The Predator Paradox

This podcast is produced and presented by Craig Barfoot In the 20th Century, humans killed hundreds of thousands of wild animals as we sought to build new homes and develop agriculture.  Now the 21st century is characterised by conservation and re-wilding - but can ranchers and environmentalists, wildlife managers and animal-welfare activists, humans and animals ever really co-exist? Yes, says John Shivik of Utah State University's National Wildlife Research Center /Predator Research in this fascinating conversation with Craig Barfoot. In parts of the United States, stories of 'backyard bears' and 'cat-eating coyotes' are becoming increasingly common—even for people living in non-rural areas. Farmers anxious to protect their sheep from wolves aren’t the only ones concerned: suburbanites and city dwellers are also having more unwanted run-ins with predators from the wild. And as carnivore populations increase their proximity to people, pets, and livestock leads to more conflict, and we are once again left to negotiate the uneasy terrain between elimination and conservation. In his book The Predator Paradox, John Shivik argues that we can end the conflict while still preserving and protecting these key species as fundamental components of healthy ecosystems.  As the boundary between human and animal habitat blurs, preventing the war between humans and wildlife depends both on changing animal behaviour and shifting our own perceptions, attitudes, and actions.   You might also be interested in this blog about re-wilding in Chile