Human–Nature Relations, Conflict, and Coexistence
Human–nature relations are shaped not only by ecological processes, but also by values, beliefs, emotions, and social norms that influence how people perceive wildlife and environmental protection. Across many contexts, interactions between people and wildlife range from neutral or positive to contentious and risky, sometimes escalating into conflict and deeply polarised views. Understanding these human dimensions of conservation is essential for explaining why conflict emerges, why it persists, and how pathways toward coexistence can be fostered.
In this theme, we draw on conservation psychology, behavioural ecology, and social–ecological research to study how values, value orientations, beliefs, attitudes, behavioural intentions, and behaviours toward wildlife and environmental protection are related. We are particularly interested in how simplified or polarised framings of wildlife emerge, how they shape tolerance and behaviour, and under what conditions more pluralistic, context sensitive, and coexistence oriented perspectives can develop.
Our work integrates human dimensions research with animal ecology and behaviour, recognising that human responses to wildlife are shaped by both perceived and real risks, species behaviour, and ecological dynamics. Importantly, conflict rarely arises directly between humans and wildlife, but rather between people with different values, interests, and lived experiences of conservation. These polarised views are often rooted in past governance choices and conservation models—including colonial and exclusionary approaches—that have transformed diverse human–nature relationships into more uniform, economically framed ones.
Examples from our research
Our research includes empirical studies linking human behaviour toward carnivores with ecological patterns, such as work showing how the human propensity to kill carnivores is associated with the spatial distribution of spotted hyaenas. We have also documented historical shifts in local attitudes toward wildlife among Maasai pastoralists in the Amboseli ecosystem, revealing how conservation interventions, social change, and lived experience interact to reshape values and perceptions over time.
Current projects extend this work across species, regions, and cultural contexts. Research on human–elephant relations examines tolerance, risk perception, and conflict across different geographies and cultural settings in India and Ghana, while work on carnivores as cultural keystone species among the Daasanach in Kenya explores how cultural values shape human–carnivore relations and conservation outcomes. In Europe, research on attitudes toward bears investigates how fear, trust, and social context influence acceptance of large carnivores in human‑dominated landscapes.
In parallel, we conduct applied research on human–wildlife conflict and coexistence. This includes developing and testing principles and technologies to support coexistence, and evaluating how interventions influence both human behaviour and ecological outcomes. Across these studies, our aim is not only to understand conflict, but to identify evidence‑based pathways toward coexistence that are socially legitimate, culturally sensitive, and ecologically effective.
Related projects:
- How to coexist with increasing large carnivore populations: humans and brown bears in Europe ()
- Thinking like an elephant: Incorporating elephant behaviour into human-elephant conflict mitigation ()
- Conservation trade-offs? The role of elephants in climate change ()
- Reptile diversity in West African forests: from current knowledge to the implications of land-use change and human interactions ()
- Human-Carnivore Relations in Transition: Ritual, Knowledge, and Conservation in East Africa ()
People
Publications
Torrents-Ticó M et al. (2026) The human propensity to kill carnivores is associated with the distribution of spotted hyaenas. Journal for Nature Conservation.
Fernández-Llamazares Á et al. (2020) Historical shifts in local attitudes towards wildlife by Maasai pastoralists of the Amboseli Ecosystem (Kenya): Insights from three conservation psychology theories. Journal for Nature Conservation.