This Special Issue arises from the 2023 International Primatological Society symposium ​“Abundant Primate Populations: Challenges & Strategies for Coexistence.” The motivation for organising the symposium was to share information and stimulate discussion on how primatologists defined and understood ​“overabundance” in primate populations, the factors contributing to it, and methods for accurately estimating and modeling populations. This symposium contributed to the growing body of work showing that human-primate coexistence is a global challenge and perceived as problematic by some people who live alongside primates. In this Special Issue, the researchers explore key aspects of synanthropy, including cases where communities view primates as kin and actively engage with them, case studies of sites where a long history of coexistence has recently increased in conflict, the physiological and behavioral changes primates experience from living in close association with people, and strategies designed to foster sustainable coexistence. In this Special Issue, the researchers examine four key topics associated with synanthropy: 1) The dynamics that emerge when humans and synanthropic primates share spaces; 2) Sites with a long history of human-primate coexistence that has recently become conflict; 3) Primate physiological and behavioural change as a result of living alongside humans; and 4) Strategies to promote coexistence.

Authors:

Pebsworth, P. A., Dore, K. M., Hansen, M., Anand, S., & Zinner, D.