Although the American bison was saved from near-extinction in the nineteenth century, today almost all herds are managed like livestock. The Yellowstone area is the only place in the United States where wild bison have been present since before the first Euro-Americans arrived. But these bison pose risks to property and people when they roam outside the park, including the possibility that they can spread the abortion-inducing disease brucellosis to cattle. Yet measures to constrain the population threaten their status as wild animals.Mary Ann Franke's To Save the Wild Bison is the first book to examine the ecological and political aspects of the bison controversy and how it reflects changing attitudes toward wildlife. The debate has evoked strong emotions from all sides, including park officials, environmentalists, livestock growers, and American Indians. In describing political compromises among competing positions, Franke does not so much champion a cause as critique the process by which federal and state officials have made and carried out bison management policies. She shows that science, however valuable a tool, cannot by itself resolve what is ultimately a choice among conflicting values.

During the first World War, President Woodrow Wilson bought a flock of sheep to trim the White House grounds to save money on groundskeeping. One of the sheep, called Old Ike, even became a public phenomenon for his ornery disposition and his penchant for chewing tobacco. Included here are hundreds of well-researched accounts of the fascinating animals that have played vital roles throughout history. Featured animals include Able, who flew on a space mission; Bayou, Salvador Dali's ocelot companion; and G.I. Joe, a pigeon who saved over a hundred people during World War II. These and many other stories detail the unexpected contributions of our animal companions in settings of war, space travel, stage and screen. The book is organized alphabetically by the given name of each animal, and entries feature compelling factual descriptions in a storytelling format.

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.

Tabby cat or toucan? Airedale terrier or Angora rabbit? Python or Parakeet? If you didn't have a pet as a child, you probably wanted one. Pets features a huge range of pets from everyday pets such as cats and dogs to exotic pets such as tropical fish, toucans and terrapins, from cute mice to formidable pythons, from energetic rabbits to docile tortoises to thoroughbred horses. Part of the highly successful Mini Encyclopedia series, Pets includes 300 pets from around the world, offering a wealth of fascinating information on the background, breeding and natural habitat of these animals. With a page and outstanding colour illustration given to each pet, and specification boxes detailing on the origins, appearance, size, diet and lifespan of each animal, Pets is an easy-to-use pocket reference book for anyone interested in domesticated animals.

'Full of wonder and forensic intelligence' Isabella Tree, author of Wilding A moving account of Madagascar told by a researcher who has spent over fifty years investigating the mysteries of this remarkable island. Madagascar is a place of change. A biodiversity hotspot and the fourth largest island on the planet, it has been home to a spectacular parade of animals, from giant flightless birds and giant tortoises on the ground, to agile lemurs leaping through the treetops. Some species live on; many have vanished in the distant or recent past. Over vast stretches of time, Madagascar's forests have expanded and contracted in response to shifting climates, and the hand of people is clear in changes during the last thousand years or so. Today, Madagascar is a microcosm of global trends. What happens there in the decades ahead can, perhaps, suggest ways to help turn the tide on the environmental crisis now sweeping the world. The Sloth Lemur's Song is a far-reaching account of Madagascar's past and present, led by an expert guide who has immersed herself in research and conservation activities with village communities on the island for nearly fifty years. Alison Richard accompanies the reader on a journey through space and time-from Madagascar's ancient origins as a landlocked region of Gondwana and its emergence as an island to the modern-day developments that make the survival of its array of plants and animals increasingly uncertain. Weaving together scientific evidence with Richard's own experiences and exploring the power of stories to shape our understanding of events, this book captures the magic as well as the tensions that swirl around this island nation.

Tigers is an outstanding collection of photographs showing these fearsome yet magnificent animals in action. Tigers are the largest big cats in the world and because of this, many cultures consider the tiger to be a symbol of strength, courage and dignity. They are featured in ancient mythology and folklore and continue to be depicted in modern films and literature. You’ll discover how tigers are adapted for hunting: A tiger’s paws and claws are one of its greatest weapons during the hunt. Strong, and powerful enough to kill prey with a swipe, the bones in their paws also have cord-like ligaments to buffer them from the impact of hitting prey at a full run. You’ll also learn many other fascinating facts, such as how each tiger is unique – did you know that no two tigers have the same pattern of stripes? Or that you can tell a tiger’s age by its nose? Young tigers have a pink nose which gradually darkens, turning orange, then a blackish-brown as it reaches maturity. With full captions explaining how these incredible animals hunt and feed, rear their young and survive in the wild, Tigers is a brilliant examination in 150 outstanding colour photographs of this beautiful animal.

