"Analysis of nearly 32,000 reports of human-wildlife interactions made to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife between 2017 and 2023 included reports of depredation -- or animal damage to property -- reports of anticipation of conflict or general sightings and reports of animal nuisance that did not result in property damage. More than 60 animal species were named in the reports."
"A team of researchers developed a statistical method to test how changes in precipitation across years and months coincide with changes and upticks in reported conflicts, Kendall Calhoun, a postdoctoral researcher and wildlife ecologist at the University of California, Los Angeles and University of California Davis, told ABC News. The findings indicate that conflict rose overall during drought, with the strongest increases occurring in mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats, according to the paper."
Prolonged, climate-exacerbated drought in California corresponded with increased reports of human-wildlife conflict. Nearly 32,000 reports to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2017 to 2023 included depredation, anticipation of conflict, sightings, and nuisance reports involving more than 60 species. Conflict increased overall during drought, especially involving mountain lions, coyotes, and bobcats. Animals moved or expanded ranges to find water and food, reducing plant availability for herbivores and leading carnivores to target easier prey such as livestock. A statistical method linked year-to-year and month-to-month precipitation changes with upticks in reported conflicts, while reports focused on property damage and nuisance rather than attacks or injuries.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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