From the shell wars of hermit crabs to little blue penguins spying on potential rivals, power struggles in the animal kingdom are as diverse as they are fascinating, and this book illuminates their surprising range and connections. The quest for power in animals is so much richer, so much more nuanced than who wins what knock-down, drag-out fight. Indeed, power struggles among animals often look more like an opera than a boxing match. Tracing the path to power for over thirty different species on six continents, writer and behavioral ecologist Lee Alan Dugatkin takes us on a journey around the globe, shepherded by leading researchers who have discovered that in everything from hyenas to dolphins, bonobos to field mice, cichlid fish to cuttlefish, copperhead snakes to ravens, and meerkats to mongooses, power revolves around spying, deception, manipulation, forming alliances, breaking up alliances, complex assessments of potential opponents, building social networks, and more. Power pervades every aspect of the social life of animals: what they eat, where they eat, where they live, who they mate with, how many offspring they produce, who they join forces with, and who they work to depose. In some species, power can even change an animal's sex. Nor are humans invulnerable to this magnificently intricate melodrama: Dugatkin's tales of the researchers studying power in animals are full of unexpected pitfalls, twists and turns, serendipity, and the pure joy of scientific discovery.

The book is about Dennis the Orang Utan. With a foreword of Dennis Weening, ambassador of the foundation Jaan, whom Dennis is named for. Dennis is a victim of the palm oil industry and rescued from the hands of an animal trader, along with a lot of other species. Dennis's mother was slain in a palm oil plantation so Dennis could be taken for trade in exotic pets. Meanwhile, the plantations take more and more rapidly in the original habitat of the animals. Dennis symbolizes all the victims of the palm oil industry and to call attention for the situation in Indonesia and the use of palm oil, the campaign Save Dennis started. Ted Van Der Hulst is a specialized portrait photographer who captures character in his photographs. He followed the progress of Dennis the Orangutan, at the SOCP Rehabilitation Centre in Sumatra. He captured the daily life of Dennis and his emotionally journey that he has to take without his mom. Dennis is a symbol of The main purpose is to raise awareness for the plight of the Orangutan and the Rainforests .. through Dennis' Story. Dennis the orangutan represents all the orangutans out there in the Indonesian forests, who all are seriously threatened to become extinct if we don't take action now

My Family and Other Animals is the bewitching account of a rare and magical childhood on the island of Corfu by treasured British conservationist Gerald Durrell, beautifully repackaged as part of the Penguin Essentials range. 'What we all need,' said Larry, 'is sunshine...a country where we can grow.' 'Yes, dear, that would be nice,' agreed Mother, not really listening. 'I had a letter from George this morning - he says Corfu's wonderful. Why don't we pack up and go to Greece?' 'Very well, dear, if you like,' said Mother unguardedly. Escaping the ills of the British climate, the Durrell family - acne-ridden Margo, gun-toting Leslie, bookworm Lawrence and budding naturalist Gerry, along with their long-suffering mother and Roger the dog - take off for the island of Corfu. But the Durrells find that, reluctantly, they must share their various villas with a menagerie of local fauna - among them scorpions, geckos, toads, bats and butterflies. Recounted with immense humour and charm My Family and Other Animals is a wonderful account of a rare, magical childhood. 'Durrell has an uncanny knack of discovering human as well as animal eccentricities' Sunday Telegraph 'A bewitching book' Sunday Times Gerald Durrell was born in Jamshedpur, India, in 1925. He returned to England in 1928 before settling on the island of Corfu with his family. In 1945 he joined the staff of Whipsnade Park as a student keeper, and in 1947 he led his first animal-collecting expedition to the Cameroons. He later undertook numerous further expeditions, visiting Paraguay, Argentina, Sierra Leone, Mexico, Mauritius, Assam and Madagascar. His first television programme, Two in the Bush which documented his travels to New Zealand, Australia and Malaya was made in 1962; he went on to make seventy programmes about his trips around the world. In 1959 he founded the Jersey Zoological Park, and in 1964 he founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. He was awarded the OBE in 1982. Encouraged to write about his life's work by his brother, Durrell published his first book, The Overloaded Ark, in 1953. It soon became a bestseller and he went on to write thirty-six other titles, including My Family and Other Animals, The Bafut Beagles, Encounters with Animals, The Drunken Forest, A Zoo in My Luggage, The Whispering Land, Menagerie Manor, The Amateur Naturalist and The Aye-Aye and I. Gerald Durrell died in 1995.

