Not just ‘super‐predators': human behaviour shapes wildlife behavioural responses across avoidance, tolerance and attraction

Humans are thought to have a disproportionately negative impact on wildlife and are viewed by some as the ultimate ‘super predator'. This view implies that wild animals perceive humans primarily as predators. However, a growing body of evidence shows that wildlife can have remarkable tolerance for, or even attraction to, humans. Here, we present wildlife responses to humans along the avoidance–attraction continuum, to highlight that avoidance, tolerance, and attraction are all within the normal range of wildlife behavioural responses to humans. We embed the avoidance–attraction continuum in a mechanistic framework to understand behavioural responses to humans as the result of a species' evolutionary history and accumulated experiences during their lives. We find that historical and current human behaviour towards wildlife – whether it is aversive, neutral or beneficial to animals – plays an important role in shaping selective pressures and learning outcomes in the focal population. By shifting from a restrictive view of wildlife as inherently fearful of humans to a broader understanding of wildlife responses, we are better able to refine public perception of wildlife behaviour, wildlife management and ecological research, and ultimately promote human–wildlife coexistence.