Jonatan Borling is a freelance wildlife biologist, author, lecturer, teacher, nature guide, journalist and photographer focusing on wild cat species, large carnivores and conservation of wildlife globally and nationally in Sweden.

 

I have done various sorts of field work on Eurasian lynx, brown bear, gray wolf, moose, hare, capercaillie, otter and other species across Sweden. Internationally, I have worked with puma and jaguar in Brazil and black-footed cat in South Africa. I have also done a bit of zoo-keeping and information work with snow leopard, Amur leopard and other carnivores.

A lot of what I do is information work, such as public talks, teaching, information videos, photography and articles. Some of what I’ve covered in magazines are the Persian leopard reintroduction programme, the Amur leopard situation, the effects of border fences on wildlife and the conservation project for the Iberian lynx in Spain. I wrote a book on snow leopards in Swedish together with Jan Fleischmann back in 2014, talking about the species’ biology, research, threats, conservation and much more. It is possible that the book will be released in English in the future.

I also work with and within NGOs. I coordinated The Swedish Carnivore Association’s regional work between 2013 and 2014. I also occasionally organize conservation events, among them two carnivores symposiums in 2004 and 2012.

One of my first projects was with Eurasian lynx in Sweden where we did snow tracking for one winter season and also interviewed locals about the decline of roe deer, its main prey. Eurasian lynx has since been one of my focal species. It is one of four large carnivores in Sweden.

Current focal species

I am currently focusing on the following species:

• Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)
• Puma (Puma concolor)
• Jaguar (Panthera onca)
• Snow leopard (Panthera uncia)
• Gray wolf (Canis lupus)
• Wild forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus)

Some experience

• Wildlife censuses of moose, roe deer, capercaillie, hare, lynx and marten by tracks, droppings and by helicopter throughout Sweden
• Censused large carnivores for the County Board of Uppsala (Länsstyrelsen i Uppsala) 2017-2018 & 2019-2021
• Field work on black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) in South Africa 2011, working with radio-collared cats
• Authored the Swedish snow leopard book “Snöleopard” together with Jan Fleischmann, released in 2014
• Field work at the Scandinavian Bear Project in 2006
• Otter censuses, beginning in 2002 in Värmland, and also 2007 in Västerbotten
• Media work about wildlife and nature for Mittmedia/Järvzoo and Biotopia
• Led working groups organizing two carnivore symposiums in Sweden, in 2004 and 2012
• Three field projects on Eurasian lynx. In the first we examined lynx movement and prey selection and also estimated the roe deer population in the study area based on observations by locals. We also investigated the local people’s views on what caused the roe deer population to decline
• In the second lynx project, conducted a small field study with financial support from the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation investigating the possibility to develop tourism on Eurasian lynx
• In the third lynx project, studied Eurasian lynx habitat and prey selection with GPS-collared lynx at Grimsö wildlife research station
• Investigated puma livestock depredation in the Brazilian Caatinga in 2016/2017
• Field work on moose & wildlife foraging on trees from Skåne to Norrbotten in Sweden 2010-2016 & 2018+
• Board member, Swedish Society for Nature Conservation regional branch in Värmland 2010-2012
• Alternate board member, Swedish Carnivore Association during 2012
• Worked as Regional coordinator for the Swedish Carnivore Association 2013-2014
• Nominating committee, Swedish Carnivore Association 2015-2016 (convener) & 2016-2017 (member)
• Zoo-keeping and information with snow leopards, Amur leopards and other carnivores at the conservation station Nordens Ark in summer 2008
• Numerous talks on wild cats, large carnivores and conservation across Sweden
• Freelance journalist and photographer writing mostly about wild cats and carnivores in newspapers and magazines
• Held guided tours with wolf, moose, beaver, red deer and Eurasian lynx in Värmland and Uppsala
• Teaching nature and biodiversity conservation, carnivore tourism, wildlife censusing techniques, rhetorics, photography, Photoshop, layout and InDesign at Klarälvdalens folkhögskola
• Visited 22 countries on various expeditions and trips and worked in the field in all but one county in Sweden
• Educated in wildlife- and conservation biology, leadership, rhetoric, psychology, conflict management, futures studies and journalism at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Karlstad University, Klarälvdalens folkhögskola, Molkoms folkhögskola and Uppsala University

Contact

I am based in Uppsala, Sweden. You can reach me at: jonatan.borling@gmail.com

Scenes from my work over the years