'An intriguing and mesmerising book' Ben Fogle My life is free, random and spontaneous. This in itself creates enormous energy and clarity in body and mind - Miriam Lancewood Miriam Lancewood is a young Dutch woman living a primitive, nomadic life in the heart of the mountains with her New Zealand husband. She lives simply in a tent or hut and survives by hunting wild animals, foraging edible plants and using minimal supplies. For the last six years she has lived this way, through all seasons, often cold, hungry and isolated in the bush. She loves her life and feels free, connected to the land and happy. This book tells her story, including the very practical aspects of such a life: her difficulties learning to hunt with a bow and arrow, struggles to create a warm environment in which to live, attempts to cross raging rivers safely and find ways through the rugged mountains and dense bush. This is interwoven with her adjustment to a very slow pace of life, her relationship with her much older husband, her interactions with the few other people they encounter, and her growing awareness of a strong spiritual connection to the natural world.

Elephants are a keystone species and have been a part of the magic of the thickly forested land of South Africa for millennia. This book focuses on the history and work of Knysna Elephant Park, a leading South African elephant research facility that has been home to more than 40 elephants in 25 years. Unfortunately, all the mystique of the Knysna elephant has been reduced to a single elephant left alive. Exploring a wide range of topics, this book covers the impact of elephants' interactions with tourists, how they recover from trauma and even their relevance in human healthcare. Renowned elephant researchers explain the majesty of the elephant brain, which has the largest temporal lobe devoted to communication, language, spatial memory and cognition. To this effect, the book emphasizes the threat of poaching to these gentle giants, which has almost forced them to extinction. Perhaps if humans pay attention to how elephants symbolize our relationship with nature, we can learn important lessons about humanity itself.

For most of us, the story of mammal evolution starts after the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs, but over the last 20 years scientists have uncovered remarkable fossils and new technologies that have upended this story. In Beasts Before Us, palaeontologist Elsa Panciroli charts the emergence of the mammal lineage, the Synapsida, beginning with their murky split from the reptiles in the Carboniferous period, more than three-hundred million years ago; these animals made the world theirs long before the rise of dinosaurs. Travelling forward into the Permian and then Triassic periods, we learn how our ancient mammal ancestors evolved from large, hairy beasts with fast metabolisms to exploit miniaturisation, the key to unlocking the traits that define mammals as we now know them. Elsa criss-crosses the globe to explore the sites where discoveries are being made and to meet the people who make them. In Scotland, she traverses the desert dunes of prehistoric Moray, where quarry workers unearthed the footprints of Permian synapsids; in South Africa, she introduces us to animals that gave scientists the first hints that our furry kin evolved from a lineage of egg-laying burrowers; and in China, new and astounding fossil finds reveal a suite of ancient mammals including gliders, shovel-pawed moles, and flat-tailed swimmers. This brilliantly written book radically reframes the narrative of our mammalian ancestors, providing a counterpoint to the stereotype of cowering Mesozoic mammals hiding away from their mighty dinosaur overlords. The earliest mammals weren't just precursors - they were pioneers.

From timid shrews to commonly seen rabbits, red deer to minke whales, and including the many species of bats, there are over 60 resident wild mammals in the UK or around its coasts. The aim of this book is to provide a brief account of these and also of some that are no longer here. They represent a diverse and sometimes surprising group.The essential illustrated guide for children and adults alike.

Show off your best animal-tracking skills in this brilliant matching game. The task is to match 25 tracks to their animal owners. Has an elephant just crossed your path or was it an echidna? Can you track down a coyote, make out the trail of a peacock and recognise the paw print of a panda? Beat your opponents by making as many matches as you can!

