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Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall
by Lynn BrunelleFollow a blue whale&’s enormous body to the bottom of the ocean, where it sets the stage for a bustling new ecosystem to flourish.All living things must one day die, and Earth&’s largest creature, the majestic blue whale, is no exception. But in nature, death is never a true ending. When this whale closes her eyes for the last time in her 90-year life, a process known as whale fall is just beginning. Her body will float to the surface, then slowly sink through the deep; from inflated behemoth to clean-picked skeleton, it will offer food and shelter at each stage to a vast diversity of organisms, over the course of a century and beyond. Caldecott Medalist Jason Chin&’s astonishing artwork enriches and amplifies engaging, well-researched text by Bill Nye the Science Guy writer Lynn Brunelle. Young lovers of the macabre will relish each page of Life After Whale. Meanwhile, those grappling with the hard subject of death will take solace in this honest look at the circle of life, which closes on a young whale enjoying the same waves as her ancestor. Additional back pages offer further info and reading recommendations on whales, whale falls, and ecosystems.A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Life As I Know It: Now a major film 'Ride Like a Girl'
by Michelle Payne John HarmsIn Life As I Know It, Michelle Payne tells her deeply moving story. It will lift your spirits, stir your heart and give you courage. Michelle was put on a horse aged four. At five years old her dream was to win the Melbourne Cup. At thirty she rode into history as the first female jockey to win the Cup. It was a moment that inspired everyone who dreams of beating the odds.
Life As a Dressage Trainer in Three Countries
by Gunnar OstergaardA delightfully entertaining journey following the lifelong development of a devoted horseman, and the opportunities and challenges native to such a pursuit in different parts of the world.It was at the age of thirteen that Gunnar Ostergaard wrote in his journal, &“Is there anything more beautiful than horses?&” The rhetorical question would come to guide his every step as he sought a way to build a life around that which he loved most. What transpired was a journey through three lands and cultures, each providing a different window into the body and mind of the horse and the heart and soul of the horseman. In these pages he traces his path from Denmark to Germany to the United States, providing a glimpse into the world of rider development in three vastly different places, as well as a rare peek behind the curtain of top international dressage training and competition. Throughout, Gunnar is funny and frank, generously sharing both his struggles and successes. The result is a highly entertaining history lesson that is at the same time rich in equestrian philosophy readers can immediately apply to their own riding lives.
Life Below Water (Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals)
by Walter Leal Filho Tony Wall Luciana Brandli Anabela Marisa Azul Amanda Lange SalviaThe problems related to the process of industrialisation such as biodiversity depletion, climate change and a worsening of health and living conditions, especially but not only in developing countries, intensify. Therefore, there is an increasing need to search for integrated solutions to make development more sustainable. The United Nations has acknowledged the problem and approved the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. On 1st January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda officially came into force. These goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. The Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals comprehensively addresses the SDGs in an integrated way. It encompasses 17 volumes, each one devoted to one of the 17 SDGs. This volume is dedicated to SDG 14 “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development". Marine and coastal bio-resources, play an essential role in human well-being and social and economic development. This volume addresses this sustainability challenge providing the description of a range of terms, which allows a better understanding and fosters knowledge about it.Concretely, the defined targets are:Prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollutionSustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceansMinimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levelsEffectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristicsConserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific informationProhibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation 16Increase the economic benefits to small island developing states and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing states and least developed countriesProvide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and marketsEnhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of “The future we want”Editorial Board</di
