When I was studying biology human-animal relationships (…no giggling at the back!) was something I really wished I’d had an opportunity to learn more about. A recent paper, ‘Understanding nuanced preferences for carnivore conservation: to know them is not always to love them’ by Macdonald et al. reminded me of quite why I found ourContinue reading “Human Bias and Animal Myth in Conservation”
Tag Archives: animals
Top 5 Saints #1: Saint Francis of Assisi
Widely revered, always respected, but with lessons all too seldom heeded. We look at the Patron Saint of Animals, Saint Francis of Assisi.
Animals as Symbols: A Lion Attacking a Stag
Animals and Us The personification of animals in modern wildlife documentaries is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand it makes their lives relatable to us, helps us empathise with the ups-and-downs of a wild living, helps us appreciate the wonderful, safe bubble we have built around ourselves and makes an otherwiseContinue reading “Animals as Symbols: A Lion Attacking a Stag”
The Aspinall Elephant Controversy
A look at the plan by The Aspinall Foundation to re-wild 13 captive, Kentish born elephants into ‘the wild’ in Kenya and why many scientists, conservationists and local community groups think it might not be such a good idea and is, in fact, ego-conservationism being done by someone who might have more financial interest in it than people could be led to believe.
On the Origin of a Species: The Red Panda, Ailurus fulgens
A look at this taxonomically, physiologically, anatomically confusing but absolutely, undoubtedly cute little species, the red panda, Ailurus fulgens. Once thought related to raccoons, or the giant panda, it now stands in a family of its own proving, even to cynics like me, that taxonomy is not just useless bickering about arbitrary classifications.
#WaspFlower – Walk 1 – A Gallery
The photographic results of my first major walk attempting to find wasps on flowers for the Big Wasp Survey. I found more than just wasps and so we have beautiful galleries of wasps, beetles, bees, flies, flowers and others!
Hated (But Misunderstood) Animals: Final Thoughts
A short summary of the work I did on learning about, and writing about the top ten hated species who really don’t deserve to be.
I reflect on my thoughts and feelings of what I’ve learned about different species, how I felt about it, what it has given me moving forward and give a little personal perspective.
It’s been a genuine project! I can’t even say I put this much effort in when I was an undergrad. And I am changed because of it.
Top Ten Hated (But Misunderstood) Animals – 1 – Wasps
It’s about wasps!
Top Ten Hated (But Misunderstood) Animals – 5- The Plateau Pika (Ochotona curzoniae) and the European Mole (Talpa europaea)
A lengthy article talking about the similarities in treatment between the European mole (Tapa europaea) and the Plateau Pika (Ochotona curzoniae). They are both a species vital to earth and soil health that benefit and enrich their environments that are considered a pest and a nuisance and are often killed for little or no reason. We explore the animals themselves, their lives and habitats, how our opinions of them were formed and similarities to our behaviours with other species too, like prairie dogs and badgers. We also focus on the ability of humans to form opinions, ideas or myths about animals and also how they can change over time. In the case of these species, changing for the negative, but it also means the reverse is true.
‘Just a Misunderstanding’ – Why do We Hate Some Animals?
A short exploration of the socio-cultural side of why we seem to hate some animals, using jellyfish, mosquitoes, spiders and wasps as examples.
We Lack Discipline 