Can humans and animals co-exist?

Conflicts between humans and wildlife are increasing because "people are a growing population and, in some instances, are expanding [their] domain into the animals' habitat," notes Robert M. Timm, superintendent, University of California's Hopland Research and Extension Center. Populations of certain species are growing and thriving in the face of human activities. In fact, some are aided by human desires to beautify by planting trees, bushes, flowers, etc. These plants are selected for their ability to produce fruit or have lush foliage, not to be wildlife-resistant. "We've improved the habitat for many of the species which now wish to share our space.

"The public tends not to want to handle the problem themselves. First, they don't know to handle it. Second, we, as a human population, have removed ourselves from our pioneer heritage to the extent we do not have the traps, guns, or inclination to deal directly with a living wild animal. Or we've made laws that prohibit us from handling it ourselves with former common tools. Third, the public assumes that a person who's a professional animal control specialist will have some magic method of dealing with the problem which, of course, won't involve killing the animal, or even making it suffer.

"We as a society are highly sensitized to animals, to the extent that we personify them. Further, we have tended to assume upon ourselves a moral obligation to minimize their...