Coyotes hold a peculiar interest as both an enduring symbol of the wild and a powerful predator we are always anxious to avoid. This book examines the spread of coyotes across the country over the past century, and the storm of concern and controversy that has followed. Individual chapters cover the surprisingly complex question of how to identify a coyote, the real and imagined dangers they pose, their personality and lifestyle, and nondeadly ways of discouraging them.

Caught on camera prior to their demise, this book reveals the surprisingly rich photographic record of now-extinct animals. A photograph of an animal long-gone evokes a feeling of loss more than a painting ever can. Often tinted sepia or black-and-white, these images were mainly taken in zoos or wildlife parks, and in a handful of cases featured the last known individual of the species. There are some familiar examples, such as Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon, or the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, recently fledged and perching happily on the hat of one of the biologists that had just ringed it. But for every Martha there are a number of less familiar extinct birds and mammals that were caught on camera. The photographic record of extinction is the focus of this remarkable book, written by the world's leading authority on vanished animals, Errol Fuller. Lost Animals features photographs dating from around 1870 to as recently as 2004, the year that saw the demise of the Hawaiian Po'ouli. From a mother Thylacine and her pups to now-extinct birds such as the Heath Hen and Carolina Parakeet, Fuller tells the tale of each animal, why it became extinct, and discusses the circumstances surrounding the photography itself, in a book rich with unique images. The photographs themselves are poignant and compelling. They provide a tangible link to animals that have now vanished forever, in a book that brings the past to life while delivering a warning for the future.

'Breathtakingly beautiful' i 'Tender and wholehearted' Helen Jukes LONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE INDEPENDENT, FINANCIAL TIMES, I and GARDENS ILLUSTRATED When she suddenly finds herself uprooted, heartbroken, grieving and living out of a suitcase in her late twenties, Alice Vincent begins planting seeds. She nurtures pot plants and vines on windowsills and draining boards, filling her many temporary London homes with green. As the months pass, and with each unfurling petal and budding leaf, she begins to come back to life. Mixing memoir, botanical history and biography, Rootbound examines how bringing a little bit of the outside in can help us find our feet in a world spinning far too fast.

The Hill Times: Best Books of 2017 The Arctic seabed, with its vast quantities of undiscovered resources, is the twenty-first century's frontier. In Breaking the Ice: Canada, Sovereignty and the Arctic Extended Continental Shelf, Arctic policy expert Elizabeth Riddell-Dixon examines the political, legal, and scientific aspects of Canada's efforts to delineate its Arctic extended continental shelf. The quality and quantity of the data collected and analyzed by the scientists and legal experts preparing Canada's Arctic Submission for the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, and the extensive collaboration with Canada's Arctic neighbours is a good news story in Canadian foreign policy. As Arctic sovereignty continues to be a key concern for Canada and as the international legal regime is being observed by all five Arctic coastal states, it is crucial to continue to advance our understanding of the complex issues around this expanding area of national interest.

'A wonderfully personal evocation of the joys, hard work and meaning of creating a wood for wildlife, written with sensitivity and care. A delightful read.' Stephen Moss, author of The Robin: A Biography Over twenty years ago, Ruth Pavey bought four acres of scrub woodland above the Somerset Levels and set out to improve the lush haven for birds, insects and all manner of wildlife. Beneath the shade of the trees she spent two decades planting, she now reflects on the fate of her wood. As steward, she has witnessed nature's forces shifting and the abundance of species dwindling rapidly. When the rabbits suddenly vanished, she knew it was time to take a closer look at the undergrowth and what she could do to preserve the legacy of the wood for generations to come. Deeper Into the Wood recounts a year in the life of an amateur naturalist working with wildlife experts to interpret the language of the land. Ruth's hand-drawn illustrations accompany her lyrical prose, which demonstrates an appreciation for the local people and their history. This is one woman's story of inspiration, conservation, and a love of place. ***PRAISE FOR DEEPER INTO THE WOOD*** 'A rare treat of a book that warms as it informs and leads us deep into the character of one small pocket of England. Ruth Pavey writes with wit, passion and precious little sentimentality.' Tristan Gooley, author of The Secret World of Weather 'Wonderful... how love for a small woodland and respect for its local history can enhance wildlife and enrich the human spirit.' Nick Davies, author of Cuckoo: Cheating by Nature 'Ruth Pavey spins a delicate web between the many branches of her little Somerset wood. Her closely observed changes of wildlife and the changing seasons, echo a growing awareness and concern for life on Earth itself. The author's growth and metamorphosis into an amateur naturalist who has learnt to read the language of trees is profoundly inspirational.' Gabriel Hemery, author of The New Sylva 'Inquisitive and generous. Pavey shares the love of her wood, past and present, through a fascinating weave of its natural and cultural histories. This book is as companionable as it is interesting. Patrick Baker, author of The Unremembered Places

