A new book asks: What makes humans call some animals pests?
Science journalist Bethany Brookshire discusses why we vilify some species
![An elephant seen behind an electric fence](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/120322_reviews_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
Some farmers in Africa view elephants as “pests” and set up electric fences to keep them from crops. But elephants are smart enough to break down these defenses with logs or their tusks, which don't conduct electricity.
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