Talk Overview

Few creatures have the emotive power that large carnivores have, as both our evolutionary past and our more recent catalogue of fairy tales attest.

For this reason, the potential reintroductions of wolves, lynx and bears to Britain and Ireland after absences of centuries, or even millennia, is arguably the most controversial agri-environmental topic of our time.

Livestock farmers are likely to be the most affected. But could we find ways to coexist with carnivores again?

Across five categories of solutions, and with five thought-provoking examples from my own research across five countries, I explore the complexities and imagine the possibilities.

About the Speaker

Jonny is a conservationist, agriculturalist and entrepreneur, and Founder-CEO of nature edutainment start-up, Jonny Hanson Ventures. He established and managed Northern Ireland's first community-owned farm 2014-22, for which he was named Young NI Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2019.

Jonny is a 2023 Nuffield Farming Scholar, exploring farmers' perspectives towards large carnivore reintroductions to Britain and Ireland.  His popular book on the reintroduction debate is out with Pelagic in February 2025. He is also an Associate of the Snow Leopard Conservancy and has a PhD in snow leopard conservation from the University of Cambridge.

Jonny grew up between Monaghan and Malawi but now lives in Ballymena with his wife Paula and their three children.