In this policy brief[i], a multidisciplinary team of scholars explores how municipalities can respond to human-wildlife conflict while recognizing wild animal welfare as a central consideration in local policy development and governance. The idea that wild animals living in cities could be differentiated from their...
For most of the last four centuries, the beaver's relationship with North America was transactional. Europeans wanted its fur to make hats. Farmers wanted the dams gone from their fields. Homeowners wanted its flooding to stop. In each case, the animal was assessed by what...
Across much of North America, coyotes have become increasingly visible neighbors. Once associated primarily with prairies, deserts, and rural landscapes, they are now common in suburbs, city parks, golf courses, and even densely populated urban neighborhoods. Their presence can inspire a range of reactions—from fascination...
It is now widely accepted that sharing one's home with a companion animal, especially a dog, confers both organic and mental health benefits on the humans in the pet-owning household. This recognition of the health benefits of companion animals has been shaped by marketing campaigns...
In the 1960s, residents of the Hout Bay suburb in Cape Town would occasionally hear baboons calling from the mountains above the village. The males produced a deep, guttural "bogom" sound. Visitors to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve who parked at the end...
High in the mist-covered slopes of the Virunga Mountains—where Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo meet—lives one of the world's rarest animals: the mountain gorilla. It is a conservation success story that these great apes still exist. Their numbers have nearly quadrupled to...
Part 1 of this story discussed the recent actions of the Indian Supreme Court following the death of a young girl from rabies after a dog bite. The justices raised important questions about finding the right balance between human and animal welfare; however, they seemingly...
On July 28, 2025, the Times of India published a report titled "Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price" following the tragic death of a 6-year-old girl who contracted rabies after being bitten by stray dogs. This article caught the attention of two judges from the...
The true story, A Street Cat Named Bob, is an international best-seller about twin redemption: that of a homeless tabby street cat and a homeless Englishman who adopt each other and help one another heal, leading to celebrity status for both cat and human. The author,...
Dr. Boris Levinson (1907-1984), a psychologist, reportedly coined the term "pet therapy" in 1964. However, Levinson's initiative was criticized by his colleagues. Thirteen years later, the Delta Society, founded by a group of veterinarians and a psychiatrist in 1977 (now doing business as Pet Partners),...
