Moving Animals
A History of Science, Media and Policy in the Twentieth Century
In the twentieth century, processes of globalization and increasing pressure on uncultivated areas have transformed humans’ relations with undomesticated non-human animals. Because human and animal territorialities intersected in novel ways, life scientists and policymakers were increasingly spurred to study and manage animal mobility across the globe. Simultaneously, media representations of animals circulated at an unparalleled scale.
The ‘Moving Animals’ project – sponsored by an NWO Vici grant – will study changing human-nature relations by focusing on human involvement with ‘wild’ animals that move (or are being moved) over great distances. More in particular, it will analyze how the long-distance movement of these animals has been studied, represented, managed and policed throughout twentieth century. Four main categories of animal mobility take center stage: (1) biological invasions, (2) reintroductions of locally extinct species, (3) seasonal migrations and (4) the trading of zoo animals. By probing how these various forms of animal movement have been made knowable, visible and controllable, the project will cast a light on the changing place and space of animals in today’s globalizing world.
Latest News
Presentation at Gewina Conference 2024
In June, Raf De Bont presented a paper at the 10th Gewina Woudschoten Conference 2024. Gewina, is the Belgian-Dutch Society for the History of Science and Universities, and the theme of the conference was "Ecology & Economy: History of Knowledge during the Unequal...
Presentation at Historisches Kolleg Munich
In July, Monica Vasile presented a paper at the "Breedism and Racism: The Ideological Use of the Animal Body since 1800" workshop held at Historisches Kolleg in Munich. The workshop was organized by Moving Animals advisory board member Mieke Roscher, and Monica...
Panel at EASST-4S 2024
Raf De Bont, Vanessa Bateman, and Tom Quick co-organized a panel at the quadrennial joint meeting of the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST) and the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S), EASST-42 held in Amsterdam. Their panel,...
Presentation at POLLEN24
This week, Monica Vasile presented a paper at POLLEN24, the Political Ecology Network's Biennial Conference. The global conference was held in Lund, Sweden, Dodoma, Tanzania, and Lima, Peru. Vasile's paper, "Przewalski’s Horses: Hoofing the Trail of Wildlife...
Article in Science in Context
Simone Schleper has an article, "Victims and diplomats: European white stork conservation efforts, animal representations, and images of expertise in postwar ornithology," in the latest online issue of Science in Context. Abstract: This article discusses two...
Lecture at University of Cologne
On 7 June, Raf De Bont gave a lecture at the Global South Studies Centre, University of Cologne, entitled ‘Moving Animals and Computerized Arks: Wildlife Logistics in the Anthropocene’. The ensuing discussion showed there were important synergies between the work...
Seminar Lecture for Animal History Group
In May, Vanessa Bateman gave a lecture for the Animal History Group Annual Seminar Series. Her talk, "Saving the American Elk with Camera" discussed her research on the creation of the National Elk Refuge in 1912 by way of photography, and how "the visual culture of...
Lecture on Vancouver Island Marmots at Oulu University
Monica Vasile was invited to give a lecture on the 8th of May on her research on the history of decline and recovery of the Vancouver Island Marmot for a lecture series curated by the Biology Department at the University of Oulu.
Taking part in the Conservation Humanities Network
In the beginning of May, Monica Vasile attended in Munich the first meeting of the European Conservation Humanities Network, a group of scholars who aim to establish a field of research and engagement that brings approaches from the humanities to bear on the...
Lecture in Helsinki at Helsus
In April, Monica Vasile gave a talk at the Helsinki Institute for Sustainability Science, HELSUS, on the history of wildlife conservation and the Przewalski's Horse, followed by a discussion with environmental historian Mikko Saikku. The lecture can be watched on...