Elephants have fought in human armies for more than three thousand years. Asian powers boasted of their pachyderm power, while the Romans fielded elephants alongside their legendary legions but were, perhaps, too proud to admit that mere animals contributed to victory. Elephants have gored, stomped, and sliced their way through infantry and cavalry with great success. They have also been cut, speared, bombed, and napalmed for their efforts. This is the story of their largely forgotten role in the history of warfare. Generals throughout recorded history have used elephants as tanks, bulldozers, and cargo trucks long before such vehicles existed. Until gunpowder began to reduce the utility of elephants in battle during the 17th Century, these beasts built roads, swung swords, or simply terrified opposing forces. Although some believe that elephants were mere gimmicks of warfare, Kistler discredits that notion. His book hopes to give elephants the credit they deserve for the sacrifices they have endured. Elephants have long fought for and served human masters, but it is now the elephants themselves that must be protected.

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.

Slaughtered along our highways and byways, roadkill may be observed by American motorists regularly, but aren't likely to be given much thought. Research scientists, animal rights activists, roadkill artists, writers, ethicists and lyricists, however, are increasingly sounding the alarm about its prevalence, reporting that we are killing the very animals we love, and are literally driving many of them to the brink of extinction. Detailing the death and destruction of our favorite mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insect pollinators, this study examines the ways in which we are jeopardizing our own futures as our vehicles destroy wildlife large, small, and essential. Beginning in the era of the Model T, university biologists counted the common carnage of the time-cottontails, woodchucks, and squirrels, mostly-and that record-keeping continues today. But beyond reporting the bleak statistics, zoologists and their citizen scientist friends are both rerouting trails and migratory paths of animals and are advocating for man's best friends in our cat and dog companions. Examining these activities, this work illuminates both our successes and failures in keeping animals out of harm's way and what those efforts reflect about ourselves and our capacity to care enough to alter the road ahead.

This is the first study of historical attempts by anti-animal cruelty groups to prosecute those involved in the killing of animals for food using the Jewish method of slaughter (shechita). It details cases from Australia, Canada, England, Scotland, and the United States, many for the first time, in which animal welfare groups prosecuted those engaged in shechita as part of their attempts to introduce compulsory stunning of animals before slaughter. Despite claims to the contrary, this study offers clear evidence of underlying, unrelenting antisemitic motivations in the prosecutions, and highlights the ways in which a basic idea of innate Jewish cruelty was always juxtaposed with an overtly Christian ideal of humane treatment of animals across time and borders.

In the late nineteenth century, humans came at long last to a devastating realisation: their rapidly industrialising and globalising societies were driving scores of animal species to extinction. In Beloved Beasts, acclaimed science journalist Michelle Nijhuis traces the history of the movement to protect and conserve other forms of life. From early battles to save charismatic species such as the American bison and bald eagle to today's global effort to defend life on a larger scale, Nijhuis's "spirited and engaging" account documents "the changes of heart that changed history" (Dan Cryer, Boston Globe). With "urgency, passion, and wit" (Michael Berry, Christian Science Monitor), she describes the vital role of scientists and activists such as Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson, reveals the origins of vital organisations like the Audubon Society and the World Wildlife Fund, explores current efforts to protect species such as the whooping crane and the black rhinoceros and confronts the darker side of modern conservation, long shadowed by racism and colonialism. As the destruction of other species continues and the effects of climate change wreak havoc on our world, Beloved Beasts charts the ways conservation is becoming a movement for the protection of all species including our own.

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

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.

What can I do? Gardeners are asking themselves and experts this question with increasing urgency about the deer that threaten their carefully cultivated lawns and gardens. With the increased development of suburban and rural land and the lack of natural predators, deer populations are exploding and living closer to humans than ever before and they're nibbling on more beloved blooms as well. How can the deer be stopped? What plants are safe? Peter Loewer has the answers in Solving Deer Problems. In this manual, he addresses several key topics, including plants that will withstand a whitetail attack, chemicals that can safely be used as deer repellants, fences that will keep deer away from those choice garden beds, trapping and relocating cervids and other garden pests, and numerous tricks to keep the pesky creatures out of your yard. Peter also discusses the less-prominent threat of deer-borne diseases and ticks and how to protect yourself and your pets. He even touches on car vs. deer collisions and how you can prepare yourself to achieve the best outcome incase a deer is ever caught in your headlights. Don't wait until your prize flowers, vegetables, or shrubs are a deer's meal. Pick up Solving Deer Problems for all the clear answers on what you can do about your deer problem.