From the popular television Oregon travel series Grant’s Getaways comes the third book in Grant McOmie’s well-loved guidebooks. Oregon’s treasure Grant McOmie offers in this handy guidebook his favorite kid-friendly outings featured in his television series, Grant’s Getaways. You’ll find activities to engage any kid, from archery to clamming on the coast to hunting for thundereggs to zip-lining through trees in an aerial adventure park. Grant explored many of these outings as a child on family trips and later as a father with his own children. A big believer in teachable moments through touchable history, he’s expert in providing educational content that kids truly enjoy. This is a detailed reference book for outdoor adventures geared for family fun and activities.

The World of Wild Cats reveals secrets about cats found around the world, touching on domestic cats as well as exotic cats such as the Florida panther. Known for their regal grace as well as their teeth and claws, cats around the world are suffering from a variety of threats including habitat loss and lack of genetic diversity.
In this pocket guide, readers will learn about the types of cats found throughout the world, how they live, how they take care of their young, what they eat and how they hunt for their food. Fans cats will learn about primary threats that are causing cat populations to decline and what steps we can all take to help conserve their numbers and preserve all cats' habitats.

The founder and president of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk, and bestselling author Gene Stone explore the wonders of animal life with "admiration and empathy" (The New York Times Book Review) and offer tools for living more kindly toward them. In the last few decades, a wealth of new information has emerged about who animals are: astounding beings with intelligence, emotions, intricate communications networks, and myriad abilities. In Animalkind, Ingrid Newkirk and Gene Stone present these findings in a concise and awe-inspiring way, detailing a range of surprising discoveries, like that geese fall in love and stay with a partner for life, that fish "sing" underwater, and that elephants use their trunks to send subsonic signals, alerting other herds to danger miles away. Newkirk and Stone pair their tour through the astounding lives of animals with a guide to the exciting new tools that allow humans to avoid using or abusing animals as we once did. Whether it's medicine, product testing, entertainment, clothing, or food, there are now better options to all the uses animals once served in human life. We can substitute warmer, lighter faux fleece for wool, choose vegan versions of everything from shrimp to marshmallows, reap the benefits of animal-free medical research, and scrap captive orca exhibits and elephant rides for virtual reality and animatronics. Animalkind provides a fascinating look at why our fellow living beings deserve our respect, and lays out the steps everyone can take to put this new understanding into action.

Underdogs looks into the rapidly growing initiative to provide veterinary care to underserved communities in North Carolina and Costa Rica and how those living in or near poverty respond to these forms of care. For many years, the primary focus of the humane community in the United States was to control animal overpopulation and alleviate the stray dog problem by euthanizing or sterilizing dogs and cats. These efforts succeeded by the turn of the century, and it appeared as though most pets were being sterilized and given at least basic veterinary care, including vaccinations and treatments for medical problems such as worms or mange. However, in recent years animal activists and veterinarians have acknowledged that these efforts only reached pet owners in advantaged communities, leaving over twenty million pets unsterilized, unvaccinated, and untreated in underserved communities. The problem of getting basic veterinary services to dogs and cats in low-income communities has suddenly become spotlighted as a major issue facing animal shelters, animal rescue groups, animal control departments, and veterinarians in the United States and abroad. In the past five to ten years, animal protection organizations have launched a new focus trying to deliver basic and even more advanced veterinary care to the many underserved pets in the Unites States. These efforts pose a challenge to these groups as does pet keeping to people living in poverty across most of the world who have pets or care for street dogs.

