Cull of the Wild: Killing in the Name of Conservation – Winner of the Zsl Clarivate Award for Communicating Zoology

WINNER OF THE ZSL CLARIVATE AWARD FOR COMMUNICATING ZOOLOGY. LONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR WRITING ON CONSERVATION. 'Honest and intelligent.' CHRIS PACKHAM 'Expertly researched, engaging and even-handed.' BBC WILDLIFE 'Fascinating and indispensable.' GEORGE MONBIOT 'Every nature lover should read it.' AMY-JANE BEER Investigating the ethical and practical challenges of one of the greatest threats to biodiversity: invasive species. Globally, the threat to biodiversity of invasive species is on a par with habitat loss, climate change and pollution. Tackling this isn't easy, and nobody knows that better than Hugh Warwick. As a conservationist, he loathes the idea of killing, harming or even eating animals. As an ecologist, he is acutely aware of the need, at times, to kill invasive species whose presence harms the wider environment. How do we protect endangered native species? Which species do we prioritise? And how do we reckon with killing anything in the name of conservation? Taking a balanced approach to this emotive subject, Hugh talks to experts on all sides as he explores the impact of species control. In his signature humorous style, he outlines the issues conservationists face in managing non-native animals and protecting native species, including grey and red squirrels on Anglesey, ravens and tortoises in the Mojave Desert, and unique cases like Pablo Escobar's cocaine hippos and the Burmese python pet trade.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Chapter 1: Hedgehogs Aside: Cane toads Chapter 2: Residents Aside: Capercaillie and the pine marten Chapter 3: Squirrels Aside: Deer Chapter 4: Lundy Aside: Dormice Chapter 5: Scilly Aside: Galapagos Chapter 6: Orkney Aside: Raccoons Chapter 7: Minkicide Aside: Pythons Chapter 8: Keepers Aside: Cocaine hippos Chapter 9: New Zealand Aside: Scottish wildcat Chapter 10: Compassionate conservation Aside: Fortress conservation Chapter 11: Ethically consistent conservation – a manifesto Acknowledgements Further reading Index

About the Author :
Hugh Warwick is an ecologist, writer and hedgehog expert. He is the author of three non-fiction narratives: A Prickly Affair, The Beauty in the Beast and Linescapes, and two books on hedgehogs and beavers. He has written for BBC Wildlife, New Scientist, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, and has spoken about wildlife protection on national television and radio. Hugh is the spokesperson for the Hedgehog Preservation Society and runs courses on hedgehog conservation.

Review :
Fascinating, intelligent and indispensable: Hugh Warwick tackles a crucial and difficult subject that has been avoided for far too long, and does so with style, insight and verve. Is killing for conservation right or wrong? There might be no easy answer, but Hugh Warwick employs honest and intelligent questioning in a fruitful, fascinating exploration of one of the skeletons in conservation's cupboard. It's hard to think of a more companionable guide to some of conservation's thorniest thickets than Hugh Warwick. Cull of the Wild is a journey navigated with courage, curiosity and compassion. Every nature lover should read it. With his customary good humour and grace, Hugh Warwick has tackled the knotted issues entailed in the control and culling of so-called pest species. While he might conclude that the matters themselves are invariably complex, his own approach is always clear and grounded in deep reflection. The perfect introduction to the darker side of conservation, which Hugh Warwick explains with reverence and humour. A must read! A fascinating, readable book. A crucially important book on a huge and urgent subject. Hugh Warwick is the perfect person to deal with this difficult and controversial issue, which few, if any, others would be brave enough to tackle. Engagingly written, challenging and fabulously nuanced. This is a fascinating book which speaks volumes about its author: his tremendous erudition, his huge range of experience, his wit, his bonhomie, and above all his humility and determination to live as ethically as life allows. Hugh's approach is heartfelt and balanced … his book will force everyone to reconsider how they feel about the widespread mindset behind this controversial and recurring approach to conservation. Timely … well written and researched. Warwick gives an expertly researched, engaging and even-handed account of the complexities involved in the decision to “control” – that is, kill or eradicate – everything from grey squirrels to hedgehogs and pythons. An eye-opening book taking a balanced look at an emotive subject. Cuts through the prejudice and passions that many of us bring to the debate about culling … Hugh Warwick maintains a balanced and honest perspective throughout. [Hugh Warwick] invites the reader to step back with him, to put aside preconceptions and prejudices in order to gain a better understanding of the ethical and practical challenges of trying to save species. Monumental. Warwick's searching meditation on the ethical uncertainties surrounding culling ... brings clarity and insight to a fraught subject. A thoughtful analysis of how to accommodate animal rights in an era of unprecedented environmental change. [Hugh Warwick] writes with striking honesty … The final chapter is a masterclass in the psychology of the often brutal relationships between human and non-human animal life. Cull of the Wild will be an interesting, worthwhile read for any invasion scientist.