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incidents in the city:

• Dispatch will notify CPW;
• After providing for public and staff safety, rangers will consult with CPW regarding
actions to be taken; and
• An operations supervisor must be notified of the incident if action is taken.

Wildlife on OSMP Land
OSMP land provides a sanctuary and natural protection for wildlife. Rangers will take the
least amount of action to provide for public and wildlife safety on OSMP properties. If
action is taken, or if rangers are uncertain about what action to take, they should notify a
supervisor.

Human-Wildlife Conflict

Human-wildlife conflict is any interaction between humans and wildlife that results in negative
impacts on human social, economic, or cultural life, on wildlife population conservation, or on the
environment. Managing conflicts on OSMP properties is about wildlife preservation and changing
human behaviors so people and wildlife can co-exist.

A wide variety of wild and native animal species have been involved in conflict situations with
humans, including black bears, raccoons, cougars, coyotes, deer, elk, prairie dogs, skunks, foxes,
and others. Most of these conflicts arise when wildlife species come in contact with people or cause
damage to personal or agricultural property.

Predatory species, including black bears and mountain lions, have been traditionally viewed as
threats to human safety and agricultural operations; however, black bears and mountain lions rarely
pose a threat to humans. This is not to infer these species are not dangerous to human health and
safety, it is only to acknowledge their non-aggressive behavior towards humans.

Black Bears and Mountain Lions
Black bears and mountain lions change their behaviors to adjust to living in or near urban
ecosystems. Synanthropic wildlife, including black bears and mountain lions, benefit from living in
artificially created human habitats, and urban wildlife will shift their activity patterns in order to
forage on anthropogenic foods.

Recognizing wildlife behaviors of those species living in and near urban areas is important when
responding to human-wildlife conflict calls. Rangers should coordinate with an operations
supervisor if trail closures, advisements, or regulation changes are needed, or if rangers are unsure
about the best course(s) of action.

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