Paper short abstract:

Based on an initial exploration of species (de)-extinction, exemplified through the historical trajectory of the peregrine falcon, this paper raises the question of liveability and what it means for a species to flourish in the Anthropocene.

Paper long abstract:

This paper presents an initial exploration into questions of species (de)-extinction, exemplified through the historical trajectory of the peregrine falcon. This takes us from a time of near extinction of the species, to its status as a key-stone species in conservation. Triggered by near extinction of many raptor species due to the use of pesticides in industrial agriculture it was growing concern of the species' survival in the wild that led to the emergence of captive breeding and domestication. Once bred in captivity birds were released back into the wild, with methods such as hacking and radio tracking being used to ensure their survival. Through complicating straightforward boundary drawing between categories of the wild and domestic, the cultural and the ecological, this paper raises questions surrounding liveability and what it means for a species to flourish in the Anthropocene, characterised by supposedly dissolving boundaries between nature and culture.