Flight responses of eastern gray kangaroos to benign or harmful human behavior

Austin, Caitlin; Ramp, Daniel

doi:10.1002/ece3.5818

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…This probably leads to an increase of the perceived risk from humans. Behavioral responses to human activity, such as increased FID and escape distance, are found in studies in various species (Austin & Ramp, 2019;de Boer et al, 2004;Holmern et al, 2016). However, few studies have shown direct effect on flight behavior of onset of hunting season.…”

Section: Flight Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of human disturbance on flight response and habitat use of red deer

et al. 2022

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Many wild animals perceive humans as predators, and human disturbance, especially in the form of hunting, triggers antipredatory behavior among prey. Yet, knowledge of how game species react to different types of human disturbance and adapt to repeated disturbances is limited. We investigated how disturbance in the form of a solitary human approacher (stalker) impacted behavior (flight response and short‐term habitat use) of 28 GPS‐collared red deer (Cervus elaphus) in two populations with contrasting population densities in Norway. We studied how the behavioral response differed: (1) with season (pre‐hunting vs. hunting); (2) by consecutive approaches within a day; (3) among replicated experiments within the same season; and (4) between two regions with contrasting densities of red deer. The average flight initiation distance (FID) increased by 15% during the hunting season, and consecutive approaches within the same day caused the red deer to move 49% longer distances. Flight initiation distance was longer in the high‐density population, while escape distance was longer in the low‐density population. Red deer moved out of their weekly home range after 52% approaches, and after the onset of hunting season, time spent outside the home range increased by 89%. Red deer preferred denser resting sites after the disturbance and animal sites had shorter sighting distance and higher canopy cover than control plots. Tree density and canopy cover at animal sites increased at the onset of hunting season, from first to second approach within day, and after replicated experiments within season. Our results suggest that red deer preferred dense resting sites, especially in the hunting season. However, these animal sites had the same amount of the favorable forage plant bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), indicating no clear food–cover trade‐off in selection of habitat. Our study showed that onset of hunting initiates stronger fear responses in red deer, which may in turn affect red deer distribution and harvesting efficiency.

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Section: Flight Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of human disturbance on flight response and habitat use of red deer

et al. 2022

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“…Whether animals tolerate or avoid human disturbance is likely to depend on the nature of their interactions with people. For example, eastern gray kangaroos ( Macropus giganteus ) flee more readily from humans in areas with higher hunting pressure, compared to those in areas with a higher density of tourists and other forms of non-lethal disturbance ( Austin and Ramp, 2019 ). Conversely, animals may approach humans in areas where this behavior is actively rewarded: Barbary macaques ( Macaca sylvanus ) appear to spend more time using roadside habitat where they are provisioned by tourists, especially at times of higher tourist activity and when natural food sources become scarce ( Waterman et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: Variation In Responses To Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Animal Cognition in Human-Wildlife Interactions

et al. 2020

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Humans have a profound effect on the planet’s ecosystems, and unprecedented rates of human population growth and urbanization have brought wild animals into increasing contact with people. For many species, appropriate responses toward humans are likely to be critical to survival and reproductive success. Although numerous studies have investigated the impacts of human activity on biodiversity and species distributions, relatively few have examined the effects of humans on the behavioral responses of animals during human-wildlife encounters, and the cognitive processes underpinning those responses. Furthermore, while humans often present a significant threat to animals, the presence or behavior of people may be also associated with benefits, such as food rewards. In scenarios where humans vary in their behavior, wild animals would be expected to benefit from the ability to discriminate between dangerous, neutral and rewarding people. Additionally, individual differences in cognitive and behavioral phenotypes and past experiences with humans may affect animals’ ability to exploit human-dominated environments and respond appropriately to human cues. In this review, we examine the cues that wild animals use to modulate their behavioral responses toward humans, such as human facial features and gaze direction. We discuss when wild animals are expected to attend to certain cues, how information is used, and the cognitive mechanisms involved. We consider how the cognitive abilities of wild animals are likely to be under selection by humans and therefore influence population and community composition. We conclude by highlighting the need for long-term studies on free-living, wild animals to fully understand the causes and ecological consequences of variation in responses to human cues. The effects of humans on wildlife behavior are likely to be substantial, and a detailed understanding of these effects is key to implementing effective conservation strategies and managing human-wildlife conflict.

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“…Though in rare cases, populations forced to share habitats with humans, such as leopards (Panthera pardus) in Mumbai, India, develop particular strategies like adjusting their daily time budget and prey selection to survive (Braczkowski et al, 2018). Additionally, some animal species adopted different strategies and have different destinies under different human disturbances, depending on the type and intensity of disturbances (Austin & Ramp, 2019;Jahren et al, 2020;Murdoch et al, 2016).…”

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confidence: 99%

Effects of human activity on the habitat utilization of Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana) in Zoige wetland

Zhou

Krzton

Gao

et al. 2021

Ecology and Evolution

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Human activity is increasingly and persistently disturbing nature and wild animals. Affected wildlife adopts multiple strategies to deal with different human influences. To explore the effect of human activity on habitat utilization of Himalayan marmot ( Marmota himalayana ), habitat utilization patterns of three neighboring marmot populations in habitats affected differently by human activities were recorded and compared. We found that (a) distance between reproductive burrows (a represent of reproductive pairs) becomes shorter under the influence of human activities, and more burrows were dug as temporary shelters, resulting in shorter distance between those shelters and shorter distance flee to those shelters and, consequently, shorter flight initiation distance when threatened. More burrows that are closer to the disturbed habitats improve the ability to escape from threats. (b) Reproductive burrow site selection of the species is determined by the availability of mounds in the habitat, and breeding pairs selectively build reproductive (also the hibernation) burrows on mounds, potentially to improve surveillance when basking and the drainage of burrows. Human activities generally drive breeding pairs away from the road to dig their reproductive burrows likely to reduce disturbance from vehicles. However, even heavy human activity exerts no pressure on the distance of reproductive burrows from the road or the mound volume of the high disturbance population, potentially because mounds are the best burrowing site to reproduce and hibernate in the habitat. Marmots deal with disturbance by digging more burrows in the habitat to flee more effectively and building reproductive burrows on mounds to gain better vigilance and drainage efficiency.

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Flight responses of eastern gray kangaroos to benign or harmful human behavior

Cited by 6 publications

References 81 publications

Impacts of human disturbance on flight response and habitat use of red deer

Impacts of human disturbance on flight response and habitat use of red deer

The Role of Animal Cognition in Human-Wildlife Interactions

Effects of human activity on the habitat utilization of Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana) in Zoige wetland

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