Case studies

Stockholm

Stockholm has extensive green infrastructure, a national city park (Nationalstadsparken), and an active outdoor culture, but paradoxically limits wildlife management to mostly lethal methods, which are now being challenged by publics both physically and in online arenas. Hence, Erica von Essen focuses this case on the how, what, why’s and wheres of ongoing culling initiatives. These include dilemmas around urban hunting and citizen-led removals–and their potential non-lethal alternatives going forward. The case hence engages also with cullers through go-alongs and attempts to create landscapes of fear. Attitudes, learning and conflict over wildlife are also heavily being constituted at online arenas (including social media), which will be investigated in real-time through digital ethnography.

Genk

 The case study of Genk examines how different levels of governance responded to the resurgence of wild boar and beavers in urban areas, aiming to develop a proactive strategy for managing new or returning species in cities. At present, a number of largely experimental initiatives need to be evaluated. Wild boars are controlled (e.g., fencing, hunting) due to the damage they cause, while beavers are protected and valued for their ecological role, but sometimes cause nuisance (e.g. by rewetting public land). The focus is on balancing public safety, wildlife management, and coexistence through education and tailored management approaches for each species, in addition to broadly building capacity for the arrival of new species for which there are lacking managing traditions.

Freiburg

Freiburg prides itself as a ‘Green City’ undertaking many environmentally-friendly actions in recent years (such as the Land Use Plan 2040), but shows a divide between species of public concern vs those of management concern. Invasive species like Egyptian Goose and Nutria now pose ecological challenges, but have public support as being ‘nice to look at’ and ‘exotic’ and having encounter value. This presents a dilemma of determining species belonging across stakeholders, of assessing their impacts (notably in creating ‘trashscapes’ of biohazards in cities), and streamlining management. Responses that balance both managerial and public priorities will be looked at, including grass management policies, deterrence campaigns, culls and egg destruction.

Cape Town

Cape Town faces a dilemma of rapid urban growth encroaching on the uniquely biodiverse Table Mountain National Park (part of the Cape Floristic Region) of global conservation concern, including wild baboons. Unlike Stockholm, Cape Town goes to great lengths to avoid culls; hence, this case focuses on different manifestations of stewardship that have emerged to care for wildlife species, such as rangers that work with baboon troops to keep them out of built-up areas. Meanwhile, residents’ are actively lobbying for efforts to save the critically endangered African penguin, including by creating artificial nesting sites on protected beaches in the city. The Cape Town case study will also examine potentially misguided stewardship actions, forming habituation and ‘hugging to death’.