A Naturalist and Other Beasts: Tales from a Life in the Field

by George B. Schaller

Overview

Since the 1950s, eminent field biologist George Schaller has roamed through many lands observing wild animals and conducting landmark long–term studies that have deepened our understanding of these creatures. He has reported and reflected on his work in classic, much–acclaimed books, including The Last Panda and National Book Award winner The Serengeti Lion, but much of his best writing has been ephemeral, published in magazines, only to drop out of sight. This collection features 19 short pieces brought together in book form to offer a unique overview of his life in the field.

Chapters describe stalking tigers in India and jaguars in Brazil's Pantanal swamps, studying mountain gorillas in Central Africa and predator–prey relations in the Serengeti, tracking newfound species on the wild border of Vietnam and Laos, searching for snow leopards in the Hindu Kush, and Schaller's groundbreaking work with giant pandas in Sichuan. Later accounts broaden the focus from individual creatures to whole ecosystems. "The careless rapture of my early studies has been replaced more and more by efforts to protect animals and their habitats," he writes.

New to this book are Schaller's introductions for each chapter, which add and update information, and an overall introduction that looks back on his remarkable career.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781578051700
Publisher:	Catapult
Publication date:	05/04/2010
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	992,484
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

George B. Schaller, vice president and science director of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York, continues to travel widely on field research and to work with governments and organizations on conservation projects. He is the author of many popular and scientific articles and books, including The Year of the Gorilla and Stones of Silence.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 9

Introduction: of Marvels and Memories 13

Prologue: Feral Biologist 19

The Americas

Arctic Legacy Caribou 29

Raising Siegfried Great Blue Heron 37

Glories of Another World Rainforest 45

The Mouse That Barks Capybara 55

Stalking the Pantanal Jaguar 63

Africa

In the Path of Conflict Mountain Gorilla 81

Memories of Eden Serengeti 97

Watching the Pride Lion 105

A Movable Feast Wildebeest 121

An Elegant Cat Cheetah 129

South Asia, China, and Mongolia

Light in the Forest Tiger 145

Tracking New Species Saola 157

Chinese Treasures: Golden Monkey and Takin 167

Bound to Bamboo Giant Panda 179

A Golden Horde Mongolian Gazelle 197

The Himalaya and the Tibetan Plateau

Ghost of the Hindu Kush Snow Leopard 209

Grazing the Mountain's Edge Bharal 223

Tibetan Prairie Dogs Pika 237

In a High and Sacred Realm Chiru 245

The Wildlife Conservation Society 267

Selected Bibliography 269

Credits for Reprinted Material 271

About the Author 272

Editorial Reviews

Wildlife Conservation Society vice president Schaller (The Last Panda) presents 19 short pieces culled from the dozens of articles and books he has published during half a century spent observing animals around the world. The selections include studies of the daily lives of such exotic beasts as jaguars in Brazil; tigers in central India; lions, wildebeest and cheetahs in Tanzania's Serengeti Plain; giant pandas in China; snow leopards in Pakistan; and chiru (antelope) in the uplands of the Tibetan Plateau. Entwined with his descriptions of the animals are vivid pictures of his own life in the field—treks to remote places, camps established in tents and huts, hours perched in trees and other uncomfortable posts. Schaller began his career as a field biologist but, as these essays show, broadened his outlook over the years to become an outspoken advocate for wild animals and their habitats, helping to establish many wildlife conservation programs. He states in his introduction that as he looks back over his career, he finds today's conservation discourse lacking in heart, with people speaking of nature as "natural resources." His delightful book, imbued with his own unabashed sense of wonder before nature's beauties, is an antidote to this pragmatic trend. 75 b&w photos not seen by PW. (Apr.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

National Book Award winner Schaller (vice president & science director, Wildlife Conservation Soc.; The Serengeti Lion) has been a field biologist since the 1950s, and his research has taken him to some of the most remote and exotic places imaginable-e.g., the Serengeti, a savanna stretching across Tanzania and Kenya; Pakistan; Mongolia; and India. This collection of 19 of his essays focuses on animals. Some of his subjects will be well known to the reader-e.g., the tiger, jaguar, mountain gorilla-while others, such as the saola, capybara, and chiru, will be a new experience. Each relatively short essay includes an introduction by the author and describes his fieldwork and the place each animal inhabits in the greater biological web. The highlight is his recounting of personal experiences and his inclusion of numerous photos of himself, his family, and the animals in his research. Schaller makes powerful arguments for the need to continue conservation efforts. His writing will appeal to both general audiences and life scientists. Recommended for academic libraries, particularly those with natural history collections, and for all public libraries.
—Marianne Stowell Bracke

Library Journal