Life Between the Tides
by Adam NicolsonAdam Nicolson explores the marine life inhabiting seashore rockpools with a scientist’s curiosity and a poet’s wonder in this beautifully illustrated book.The sea is not made of water. Creatures are its genes. Look down as you crouch over the shallows and you will find a periwinkle or a prawn, a claw-displaying crab or a cluster of anemones ready to meet you. No need for binoculars or special stalking skills: go to the rocks and the living will say hello.Inside each rock pool tucked into one of the infinite crevices of the tidal coastline lies a rippling, silent, unknowable universe. Below the stillness of the surface course different currents of endless motion—the ebb and flow of the tide, the steady forward propulsion of the passage of time, and the tiny lifetimes of the rock pool’s creatures, all of which coalesce into the grand narrative of evolution.In Life Between the Tides, Adam Nicolson investigates one of the most revelatory habitats on earth. Under his microscope, we see a prawn’s head become a medieval helmet and a group of “winkles” transform into a Dickensian social scene, with mollusks munching on Stilton and glancing at their pocket watches. Or, rather, is a winkle more like Achilles, an ancient hero, throwing himself toward death for the sake of glory? For Nicolson, who writes “with scientific rigor and a poet’s sense of wonder” (The American Scholar), the world of the rock pools is infinite and as intricate as our own.As Nicolson journeys between the tides, both in the pools he builds along the coast of Scotland and through the timeline of scientific discovery, he is accompanied by great thinkers—no one can escape the pull of the sea. We meet Virginia Woolf and her Waves; a young T. S. Eliot peering into his own rock pool in Massachusetts; even Nicolson’s father-in-law, a classical scholar who would hunt for amethysts along the shoreline, his mind on Heraclitus and the other philosophers of ancient Greece. And, of course, scientists populate the pages; not only their discoveries, but also their doubts and errors, their moments of quiet observation and their thrilling realizations.Everything is within the rock pools, where you can look beyond your own reflection and find the miraculous an inch beneath your nose. “The soul wants to be wet,” Heraclitus said in Ephesus twenty-five hundred years ago. This marvelous book demonstrates why it is so.Includes Color and Black-and-White Photographs
Life Cycle of a Ladybug (Incredible Animal Life Cycles)
by Karen Latchana KenneyIn this book, readers will learn about the incredible transformation of an egg into a ladybug, and every phase in between. Vibrant, full-color photos and carefully leveled text will engage readers as they learn more about every stage of the life cycle of a ladybug.
Life Cycles: Everything from Start to Finish (DK Life Cycles)
by DKTake a look into the circle of life through the life cycles of the planet and everything on it!Everything begins and everything ends — but what happens in between? Find out in this stunning nature book. Learn about human life and development, processes in nature, how animals change over time, how the universe was formed and so much more. This illustrated children&’s book for ages 7-11 includes: • More than 60 life cycles featured • Stunning photographs that capture key moments during a life cycle, like penguin chicks huddling together to keep warm and the beauty of an orchid in full bloom • Bite-size facts and stats about every animal, plant, planet and habitat featured • A great new angle on the world, the universe and our place in it If you&’re looking for facts about the universe then this is the book for you! Based on key concepts found in the STEM learning curriculum, Life Cycles captures life on the planet through captivating illustrations and photography, amazing facts and easy-to-read text. You&’ll take a closer look at the life cycles of environments, and extinct animals like the dinosaurs, too! The life cycles in this reference book have been carefully chosen to give you an amazing overview of the universe, and how everything is linked. Discover a new life cycle every time you turn the page: how a river forms and changes over time, how a tree grows, see how coral reefs form. Follow the life cycles of weather — from the water cycle to ice ages, to give you a better idea of the climate change we find ourselves in now.From the single-celled amoeba, mountains, and volcanoes to continents, oceans and the solar system — take a deeper look into life on earth and all its intricacies!
Life Cycles: Painted Lady Butterflies
by Donna SchafferDescribes the physical characteristics, habits, and stages of development of painted lady butterflies.
