You may ask yourself why MyWilderness.net features such a small portfolio of European wildlife and wilderness. The simple truth is: there are very few really wild places left in Europe. Most of them are in eastern Europe and perhaps in Scandinavia. A relatively high population density, intensive land use for farming, forestry, fishery, hunting, and recreational activities, dense road and rail networks, carried by a highly politicised debate about nature and biodiversity conservation at present work against long-term conservation plans in many European countries. Here in Switzerland where I currently live, very few even understand the difference between nature and wilderness. When people discuss weekend plans I often hear "...we will go out into nature...", as reference to a planned hike or mountain bike tour across alpine pastures, or skiing in winter. While these are absolutely necessary and generally healthy, fun, and actively relaxing ways to spend a weekend, they do not add to the protection of Europe's wildlife. 

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Across Europe, large wildlife is generally doing better today than at any time in the past 2000 years. From the alpine peaks to the northern and eastern forests, and along the pre-alpine ridge, large herbivores such as ibex, chamois, red deer, roe deer, and wild boar are prevalent again. Even European bison have been reintroduced in recent years. Yet the from a biodiversity point of view equally important larger predators like Eurasian wolves and Eurasian lynx, as well as European brown bears, although generally protected, are persecuted almost everywhere they live. This makes direct observations for photography very difficult and in many cases leaves the use of camera traps as the only option to make meaningful photographs.

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Highly mechanised agriculture and the use of pesticides and high-yield fertilisers continue to negatively affect insects, birds, and small mammals, causing a serious decline in biodiversity. For most people biodiversity simply isn't a priority. Policy makers and governments attach more value to short-term economic gains than to preserve healthy lands and intact biodiversity for future generations. Political arguments frequently state that there are more pressing matter at hand, that nature conservation is important but scientific concepts for a more sustainable use of land and water would be too radical, and that we will all run out of food and starve if we don't unconditionally give our farmers what they demand.

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In years to come I hope to add to this gallery some more species of European wildlife that I hold dear. For now you find my first observations of Iberian lynx (Sierra de Andújar, Spain), wintery ermine and owls (Canton of Jura, Switzerland), and European field hamster photographed at the Central Cemetary (Zentralfriedhof) in Vienna, Austria.

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I hope you enjoy this small and growing gallery!