Feral Summary

"When did we forget how to live with nature, instead of controlling it?" George Monbiot challenges us to rekindle our connection with the wild and reimagine what it means to conserve our planet.

1. The Impact of Gold Mining on Brazil's Forests and Tribes

The author’s environmental journey began with his first major assignment in 1989, monitoring the consequences of gold mining in Brazil. Through this experience, he witnessed the significant consequences of human intrusion into delicate ecosystems. Large portions of the Amazon rainforest were destroyed to access gold-rich sediment, devastating the natural habitat.

Monbiot also witnessed widespread violence among miners who competed for the precious resource, leading to more than 1,500 deaths during his six months there. However, the consequences for the indigenous Yanomami tribes were even more severe. Not only did diseases brought by miners wipe out 15% of the Yanomami population, but many were also killed or displaced, with entire villages destroyed.

This grim reality highlighted the broader environmental costs of human greed, with ecosystems and vulnerable humans alike suffering the consequences of unregulated exploitation.

Examples

• Yanomami tribes losing 20% of their population during the gold rush.
• Clearing large tracts of Amazon rainforest to mine gold.
• Violence claiming the lives of over 1,500 miners in just six months.

2. Western Envy of Indigenous Ways of Living

Monbiot found lessons about human freedom and spontaneity while living among the Maasai in Kenya. His Maasai friend Toronkei embodied a fluid and instinctive way of life that contrasted sharply with Western rigidity and isolation. Toronkei could decide on a whim to run 35 miles, or even elope, showcasing a form of untethered living that many Westerners lack.

This perspective is not new. Monbiot points out how many colonialists, like those noted by Benjamin Franklin, found native cultures more appealing than their own stifling and industrialized ways. Enslaved Europeans living with indigenous tribes often chose to remain.

This fascination with indigenous life reflects humanity’s subconscious yearning for a closer connection with nature—something industrial societies have worked hard to suppress.

Examples

• A Maasai man deciding without hesitation to run 35 miles to visit a friend.
• Europeans-turned-prisoners often choosing indigenous tribal life over returning home.
• Benjamin Franklin’s observations of willing Europeans defecting to indigenous tribes.

3. The Vision of Rewilding

Monbiot doesn’t romanticize returning to an ancient, primitive state but proposes rewilding as a modern solution to address humanity's disconnection. Rewilding involves allowing nature to reclaim designated areas, free from human interference. The idea isn’t to micromanage ecosystems but to stop attempting to “fix” nature.

In the UK, rewilding stands against artificially preserved landscapes, like managed heaths and moorlands, which mimic gardens more than wilderness. These areas should be left alone to encourage the natural development of ecosystems over time.

Rewilding doesn’t just benefit nature but also accommodates human curiosity and provides a fresh sense of wonder. It marries ecological recovery with the innate human need for adventure.

Examples

• Rewilding efforts allowing untouched wilderness to thrive.
• Contrasting managed moorlands in the UK with organic, wild forest growth.
• Offering humans a chance to reconnect with nature’s surprises and unpredictability.

4. Wilderness Isn’t Exclusive to Primitive Tribes

Rewilding doesn’t demand a return to primitive living. Monbiot dismisses the idea that humans must abandon modern amenities or revert to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Instead, rewilding complements urban life, offering areas where wildlife flourishes and modern people can visit them.

Some outdated farmland in low-yield or heavily subsidized areas, such as the UK’s highlands, are perfect candidates for rewilding. These spaces can host a new natural order, complete with the reintroduction of once-native species like wolves and lynxes.

Rewilding stands as a reminder that nature should exist not apart from humans but alongside us, offering shared experiences for those craving a break from modern monotony.

Examples

• Low-yield farm spaces in highlands and mountainous areas could host rewilding projects.
• Wolves, wild boars, and lynxes reintroduced into rewilding habitats.
• Humans and wildlife coexisting in rewilded ecosystems.

