challenging Goldilocks standards in rewilding
Von Essen, Erica and Allen, Michael P.
(2016).
Wild, but not too-wild animals.
Between the species. 19
:1
, 80-108
[Research article]
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Abstract
Rewilding is positioned as ‘post'-conservation through its emphasis on unleashing the autonomy of natural processes. In this paper, we argue that the autonomy of nature rhetoric in rewilding is challenged by human interventions. Instead of joining critique toward the ‘managed wilderness' approach of rewilding, however, we examine the injustices this entails for keystone species. Reintroduction case studies demonstrate how arbitrary standards for wildness are imposed on these animals as they do their assigned duty to rehabilitate ecosystems. These ‘Goldilocks' standards are predicated on aesthetic values that sanction interventions inconsistent with the premise of animal sovereignty. These include culling, relocations and sterilizations of animals that demonstrate the kind of autonomy championed in rewilding rhetoric. Drawing from Donaldson and Kymlicka's framework for political animal categories, we conclude by arguing that rewilding needs to re-position itself in one of two ways. Either it should align itself more closely to mainstream conservation and embrace full animal sovereignty without Goldilocks conditions, or it should commit to taking full responsibility for reintroduced animals, including supplementary feeding and care.
Authors/Creators: | Von Essen, Erica and Allen, Michael P. |
---|---|
Title: | Wild, but not too-wild animals |
Subtitle: | challenging Goldilocks standards in rewilding |
Series Name/Journal: | Between the species |
Year of publishing : | 2016 |
Depositing date: | 18 November 2016 |
Volume: | 19 |
Number: | 1 |
Page range: | 80-108 |
Number of Pages: | 28 |
Publisher: | California Polytechnic State University |
ISSN: | 1945-8487 |
Language: | English |
Publication Type: | Research article |
Refereed: | Yes |
Article category: | Scientific peer reviewed |
Version: | Published version |
Full Text Status: | Public |
Agris subject categories.: | P Natural resources > P01 Nature conservation and land resources |
Subjects: | (A) Swedish standard research categories 2011 > 1 Natural sciences > 106 Biological Sciences (Medical to be 3 and Agricultural to be 4) > Ecology (A) Swedish standard research categories 2011 > 5 Social Sciences > 504 Sociology > Sociology (excluding Social work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology) (A) Swedish standard research categories 2011 > 5 Social Sciences > 509 Other Social Sciences > Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (Peace and Conflict Research and Studies on Sustainable Society) |
Agrovoc terms: | restocking, animal welfare |
Keywords: | Rewilding, animal sovereignty, animal welfare |
URN:NBN: | urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-e-3796 |
Permanent URL: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-e-3796 |
Alternative URL: | http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/bts/vol19/iss1/4/ |
ID Code: | 13848 |
Faculty: | LTV - Fakulteten för landskapsarkitektur, trädgårds- och växtproduktionsvetenskap |
Department: | (NL, NJ) > Dept. of Urban and Rural Development (LTJ, LTV) > Dept. of Urban and Rural Development |
Deposited By: | SLUpub Connector |
Deposited On: | 18 Nov 2016 15:14 |
Metadata Last Modified: | 09 Sep 2020 14:17 |
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