Articles Archive

Tryptych of photos of WIllie B, the iconic great silverback ape.

May 17, 2023 Life of Willie B. – Public Policy & Psychological Well-being – Part 3

Posted at 12:30h In Animal Well-being, Animals, Articles, Ethics, Regulation, Law, Public Awareness/Attitudes, Tales of WellBeing, Wildlife in Captivity - By Terry L. Maple, Ph.D., Dept. of Psychology, College of Charleston

The incredible story of Willie B was influenced by the aspirations of Mayor William Barry Hartsfield, who served twenty-four years as Mayor of Atlanta, and the leadership of Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, who had the courage and the vision to reimagine Atlanta’s zoological park when...

Red Deer Stag | Photo credit: Matt Givson, iStock

May 16, 2023 Rewilding: Letting Nature Do its Own Thing!

Posted at 13:28h In Animal Well-being, Articles, Sustainability/Biodiversity, Tales of WellBeing, Wild Animals - By Andrew Rowan, DPhil and Kathleen Rowan CEO, WellBeing International

In the 19th century, two American conservation giants held conflicting views on how best to conserve nature. Gifford Pinchot campaigned to save natural areas FOR human use and enjoyment, while John Muir campaigned to preserve nature FROM human exploitation. Pinchot’s legacy includes Yellowstone National Park, whereas...

May 02, 2023 Wild Birds: Human & Animal Welfare, Environment, and Global Sustainability

Posted at 15:45h In Animal Sentience, Animals, Articles, Sustainability/Biodiversity, Well-being, WellBeing News - By Janice H. Cox, MBA and Andrew Rowan, DPhil

Wild birds are important for their contributions to ecosystem health and human well-being. Critical ecological roles provided by birds include insect and rodent control, plant pollination, and seed dispersal. Wild birds have also captivated humans for millennia, and today, the avid birder or “twitcher” is...

Homeless cats | Photo credit: LedyX, Shutterstock

May 02, 2023 Managing Outdoor Cats

Posted at 15:44h In Animal Well-being, Articles, Companion Animals, WellBeing News - By Daniel Spehar, MAPP

Much controversy surrounds the management of outdoor cats. Developing an agreement on the most appropriate and effective way to reduce the number of outdoor cats—by sterilization or eradication—is at the center of this longstanding dispute. Members of the wildlife conservation community argue that killing outdoor...

Animal Corridors | Credit: Wirestock Creators, Shutterstock

Apr 16, 2023 Exciting Developments for the Connectivity of Wild Landscapes

Posted at 16:33h In Animal Well-being, Articles, CLLC (Center for Large Landscape Conservation), Sustainability/Biodiversity, Tales of WellBeing, Wild Animals - By Andrew Rowan, DPhil and Kathleen Rowan

The Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC), called Climate Conservation initially, was established by veterinarian and conservation biologist Dr. Gary Tabor in Bozeman, Montana, in 2011. WBI was delighted when CLLC agreed to be a WBI partner. Both organizations are building connections and partnerships to...

Wren | Photo credit: Andrew Howe, iStock

Apr 16, 2023 The Avid Birder

Posted at 16:29h In Articles, Public Awareness/Attitudes, Tales of WellBeing, Wild Animals - By John Hadidian, PhD

In 1955, The United States Fish and Wildlife (FWS) inaugurated a periodic survey focused on Americans’ recreational, wildlife-related activities. One might immediately assume that hunting and fishing would dominate this field, but that would be wrong by a long shot (pun intended). While some 40...

Mar 29, 2023 One Health: A Public Health Solution or Slogan?

Posted at 15:38h In Animal Well-being, Articles, Human Well-being, WellBeing News - By Andrew Rowan, DPhil

Some of the earliest surveys of pet ownership in the United States were carried out in the 1970s by Robert Schneider and his colleagues at the University of California in Davis. They were interested in developing a One Health solution to human cancer by studying...

Scots Pine Caledonian Forest | Photo credit: BlackBoxGuild, iStock

Mar 29, 2023 Reducing Deaths And Anxiety: Why Trees Should Be Cause Célèbre For Our Health And Well-Being

Posted at 15:29h In Animal Well-being, Articles, Human Well-being, Well-being, WellBeing News - By Phillip Lymbery

It has been a year since my neighborhood journey into “standing up” for trees began. It started as so many things do for me these days, on a dog walk.My rescue companion, Duke, and I were walking across the woods and farmland when we came...

Willie B. in the Atlanta Zoo | Photo credit: Joe Seba

Mar 16, 2023 Coping with Captivity: The Tragic Journey of Willie B.

Posted at 11:35h In Animal Well-being, Articles, Tales of WellBeing, Wild Animals, Wildlife in Captivity - By Terry L. Maple, Ph.D., Dept. of Psychology, College of Charleston

This tale is the first in a three-part series about Willie B., Atlanta's iconic ape and one of the most famous gorillas in the world. Willie B., named after the long-serving Mayor of Atlanta, William B. Hartsfield, was captured in Cameroon, probably in 1960, and...

Raccoon scavenging for garbage | Photo credit: Lupico, iStock

Mar 16, 2023 Human-Wildlife Interactions (and Conflicts) in Urban Environment

Posted at 11:20h In Animal Well-being, Articles, Tales of WellBeing, Wild Animals - By Andrew Rowan, DPhil

Some wildlife species have adapted successfully to urban environments and the presence of humans and their companion animals. Garbage cans are, or can be, a significant food source for urban wildlife and may be a source of human-wildlife conflict.In Cape Town, South Africa, baboons have...