Posthumanism and animal geography: the case of Freya the walrus on media

Abstract

Biodiversity loss, climate change and depletion of natural habitats urge a critical reflection on the human conceptualisation of wildlife space. Within the context of tourism, this study critically discusses the (lack of) space for wildlife in a sociological and physical space that is increasingly human, built, and touristified. Drawing on concepts of animal geography, this study adopts a posthuman lens to examine the media’s understanding and representation of wildlife in a space largely presented as anthropic - i.e. pertaining to humans. Using Labovian structural narrative analysis, this study focuses on the online breaking news of the killing of the walrus Freya in Oslofjord on the 14 August 2022 to unpack the media’s narrativisation of wildlife in anthropic and tourism-related contexts. The data analysis identified two emerging themes in the online news media narrativisation. The theme of presenting the wildlife as a tourist attraction and untidy guest, and a mutually exclusive choice between human and wildlife safety. The research challenges the media human-centred stance towards wildlife and advocates further investigation for a ‘more-than-human’ spatiality in tourism studies for human and non-human visitors. In doing so this study contributes to the literature by urging a rethinking of our relationship with wildlife in a space increasingly perceived as mainly human.