1.0 Introduction
This document outlines broad strategies to prevent and manage a wide range
of human-wildlife conflicts in Ontario. These strategies will facilitate the
development and implementation of more detailed tools for dealing with
specific human-wildlife conflicts and issues.
The Nature of Human-Wildlife Conflicts
Human-wildlife conflicts result when the actions of humans or wildlife have an
adverse impact upon the other. Although it is recognized that humans have
profoundly impacted wildlife and the environment in many ways, through
habitat loss, pollution, introduction and spread of exotic and invasive species,
overexploitation, and climate change, this document focuses mostly on those
human-wildlife conflicts that result from direct interaction among humans and
wildlife. Human-wildlife conflicts vary according to geography, land use
patterns, human behaviour, and the habitat and behaviour of wildlife species
or individual animals within the species. Principal areas of concern include:
Some wildlife species (e.g., deer, coyotes, Canada geese, raccoons,
black bear) have an economic impact on local farming communities by
damaging crops and livestock predation. The Agricultural Advisory
Task Team (AATT) appointed in 2004 by the provincial Minister of
Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, identified issues of livestock
predation and crop damage by wildlife in some regions of Ontario. The
AATT recommended that human-wildlife conflict in agricultural areas
be recognized and addressed by the provincial government.
Human-wildlife conflicts in urban areas often involve wildlife species
(e.g., raccoons, squirrels, Canada geese) that have adapted well to
changes to natural habitat resulting from residential development.
Impacts in residential areas include structural damage to buildings and
landscaping and fouling of parks and recreation areas. Expansion of
permanent residential and cottage development in rural areas of the
province has also been accompanied by increased human-wildlife
conflicts.
Vehicle-wildlife collisions result in injury or mortality of both wildlife and
humans, as well as substantial damage to motor vehicles. Wildlifeplane
collisions are also of concern at some airports and runways.
The potential for disease transmission between wildlife and domestic
animals or to humans is an ongoing concern. While major initiatives
have limited the incidence and spread of rabies in Ontario, pathogens
such as chronic wasting disease and avian influenza are receiving
greater attention at provincial, national and international levels.
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Populations of some wildlife species can cause ecological impacts that
are in conflict with objectives associated with conserving and
maintaining biodiversity. For example, intensive foraging by whitetailed
deer can alter ecological processes and physically impact habitat
of species at risk.
There is a need for better understanding and awareness of the nature and
complexity of factors contributing to human-wildlife conflicts in Ontario,
including climatic factors, land use, agricultural practices and wildlife
management initiatives. Reduced winter severity associated with long-term
climate change and shifts in agricultural land use practices in recent decades
has created favourable environmental conditions for some wildlife species,
such as white-tailed deer. There are currently underway enhanced
government efforts to conserve and protect species and their habitat. In
support of “sustainable development”, there is recognition of the importance of
the natural environmental in the lives of Ontarians. However, these efforts
may have incidental consequences of increasing human-wildlife interactions,
which need to be managed to maintain a healthy balance between the need
for socio-economic development and protection of the natural environment.
The number of people in southern Ontario has increased from 8.5 million in
1980 to 12.4 million in 2004. Future population growth will lead to increased
urban and rural development and greater interaction with wildlife, particularly
with those species able to adapt to human-induced habitat change.