A worldwide perspective on large carnivore attacks on humans

Abstract

Large carnivores have long fascinated human societies and have profound influences on ecosystems. However, their conservation represents one of the greatest challenges of our time, particularly where attacks on humans occur. Where human recreational and/or livelihood activities overlap with large carnivore ranges, conflicts can become particularly serious. Two different scenarios are responsible for such overlap: In some regions of the world, increasing human populations lead to extended encroachment into large carnivore ranges, which are subject to increasing contraction, fragmentation, and degradation. In other regions, human and large carnivore populations are expanding, thus exacerbating conflicts, especially in those areas where these species were extirpated and are now returning. We thus face the problem of learning how to live with species that can pose serious threats to humans. We collected a total of 5,440 large carnivore (Felidae, Canidae, and Ursidae; 12 species) attacks worldwide between 1950 and 2019. The number of reported attacks increased over time, especially in lower-income countries. Most attacks (68%) resulted in human injuries, whereas 32% were fatal. Although attack scenarios varied greatly within and among species, as well as in different areas of the world, factors triggering large carnivore attacks on humans largely depend on the socioeconomic context, with people being at risk mainly during recreational activities in high-income countries and during livelihood activities in low-income countries. The specific combination of local socioeconomic and ecological factors is thus a risky mix triggering large carnivore attacks on humans, whose circumstances and frequencies cannot only be ascribed to the animal species. This also implies that effective measures to reduce large carnivore attacks must also consider the diverse local ecological and social contexts.

Human-brown bear conflicts in Türkiye are driven by increased human presence around protected areas

“…Human-wildlife conflicts are common whenever humans and animals share the same space (Bombieri et al, 2023; Nayeri et al, 2022; Wahab et al 2021). Our data is also reflective of this observation, as high conflict risk areas and most of the conflicts (98%) occurred along the Black Sea coast and Eastern Anatolia (Fig.…”

Living with leopards: an assessment of conflict and people's attitudes towards the common leopard Panthera pardus in a protected area in the Indian Himalayan region

“…We aimed to understand the persistence of this human–carnivore conflict and the attitudes of people towards common leopards in Kishtwar National Park in India. Although no human deaths have been reported in the Park, the leopard is perceived as the most infamous predator in the Kashmir region (Bombieri et al, 2023). In Kishtwar National Park, leopards dominate the low-lying, broad-leaved forests, treelines and sub-alpine pastures that are used by livestock during different seasons (Ahmed, 2021).…”

“…Achieving carnivore conservation whilst preserving human well-being in human-dominated landscapes has become a major challenge for conservationists (Athreya et al, 2015). Conflict reduction in nations such as India, where human–wildlife coexistence is mostly involuntary, will necessitate not just educating people but also changes to the social and economic setting (Bombieri et al, 2023). Together with a carefully designed financial compensation programme, improved animal husbandry practices (e.g.…”

“…Forest fragmentation, habitat heterogeneity (Acharya et al, 2017) and a lack of natural prey (Gurung et al, 2008; Goodrich, 2010) are all significant predictors of predation attempts by carnivores. This results in negative human–carnivore interactions (Seoraj & Pillay, 2017; Wilkinson et al, 2020), especially in multi-use landscapes, with serious consequences (Bombieri et al, 2023) including potential human injury and death (Penteriani et al, 2016, 2017; Bombieri et al, 2018). To effectively manage human–carnivore coexistence under various conditions, a deeper understanding of the factors driving negative interactions is necessary (Chapron et al, 2014; Penteriani et al, 2017; Bombieri et al, 2018).…”

Wild Animal Attacks on Humans in Croatia

“…In the recent decades, the number of attacks by large carnivores (e.g., wolves, bears) on humans has increased, both in industrialised and developing countries (Penteriani et al 2016, Bombieri et al 2023. This increase has been caused by several factors: intentional feeding of wildlife (Penteriani et al 2016), unintentional feeding by leaving food in litter in places accessible to wildlife (Nowak et al 2021), and the increase of people participating in outdoor activities (Bombieri et al 2019).…”