Attitudes, emotions and behaviors toward human-coyote interactions

Human-wildlife interactions (HWI) are inevitable when people go into a park. Understanding how people react to different HWI scenarios can help parks assess how visitors are using current safety information. We explored how... [ view full abstract ]

Human-wildlife interactions (HWI) are inevitable when people go into a park. Understanding how people react to different HWI scenarios can help parks assess how visitors are using current safety information. We explored how residents’ experience, emotions and behavioral reactions varied depending on the types of HWI in Cape Breton Highlands National Park of Canada (CBHNPC). Data were obtained from surveys conducted around CBHNPC, where a coyote caused the first adult human fatality in 2009. Local residents were mailed a questionnaire (n = 578; 72% return rate) in 2011. We examined differences and similarities among residents in their experience, emotions and behavioral reaction in three human-coyote scenarios: scenario 1: a coyote crosses the trail; scenario 2: a coyote approaches you on a trail; and scenario 3: a coyote approaches you on a trial, snarling. Paired t-tests were used to compare means between the scenarios. As predicted, as the severity of the interaction increased (i.e., scenario 1 to 3), the experience became more negative, the emotional response intensified, and behaviors such as standing tall, talking loudly and backing away became more acceptable. Some reported behaviors such as running away increased in acceptability, which is contrary to the park’s safety messages regarding how to react when meeting coyotes. Understanding how people might react to different types of coyote interactions will help CBHNPC access the effectiveness of the park’s safety messages.