A fully updated second edition of the field guide to carnivores of the world Ranging from the largest terrestrial carnivore, the Polar Bear, to the tiny Least Weasel that can squeeze through a wedding ring, the true carnivores include some of the world's most charismatic, admired, feared and spectacular creatures. This new edition of Luke Hunter's comprehensive guide profiles all of the world's terrestrial carnivore species. Thoroughly updated throughout and covering recently described species, a detailed account describes each species' key identification characteristics, distribution and habitat, behaviour, feeding ecology, social patterns, life history statistics, conservation and the latest on classification. The new edition also includes accurate distribution maps for each species. Colour plates by top wildlife artist Priscilla Barrett depict each species, with subspecies, colour variations and behavioural vignettes for many. There are also detailed line drawings of more than 230 skulls and 110 footprints.

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.

More than 1 000 mammal species occur in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. These creatures vary in size from the massive elephant to the tiniest bats, shrews and mice. A Photographic Guide to Mammals of Southern, Central and East Africa was compiled with a view to easing identification of many of the larger and more conspicuous mammals in the region, as well as some of the smaller and more unusual ones.

This compact, easy-to-use guide features:

- 152 of the region's mammal species

- key identification features showing how to differentiate between similar species

- distribution maps and a list of major parks and reserves indicating where species are likely to be seen

- quick reference key on inside cover

- thumbnail silhouettes of each family group for quick identification

This new revised edition is an ideal pocket-sized travelling companion for nature lovers and visitors to nature reserves and wildlife areas.

Learn to identify animals, plants, and fungi wherever you go with this step-by-step guide for spotting and recording key traits and characteristics.

If you've ever consulted a field guide to identify a new bird at your feeder, you know the process isn't as easy as it sounds. In fact, it seems like you have to know a lot about that mystery bird to even figure out where to start.

The Everyday Naturalist fills in the gaps by explaining what traits to pay attention to when encountering a new species; how and when to use field guides, apps, and other resources; what to do if you get stuck; and more. Rather than focusing on one region or continent, these skills and tools are designed to help you classify nature anywhere you are—whether on familiar territory, traveling, or in a new home.

In chapters about animals, plants, fungi, and organisms like lichens and slime molds, naturalist and guide Rebecca Lexa goes into detail about what sets each of these kingdoms apart from each other—from color, shape, and texture to sexual characteristics, behavior, and habitat—and includes more than forty full-color photos and drawings to illustrate key points. She also provides detailed case studies to demonstrate how to use all of these traits to identify specimens across multiple kingdoms.

This easy-to-follow guide empowers you to learn more about the species around you, then use what you know to preserve the world you love. And at a time when biodiversity is imperiled worldwide, nature needs more advocates than ever.

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.

The second book by the bestselling author of Extraordinary Insects Trees clean air and water; hoverflies and bees pollinate our crops; the kingfisher inspired the construction of high-speed trains. In Tapestries of Life, bestselling author Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson explains how closely we are all connected with the natural world, highlighting our indelible link with nature's finely knit system and our everyday lives. In the heart of natural world is a life-support system like no other, a collective term that describes all the goods and services we receive - food, fresh water, medicine, pollination, pollution control, carbon sequestration, erosion prevention, recreation, spiritual health and so much more. In this utterly captivating book, Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson sets out to explore these wonderful, supportive elements - taking the reader on a journey through the surprising characteristics of the natural world.

Scotland is renowned for the huge range of its wildlife, which comes in all shapes and sizes. In this book Tim Kirby introduces 45 of them, from the iconic red deer and golden eagle to the Highland cow and ubiquitous midge. In addition, he offers his take on animals of myth and legend, such as the world-famous Loch Ness Monster and the mysteriously watery kelpies. And he also includes other creatures which may or may not be classed as animals in the conventional sense - such as the haggis (rarely seen alive but eaten every Burns Night) and even the bagpipe (surely some kind of animal given its appearance and piercing call).

Hierdie gewilde veldgids tot die natuurlewe van Suider-Afrika, jare lank al ’n vertroude metgesel van natuurliefhebbers, is nou omvattend bygewerk. Dit bied beskrywings en akkurate illustrasies in volle kleur van meer as 2,000 plante en diere asook verspreidingskaarte vir die meeste groepe. Elke hoofstuk het sy eie kleurkode om naslaan te vergemaklik en uitkenmerke in die beskrywings is in vetdruk. Elke hoofstuk is geskryf deur ’n kenner op sy gebied.

