"Some are born pests, some achieve pestdom, and some have "pest" thrust upon them"
With her book Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains (2022), Bethany Brookshire sets to reflect on our contradictory relationship with our environment. Starting by asking why are some animals considered pests and not others? Does it depend on culture or time period? How do we define a pest then?
"FROM UNWANTED TO protected national symbol, pest is all about perspective."
Failed attempts to control nature have existed since humankind roamed the Earth. We have used labels to keep or get rid of certain animals based on their utility to us. However, time and time again, humans are still puzzled when our goals backfire.
Aotearoa/New Zealand's kiore, Florida's pythons, Australia's cane toads, Vietnam's rats, China's sparrows are just a few examples that illustrate how attempts of biocontrol fail over and over. We try to control our ecosystems because we want to protect the stuff we feel we own.
Whether we try to be successful via genetic alterations, traps or the introduction of other predatory species, humankind wil still try to develop new ways to control our surroundings. Brookshire analyses how urban environments encroaching on nature, create new homes for those animals we consider pests. A healthy balance of coexistence is the ultimate goal, humans need to assume that sometimes a raccoon might wonder into your trash or house, or a bear will enter your minivan after your kids' snacks. It is all part of the equilibrium.
Animals will change and evolve to either adapt or perish in always changing scenery. It is up to humans to measure their impact and try to protect and learn about the vulnerable biodiversity around us. With climate change affecting animal and human habitats around the world, we must be as alert as ever to abate its advance. Changing our habits and integarting safe practices will prove the most difficult task.
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