A comprehensive book intended for anyone maintaining bats in captivity. Bats in Captivity is the only book of its kind, detailing the captive care of bats worldwide. This volume comprises 38 papers by 41 contributing authors. It contains a user-friendly guide to bat identification, subjects on reproductive patterns and parental care, social organization and communication, capturing and handling, releasing bats into the wild, marking bats for individual identification, torpor and hibernation, lactation and postnatal growth, simulating mother's milk and hand rearing pups of all bat groups, plus much more.

Play Cards and Learn to Identify Mammal Tracks in the Southern United States! Anyone who enjoys nature, wildlife, and the great outdoors will love these cards for playing your favorite games or to use as flash cards. Inspired by Jonathan Poppele's popular Animal Tracks of the Southeast & Gulf States quick guide, this gorgeous deck of playing cards features detailed illustrations of 54 of the most notable mammal tracks in the South and Southeastern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as eastern Texas. Each card depicts realistic tracks of such animals as the Nine-banded Armadillo, River Otter, Wild Boar, and more-along with range maps-so you can begin to learn what 54 different animal prints look like. Card Features 54 of the most notable mammal tracks Realistic illustrations on every card Ideal for card games or as flash cards Play games like blackjack, poker, rummy, and solitaire while learning more about tracking. Get Animal Tracks of the Southeast & Gulf States Playing Cards for yourself, and you can also give this deck of cards as a fun and thoughtful gift.

Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) was an English novelist, poet, playwright, and politician. He was a florid, popular writer of his day, who coined such phrases as "the great unwashed," and "the pen is mightier than the sword."

Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) was an English novelist, poet, playwright, and politician. He was a florid, popular writer of his day, who coined such phrases as "the great unwashed," and "the pen is mightier than the sword."

First published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

From the kings of the Indus Valley to Hannibal's Alpine cavalry, humans have been living and working with elephants for millennia. In Giants of the Monsoon Forest, Jacob Shell travels to communities that still rely on this ancient partnership. After the 2004 tsunami, Indonesian officials deployed trained Sumatran elephants to clear wreckage. Along the mountainous Indian-Burmese border, the logging industry employs several thousand elephants. They share these forests with Kachin rebels, who navigate a secret network of trails atop elephant mounts. Blending history, science and reportage, Giants of the Monsoon Forest offers a new perspective on animal intelligence and reveals an unexpected relationship between evolution in the natural world and political struggles in the human one. By working together, fugitive elephants and humans help preserve the wild spaces they both need to survive.

Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) was an English novelist, poet, playwright, and politician. He was a florid, popular writer of his day, who coined such phrases as "the great unwashed," and "the pen is mightier than the sword."

Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) was an English novelist, poet, playwright, and politician. He was a florid, popular writer of his day, who coined such phrases as "the great unwashed," and "the pen is mightier than the sword."

Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) was an English novelist, poet, playwright, and politician. He was a florid, popular writer of his day, who coined such phrases as "the great unwashed," and "the pen is mightier than the sword."

This book examines a wide range of innovative approaches for coastal wetlands restoration and explains how we should use both academic research and practitioners' findings to influence learning, practice, policy and social change. For conservationists, tidal flats and coastal wetlands are regarded as among the most important areas to conserve for the health of the entire oceanic environment. As the number of restoration projects all over the world increases, this book provides a unique assessment of coastal wetland restorations by examining existing community perceptions and by drawing on the knowledge and expertise of both academics and practitioners. Based on a four-year sociological study across three different cultural settings - England, Japan and Malaysia - the book investigates how citizens perceive the existing environment; how they discuss the risks and benefits of restoration projects; how perceptions change over time; and how governmental and non-governmental organisations work with the various community perceptions on the ground. By comparing and contrasting the results from these three countries, the book offers guidance for future conservation and restoration activities, with a specific view to working with local citizens to avoid conflict and obtain long-term investment. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of coastal restoration, wetland conservation and citizen science, as well as environmental sociology and environmental management more broadly. It will also be of use to practitioners and policymakers involved in environmental restoration projects.

