An Assessment of Municipal Capacity for Human-Wildlife Conflict Management in Selected Urban Areas of Southern Ontario

Recently many Canadian municipalities have begun to experiment with urban naturalization programs. Consequently, many urban environments are now inhabited by a much larger wildlife population than they were several decades ago. The more species present in the city, the greater the potential for human-wildlife interaction and/or conflict. Current municipal capacity for human-wildlife conflict management is generally insufficient to deal with growing problems. New solutions for human-wildlife conflict are needed. Using selected municipalities in southern Ontario as an example, this thesis research explores the development and application of principles for wildlife-human conflict management in urban areas. A literature review, media analysis and interviews with key municipal stakeholders were used to identify best management practices. Recommendations for the development of integrated nuisance management (INM) systems are proposed based on study findings.