Histories of Species Protection

For centuries bears, wolves, and ibexes were considered a threat to the people of Europe, used as food sources or trophies, and were hunted almost to extinction. Attitudes towards the iconic mammals have changed since the early 20th century, but despite positive changes there have been setbacks in protecting them.

In this article for MaxPlanckForschung magazine, Department III Research Scholar Wilko Graf von Hardenberg explores human relationships to iconic mammals, reconstructing the eventful history of protection efforts in Italy's Gran Paradiso.