5. Overfished Seas and Nature’s New Challenges

Modern seas quickly show the strain of human overexploitation. Monbiot shares his experiences fishing in Welsh waters, once teeming with life but now showing depleted stocks. Shoals of fish that once stretched for miles are now diminished to a shadow of their former presence.

Despite these challenges, the sea still provides a setting for wild adventures. Monbiot recalls his narrow escape from touching a venomous greater weever fish, a close call that reminded him of the dangers and thrills inherent in nature.

Overfished or not, the oceans represent an enduring connection with the wild—a reminder that protection and sustainable practices are key to their survival.

Examples

• Mackerel shoals that once stretched three miles have sharply reduced.
• Monbiot’s encounter with the venomous greater weever fish.
• Declares from EU agencies that echo falling ecological standards.

6. Digging Into the Past to Shape Rewilding Efforts

Archaeology offers insight into which species could thrive if reintroduced, as past ecological data provides evidence of what existed long before human disruptions. Monbiot highlights discoveries at the Severn Estuary, where fossilized tracks of children, birds, and deer created vivid snapshots of past harmony.

One of the most exciting findings was the tracks of cranes, giant elegant birds that once dominated parts of Britain. Their gradual reintroduction has proved tremendously successful, with thriving populations in modern Somerset.

Such projects confirm that selective rewilding efforts, based on solid evidence, can restore parts of the natural balance lost to human activity.

Examples

• Fossilized tracks of cranes found at Severn Estuary.
• Successful reintroduction projects in Somerset for cranes as of 2009.
• Children’s footprints hunting alongside animal trails reflect ancient coexistence.

7. Big Cat Legends Reflect Deep-Seeded Yearning

Legends of large cats roaming Britain—like the Crystal Palace Puma or Beast of Barnet—have persisted even without concrete evidence. Monbiot points to these myths as subconscious wishes for a wilder home environment.

Despite these sightings, research finds no animal tracks, hairs, or other tangible clues. Belief in their existence highlights a collective longing for untamed landscapes and encounters with predators.

These stories underline a deeper human desire to reconnect with wildness, even in perceived safety.

Examples

• Frequent "big cat" sightings reported in British cities and towns.
• Wildcat myths like the Beast of Barnet or Crystal Palace Puma.
• Reflections of longing for unpredictable, untamed environments.

8. Wildlife Speeds Up Natural Recovery

Large animals strengthen and diversify ecosystems, aiding in rewilding efforts. Monbiot uses wild boars as an example, describing how their digging enriches soil, creating habitats for many other species. Without animals like these, ecosystems often become pitifully monotonous.

In Britain, bluebell groves look picturesque but signal degraded areas with weak biodiversity. By comparison, places like Poland’s forests, supported by wild boars, host a richly diverse tapestry of life.

If governments encouraged species like boars or wolves to regenerate, ecosystems globally could enjoy healthier, more sustainable development.

Examples

• Wild boar fostering new ecosystems by digging earth.
• Bluebell-covered groves showing degraded, species-limited environments.
• Comparisons of biodiversity in woods in Poland versus Britain.

9. Conservationists Must Embrace True Wilderness

Conservation efforts often involve keeping habitats artificially static. Monbiot argues that this approach prevents natural processes from evolving and creates "frozen" landscapes.

True rewilding means stepping back and allowing nature to reorganize itself. It’s slow, but ecosystems balance naturally, creating environments far stronger than any human design.

Sheep farming presents one pressing example: landscapes shaped by unsustainable farming stubbornly dominate Britain. Reducing such practices, reintroducing predators, and leaving nature to grow uninhibited could restore once-vibrant wilderness.

Examples

• Sheep farming keeping British grasslands stripped of biodiversity.
• Conservationists working to preserve artificial habitats.
• Natural ecosystems organically rebuilding when left untouched.

Takeaways

1. Dedicate time to reconnecting with nature, whether that means hiking, camping, or visiting rewilded lands.
2. Support rewilding projects and initiatives in your area by advocating for reduced human intervention in natural spaces.
3. Educate yourself and others about the history of local ecosystems and the animals that once thrived there to raise awareness for conservation efforts.