Parrotfish are found on almost every coral reef in the world. This ubiquity and uniqueness of their feeding action make them one of the most important groups of fishes within coral reef ecosystems. But why, exactly, are parrotfish so important to reefs? Can the evolution of a particular jaw morphology and feeding action really have had such a large impact on the health and functioning of the world's coral reefs? This book introduces the reader to this fascinating group of fishes (Labridae, Scarinae), from the morphological innovation of a jaw that has the power to bite through solid calcium carbonate, to the threats currently faced by parrotfish populations around the world. It contains new insights into their diet and food processing ability, and lifehistories, and concludes with an overview of emerging and future research directions.

A New York Times bestseller about how cats conquered the world and our hearts in this "deep and illuminating perspective on our favorite household companion" (Huffington Post). House cats rule bedrooms and back alleys, deserted Antarctic islands, even cyberspace. And unlike dogs, cats offer humans no practical benefit. The truth is they are sadly incompetent mouse-catchers and now pose a threat to many ecosystems. Yet, we love them still. In the "eminently readable and gently funny" (Library Journal, starred review) The Lion in the Living Room, Abigail Tucker travels through world history, natural science, and pop culture to meet breeders, activists, and scientists who've dedicated their lives to cats. She visits the labs where people sort through feline bones unearthed from the first human settlements, treks through the Floridian wilderness in search of house cats-turned-hunters on the loose, and hangs out with Lil Bub, one of the world's biggest celebrities--who just happens to be a cat. "Fascinating" (Richmond Times-Dispatch) and "lighthearted" (The Seattle Times), Tucker shows how these tiny felines have used their relationship with humans to become one of the most powerful animals on the planet. A "lively read that pounces back and forth between evolutionary science and popular culture" (The Baltimore Sun), The Lion in the Living Room suggests that we learn that the appropriate reaction to a house cat, it seems, might not be aww but awe.

?DID YOU KNOW...during daylight hours a signal fire can be seen a lot further away if you can produce the right color smoke? What is crucial to understand before reading this guide is that leaving a good game plan with a loved one before traveling into the wild is a critical step in being rescued. Without this step Search and Rescue (SAR) will not know where to start looking, which can prolong your rescue and the hardships you will have to endure by days or weeks. Signaling knowledge is as important for your survival as shelter, fire and water. This waterproof guide will teach you how to be visible through contrast and movement to your rescuers, as well as how to leave clues to be followed if you are on the move. Thinking like a Search-and-Rescue team member might save your life. Developed by noted survival expert and woodsman Dave Canterbury, this is one of a 10-part series on survival skills. Made in the USA.

From the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1770 to classic children's tale Dot and the Kangaroo, Ken Gelder and Rachel Weaver examine hunting narratives in novels, visual art and memoirs to discover how the kangaroo became a favourite quarry, a relished food source, an object of scientific fascination, and a source of violent conflict between settlers and Aboriginal people. The kangaroo hunt worked as a rite of passage and an expression of settler domination over native species and land. But it also enabled settlers to begin to comprehend the complexity of bush ecology, raising early concerns about species extinction and the need for conservation and the preservation of habitat.

Kruger National Park – Questions & Answers is a compilation of the questions most frequently asked by visitors to the Park, and their answers, given by a seasoned game park official.

This new edition has been expanded, and reflects management decisions and changes that have occurred since the last edition appeared in 1992. It is packed with information on topics ranging from animals and their behaviour, ecology and poaching, to accommodation, activities, history of place names, safety, and code of conduct.

The text is easy-to-read, combining leisure and education, making it a highly entertaining companion in the vehicle.

Species sections are enlivened by simple illustrations, and two maps illustrate the ecozones and layout of the Park.

This book is ideal for both guides and visitors to the Kruger National Park.