National Parks Animals Adapt to Human Presence: Study Reveals Behavioral Shifts

Understanding the Impact of Human Activity on Wildlife in National Parks

The presence of humans and their infrastructure within U.S. national parks has significantly influenced the behaviors of large animals, according to a recent study. The research, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, highlights how wildlife continues to avoid human-built structures even during periods when park access was limited.

During the pandemic-era lockdowns in 2020, many national parks were closed to visitors, leading to a temporary reduction in human activity. Despite this, the study found that large animals at most sites still avoided roadways, trails, and other facilities. However, there were exceptions, particularly in more developed areas where some species began to use these spaces more frequently in 2020 compared to 2019.

This behavior is not uniform across all species or regions. In remote protected areas, the tendency to avoid human infrastructure remained strong. The lead author of the study, Kaitlyn Gaynor, a zoologist from the University of British Columbia, noted that wildlife worldwide tends to fear people and avoid high-activity zones. She was surprised to see this pattern persist even in remote areas.

To gain insight into these behaviors, researchers analyzed GPS collar data from 229 animals representing 10 different species across 14 national parks and protected areas between 2019 and 2020. This timeframe allowed them to compare animal movements before and during the “Anthropause” — a period marked by drastically reduced human visits due to the pandemic.

The species studied included grey wolves, mountain lions, black and grizzly bears, moose, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep. Overall, the findings indicated that animals generally avoided infrastructure such as roads, trails, parking lots, and campgrounds. However, the degree of avoidance varied among populations, species, and individual animals.

In more developed areas, some animals became more willing to explore these spaces when no people were present. For example, Yosemite National Park saw black bears remain in the area after closures ended, likely because they had become accustomed to the abundance of food in the valley. Gaynor explained that while some populations, like the Yosemite black bears, showed a noticeable change in behavior, most did not.

She pointed out that media coverage in 2020 suggested that animals were reclaiming national parks, but the study found less dramatic effects overall. Gaynor emphasized that it takes only a few individuals changing their behavior to create a perception of broader impact.

The researchers also considered the short duration of the pandemic closures — averaging about 58 days — which may not have been long enough for many animals to fully adapt to changes in human activity. They speculated that risk-averse animals might have already been displaced before the pandemic, meaning those with greater exposure to humans may have already become habituated.

Forest Hayes, a co-author and postdoctoral fellow at Colorado State University, highlighted the complex ways animals balance risks and benefits associated with human presence. Gaynor added that some species, like bighorn sheep and mountain lions, are more wary of people, while others, such as mule deer and elk, may associate humans with certain advantages, such as avoiding predators.

The study also addressed the conflicting interests of park recreation and conservation. The varying responses of animals to human presence can influence how species compete, leading to changes in ecosystem dynamics and affecting how animals coexist with people.

Gaynor concluded that while conservation and recreation can coexist at low levels, some areas must be reserved exclusively for wildlife to ensure their survival. The findings underscore the need for careful management of human activity in protected landscapes to maintain ecological balance.