Writing on wildlife, technology, and nature
Psychology Today recently published an interview I did with animal behaviorist Marc Bekoff. Marc gave me the chance to talk about some of the motivations behind my book Tenacious Beasts. I unpack the idea that we need an updated conception of animals. "Why There's Hope for the Survival of Strong-Willed Beasts" Photo Credit: Heidi Pearson …
Continue reading "Interview with Marc Bekoff about Tenacious Beasts"
Bears are wild animals. Dogs are pets. It's pretty simple, right? Events in my hometown this summer had me rethinking this. I wrote a short essay on the topic for The Philosophical Salon. One part of the essay explores a growing disenchantment with the words 'wild' and 'wilderness.' Another looks lovingly, and a bit critically, …
The only mountain lion living wild in Hollywood was hit by a car last week and euthanized. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife put P-22 to sleep after determining his age and poor condition gave him little chance of recovery. P-22 had been a much-loved resident of one of the world’s most exclusive zip …
Wolverine numbers in parts of British Columbia and Alberta are dropping fast. A study published at the end of October in Scientific Reports found rapid population declines taking place both inside and outside Canada’s National Parks. The authors used remote cameras and DNA sampling of wolverine hair to come up with regional population estimates of …
Continue reading "When Wildlife is Threatened, You Have to Stop Killing It"
On Friday, October 21st, Wilder Blean announced their herd of three female bison had grown. One of the two younger females had not been seen for a couple of days. When bison ranger Tom Gibbs went looking in the dense undergrowth, he was astonished to find a bison calf peeping out from behind a proud …
The U.K.’s new bison are settling in. Three female Bison bonasus (or wisent) have been roaming the overgrown, under-grazed woodland outside Canterbury for three months now. Bison Rangers Tom Gibbs and Donovan Wright seem pleased with their progress. According to the U.K.’s first-ever bison rangers, the horned ecosystem engineers have found plenty of birch, oak, …
Christopher J. Preston 