Managing Conflict: Coexistence with Bears, Cougars, and Wolves

Wolves, grizzly bears, and cougars are symbolic and contested animals. They are vital to ecosystem health, but represent wilderness and mystery to some and vermin and destruction to others. Whether large carnivore populations expand numerically or spatially is not a question just for the natural sciences. The issue is ultimately grounded in human values and perspectives about the natural world and our proper relationship to it. Large carnivore restoration and persistence is directly tied to our willingness and commitment to living with and alongside them.

Promoting or practicing coexistence and human-wildlife conflict prevention requires navigating a complex and, at times, contentious management landscape. To assist practitioners, advocates, and managers in this complex work, we compiled and summarized peer-reviewed science across a variety of disciplines relative to large carnivore conservation and conflict management. The collection is broad but conflict-focused.