From Conflict to Coexistence: Thriving Together with Wildlife

Mar 31, 2025 | Nilanga Jayasinghe
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Around the world, people and wildlife are sharing space more than ever before. Since 2021, over half of Earth’s terrestrial surface has been shared by both humans and wildlife — a number that continues to rise. As cities sprawl, farms expand, and infrastructure cuts through habitats, encounters between people and wildlife become inevitable. But these interactions are often negative. When elephants feed on crops, wolves prey on livestock, or leopards wander into villages, human-wildlife conflict occurs. And this isn’t just a rural issue. Whether it’s raccoons in city trash cans or deer eating suburban gardens, human-wildlife conflict can happen anywhere. In response, people often build fences, use noise deterrents, or even retaliate against animals. Yet these short-term fixes rarely address the deeper challenge: how can we coexist with wildlife on our increasingly shared planet?