Poll Answer: Wildlife Behavior

A visitor uses a zoom lens to view a coyote from a safe distance.


Thanks to everyone who participated in this last Leave No Trace Poll! The question was:

"Of the learned responses that wildlife may exhibit around visitors, which is the least desirable?"

Answer choices included:
A. Avoidance
B. Attraction
C. Indifference
D. Fear

This was a tricky question and though many respondents choice "B" (Attraction) the correct answer was "C" (Indifference). Indifference is a result of wildlife habituation. Habituation, by definition, is the point when an animal stops responding to a stimulus, in this case, humans.

Habituation is a process of learning; an animal is exposed to a stimulus for a long enough period of time (again, humans) that it becomes indifferent to it. Habituation has many different levels, the most profound being a change to the animal's nervous system, by which the signals to the brain activating the "fight or flight" response stop functioning.

Thought attraction is not a desirable, indifference is the least desirable behavior because "fight or flight" is a survival technique for all animals.

The good news is, humans can be proactive in decreasing the possibility of wildlife habituation!

Respect Wildlife: Maintaining a safe distance from animals, not feeding them, making sure to pack out trash and being smart about camping/picnicking spots are several ways that we can enjoy wildlife in their natural habitat without compromising their safety or our own.

Let us know if you have any questions or concerns; stay tuned for another poll in the coming weeks!