“Cohabiting with the Wild”, a series to be found on our site
In Nepal, Argentina, Kenya, the Netherlands, and Canada, cohabitation with wild animals is being invented day by day, with varying degrees of success. Find all the articles in our summer series “Cohabiting with the Wild” here.
This summer, Courrier International tried to understand how wild animals and humans manage to live together. Contacts are becoming increasingly frequent, thanks to rapid urbanization, the shrinking of forest areas, and strict animal protection regulations.
A seven-episode summer series:
Episode 1 – In this Nepalese village, people learned to live in harmony with elephants
The village of Bahundangi, a population of 23,000, regularly receives visits from elephants during their migration. Replacing rice cultivation with tea, which the pachyderms do not eat, has allowed local farmers to limit the damage suffered each year. This is a model of peaceful coexistence, according to Mongabay, a leading environmental website.
Episode 2 – Capybaras wreak havoc in the upscale suburbs of Buenos Aires
The world's largest rodents, placid and friendly, have taken over an upscale suburb of the Argentine capital. Some want to limit their numbers through sterilization campaigns, while others defend the capybaras' right to live on their territory. The New York Times visited the site and gave their views to both sides.
Episode 3 – Is the raccoon dog welcome in the Netherlands?
Originally from Asia, it was bred for its fur in Eastern Europe, before spreading wild to several Western European countries. Halfway between a raccoon and a badger, this small canine is thriving in the Netherlands, without posing a threat to humans or domestic animals.
Episode 4 – Happy as a Wolf in Europe
More than anywhere else, wolf populations are proliferating in Europe. Not only because of their exceptional survival skills. With all their regulations, haven't Europeans unlocked the secret to successful cohabitation? asks the American monthly Smithsonian Magazine .
Episode 5 – Deprived of their habitat, African snakes invite themselves into homes
Climate change and the transformation of rural areas are causing venomous snakes to migrate indoors. These encounters are dreaded.
Episode 6 – Living with Grizzly Bears in British Columbia
In Canada's westernmost province, residents are trying to find solutions to avoid the worst-case scenario: killing a grizzly bear. And electric fencing often proves to be the best deterrent, according to Knowable magazine.
Episode 7 – A Rhino in My Garden
In Nepal, rhinos are doing better and better. The Guardian observed their sometimes difficult coexistence with villagers living near Chitwan National Park.
Courrier International
