title: Human behaviour can trigger large carnivore attacks in developed countries.
abstract: The media and scientific literature are increasingly reporting an escalation of large carnivore attacks on humans in North America and Europe. Although rare compared to human fatalities by other wildlife, the media often overplay large carnivore attacks on humans, causing increased fear and negative attitudes towards coexisting with and conserving these species. Although large carnivore populations are generally increasing in developed countries, increased numbers are not solely responsible for the observed rise in the number of attacks by large carnivores. Here we show that an increasing number of people are involved in outdoor activities and, when doing so, some people engage in risk-enhancing behaviour that can increase the probability of a risky encounter and a potential attack. About half of the well-documented reported attacks have involved risk-enhancing human behaviours, the most common of which is leaving children unattended. Our study provides unique insight into the causes, and as a result the prevention, of large carnivore attacks on people. Prevention and information that can encourage appropriate human behaviour when sharing the landscape with large carnivores are of paramount importance to reduce both potentially fatal human-carnivore encounters and their consequences to large carnivores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, C.S.I.C., c/Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain.|Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo University-Campus Mieres, 33600 Mieres, Spain.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Penteriani
authors.affiliation: Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo University-Campus Mieres, 33600 Mieres, Spain.|Metapopulation Research Centre, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: María Del Mar
authors.initials: MDM
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.affiliation: C.I.S.D.A.M., Via S. Liberata 1, Rosello (CH) I-66040, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pinchera
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, C.S.I.C., c/Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Naves
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, C.S.I.C., c/Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Gil
authors.affiliation: Natural Resources Institute Finland, P.O. Box 16, FI-96301 Rovaniemi, Finland.
authors.forename: Ilpo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kojola
authors.affiliation: Finnish Wildlife Agency, Sompiontie 1, FI-00730 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Sauli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Härkönen
authors.affiliation: Finnish Wildlife Agency, Sompiontie 1, FI-00730 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Harri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Norberg
authors.affiliation: Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 73091 Riddarhyttan, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, C.S.I.C., c/Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain.|Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves", Institute Superior of Agronomy, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fedriani
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway.|The Norwegian Environment Agency, P.O. Box 5672 Sluppen, N-7485 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sahlén
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway.
authors.forename: Ole-Gunnar
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Støen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway.|The Norwegian Environment Agency, P.O. Box 5672 Sluppen, N-7485 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Jon E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Swenson
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University College, Evenstad, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway.
authors.forename: Petter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wabakken
authors.affiliation: C.I.S.D.A.M., Via S. Liberata 1, Rosello (CH) I-66040, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pellegrini
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2T 2Y2.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herrero
authors.affiliation: Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo University-Campus Mieres, 33600 Mieres, Spain.|Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 73091 Riddarhyttan, Sweden.
authors.forename: José Vicente
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: López-Bao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000502:physiology*; D019049:Developed Countries; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012919:Social Behavior
references.citation: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2011 May 12;366(1569):1425-37
references.pmid: 21444316
references.citation: Trends Ecol Evol. 1994 Nov;9(11):442-6
references.pmid: 21236920
references.citation: Ecology. 2011 Aug;92(8):1582-93
references.pmid: 21905425
references.citation: Ambio. 2004 Aug;33(6):283-8
references.pmid: 15387060
references.citation: Forensic Sci Int. 2007 Nov 15;173(1):64-7
references.pmid: 18401885
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2012 Nov 7;279(1746):4407-16
references.pmid: 22951744
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Feb 26;105(8):2919-22
references.pmid: 18299567
references.citation: Trends Ecol Evol. 2012 Aug;27(8):452-61
references.pmid: 22727728
references.citation: Wilderness Environ Med. 1996 May;7(2):170-2
references.pmid: 11990109
references.citation: Science. 2014 Dec 19;346(6216):1517-9
references.pmid: 25525247
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Jun 16;106 Suppl 1:9987-94
references.pmid: 19528656
references.citation: Nature. 2012 May 17;485(7398):296-7
references.pmid: 22596135