The Weight of Beastly Traits: Biopolitics and Imaginations around Wild Boar Hunting in Uruguay
In: Society & AnimalsDepartment of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland College Park, MD USA
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Abstract
This article explores the concept of wild boars as beasts of the Anthropocene by examining their physicality and the policies focused on controlling their populations. Considering the labeling and perception of the species as a beast, the study investigates the sociopolitical implications of such categorization. Specifically, it examines how wild boars have been described and portrayed as intimidating, dangerous, and threatening within Uruguay’s hunting and conservation communities. By analyzing the processes that frame the lives of wild boars and render them legitimate targets of eradication, this article sheds light on the semiotics and naming of wild boars’ changing corporeality throughout history. It reveals how the hunting community motivates their practices by portraying themselves as guardians of biodiversity and agricultural production rather than mere leisure hunters. I argue that the notion of beastliness is instrumental in wildlife management strategies employed for wild boars.
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The Weight of Beastly Traits: Biopolitics and Imaginations around Wild Boar Hunting in Uruguay
In: Society & AnimalsDepartment of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland College Park, MD USA
Search for other papers by Juan Martin Dabezies in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
This article explores the concept of wild boars as beasts of the Anthropocene by examining their physicality and the policies focused on controlling their populations. Considering the labeling and perception of the species as a beast, the study investigates the sociopolitical implications of such categorization. Specifically, it examines how wild boars have been described and portrayed as intimidating, dangerous, and threatening within Uruguay’s hunting and conservation communities. By analyzing the processes that frame the lives of wild boars and render them legitimate targets of eradication, this article sheds light on the semiotics and naming of wild boars’ changing corporeality throughout history. It reveals how the hunting community motivates their practices by portraying themselves as guardians of biodiversity and agricultural production rather than mere leisure hunters. I argue that the notion of beastliness is instrumental in wildlife management strategies employed for wild boars.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 365 | 365 | 16 |
| Full Text Views | 12 | 12 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 218 | 218 | 2 |
