Wimpenny repositions these species and offers a new appreciation for the animals we love the least.

We learn why these unpopular creatures have something special to teach us about our own place in nature.

In an age of catastrophic biodiversity-loss she explains why we should champion and protect these underdogs.

As we understand more about our destructive ways we may become more tolerant of "creepy" creatures.

Many of the nonhuman animals (animals) with whom we share our homes and other landscapes are often mistakenly written off as being unimportant and disposable "pests" or "trash" animals.1 However, they deserve more respect, we kill them far too often, and writing them off says more about us than them. These sentient animals have sophisticated cognitive and emotional lives and also are very important neighbors with important ecological roles.

I recently posted an interview with Dr. Marlene Zuk about these amazing marginalized beings and was thrilled to learn of a new highly acclaimed book by Dr. Jo Wimpenny titled Beauty of the Beasts: Rethinking Nature's Least Loved Animals that once again expands our knowledge about these scary repulsive underdogs, whose losses can devastate diverse ecosystems. Wimpenny encourages all of us to appreciate and respect these animals for who they are and the vital roles they fulfill for all life on Earth.

Marc Bekoff: Why did you write Beauty of the Beasts?

Jo Wimpenny: There are several reasons. I was becoming increasingly infuriated by the same, sensationalist, headlines popping up every year demonizing wasps, spiders, gulls and more for ‘invading’ our homes, or ‘terrorizing’ people by simply performing their natural behaviours. This kind of populist, tabloid rhetoric is only bolstering humanity’s disconnection from the natural world and in an age of catastrophic biodiversity loss, every part of nature needs our help.

At present, our views towards diverse species are inconsistent: a tiny proportion of animal life is celebrated and........

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