Life Everlasting: The Animal Way of Death
by Bernd HeinrichAn enlightening look at animal behavior and the cycle of life and death, from &“one of the finest naturalists of our time&” (Edward O. Wilson). When a good friend with a severe illness wrote, asking if he might have his &“green burial&” at Bernd Heinrich&’s hunting camp in Maine, it inspired the acclaimed biologist to investigate a subject that had long fascinated him. How exactly does the animal world deal with the flip side of the life cycle? And what are the lessons, ecological to spiritual, imparted by a close look at how the animal world renews itself? Heinrich focuses his wholly original gaze on the fascinating doings of creatures most of us would otherwise turn away from—field mouse burials conducted by carrion beetles; the communication strategies of ravens, &“the premier northern undertakers&”; and the &“inadvertent teamwork&” among wolves and large cats, foxes and weasels, bald eagles and nuthatches in cold-weather dispersal of prey. Heinrich reveals, too, how and where humans still play our ancient and important role as scavengers, thereby turning not dust to dust, but life to life. &“If it has not been clear to readers by now, this book confirms that Bernd Heinrich is one of the finest naturalists of our time. Life Everlasting shines with the authenticity and originality that are unique to a life devoted to natural history in the field.&” —Edward O. Wilson, author of The Meaning of Human Existence and The Social Conquest of Earth
Life Extension
by Alexander M. Vaiserman Alexey A. Moskalev Elena G. PasyukovaThis book looks at aging through research on Drosophila, the fruit fly that is one of the most widely used model organisms in bio gerontology. Work in model organisms can expand the theoretical knowledge of aging: it yields valuable insight into the molecular and cellular processes that underlie aging process, and it can perhaps provide new therapeutic targets for the treatment of age-related disorders in humans. Drosophila models have been developed for a large variety of aging-related processes and diseases, and this book provides readers with an overview of current research on the use of the Drosophila model to understand the genetic, molecular and physiological mechanisms that underlie the aging process. Themes of health span, life extension and longevity-associated genes emerge in this collation of international research on Drosophila that is of relevance to geriatrics and gerontology, animal genetics and genomics, and biomedicine. This fascinating, illustrated book will be of interest to a wide audience, ranging from academic researchers to the general reader.
Life Is Good (Good Dog #6)
by Cam HigginsIn this charming sixth book of the Good Dog series, Bo has his first snow day!One fine winter day, Bo experiences his first snow fall! Most of the animals on the farm know how to handle cold weather. But when he sees that the barn cats are freezing their tails off, Bo decides to lend a helping paw. With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Good Dog chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.
Life Lessons from Your Cat: We're so vain, we probably think this book is about us.
by Anthony Rubino JrIn this book, cats share their observations about how funny and cute YOU are.If you get upset when your person touches your tail one day, and then the next day you like it when they touch your tail, they’re going to wonder why you’re messing with their heads like that. Excellent. Your job is done.People say a thousand years ago cats were worshipped as gods. That implies this is no longer the case. Aren’t people CUTE when they’re in denial?People make a big fuss when you unravel the entire roll of toilet paper. Well, if you can think of a way to spin that thing for, like, five minutes WITHOUT unrolling it, I’d like to hear it.Cats are complex creatures and humans could learn a lot from the fickle and aloof way the feline mind works. Cat lovers will enjoy this and cat haters will have all their fears confirmed—your cat is smarter than you, is better than you, and is plotting something sinister. Includes illustrations!
Life Lessons from Your Dog: If drinking from the toilet is wrong, I don't want to be right.
by Anthony Rubino JrA collection of canine wisdom to put a smile on your face and wag in your tail . . . If you love something, set it free. If it comes back it’s yours. If it doesn’t come back, bark and bark and then bark and bark and just bark and bark and bark and bark and bark.A fool and his half a sandwich are soon parted.Berber carpets make pretty good butt scratchers. Persian rugs will do in a pinch if the pile is deep enough. But shag! Oh, shag is just a little slice of heaven.Dogs live life with a joy and abandon most humans envy. This book of sayings and dog-isms will give you a glimpse into the canine psyche. It will amuse, and maybe inspire . . . no, probably just amuse anyone who loves dogs. Includes illustrations!
Life Lessons from a Parasite: What Tapeworms, Flukes, Lice, and Roundworms Can Teach Us About Humanity's Most Difficult Problems
by John Janovy Jr. PhD"In nature, as in society, the parasites outnumber the hosts. John Janovy Jr. offers the parasites' view of this situation. The result is smart, funny, and all too revealing." – Elizabeth Kolbert, staff writer for The New Yorker and New York Times bestselling author of The Sixth ExtinctionThe answers to life's biggest questions can be found by looking at the little things… Though you may not be able to see them with the naked eye, parasites—miniscule life forms that live inside other organisms—inhabit our everyday lives. From headlice to bird droppings, litterboxes to unfiltered water, you have brushed up against the most common way of life on our planet.In this unique book, John Janovy Jr., one of the world's preeminent experts on parasites, reveals what can humans learn from the most reviled yet misunderstood animals on Earth: lice, tapeworms, flukes, and maggots that can eat a lizard from the inside, and how these lessons help us negotiate our own complicated world. Whether we're learning to adapt to adverse conditions, accept our own limitations, or process new information in an ever-changing landscape—we can be sure a parasite did it first. At once peculiar and profound, Life Lessons from a Parasite makes a case for using knowledge of the natural world, with all its wonderful mysteries and quirks, to tackle our worst problems.
Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse: With A New Afterword By The Author
by Mark RashidIn this heartwarming and instructive book of horsemanship, highly-respected horse trainer Mark Rashid shares what he learned from a very special, and very challenging, horse. Through a lot of hard work, Mark comes to understand the potential for powerful communication that exists when two beings take the time to understand each other. Although his realizations are inspired by work with horses, readers will discover that Rashid's six guidelines for interaction can improve our relationships with the people in our lives as well. In this second edition of the beloved title, with a new brand-new afterword, Rashid invites us to enjoy his all-new reflections on the lessons learned from a life spent with horses.
Life Lessons from the Heart of Horses: How Horses Teach Us About Relationships and Healing
by Kathy PikeInspiring true stories of how horses teach humans and heal their hearts. Horses are sensitive creatures with hearts ten times larger than humans and much more to share with us than meets the eye. Life Lessons from the Heart of Horses offers poignant short stories about the trials and tribulations of befriending horses. Equine expert Kathy Pike brings you on a healing journey that includes lessons a wild horse taught her, how horses teach humans in her equine facilitated learning programs, and personal insights about living off the land and engaging with the dynamics of a herd each day. Every story in this inspirational book highlights lessons about trust, surrender, timing, and building relationships. Some stories are light and playful, others are insightful, and some are even a bit heart-wrenching, bringing you on the journey as if you are in direct relationship with each horse. Questions offered after each chapter invite you to apply this book's lessons to your own life or relationships. Life Lessons from the Heart of Horses will deepen any horse lover's understanding of the invisible and emotional bond between horse and human.
Life Sculpted: Tales of the Animals, Plants, and Fungi That Drill, Break, and Scrape to Shape the Earth (Emersion: Emergent Village Resources For Communities Of Faith Ser.)
by Anthony J. MartinMeet the menagerie of lifeforms that dig, crunch, bore, and otherwise reshape our planet. Did you know elephants dig ballroom-sized caves alongside volcanoes? Or that parrotfish chew coral reefs and poop sandy beaches? Or that our planet once hosted a five-ton dinosaur-crunching alligator cousin? In fact, almost since its fascinating start, life was boring. Billions of years ago bacteria, algae, and fungi began breaking down rocks in oceans, a role they still perform today. About a half-billion years ago, animal ancestors began drilling, scraping, gnawing, or breaking rocky seascapes. In turn, their descendants crunched through the materials of life itself—shells, wood, and bones. Today, such “bioeroders” continue to shape our planet—from the bacteria that devour our teeth to the mighty moon snail, always hunting for food, as evidenced by tiny snail-made boreholes in clams and other moon snails. There is no better guide to these lifeforms than Anthony J. Martin, a popular science author, paleontologist, and co-discoverer of the first known burrowing dinosaur. Following the crumbs of lichens, sponges, worms, clams, snails, octopi, barnacles, sea urchins, termites, beetles, fishes, dinosaurs, crocodilians, birds, elephants, and (of course) humans, Life Sculpted reveals how bioerosion expanded with the tree of life, becoming an essential part of how ecosystems function while reshaping the face of our planet. With vast knowledge and no small amount of whimsy, Martin uses paleontology, biology, and geology to reveal the awesome power of life’s chewing force. He provokes us to think deeply about the past and present of bioerosion, while also considering how knowledge of this history might aid us in mitigating and adapting to climate change in the future. Yes, Martin concedes, sometimes life can be hard—but life also makes everything less hard every day.
Life Through Time: The 700-Million-Year Story of Life on Earth (DK Panorama)
by John WoodwardTravel back in time and watch the incredible story of life on Earth unfold.Life Through Time explores the origins of species that still exist today in early fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles, and mammals. It takes readers through the years of dinosaurs and megafauna up to the appearance of our first human ancestors around six million years ago, to the evolution of hunter-gathering Homo sapiens in the Ice Age and the first civilizations.Perfect for children and parents to read together and discover the incredible story of life on our planet. Open the book and let the 700-million-year journey begin!
