Volunteers Live as Somerset Animals to Study Wildlife Risks
The Innovative Study
What does a kestrel make of the dog sniffing in the long grass below? Why does an exhausted salmon pause before a weir? How will an otter experience the rumble of a passing train? These are some of the questions that 18 volunteers aimed to answer by immersing themselves in the lives of various animals in Somerset.
Experiencing Life as Animals
The volunteers were trained to experience distinctive animal “umwelts” and report back on the reality of being a non-human animal trying to survive around the River Tone in Somerset, England. They were given a detailed scientific briefing about the sensory powers of their chosen “animal collaborators” and trained to undertake exercises in the wild.
The Data Analysis
- 18 volunteers participated in the study
- They spent six weeks experiencing life as otters, salmon, earthworms, red deer, and kestrels
- They were encouraged to use a single key sense and describe their experiences without interpretation or evaluation
The Impact Analysis
The study highlights the risks faced by wildlife in a human-dominated landscape. For example, volunteers experienced the disturbance caused by trains, the ubiquity of dogs, and the challenges of finding food. Anita Roy, a nature writer who chose to be an otter, said: “The whole point was not to go out and see an otter but to be in the world as if you had taken that imaginative leap into otterhood, and see what happened.”
The Prediction
The study's findings are expected to contribute to a better understanding of the risks faced by wildlife and inform conservation efforts. By “de-centering” human understanding, the study aims to allow for a deeper understanding of the experiences of non-human animals and promote coexistence with wildlife.