Sharks, the media, and risk perception

This post is a little off topic, but still about something relevant to human-wildlife conflict: people's perception of high (or perceived high) conflict species. In this case, sharks. This post will talk about how people's negative perception of sharks is likely exacerbated by the media, and why that could be leading us to unnecessarily kill sharks in the name of safety. This is definitely not a new concept, but one that needs more air time.

Drought and human-wildlife conflict in Kenya

Kenya has had lots of human-wildlife conflict news lately. They are experiencing an extreme drought that is leading to increased human-wildlife conflict.

Indias 30% Tiger Population Increase in Question

This is important, though only partly related to this blog due to the species involved-- the Bengal tiger-- which is frequently involved in human-wildlife conflict in India.

Image from recent tiger census

Wolves in Norway

Source: The Guardian

Something I've noticed while writing these posts is that people in first world countries are often oddly unaccepting of non-lethal human-wildlife conflict mitigation plans. This is especially true if they're focused on predators. Often the preferred solution is lethal control, with an active refusal of non-lethal methods, as can be learned by the frequent culling of animals such as wolves, bears, and coyotes throughout many countries. This post will focus on wolves in Norway, which are kept at artificially low numbers through culling, due to local fear and perceived threat to livestock.