Large terrestrial mammals resurging in a depopulating country

Large terrestrial mammals have generally declined due to human activity, but the recovery of some populations poses new issues for coexistence. Few studies to date have investigated drivers of this recovery and its impacts on human societies at the national scale. We assessed the process of range expansion of six species of large terrestrial mammals over approximately 40 years and its impacts on human society in Japan, one of the most rapidly depopulating countries. We found evidence that increased agricultural abandonment and decreased snowfall drove the range expansion of large terrestrial mammals. The range of all six species expanded from mountainous landscapes to those closer to human settlements, leading to an increase in conflicts that threaten people’s property and safety. We predict that accelerating depopulation and climate warming could lead to further range expansion of these species, and call for measures to mitigate conflicts and achieve coexistence with them.