Habitat selection and outdoor recreation explain human-carnivore conflict

Human-wildlife conflict occurs anywhere humans and wildlife overlap with significant socio-ecological consequences. As participation in outdoor recreation grows, so too does the potential for conflict between people and wildlife. This work investigates how outdoor recreation affects the movement behavior of a large carnivore and demonstrates the potential for human activity to lead to habituation in mountain lions (Puma concolor). Despite evidence of habituation, we found that human-tolerant individuals are not more likely to engage in conflict. Instead, mountain lion attacks on people, and other conflict events, are best explained by an overlap in high-quality mountain lion habitat and concentrated human presence. This work offers a mechanistic understanding of human-wildlife conflict and demonstrates behavioral pathways that contribute to human-wildlife coexistence.