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Conservation and ScienceA podcast about human-wildlife interactions and our relationship with nature. We talk about biodiversity, conservation, hunting and fishing, rewilding and more. Author: Tommy's Outdoors
Are you tired of one-sided narratives about nature and conservation? Simplified takes that ignore the nuance and complexity of matters? This show brings you diverse perspectives on environmental stories, examining their ecological, social and political dimensions. Listen and become a well-rounded voice, empowered to foster dialogue and create change. I'm Tommy Serafinski and this is the Conservation and Science podcast, where we take a deep dive into topics of ecology, conservation and human-wildlife interactions (which, in most cases, means human-wildlife conflict). I talk with world-class scientists, members of environmental organisations, practical conservationists, farmers, nature writers, and last but not least, hunters and anglers. My conversations cover biodiversity, conservation, hunting and fishing, rewilding and more. Start with the acclaimed episode 163, The EU Review of Wolf Protection Status. Its the perfect introduction to what this podcast has to offer. Language: en Genres: Nature, Science, Sports, Wilderness Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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234: Wild Boar in Scotland with Toryn Whitehead
Wednesday, 7 October, 2026
Is it a wild boar or a feral pig in the Scottish Highlands? Does it really matter what we call it? And how can an animal that was once native end up on the list of non-native invasive species? In ten years of this podcast, wild boar came up many times in episodes about hunting, genetics, rewilding and even swine fever, yet we never had an episode dedicated to them. Today we fix that. Descendants of animals that escaped or were released from farms now roam the Scottish Highlands, but there is still no agreement on what they are, whether they belong and what should be done about them. As it turns out, the name matters a great deal. It shapes how people relate to the animal, how they react when they meet it and how, or if, it is managed. And many of the same questions are being asked here in Ireland.To discuss this topic I'm joined by Toryn Whitehead, a PhD researcher in the Department of Geography at King's College London and one of the authors of the paper 'Feral Pigs or Wild Boar? Emerging Interpretations of Belonging and Coexistence in the Scottish Highlands'. Toryn's path to this work is unusual, as he started out with a degree in chemistry before swapping the lab bench for interviews with crofters, gamekeepers and landowners. During our conversation, we go through the history of wild boar in Scotland, from their extirpation centuries ago to the farm imports of the 1980s. We discuss the strange legal situation where the same animal is a wild boar inside the fence and a feral pig once it steps outside. Toryn also explains the 'extinction of experience' and why, even though wild boar feature in clan crests and old songs, one crofter told him they are 'vermin, not game'.We also talk about the hands-off approach of the Scottish government, which leaves landowners to decide what to do with the animals on their land, and the tensions this creates between neighbours, especially when a rewilding estate becomes a safe haven for boar. We touch on the threat of African swine fever and the lack of any reliable data on numbers and impacts, which leaves plenty of room for misinformation. Toryn shares the story of a video of a sow charging a dog that spread quickly through Facebook and WhatsApp. To some it was an attack, while people from Spain and Estonia saw a mother protecting her piglet. Finally, Toryn tells us about his work with other researchers and NGOs to start a national conversation about these animals, and why empathy matters so much when a species returns after centuries of absence.Subscribe to Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science NewsletterSupport the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee.Follow Tommy's Outdoors on Bluesky, Instagram or YouTube
