Investigating spatial and temporal factors driving human-wolf interactions in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Canada ...

• Main Author: Scherger, Jenna Kristine
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2023
• Subjects: Canis lupus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0437988; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0437988

Human-carnivore conflict affects human safety, livelihoods, animal welfare, carnivore population stability, and ecological integrity. Understanding factors associated with conflicts may help to identify management actions that better support the safety of people and wildlife. Over the past few decades, interactions between people and wolves (Canis lupus) in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Canada have resulted in attacks on people, pets, and the death of wolves. To understand the spatial patterns of conflict, we used data from 124 camera traps (2018-2022) to quantify temporal wolf activity in relation to human activity, infrastructure, and prey availability. We further tested the effect of human activity on wolf space use and quantified wolf distribution and activity during COVID-19 lockdowns. We then used wolf activity models and landscape variables as covariates to understand the timing and distribution of 277 reported human-wolf interactions that occurred between 2017-2021. Our analyses suggested that ...