Research overview: spatial zoning and land-use planning for carnivore coexistence

This overview reviews how spatial zoning, separating core predator habitat, buffer zones, and human-use areas, and broader land-use planning can structure coexistence with big cats. It synthesises approaches from tiger-reserve buffer management in India and Nepal to corridor protection for jaguars and connectivity planning for pumas, examining how deliberate landscape design can reduce encounters while maintaining predator movement and population viability. The literature considers the governance, equity, and enforcement challenges of zoning, and the trade-offs between separation and integration models of coexistence. The survey frames spatial planning as a strategic, landscape-scale complement to site-level husbandry and incentives, shaping where and how often people and big cats come into contact.