Vol. 11, Issue 4, Part E (2025)

Abstract
Coexistence with wildlife serves as a pivotal aim in conservation; however, the concept and its study remain largely unexplored. Coexistence is defined as a sustainable yet dynamic state where humans and wildlife adapt to sharing landscapes. This requires effective governance of human-wildlife interactions, ensuring the persistence of wildlife populations in ways that are socially legitimate and maintain acceptable levels of risk. The current emphasis on conflict-driven framing of human-wildlife interactions tends to reinforce a dichotomy between humans and nature as inherently oppositional. It implies that coexistence demands the elimination of conflict and focuses research and management disproportionately on direct negative impacts, while neglecting indirect consequences and the positive dimensions of living alongside wildlife. Human behavior toward wildlife is often presented as a rational calculation of costs and benefits, overlooking the emotional and cultural elements of these interactions. The study of coexistence faces challenges, including a lack of familiarity with relevant methodologies such as qualitative research, self-reflexivity, and ethical rigor, along with constraints in funding and time. Examples from fieldwork conducted in India and Africa highlight these issues. Pooley and colleagues suggest adopting a foundational approach to case studies that expands the scope of inquiry beyond rational behavior and the quantification of human costs and benefits associated with wildlife.