The unblinking gaze of an otter scanning riverbanks for spraint deposition sites – a task far removed from its usual human routine – is just one of the startling experiences shared by 18 volunteers who undertook a groundbreaking six-week study in Somerset. Temporarily adopting the perspectives of local wildlife, including otters, salmon, earthworms, red deer, and kestrels, they aimed to document the risks faced by these creatures from a non-human viewpoint along the River Tone.
The 'Risks Beyond Human Eyes' research study was conducted by the University of the West of England in collaboration with the Accelerator for Systemic Risk Assessment (ASRA), funded by the Ecological Citizen(s) Network. Participants received detailed briefings on their chosen 'animal collaborators', including their sensory capabilities – or 'umwelts'. They were then trained by social anthropologists to undertake exercises in the wild, focusing on a single key sense and describing their experiences without human interpretation.
Nature writer Anita Roy was struck by the disruption caused by dogs entering the river, stating as an 'otter' that her testimony was a visceral 'I hate dogs!'. Fellow volunteer Helen Lawy, chair of the Friends of Longrun Meadow community green space, initially sought the 'freedom' of a kestrel but found it scarce due to the presence of human activity. Both women were acutely aware of how much human activity encroached upon and disrupted animal habitats.
The study also highlighted less obvious disturbances, such as the disorienting effect of nearby trains on otters during fish-hunts. James Grischeff, Director of Nature Recovery at Somerset Wildlife Trust, found participating as an earthworm provided unexpected insights into soil conservation. The findings offer a new approach to understanding and mitigating human impacts on wildlife by providing a rigorously documented animal perspective.