Bats have long been the focus of fascination, and sometimes fear: they move faultlessly through the darkness and spend the day hanging upside down in gloomy caverns and cracks – most at home where humans are least comfortable. Bats also represent a hugely important, numerous and varied group, accounting for 20% of all mammal species worldwide. Covering their biodiversity, ecology and natural history, A Miscellany of Bats offers a hoard of insights into the lives of these creatures. For over a quarter of a century Brock Fenton and the late Jens Rydell collaborated on projects involving bats. Here they bring together a collection of stories and anecdotes about bat research, brought to life by stunning photographs of these animals in action. Key topics include flight and echolocation, diet and roosting habits, and the complex social lives of bats. Jens and Brock also address issues of conservation and the interactions between bats and people, ranging from matters of disease to bats’ role as symbols, and our fixation with vampire bats. They explore how echolocation and flight shape batkind, from their appearance to where they go and why. Overall, this book is an entertaining and personal vision of bats’ central place in the universe. More than 150 species are covered.

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 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.

Dynamic naturalist Michael Blencowe has travelled the globe to uncover the fascinating backstories of eleven extinct animals, which he shares with charm and insight in Gone. 'Really, really well-written.' - CHRIS PACKHAM Inspired by his childhood obsession with extinct species, Blencowe takes us around the globe - from the forests of New Zealand to the ferries of Finland, from the urban sprawl of San Francisco to an inflatable crocodile on Brighton's Widewater Lagoon. Spanning five centuries, from the last sighting of New Zealand's Upland Moa to the 2012 death of the Pinta Island Giant Tortoise, Lonesome George, his memoir is peppered with the accounts of the hunters and naturalists of the past as well as revealing conversations with the custodians of these totemic animals today. Featuring striking artworks that resurrect these forgotten creatures, each chapter focuses on a different animal, revealing insights into their unique characteristics and habitats; the history of their discovery and just how and when they came to be lost to us. Blencowe inspects the only known remains of a Huia egg at Te Papa, New Zealand; views hundreds of specimens of deceased Galapagos tortoises and Xerces Blue butterflies in the California Academy of Sciences; and pays his respects to the only soft tissue remains of the Dodo in the world. Warm, wry and thought-provoking, Gone shows that while each extinction story is different, all can inform how we live in the future. Discover and learn from the stories of the: Great Auk. A majestic flightless seabird of the North Atlantic and the 'original penguin'. Spectacled Cormorant. The 'ludicrous bird' from the remote islands of the Bering Sea. Steller's Sea Cow. An incredible ten tonne dugong with skin as furrowed as oak bark. Upland Moa. The improbable birds and the one-time rulers of New Zealand. Huia. The unique bird with two beaks and twelve precious tail feathers. South Island Kokako. The 'orange-wattled crow', New Zealand's elusive Grey Ghost. Xerces Blue. The gossamer-winged butterfly of the San Francisco sand dunes. Pinta Island Tortoise. The slow-moving, long-lived giant of the Galapagos Islands. Dodo. The superstar of extinction. Schomburgk's Deer. A mysterious deer from the wide floodplains of central Thailand. Ivell's Sea Anemone. A see-through sea creature known only from southern England. A modern must-read for anyone interested in protecting our earth and its incredible wildlife, Gone is an evocative call to conserve what we have before it is lost forever.

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.

Boasting a rich diversity of species and habitats, British Columbia is home to 1138 species of vertebrates, including 536 bird species, 142 mammals, 18 reptile and 22 amphibian species. ?This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar and unique species ?of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, seashore creatures and butterflies/insects. Also includes an ecoregion map featuring prominent wildlife-viewing areas. Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by visitors and residents alike.

A mysterious and rarely seen beast, the Scottish Wildcat is Britain's rarest mammal, and one of the most endangered carnivores in the world. Over the centuries, one by one, Britain's most formidable wild animals have fallen to the thoughtless march of humankind. A war on predators put paid to our lynxes, wolves and bears, each hunted relentlessly until the last of them was killed. Only our wildcats lived on. The Scottish wildcat's guile and ferocity are the stuff of legend. No docile pet cat, this, but a cunning and shadowy animal, elusive to the point of invisibility, but utterly fearless when forced to fight for its life. Those who saw one would always remember its beauty - the cloak of dense fur marked with bold tiger stripes, the green-eyed stare and haughty sneer, and the broad, banded tail whisking away into the forest's gloom. Driven to the remnants of Scotland's wilderness, the last few wildcats now face the most insidious danger of all as their domesticated cousins threaten to dilute their genes into oblivion. However, the wildest of cats has friends and goodwill behind it. This book tells the story of how the wildcat of the wildwood became the endangered Scottish wildcat, of how it once lived and lives now, and of how we - its greatest enemy - are now striving to save it in its darkest hour.