Wildlife & Fisheries Biology: Human Wildlife Coexistence

See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.

Minimum Junior standing Special Topics courses cannot carry CC designations. Open to Degree and PACE students.

As human populations expand and wildlife habitats shrink, interactions between people and wild animals have become more frequent. This course explores the challenges and opportunities of human-wildlife coexistence, addressing ecological, social, and policy aspects. Through case studies, discussions, meetings with practitioners this course equips students with practical tools to manage human-wildlife interactions, balancing conservation goals with community needs. Some of the topics that will be discussed includes: Understanding human-wildlife relationships, What causes conflicts with wildlife?, How animals behave , ways to reduce conflicts with wildlife, working with communities and Indigenous insights, and policies, and ethical issues in wildlife management.

This course is designed for in-person participation and is structured into weekly modules, midterm assignments and a final project. Each module offers a mix of online readings, videos, and explorations, accompanied by discussions and quizzes to evaluate understanding. Additionally, there will be weekly group activities conducted in person, to understand topics of module better and collaboratively work towards group project submission.

Weekly Module Content Final Group Project Mid-term assignments/projects