Navigating “Human Wildlife Conflict” situations from the individual's perspective

Co-occurrence of humans and wildlife leads to interactions with potential positive or negative outcomes for the human actors and for the wild animals. It may also lead to positive or negative interactions between various human actors, who perceive the wildlife or wildlife conservation and management similarly or in different ways. The description of negative interactions as Human Wildlife Conflicts (HWC) is criticised as too imprecise, and a distinction to differentiate between wildlife “impacts”, from social “conflicts” has previously been suggested. In this review paper, most reviewed studies within HWC are identified as dealing with “impacts” (n = 156), while a smaller number of papers are focusing on the social conflicts (n = 45). Illustrated by this sample of HWC literature, the concept of HWC is disentangled based on the Human-Environment Interaction Model and Appraisal Theory of Emotion. The framework can provide a structure for understanding the HWC-situation where various actors relate to the wild animals or local activities as part of the physical environment, and other actors as part of the social environment, within the multiuse landscape in which they perform their activities. The discussion provides insight to the internal psychological process as the situation is appraised by the individual actor for the relevance and implications it has to individual goals. A framework for appraising the situation of others can facilitate understanding and empathy between actors, important for future co-existence and sustainable conservation of wildlife in multiuse landscapes. •In this review of HWC, most studies focus on “impacts” caused by wildlife on human interests or vice versa (n = 159),•A smaller number of reviewed papers are focusing on the potential “social conflicts” over wildlife (n = 45).•HWC is disentangled based on a psychological theoretical framework on human – environment interactions.•External (to the individual) HWC-situation and internal (within the individual) psychological processing of the situation.•Framework to support appraisal of the situation of others, to facilitate understanding and empathy between actors.