Winner of the Whitley Award for Best Natural History Book 2022 A compelling, funny, first-hand account of Australia's wonderfully unique mammals and how our perceptions impact their future. Think of a platypus: they lay eggs (that hatch into so-called platypups), they produce milk without nipples and venom without fangs and they can detect electricity. Or a wombat: their teeth never stop growing, they poo cubes and they defend themselves with reinforced rears. Platypuses, possums, wombats, echidnas, devils, kangaroos, quolls, dibblers, dunnarts, kowaris: Australia has some truly astonishing mammals with incredible, unfamiliar features. But how does the world regard these creatures? And what does that mean for their conservation? In Platypus Matters, naturalist Jack Ashby shares his love for these often-misunderstood animals. Informed by his own experiences meeting living marsupials and egg-laying mammals on fieldwork in Tasmania and mainland Australia, as well as his work with thousands of zoological specimens collected for museums over the last 200-plus years, Ashby's tale not only explains the extraordinary lives of these animals, but the historical mysteries surrounding them and the myths that persist (especially about the platypus). He also reveals the toll these myths can take. Ashby makes it clear that calling these animals ‘weird’ or ‘primitive’ – or incorrectly implying that Australia is an ‘evolutionary backwater’ – a perception that can be traced back to the country's colonial history – has undermined conservation: Australia now has the worst mammal extinction rate of anywhere on Earth. Important, timely and written with humour and wisdom by a scientist and self-described platypus nerd, this celebration of Australian wildlife will open eyes and change minds about how we contemplate and interact with the natural world – everywhere.

Sasol Eerste Veldgids tot Soogdiere van Suider-Afrika bied aan die jong leser ’n fassinerende blik op die diere lewe van die streek. Met behulp van volkleur foto’s en verspreidings kaarte, asook maklik leesbare teks, sal die jong volwassene en ontluikende natuur liefhebber die meer algemene soogdierspesies in Suider-Afrika kan identifiseer, kan vasstel waar hulle leef, en meer te wete kom oor hul unieke vreet- en teelgewoontes.

"Curlews give their liquid, burbling call, a call of pure happiness, the music of the fells." Ella Pontefract, 1936, Wensleydale The North of England abounds with beauty, from unspoiled beaches in Northumberland to the dramatic Lakeland Fells, for so long celebrated by writers and artists. Wide estuaries, winding rivers, sheer cliffs, rushing waterfalls, ancient woodland, limestone pavements, and miles of hedgerows and drystone walls sustainably built and rebuilt over centuries - all form part of its rich heritage. But these are, too, contested and depleted landscapes. Today the curlew's call is isolated, and many other species are in decline. Industry, urban sprawl and climate chaos threaten our environment on a previously unimagined scale. And while stereotypes persist - of dark satanic mills or "bleak" moorland - the imperative of conservation is all too often overlooked for short-term economic interests. This essential volume reminds us how and why Northern people have risen to the challenge of defending their open spaces, demanding action on pollution and habitat loss. Contemporary writers including Sarah Hall, Lee Schofield, Benjamin Myers and Lemn Sissay take their place alongside those who wrote in previous centuries. Together, the voices in this one-of-a-kind anthology testify that North Country is a place apart.

Originally published in 1914 by the Tribune Press, Wolf Days in Pennsylvania preserves the fascinating history of Pennsylvania's lost wolves and their hunters, which was already becoming the stuff of folklore and myth during Shoemaker's lifetime at the turn of the twentieth century. With his characteristic penchant for juicy narrative and a naturalist's enthusiasm and respect for the animal, Shoemaker details the decline of the wolf in Pennsylvania during the westward progress of the state's settlement by whites, as its population dwindled over the course of the nineteenth century. He narrates stories of memorable chases and narrow escapes, and the hunters' bravery in their attempts to protect themselves and their communities. The book contains testimony gathered by the author, accompanied by interviews with some of the state's great wolf hunters and rare period photographs of the hunters and their prey.