The Impact of Digital Technology on the Relationships between People and Wildlife

Digital technology (DT) has significantly transformed the interactions between people and wildlife since its initial application in tracking and monitoring animal populations in the 1970s and 1980s. Initially, these efforts required substantial computing resources and expertise, limiting accessibility. However, the advent of smartphone applications has democratized wildlife monitoring, enabling ordinary users to engage in identifying and tracking wildlife in both rural and urban settings. This shift has been bolstered by the rise of citizen science, which has become a crucial driver for data collection. Despite these advancements, the full potential of DT to enhance human-wildlife relationships remains underexplored. While DT has facilitated new ways of understanding and interacting with wildlife, it also presents challenges, such as data reliability, ethical concerns regarding animal welfare, and data security risks. Addressing these issues is essential to harnessing DT's potential in improving human-wildlife interactions.

This research topic aims to explore the multifaceted impact of digital technology on human-wildlife interactions, both positive and negative, across various contexts. It seeks to identify the challenges that persist in this domain and examine the efforts being made to address them. The research will focus on understanding how DT can be leveraged to improve relationships between people and wildlife, while also considering the ethical and practical implications of its use. By bringing together diverse perspectives, this research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of DT in human-wildlife interactions.

To gather further insights in the intersection of digital technology and human-wildlife interactions, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• wildlife-related citizen science and approaches for verifying and validating data received by Citizen Science schemes
• the impact of the design of DT on gathering wildlife-related data and related interventions
• the use of social media in relation to wildlife and the related harvesting of data
• the role played by DT in promoting information about wildlife in rural and urban areas
• the public use of wildlife-related apps and their impact
• the use of DT by wildlife experts and organizations to promote public engagement
• DT and wildlife activism
• how DT enables conservation, stewardship, or caretaking of wildlife and supports wildlife welfare and wellbeing
• the role played by DT in ameliorating human-wildlife conflict (HWC)
• DT and the development of wildlife-related public policy
• the impact DT has had on human relationships with other wildlife.

Keywords: Digital Technology, Human-Wildlife Conflict, Animal Activism, Wildlife, Human-Wildlife Interaction, Citizen Science, Conservation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.