A in the scientific journal raises questions about how the presence of humans affectswild animals and their susceptibility to predators. For thepaper, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)examined data ofobserved animal behavior from scientists around the world.Dan Blumstein, professor and chair of the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA, is the corresponding author ofthe paper,“How Nature-Based Tourism Might Increase Prey Vulnerability to Predators.”
With ecotourism, or nature-based tourism, Blumstein toldϳԹon Monday,there is evidence that animals can become more tolerant of humans. “The question we’re askingis, ‘Does this mean they become more vulnerable to predators?’”he said. “The degree to which animals become dumb around humans is a really interesting question.”
The paper examines the link between wild animals’ gradual domestication through interaction with humans in high-traffic areaslike wilderness preserves. Due to their close proximity to humans, these animalslive in a kind of protective net from predators. As they breed, they pass down domestic traits, changing the species generation by generation. Blumstein’s paper asks whether this poses a danger to the animals both immediately and in the long-term, especially if the protection that human presenceprovides from predatorsis removed.
While these changes may not seem as critical for species like deer or squirrels, the stakes are higherwhen dealing with already-stressed populations, specifically endangered species. Forat-riskpopulations, the loss of several animals (due to domestication and its impact on the animal’s ability to escapepredators)could result in a stable population moving into decline, Blumstein said. He also saidthat the paper’s results call for additional research to discover a timeline of when these changes take place. Park managers could use the resulting data could when implementing zoning, which would offset high-traffic areas with areas that have restricted access, allowing animals little to no interaction with humans. This method is already practiced in the GalapagosIslands and select other areas around the world, according to Blumstein.
“The true ecotourists are going to be the most amenable to thinking critically and wanting to get more information, and then presumably wanting to minimize their impact,” Blumstein said.