A Legal Solution for the Coexistence between Animals and Humans - From the Perspective of Wildlife-Human Conflict Management -

While discussions on wildlife-human conflict management have traditionally focused on damage caused by wild animals and compensation, recent research has focused on diverse aspects, including habitat destruction, movement restrictions, outbreaks of specific species, and aggression toward humans and companion animals. In particular, domestic natural environment conservation policies have been heavily focused on endangered species, leaving the real-world conflicts of urban wildlife relatively neglected. This study analyzes legal and institutional improvements to effectively manage wildlife-human conflict and explore ways to promote coexistence. A prime example of this conflict is roadkill, where habitat fragmentation and restricted mobility trigger human-animal conflict. While legal guidelines exist to prevent roadkill, they are critically evaluated for their limited effectiveness due to insufficient consideration of ecosystem characteristics. Therefore, this study emphasizes the need for legal systems that facilitate coexistence in cities and practical management policies that reflect ecological characteristics.Ultimately, this study argues for the need to establish a legal foundation for coexistence with animals, rather than human-centered urban development. To this end, it compares domestic and international legal systems, analyzes the limitations of the current legal system, and proposes directions for improvement. First, current roadkill response guidelines focus on post-accident management, requiring legal and institutional mechanisms to prevent accidents in advance. Animal road accident reduction measures remain at the level of regulations, lacking enforcement power. These measures should be codified into law to ensure effectiveness. Ecological design principles that reflect the migration paths and ecological characteristics of wild animals should be introduced from the road planning and design stages. Furthermore, the installation of ecological corridors should go beyond simple structural design and be meticulously tailored to the characteristics of each species of wild animal and the local ecosystem. Regular monitoring and evaluation of ecological corridors after installation are essential, allowing for analysis and improvement of their effectiveness. Above all, the lack of a comprehensive policy addressing conflicts between humans and wild animals in cities necessitates an integrated management approach through collaboration among relevant ministries. Laws for wildlife protection should be improved to embrace a comprehensive, ecosystem-based approach aimed at coexistence with humans, rather than fragmented protection.