Busy summer focused on teaching and on writing chapters for the 2nd edition of the book on Wildlife Fertility Control that I am co-editing with Dr Cheryl Asa and Dr Anneke Moresco. More than 15 authors will contribute to this edition, including BIWFC colleagues, and we are making slow but steady progress. We welcomed the latest…
The Europe office spent most of the last months preparing for the conference in Barcelona. We were delighted our efforts paid off as the conference was very successful. Many colleagues commented on the BIWFC role in acting as a hub, connecting people, ideas and disciplines and this was indeed reflected in the excellent media coverage in mainstream Regulatory framework…
This winter the Europe office focused on the upcoming conferences in San Diego and Barcelona. We are also finalizing the program of the Summer School, in collaboration with the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Registration is open, and we hope to welcome students from around the world. Other news from…Europe Populations of wolves, bears and lynx…
Late summer saw the Europe Office globe-trotting more than usual, well beyond Europe. In early September I travelled to Nordelta, near Buenos Aires in Argentina, to observe firsthand the coexistence of people and capybara. Nordelta is the largest gated community in South America, fenced off from the surrounding area: in essence, an island that 50,000…
Lots of buzzing in recent months! In May, I attended the 14th European Vertebrate Management Conference in Slovenia, where I presented a paper on Rewilding herbivores: could fertility control and other interventions help? with UK and Australian colleagues and co-authored two more: Evidence of density dependence on wild boar reproduction in Mediterranean populations, led by…
Dr. Giovanna Massei, BIWFC Europe Director, shares information and updates about our European office. In October, nearly 300 delegates attended Pathways Europe 2024 in Cordoba, Spain, where BIWFC was a sponsor. The conference theme was “Revisiting what is wild for coexisting.” My session on the first day was the third most attended out of 12,…
All hands were on deck this Spring as we finalized the organization of the 1st Workshop on Wildlife Fertility Control, held at the University of York, UK, on June 17th & 18th, 2024. Although the event was focused on Europe, the 86 participants came from five continents. I’d say this shows that mitigating human-wildlife conflicts…
As winter is begrudgingly giving way to spring in England, we are buzzing in preparation for our 1st Workshop on Wildlife Fertility Control. Key facts include: – 15 talks from international experts, covering traditional topics such as contraceptives for mammals and birds, and innovative aspects such as fertility control and rewilding, as well as understanding emotions…
Last November I joined, as keynote speaker, a 2-day meeting entitled Wild boar population control: comparing possible solutions, organized by the Association of Veterinarians in Matera (Italy). This initiative brought together an impressive range of stakeholders, including the WHO (World Health Organization), the OIE (World Animal Health Organization), and representatives of farmers, animal welfare and…
Happy summer to Europe and beyond! Early June found me in Spain, attending the The Zoo and Wildlife Health Conference in Valencia with ~ 500 delegates. This event was partly sponsored by the BIWFC. The vast majority of attendees were veterinarians, with a healthy mixing of students, practitioners and academics. My main job was to…
The Europe office had a very busy spring. BIWFC Managing Director, Monique Principi and Advisory Committee Chair Stephanie Boyles Griffin visited the UK to attend the International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence, held in March in Oxford. In addition to the conference in Oxford, we spent several days in the north of England where…
This winter was dedicated to writing, as I spent most of my time preparing two manuscripts, now submitted to scientific journals. The first one provided a European perspective on fertility control for wildlife, and in particular on the many reasons why European Member States should consider investing in research in this field. The essence of…