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Animal Companions

A Naturalist and Other Beasts George Schaller 590 Sch

One of the last explorer-naturalists, Schaller has led an amazing life studying wildlife: he’s studied tigers in India, snow leopards in Nepal, lions in Africa and pandas in China and that’s only a partial listing. This anthology provides a broad look at wildlife and what steps people are taking for conservation.

Adventures Among Ants Mark Moffett 595.7961 Mof

Intrepid international explorer, biologist, and photographer Mark W. Moffett, "the Indiana Jones of entomology," takes us around the globe on a strange and colorful journey in search of the hidden world of ants. In tales from Nigeria, Indonesia, the Amazon, Australia, California, and elsewhere, Moffett recounts his entomological exploits and provides fascinating details on how ants live and how they dominate their ecosystems through strikingly human behaviors, yet at a different scale and a faster tempo.

Animals Make Us Human Temple Grandin 636.0832 Gra

With sympathy and a detailed knowledge of what makes animals tick, Grandin answers for cats, dogs, horses, cows, pigs, and even some species of wildlife the question, “What does an animal need to have a good life?” To evaluate whether zoo animals are happy she asks these questions: is the animal acting normally, taking part in varied activities, does it appear confident, and does it look relaxed while resting.

Blindsided: Surviving a Grizzly Attack and Still Loving the Great Bear Jim Cole 599.784 Col

Although it describes in detail two bear maulings, Cole’s account is more of a natural history than an I-was-eaten-by-a-wild-animal-and-lived-to-tell-the-tale account. The author ends the book with an impassioned call for conservation of this great species that inhabits only truly wild places.

Bonobo Handshake Vanessa Woods 599.884 Woo

Bonobos share 98.7% of our human DNA. This Australian writer tells of her odyssey from wildlife writer to researcher of what some primate researchers call the sexiest apes. Also included in this memoir is a romance with a primatologist. Woods describes the difficulty of doing research in war-torn Congo.

Destination Wildlife Pamela Brodowsky 590.723 Bro

Let’s face it: the premise of this guide is depressing—1001 animals to see before their species is irrevocably lost, vanished forever from earth. But if you want ideas of where to travel to see some magnificent animals this source lists wildlife parks and sanctuaries where you can see incredible wildlife.

Eels: An Exploration from New Zealand to the Sargasso James Prosek 597.43 Pro

OK. I agree it takes a certain kind of person to feel touchy-feely good about an ugly fish who resembles a snake. Prosek traveled to New York, New Zealand, Japan, Europe and Micronesia to discover more about these fascinating creatures. Did you know that eels can walk across land to get where they need to go? Prosek’s wonderful line drawings make this book as elegant as any 19th century natural history.

Hope for Animals and the World Jane Goodall 591.68 Goo

Although there have been more losses than gains, and many more species will go extinct in this century, naturalist Goodall and her two co-authors celebrate awe-inspiring successes such as reintroducing wallabies and Mongolian horses from captive breeding programs back into the wild. There’s also good news in our country for red wolves and California condors. The authors show what successful reintroduction programs have in common.

Music of the Birds: A Celebration of Bird Song Lang Elliott 598 El

Why do birds sing? In songbirds only males sing and usually only during the spring and summer breeding season. Most people have been enthralled by the beauty of the “dawn chorus.” This book offers many rare photographs of birds in song as well as an audio CD of their varied songs.

Shark Trouble Peter Benchley 597.3 Be

Have you read lately too many accounts of shark/ human encounters? Adventurer and author of Jaws offers information here on which sharks are most dangerous. He also tells how to swim safely in the sea. Be reassured, according to the author, the odds of suffering a shark attack are extremely small.

The Summer of Cecily Nan Lincoln 599.7923 Lin

The author’s family finds an abandoned baby harbor seal on the rocks near their Mt. Desert Island home. They must decide whether to let it die in nature or rescue it. They chose the latter path. After surviving its first days when it had trouble feeding, the pup took to human life with alacrity. Her interests included TV watching, mucking around in the garden and car and wheelbarrow rides. In the end, the seal is weaned from this unnatural life and taught how to survive in her natural habitat.

Voyage of the Turtle Carl Safina 597.928 Sa

The author calls leatherback turtles “the last warm-blooded monster reptile” thus the title. He explores both scientific and cultural information about turtles from both those researching them and those worshipping them by travelling and reporting from Trinidad, Baja, Costa Rica. the US, and New Guinea.

Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives Thomas French 590.73 Fre

A captivating close-up examination of a zoo community including both animal and human life. Especially interesting is the section on introducing wild elephants for the first time to an American zoo including their flight from Africa on a jet. Other intriguing zoo denizens include Herman the chimp and Enshalla, a tiger that the author calls Queen.