Here, we have shown that tigers can adapt and thrive in a
human-dominated landscape by displacing their spatial and
temporal activity from humans. Our study shows the need for
and feasibility of incorporating temporal activity patterns into
conservation planning, which typically focuses on spatial relationships
(zoning information in ref. 45). For example, reducing
the abundance of livestock left unattended at night when carnivores
are typically active will reduce livestock predation (46).
Vehicular activity may also be restricted during certain times
(e.g., dusk and dawn) to facilitate crepuscular and nocturnal
dispersal across and use of human-dominated landscapes.
Whether illicit or authorized, human activities within natural
ecosystems around the world, such as hunting bushmeat, herding
livestock, and collecting forest products, are pervasive and in
many cases, increasing (13, 47–49). The reaction of threatened
wildlife to these activities will vary according to context-specific
conditions, including region, type, and frequency of human
activities, behavioral ecology of the wildlife species, and management
policies. Similarly, conservation actions intended to
modify the ways people and wildlife interact in space and time
must fully consider the context-specific social and political
implications (e.g., altering access to land for different groups of
people) (50) in addition to ecological effects. Regardless of
context, however, conservation plans informed by fine-scale
spatial and temporal insights can help address a major global
challenge—meeting human needs while sustaining wildlife in an
increasingly crowded world.