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 Life and Legacy of an LA Lion
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 …
When Wildlife is Threatened, You Have to Stop Killing It
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 …
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Brits and Bison Update
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 …
Brits and Bison
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, …
When Wildlife Can’t Get Away
My blog this month is a piece I published recently in Discover Magazine. According to a study coming out of Texas, every bison in North America is polluted with cattle genes. It's a disappointment for some. But it could also mark the start of a different future with large animals. See what you think. "What …
Christopher J. Preston 