Blogs with a Bite

Here you can read more about backgrounds, current happenings, striking events and much more around the broad theme of living together with wild animals, including conflicts. In these Bites I also reflect on several presentations and workshops I have given.

Bart

Bart

It started Saturday night. We were on the couch, lights dimmed halfway, the kids upstairs. Everything was normal.Until we saw him. Tall. Black. Still. A spider. But not just any spider.Big. Logically speaking, at least as big as a human hand (okay, in our minds).And...

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Rather known than unknown?

Rather known than unknown?

“Some people prefer familiar problems over unfamiliar possibilities.”– Omdenken Humans are strange creatures. We complain about bears getting too close to our villages.About foxes stealing chickens.About badgers digging under roads like they’ve never read the urban...

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Letter from the Wild Animals

Letter from the Wild Animals

Imagine if the animals could send us a message. What would that sound like with the upcoming breeding season just around the corner? I started in a creative mood:   Pssst… It’s Breeding Season! Will you help out with a Paw?   Hey there, nature lover! 🐾   We...

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New stories!

New stories!

We need new stories!   If we really want to be transformative in our engagement with nature and therefore wildlife, it is important to revisit: “How people view and connect with the natural world”. That's an obvious truth, whether it will be connecting with wild...

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Increase in Conflicts?

Increase in Conflicts?

One of the most asked questions about conflicts between humans and wildlife is the following:   "Why are human-wildlife conflicts growing?"   Human-wildlife conflicts are growing due to several interconnected factors. As human populations expand and...

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A year ago…

A year ago…

On 21 September 2018 I defended my dissertation “Rethinking Wildlife Management: Living With Wild Animals”. This was quite an experience: full of adrenaline, full of excitement if I would understand the questions and if I was able to provide a satisfying answer to my...

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Wild animals on YouTube

Wild animals on YouTube

Monday I was in the famous ‘Greenroom’ of Wageningen University. No, the greenroom is not outside, relaxed, in the forest. Or, in a green park. No the ‘Greenroom’ is located in the basement of one of the WUR-buildings. And in that basement they make the clips for all...

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Humans and wild animals; a convivial combination?!

Humans and wild animals; a convivial combination?!

Thursday 1 November 2018 I presented and attended at the symposium ‘Towards Convivial Conservation?: Governing human-wildlife relations in the ‘Anthropocene’’, organised by the Centre for Space, Place and Society of Wageningen University by Bram Büscher and Robert...

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