Conservation and Science

The upcoming weeks will be quite intense at Conservation and Science as we're switching to a weekly schedule for the next three weeks. We are starting with an excellent book about coexistence with carnivores from a friend of the podcast, Dr Jonny Hanson. Jonny is well known to all who are interested in this topic. With his social sciences experience from across the globe and farming background at home, Jonny brings a unique perspective to the discussion, pointing out not only the benefits but also the significant difficulties of sharing a landscape with those animals.

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After you finish listening to this week's episode and wish to buy Jonny's book, you can use the link I provided in this newsletter and the description of the show. That way you will get yourself a great book while supporting my work, as I will get a tiny commission from each sale.

Living with Lynx, Wolves and Bears

Is it possible for humans and large carnivores to share landscapes without conflict? What happens when predators like wolves, bears, and lynx return to areas where they've been absent for centuries? How do we balance the ecological benefits of apex predators with the real concerns of rural communities and farmers? We’re trying to answer these questions with our returning guest Dr Jonny Hanson, author of ‘Living with Lynx: Sharing Landscapes with Big Cats, Wolves and Bears.’

Drawing on his unique background in both farming and conservation, Jonny brings a nuanced perspective to this often polarising topic. He recounts his experiences growing up in Malawi where wildlife existed alongside urban areas, and how this shaped his understanding of human-wildlife conflict. The conversation explores the urban-rural divide in attitudes towards large carnivores, with Jonny pointing out that 'everybody loves a large carnivore when it's somewhere else' – a phenomenon he calls 'biological NIMBYism.' We also examine how compensation schemes for livestock losses often fail to deliver the expected outcomes due to bureaucracy and delays, turning farmers with positive attitudes into fierce opponents of predator reintroduction.

In the episode, we also tackle difficult ethical questions about lethal control, the use of technology in managing human-wildlife conflict, and the philosophical meaning of "wildness" in our modern world. Jonny emphasises that while the ecological benefits of reintroducing large carnivores are important, we shouldn't overlook the emotional and philosophical dimensions – the sense of wonder that comes from knowing these animals exist in our landscapes, even if we never see them. We conclude the episode by attempting to predict if the reintroduction of predators to Britain and Ireland will happen in the coming decades.

197: Living with Lynx - Conversation with Jonny Hanson

Living with Lynx: Sharing Landscapes with Big Cats, Wolves and Bears

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