ABSTRACT
Echoing John Berger’s question “Why look at animals?”, this chapter addresses why humans are preoccupied with counting animals. It argues that as an extension of looking, counting becomes a foundation upon which humans base predictions about their own futures, reflecting the important place of other animals not only in economies but also in our imaginative, spiritual and emotional lives. The assessment of animal population size, whether done through systematic or impressionist means, leads to assessments of whether there are too many, the right number or too few and too often ill-considered actions designed to restore numbers to a preferred level. In the Australian context, these assessments are influenced by the category into which the animal has been placed, whether native or invasive, domestic or feral, pest or protected. Counting animals shapes the ways we interact, manage, protect, love and vilify these environmental companions.
