The muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) is an invasive species in the Netherlands. Its burrowing habits are alleged to threaten the integrity of the extensive water control infrastructure, posing a public safety hazard in this densely populated, low-lying country.

The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is expanding its range towards Northern and Western Europe. In these parts of Europe, there is a lack of substantial knowledge about this animal’s ecology and habitat requirements.

Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) is a very rare species in the North Sea.

One of my favourite natural history books is “Monster of God”, by David Quammen, subtitled “The Man-Eating Predator in the Jungles of History and the Mind”. It tells the story of man’s relationship with big, fierce animals, the ones that can kill and eat us.