Citation

Author Website

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/karenaowens1_how-wildlife-personalities-affect-conservation-activity-7148679169428643840-TrYe/

https://www.columbiacollege.ca/about/staff-and-faculties/malgorzata-bryja/

http://marcbekoff.com/

Abstract

Individual differences in personality types within the same species have been studied much less than differences between species and populations. Personality differences are related to risk-taking and exploration, which in turn correlate with individuals' daily responses, decisions, and fitness. Bold and shy personality types can have different advantages and disadvantages under different social or environmental pressures. Analyzing personality differences has helped clarify how elk habituate to a well-populated area and how management strategies can be adapted to them. For wolves newly repatriated to Colorado, individual personality factors are likely to prove important for adapting to their new homes as well as to the needs of the people cohabiting them. Animal and human factors need to be investigated jointly for the long-term success of conservation initiatives.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author Biography

Karen Owens brings more than 25 years of animal behavior experience to conservation research. She has been the Director of Behavior at two animal shelters and specializes in temperament, sociability, and aggression. Her interests are focused on individual wildlife personality and beaver wetland restoration. Website

Gosia Bryja, instructor of geography and environmental studies at Columbia College in Vancouver, B.C., is an environmental scientist and conservationist who has designed and implemented conservation initiatives across North and South America, Africa, and Asia. Her interests and research focus on wildlife-human interactions, particularly with large carnivores, trans-species psychology, and bridging science and ethics in wildlife conservation. Website

Marc Bekoff is professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has published numerous articles and books and won many awards for his research on carnivores and other animals. His latest book is The Emotional Lives of Animals. Website

DOI

10.51291/2377-7478.1833