Question

According to the passage, what is a significant factor that contributes to the habituation of carnivores to human presence?

• A. The reduction in carnivores’ instinctive fear response, resulting from their reliance upon human-provided food.
• B. The predatory perception of humans as potential prey within the carnivores’ food chain.
• C. The increased scarcity of resources due to climate change, forcing carnivores to venture outside their natural habitats in search of sustenance.
• D. The natural aggression exhibited by carnivores, exacerbated by human interference, particularly when they are safeguarding their offspring or food sources.
• A. The diversity and interspersion of working landscapes with carnivore habitats in rural areas increase the statistical probability of encounters between humans and carnivores.
• B. Low-income countries with vast, contiguous wilderness areas are less prone to human-carnivore conflicts because these areas lack the human presence necessary for such encounters.
• C. Landscape heterogeneity, characterized by a mix of farmland and natural habitats, inherently reduces the chances of human-carnivore conflicts by providing more refuge for wildlife away from human activity.
• D. Homogeneous landscapes with uniform agricultural practices are more likely to experience high rates of human-carnivore conflicts due to the predictability of resources.
• A. Climate change has had negligible effects on the frequency of carnivore-human interactions in affected regions.
• B. Predatory attacks by carnivores are a common occurrence and have steadily increased over the past few decades.
• C. Human efforts to avoid risky behaviours around large carnivores have proven effective in reducing conflict incidents.
• D. Carnivores lose their instinctive fear of humans, when consistently exposed to human food sources.
• A. Attempting to photograph wild animals from within secured viewing areas in national parks and protected zones.
• B. Implementing 'food waste' management strategies to prevent wild animals being attracted to human food sources.
• C. Unleashing dogs by pet owners in areas with known high concentrations of large carnivores.
• D. Addressing the impact of climate change on the availability of resources for wildlife.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

To determine the significant factor contributing to the habituation of carnivores to human presence, we analyze the comprehension passage. The passage discusses several causes of carnivore-human interactions, focusing on how carnivores become less avoidant of humans when they rely on human-provided food. This loss of instinctive fear makes them more likely to encounter humans. The specific detail that aligns with the question is this reduction in the instinctive fear response due to dependence on human food sources.

Thus, the correct answer from the given options is:

The reduction in carnivores’ instinctive fear response, resulting from their reliance upon human-provided food.

Answer 2

Based on the comprehension, the insights from Penteriani's research and Wilkinson's statement suggest that landscape heterogeneity leads to an increase in the probability of human-carnivore encounters. Wilkinson notes that in many low-income regions, particularly in the Global South, working landscapes are often intermixed with carnivore habitats. This mix of farmland, forests, and savannahs increases the probability of encounters because of the diverse environments occupied both by humans and carnivores. Penteriani’s findings indicate that these heterogeneous landscapes, by their nature, provide more opportunity statistically for interactions between humans and carnivores. Therefore, the correct conclusion is: The diversity and interspersion of working landscapes with carnivore habitats in rural areas increase the statistical probability of encounters between humans and carnivores.

Answer 3

To determine which statement, if false, would be inconsistent with the passage's concerns about the drivers of carnivore-human conflicts, we should examine each statement in the context of the passage.

The passage identifies multiple drivers of carnivore-human conflicts, including: aggression-based conflicts (e.g., protecting young or food sources), carnivores relying on human food leading to habituation, and predatory attacks (though rare). Human risky behaviors exacerbate these issues, and climate change is noted as a contributing factor due to resource scarcity leading to increased encounters. Here's the analysis of each option:

• Option 1: Climate change has had negligible effects on the frequency of carnivore-human interactions in affected regions.
  This is inconsistent with the passage. The passage links climate change to an increase in conflicts as resources become scarcer, forcing humans and carnivores into more interactions.
• Option 2: Predatory attacks by carnivores are a common occurrence and have steadily increased over the past few decades.
  Predatory attacks are described in the passage as rare, only accounting for 17% of attacks since 1955. If this statement were false, it would still be consistent with the passage, which does not emphasize an increase in predatory attacks.
• Option 3: Human efforts to avoid risky behaviours around large carnivores have proven effective in reducing conflict incidents.
  If false, it would still align with the passage, which suggests that many attacks could have been avoided if humans reacted differently.
• Option 4: Carnivores lose their instinctive fear of humans when consistently exposed to human food sources.
  This aligns with the passage's account of how human food sources lead carnivores to lose fear. If false, it would still be congruent since the loss of fear due to habituation to human food is not framed as a consistent occurrence in the passage.

Thus, the correct statement, if false, that would be inconsistent with the concerns raised in the passage is: Climate change has had negligible effects on the frequency of carnivore-human interactions in affected regions.

Answer 4

The correct scenario that would MOST likely exacerbate the frequency of carnivore-human conflicts is Unleashing dogs by pet owners in areas with known high concentrations of large carnivores. The passage provides evidence that interactions between unleashed dogs and carnivores increase the likelihood of human-carnivore conflicts. It notes that a significant proportion (66%) of coyote attacks involve a dog, often when dogs are unleashed and initiate a chase or enter areas with high carnivore activity.” Additionally, risky behaviors like walking an unleashed dog around such areas are identified as increasing the chances of an attack. In contrast, other options such as managing food waste aim to reduce conflict by minimizing carnivore attraction to human settlements, while photographing from secure areas is unlikely to provoke attacks. Although climate change is mentioned as a potential factor, the correlation is not yet fully established. Thus, walking unleashed dogs in areas populated by carnivores is most directly linked to conflict escalation.