Humans adore their animals, but only some types of animals. Do animals adore humans? Do all animals care about humans? While this class does not set out to specifically answer these questions, it will explore the complex relationship between humans and animals, in particular how humans view and approach wild animals. The class will take a historical view of humans and their interactions with wildlife and move through to the more modern tools and strategies used to better appreciate the value of wild animals in both terrestrial and marine settings. Through a series of lectures, data analysis sessions, and data collection exercises, the class will examine how humans perceive wild animals, in particular, and seek to understand how human wildlife-interactions scenarios may impact the survivability of both humans and wildlife alike. Students will analyze data on human-wildlife conflict, and develop projects aimed at understanding how people perceive various species of wild animals. |