Chinese scientists propose human-wildlife conflict resolution strategy

Chinese scientists have shared new insight regarding human-wildlife conflict resolution by establishing a temporal livestock management strategy, according to the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology (NWIPB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Published in the journal Integrative Zoology, the study sheds light on the common global challenge of ensuring both sustainable development and biodiversity protection, the institute said.

Domestic livestock grazing occupies about one-third of the Earth's land area and significantly affects sympatric wildlife. This high overlap in space utilization also leads to constant conflict between local herdsmen and wild animals.

With a focus on exploring non-fatal mitigation strategies, the research team conducted a long-term field investigation and study in the Sanjiangyuan area, which is known as "China's water tower," located in the country's northwestern Qinghai Province. Snow leopards, wolves, lynxes and brown bears are the main large carnivores that come into conflict with humans in this region. 

Over a ten-year period from 2014 to 2024, scientists installed 422 infrared cameras and collected relevant monitoring data in this region, covering a cumulative monitoring area amounting to 2,580 square kilometers. They obtained a large amount of valid photos of snow leopards, wolves, brown bears and lynxes, respectively.

The analysis showed that all four large carnivores were primarily nocturnal with species-specific peak activity times. The wolf exhibited distinct seasonal diel activity patterns, unlike the other species. Notably, temporal risk assessment of livestock predation identified species-specific high-risk windows.

The study indicates that implementing targeted livestock management strategies during such high-risk periods is key to reducing the risk of livestock being preyed upon.

"Based on field investigation and analysis, our study proposes that by integrating spatial utilization zoning and regulating grazing time based on the temporal activity patterns of specific species, the encounter probability of people with offending carnivores can be greatly reduced. Thus, the strategy can sustain mitigating human-animal conflict in a more scientific manner," said Lian Xinming, a researcher with the NWIPB.