Both natural ecosystems and large carnivores that form the top of the forest food chain seem to be declining rapidly, leading to significant losses in wild ecosystems. In this paper, we posit that given the contemporary state of the world’s large carnivore populations and their habitats, it is imperative to investigate the potential for a convergence of natural and social systems. Such a convergence, we argue, could facilitate the coexistence of humans and carnivores, thereby enhancing the prospects for enhanced forest protection. We present the Sundarbans in Bangladesh as a case study. The study explores the contact points of humans with tigers and forest resources in managing the Sundarbans while applying traditional and local knowledge (TLK), which we use synonymously as local ecological knowledge (LEK), traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and indigenous and local knowledge (ILK). The findings show that ecosystem management in the Sundarbans needs to move beyond command-and-control mechanisms to ensure better forest conservation as part of ecosystem management by incorporating TLK in forest management practices. The study put forward insights into ecosystem conservation strategies using the experiences of people whose livelihoods are still dependent on forest resources, which can be useful in managing the declining habitats where large carnivores live. This human-carnivore coexistence also advocates for the inclusion of large carnivores in ecosystem management.