book: Pests: How humans create animal villains, Bethany Brookshire
Pests is a very digestible, approachable read. It is about the animals we call "pests", though sticking to just vertebrates, as the author correctly notes that it can be very difficult to conjure up empathy or sympathy for invertebrates. :(...
Brookshire's thesis is one I find myself broadly agreeing with: the label "pest" is used to devalue the lives of animals that infringe upon the very Western demand for control. The simple presence of an animal where it "shouldn't be" causes a massive collapse of many people's sense of safety. Animals do not know or care for our imaginary lines of ownership and trespass, existing in what appears to be flagrant disrespect to The Rules which do not take well to being disrespected.
Furthermore, pest problems (because they certainly can be health risks) are a symptom of the neglect humans have for one another ... hazardous infestations of rats, pigeons, what-have-you, happen to people because those people have been abandoned to crumbling, leaky homes they can't possibly care for on their own.
And, lastly, many harms arise because humans operate inconsistently and using rules invisible to animals. A human, and their home, can be a place of great abundance and possible death. Some humans welcome animals and feed them. Others run away in fear. Others kill them. Our responses change based on invisible boundaries. How on Earth do we expect animals to learn where we prefer them not to be?
Brookshire leads the reader on a journey where she meets many pest-researchers in many parts of the world. The pests discussed include those unfamiliar to the Global North, such as elephants, and the complex dynamics there re:conservation.
A very interesting read, though at times it gives the impression of trying to be too cautious in avoiding offending people.
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thanks for reading!🪱🦀
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