Contested natures: Wolves in late modernity

This article examines some characteristics of the late modern period and the impacts of these characteristics on wolf conservation. As we move beyond the year 2000, characteristics of late modernity become especially relevant for understanding conservation. First, conservation efforts must operate in the territory in between: Nature can no longer be regarded as operating solely outside of the social purview, and society cannot be regarded as separate from nature. Second, as more and more areas of life move under the control of human agency, we need to rethink the importance of human action for the care and protection of the biophysical world. Finally, the impact of a globalized present has changed the very nature of conservation; the incredible speed of information, time and awareness of environmental problems erodes the boundaries between people, species, and their physical environments.