Toryn Whitehead is a PhD student in the Department of Geography at King's. He holds a BSc in Chemistry and an MSc in International Development: Environment and Climate Change from the University of Manchester.

Currently, Toryn is pursuing a PhD on species reintroductions and human-wildlife coexistence in Scotland and Estonia. He has a particular interest in wild boar (or feral pigs), lynx, and wolves. His research is funded by LISS DTP and he is based in Edinburgh.

Research

Thesis title: 'Human-wildlife coexistence in Scotland and Estonia: A shifting baseline syndrome perspective'

In Scotland, efforts to reintroduce species which have not been present in the landscape for hundreds of years have been marred by guerrilla rewilding and social conflicts. This project explores whether these conflicts could at least in part be the product of shifting baseline syndrome.

Toryn invesitgates:

1. Human-feral pig/wild boar coexistence in Scotland
2. Human-wolf and human-lynx coexistence in Estonia
3. The influence of shifting baseline syndrome on attitudes towards wild boar, lynx, and wolves in Scotland.

PhD supervision

• Principal supervisor: Professor Kate Schreckenberg
• Secondary supervisor: Dr Terry Dawson

Further details

See Toryn's research profile