Managing the Return of the Wild; Human Encounters with Wolves in Europe; First Edition

This book explores attitudes and strategies towards the return of the wild in times of ecological crisis, focusing on wolves in Europe. The contributions from a variety of disciplines discuss human encounters with wolves, engaging with traditional narratives and contemporary conflicts. Covering a range of geographical areas, the case studies featured demonstrate the tremendous impact of the return of the wolf in European societies. Wolves are a keystone species that exemplify humanity’s relation to what is called nature and their return generates powerful debates about what ‘nature’ actually is and how much it is needed or should be permitted to exist. The book considers the return of the wild as a catalyst for fundamental socio-biological changes of the world within human societies, and the various responses of humans to wolves demonstrate both our potential and limitations when it comes to multispecies communities and negotiating societal change. __Managing the Return of the Wild__ will be relevant to a broad audience interested in discussions of social and ecological conflict today, including scholars from multispecies studies and diverse disciplines such as biology, forestry management and folklore studies. This book explores attitudes and strategies towards the return of the wild in times of ecological crisis, focusing on wolves in Europe. The contributions from a variety of disciplines discuss human encounters with wolves, engaging with traditional narratives and contemporary conflicts. Covering a range of geographical areas, the case studies featured demonstrate the tremendous impact of the return of the wolf in European societies. Wolves are a keystone species that exemplify humanity’s relation to what is called nature and their return generates powerful debates about what ‘nature’ actually is and how much it is needed or should be permitted to exist. The book considers the return of the wild as a catalyst for fundamental socio-biological changes of the world within human societies, and the various responses of humans to wolves demonstrate both our potential and limitations when it comes to multispecies communities and negotiating societal change. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 List of figures 8 List of contributors 10 Acknowledgements 13 1. Human encounters with wolves: An introduction 14 2. The Beast of Gévaudan as a history of the changing perceptions of fatal human–wolf interaction 25 3. Made of stone, flesh and narration – ‘the wolf ’ as contested lieu de mémoire 42 4. The story of Wanderwolf: A contested tale on the re-emergence of ‘new wilderness’ in the Netherlands 60 5. “One feels a shiver” – wolf perceptions and representations in Portugal 75 6. Actualizing wolves: Environmental education settings as part of wolf management in Switzerland 88 7. Modes of Involvedness. Theorising different ways of relating within the Swiss wolf debate 111 8. Diverging worlds of biodiversity and biosecurity: The presence of wolves in a Swiss Alpine territory 131 9. Getting close(r): Alive or dead: biography, individuality and agency of the wolf MT6 155 10. Hunting wild animals in Germany: Conflicts between wildlife management and ‘traditional’ practices of Hege 177 11. Ways of speaking, responsibility and the animals ‘of the forest’ in Northwest Russia 193 12. Predators and reindeer on the same pastures? 209 Index 224 1 Human encounters with wolves; 2 The Beast of Gévaudan as a history of the changing perceptions of fatal human–wolf interaction; "3 Made of stone,flesh and narration – ‘the wolf’ as contested lieu de mémoire"; 4 The story of Wanderwolf; 5 “One feels a shiver” – wolf perceptions and representations in Portugal; 6 Actualizing wolves; 7 Modes of Involvedness. Theorising different ways of relating within the Swiss wolf debate; 8 Diverging worlds of biodiversity and biosecurity; 9 Getting close(r); 10 Hunting wild animals in Germany; "11 Ways of speaking,responsibility and the animals ‘of the forest’ in Northwest Russia"; 12 Predators and reindeer on the same pastures? 1 Human encounters with wolves,2 The Beast of Gévaudan as a history of the changing perceptions of fatal human–wolf interaction,3 Made of stone, flesh and narration – ‘the wolf’ as contested lieu de mémoire,4 The story of Wanderwolf,5 “One feels a shiver” – wolf perceptions and representations in Portugal,6 Actualizing wolves,7 Modes of Involvedness. Theorising different ways of relating within the Swiss wolf debate,8 Diverging worlds of biodiversity and biosecurity,9 Getting close(r),10 Hunting wild animals in Germany,11 Ways of speaking, responsibility and the animals ‘of the forest’ in Northwest Russia,12 Predators and reindeer on the same pastures? Human encounters with wolves : an introduction / Michaela Fenske and Bernhard Tschofen -- The Beast of Gévaudan as a history of the changing perceptions of fatal human-wolf interaction / Meret Fehlmann -- Made of stone, flesh and narration--'the wolf' as contested lieu de mémoire / Marlis Heyer and Susanne Hose -- The story of Wanderwolf : a contested tale on the re-emergence of 'new wilderness' in the Netherlands / Anke Tonnaer -- "One feels a shiver"--Wolf perceptions and representations in Portugal / Filipa Costa -- Actualizing wolves : environmental education settings as part of wolf management in Switzerland / Elisa Frank -- Modes of involvedness. Theorising different ways of relating within the Swiss wolf debate / Nikolaus Heinzer -- Diverging worlds of biodiversity and biosecurity : the presence of wolves in a Swiss Alpine territory / Ilona Imoberdorf and Rony Emmenegger -- Getting close(r). Alive or dead : biography, individuality and agency of the wolf MT6 / Irina Arnold -- Hunting wild animals in Germany : conflicts between wildlife management and 'traditional' practices of Hege / Thorsten Gieser -- Ways of speaking, responsibility and the animals 'of the forest' in Northwest Russia / Laura Siragusa -- Predators and reindeer on the same pastures? / Helena Ruotsala "This book explores attitudes and strategies towards the return of the wild in times of ecological crisis, focusing on wolves in Europe. The contributions from a variety of disciplines discuss human encounters with wolves, engaging with traditional narratives and contemporary conflicts. Covering a range of geographical areas, the case studies featured demonstrate the tremendous impact of the return of the wolf in European societies. Wolves are a keystone species that exemplify humanity's relation to what is called nature and their return generates powerful debates about what 'nature' actually is and how much it is needed or should be permitted to exist. The book considers the return of the wild as a catalyst for fundamental socio-biological changes of the world within human societies, and the various responses of humans to wolves demonstrate both our potential and limitations when it comes to multispecies communities and negotiating societal change. Managing the Return of the Wild will be relevant to a broad audience interested in discussions of social and ecological conflict today, including scholars from multispecies studies and diverse disciplines such as biology, forestry management and folklore studies"-- Provided by publisher