Renewed coexistence as a conceptual reframing of animal reintroductions to foster sustainable human–wildlife coexistence

TL;DR

This paper reframes animal reintroductions as a process of renewed coexistence, emphasizing long-term human-wildlife interactions and social integration.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel conceptual framework for reintroductions as renewed coexistence, emphasizing coadaptive processes and human involvement.

Findings

Renewed coexistence emphasizes long-term human-wildlife interactions beyond mere animal return.

A transition phase is identified where humans and reintroduced animals continue to coadapt.

Meaningful human involvement is crucial from the project's outset through to implementation.

Abstract

Wildlife reintroductions are socioecological processes entailing the intentional movement of organisms by people. In animal reintroductions, there is growing recognition of the importance of human dimensions and efforts to integrate these into reintroduction projects. To conceptually reframe reintroductions as processes of renewed coexistence (a coadaptive process through which sustainable human–wildlife interactions [HWIs] are fostered), we build upon existing understanding of HWIs and coexistence. Our conceptual framing acknowledges historical HWIs and recognizes that the reintroduced species may be new for people to coexist with today. This provides a long‐term, futures‐oriented perspective on reintroductions that goes beyond the return of an animal to fostering long‐term coexistence between humans and the reintroduced animal. This requires integration of social understandings and meaningful involvement of people from the outset and throughout feasibility, planning, and implementation. Further, we provide fresh insight on the subsequent transition phase by recognizing there to be a period where humans and reintroduced animals continue to coadapt as the situation transitions from a reintroduction project into a long‐term coexistence between humans and wild animals.

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