OOS 4-2 - Social-ecological factors facilitating coexistence among wildlife and people in a desert city

Human-wildlife coexistence in cities depends on how residents perceive and interact with wildlife in their neighborhoods. An individual’s attitudes and responses to wildlife are primarily shaped by their subjective cognitive judgments, including multi-faceted environmental values and perceptions of risks or safety. However, experiences with wildlife could also positively or negatively affect an individual’s environmental attitudes, including their comfort living around wildlife. Current understanding of human-wildlife coexistence has been limited by the emphasis of previous studies on rural environments and on conflicts with individual problem species, over positive interactions with diverse wildlife communities. Given this research gap, we used data collected via a 2021 survey across twelve neighborhoods of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, AZ to ask: how do the environments in which residents live explain the degree to which they are comfortable living near different wildlife species (coyotes, foxes, and rabbits), as compared to their values, identities, and other personal characteristics. We found that residents’ greater comfort living near wildlife was most strongly associated with pro-wildlife value orientations, reflecting the expectation that attitudes toward wildlife are primarily driven by an individual’s value-based judgements. However, attitudes were further influenced by sociodemographic factors (e.g., pet ownership, gender identity) and environmental factors that influence the presence of and familiarity with wildlife. Specifically, residents living closer to desert parks and preserves were more likely to have positive attitudes toward both coyotes and foxes, species generally regarded as being of greater risk to humans and domestic animals. By improving understanding of what drives attitudes toward urban wildlife, these results can help managers effectively evaluate the potential for human-wildlife coexistence through strategies to mitigate risk and facilitate stewardship.