There are few things more joyful, if occasionally nerve-wracking, than having a pet in your home. And plenty of people agree.

The Illumination Discovery Hub at the University of Wisconsin held their monthly academic lecture, Crossroads of Ideas, Nov. 12. The theme for November’s lecture was Living and Learning with Animals.

Feeding wild animals might seem like a harmless act of kindness, but it often carries serious and unintended consequences.

Human-wildlife conflict has driven the decline of once-abundant species and is pushing others to the brink of extinction.