There have been a lot of mixed messages in the media these days about notions of the 鈥渨ild鈥� and wilderness, but Marc Bekoff, a world-renowned expert on the emotional and moral lives of animals of all kinds, wants us to start considering new approaches to how we view our relationships with all other living things.
鈥淭here is a quiet revolution in science towards kinder and more compassionate research, in both the field and the lab, and Marc Bekoff, among a handful of other scientists, is leading the way in this gentler, more considerate approach,鈥� explains Simon Gadbois, from AV俱乐部鈥檚 Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and an expert on wild canids and dogs.
Dr. Bekoff, a former Guggenheim Fellow and winner of the Exemplar Award for his contributions to the field of animal behaviour, comes to Halifax for two events this week: a public lecture Friday night and an Open Academy panel discussion Saturday evening.
鈥淐ompassionate conservation鈥�
Speaking to Dal News in advance of his visit, Dr. Bekoff describes a movement he refers to as 鈥渃ompassionate conservation.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a matter of treating individual animals better鈥he movement really means appreciating other animals for who they are, appreciating their homes, appreciating that they want to live in peace and safety just like we do,鈥� he says.
The best way to implement this movement, he says, is through education: 鈥減ublic lectures, radio interviews, etc. The most important thing is to spread the word to non-scientists, broad audiences.鈥�
He speaks of 鈥渞ewilding鈥� our hearts, thinking about who and what other animals are as conscious beings. Often, he says, our understanding of wildlife tends to overemphasize rare but extreme cases, such as the incidents of coyote attacks that have made major headlines in Nova Scotia for several summers.
鈥淲hen we do hear about it, of course it鈥檚 awful, but these animals have thousands of opportunities to bother us and they don鈥檛,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e need to remember that we鈥檝e moved into their homes. We can鈥檛 just move in and decide how we want them to be. We need to respect them for who they are, not what they can do to/for us.鈥�
How animals feel and think
Dr. Bekoff鈥檚 research was a natural progression of a passion that arose at an early age. 鈥淚 was probably three, my parents would say, when I started always asking them what other animals were thinking and feeling.鈥�
This is not to say that Dr. Bekoff鈥檚 research is contingent on the anthropomorphizing of other animals; quite the opposite. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about recognizing that they have the same needs and wants that we do, that is to live in peace and safety.鈥�
When he鈥檚 explaining his work, he often asks people to think about their pets and how they鈥檇 prefer to be treated. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about being consistent [with all animals],鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e done some nasty things to animals, but we have to recognize that we also have the capacity to do positive things as well.鈥�
Dr. Gadbois, who will be introducing Dr. Bekoff at his Dal events, says the talks should encourage attendees to question their own perspectives.
鈥淓ven if you do not agree with Bekoff's stance, or if you agree only partially, his views are forcing us to see the other side of the coin, to take the animal's perspective, to at least develop a dialogue, a doubt, a thought on ethical and moral issues when dealing with animals, in the context of research, or in our daily life,鈥� he says.
Public lecture
鈥淏eastly Passions and Compassionate Conservation: Redecorating Nature, Expanding Our Compassion Footprint, and Rewilding Our Hearts鈥�
Dr. Marc Bekoff
Friday, July 12, 7:30 p.m.
Scotiabank Auditorium, Marion McCain Building, 7:30 p.m.
Free admission
Open Academy panel (and audience) discussion
鈥淗uman Relationships with Dogs, from the Home Front to the Wild Side鈥�
Dr. Marc Bekoff, with Prof. Matthew Reichertz (NSCAD University) and Dr. Cassandra Hanrahan (AV俱乐部 School of Social Work)
Saturday, July 13, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Coburg Coffee House, 6085 Coburg Road
Free admission
Dr. Bekoff鈥檚 lecture and panel are presented by AV俱乐部鈥檚 Animal Studies Group, in collaboration with the Royal Society of Canada, the Evolution Studies Group and the Situating Science Strategic Knowledge Cluster.