As bear populations recover in some regions and expand into human-dominated landscapes, managing coexistence while protecting bear welfare and human safety requires sophisticated, evidence-based approaches.
Bears in conflict situations face a cascade of welfare harms: harassment, trapping, relocation stress, and often lethal management. The welfare impact of translocation is particularly underappreciated — bears moved to unfamiliar territory lose their knowledge of food sources, denning sites, and social boundaries, often resulting in prolonged stress, nutritional deficit, and high mortality. Preventive coexistence strategies that address the root causes of conflict — unsecured food sources, inadequate livestock protection — protect bear welfare far more effectively than reactive management. Welfare-centered conflict management also considers the chronic stress experienced by bears in areas with high human disturbance, even when direct conflict is not occurring.