Mitigating human–nonhuman primate conflict

One of the challenges facing primate conservation is the rising level of interaction between humans and primates, and the resulting conflicts that might emerge. Living alongside primates can impose costs upon local people that are frequently cited as the “drivers” of conflict, including crop feeding, livestock depredation, property damage, and aggressive interactions with humans. Primate damage is only one aspect of conflict, with social drivers (such as cultural norms and expectations, social tensions, fear, and lack of knowledge) often influencing the intensity of conflict generated. It is becoming increasingly acknowledged that human–primate conflict is impacted by humans who have different goals, perceptions, and levels of empowerment. The ability for humans and primates to coexist therefore requires complex and multifaceted social and technical approaches, as well as the willingness of stakeholders, academics, and policy makers to recognize problems as shared ones and to discuss them collaboratively and openly.