces hold?

• Food. Trash cans, compost, bird feeders, gardens, left out pet food all provide easy meals for wildlife like raccoons, skunks and rodents. The rodents will also attract larger wildlife, like foxes, bobcats, and coyotes, in addition to the easy meals listed.

• Shelter. Abandoned buildings, sheds, attics, parks, cemeteries, schools in summer months, and dense neighbourhood shrubbery and waterways can serve as homes for wildlife species.

• Safety. Some animals, like foxes, find refuge in suburban environments in close proximity to humans, where natural predators, like coyotes annd bobcats, are less prevalent.

Coexistence makes our environments safer for both humans and wildife.

Studies show that non-lethal coexistence strategies and altering our human behavior are more effective at preventing conflicts with urban wildlife in the long term.