Life Works Itself Out: (And Then You Nap)
by Naoki Naganuma Keiya MizunoA runaway bestseller in Japan, now available in English for the first time, Life Works Itself Out is an unforgettable collection of adorable cat photos and sage life advice that will appeal to fans of Texts from Mittens, I Could Pee on This, and Grumpy Cat.Humans could learn a thing or two from cats--and Life Works Itself Out is here to relay all of kittendom's accumulated wisdom to mankind, one loveable photo and wise aphorism at a time. A mega-bestseller in Japan (where it has sold more than 700,000 copies), this book is filled with inspirational quotes and entertaining four-color photographs of cats that range from the heartwarming to the humorous. Whether you're feeling down and looking for a lift, or you need some lighthearted life advice, who better to turn to than man's TRUE best friend--the trusty feline. The purr-fect pick-me-up or gift book, Life Works Itself Out will have cat lovers pawing through its pages over and over again.
Life along the Inner Coast
by Alice Jane Lippson Robert L. LippsonFor decades, marine scientists Robert and Alice Jane Lippson have traveled the rivers, backwaters, sounds, bays, lagoons, and inlets stretching from the Chesapeake Bay to the Florida Keys aboard their trawler, Odyssey. The culmination of their leisurely journeys, Life along the Inner Coast is a guide to the plants, animals, and habitats found in one of the most biologically diverse regions on the planet. It is a valuable resource for naturalists, students, and anyone who lives or vacations along the Atlantic inner coast.Southern Gateways Guide is a registered trademark of the University of North Carolina Press
Life and Death in the Gombe Chimpanzees: Skeletal Analysis as an Insight into Life History (Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects)
by Claire A. KirchhoffThis book addresses how skeletons can inform us about behavior by describing skeletal lesions in the Gombe chimpanzees, relating them to known life histories whenever possible, and analyzing demographic patterns in the sample. This is of particular interest to both primatologists and skeletal analysts who have benefited from published data on a smaller, earlier skeletal sample from Gombe. The Gombe skeletal collection is the largest collection of wild chimpanzees with known life histories in existence, and this work significantly expands the skeletal sample from this long-term research site (49 chimpanzees). The book explores topics of general interest to skeletal analysts such as demographic patterns, which injuries leave signs on the skeleton, and rates of healing, and discusses both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the patterning of lesions. The book presents the data in a narrative style similar to that employed in Dr. Goodall’s seminal work The Chimpanzees of Gombe. Readers already familiar with the Gombe chimpanzees are likely to appreciate summaries of life events correlated to observable skeletal features. The book is especially relevant at this time to remind primate conservationists of the importance of the isolated chimpanzee population at Gombe National Park as well as the availability of the skeletons for study, both within the park itself as well as at the University of Minnesota.
Life and Otter Miracles: The perfect feel-good book from the #1 bestselling author of Away with the Penguins
by Hazel PriorFrom the bestselling author of Richard & Judy's pick Away with the Penguins comes this 'otterly' delightful, heart-warming and feel-good story about the healing power of nature.'A lovely holiday read . . . Packed full of humanity and otters!' Sally Page, bestselling author of The Keeper of Stories'This book was just amazing. It made me laugh and cry!' *****'There is so much to love and treasure in this story' *****'This book was a delight from start to finish!' *****'Glorious dose of otter cuteness' *****You loved Veronica McCreedy. Now meet Phoebe Featherstone . . ._____Down by the river, Phoebe Featherstone is about to make a life-changing discovery . . .Clever, nosy Phoebe is unable to get out much, but she has a talent for uncovering her neighbours' secrets by examining the parcels delivered by her courier father, Al.When they discover an abandoned baby otter on the riverbank, Phoebe must step out of her comfort zone - and she experiences an unexpected sense of happiness that she has not felt in a very long time. But now, further secrets are coming to light.Phoebe soon realizes that something is amiss at the local otter sanctuary. She will need to overcome her own closely guarded issues and put all her sleuthing skills to good use if she wants to save the otters . . . and in the process, change her life for ever._____Praise for Hazel Prior:'A lovely holiday read . . . Packed full of humanity and otters!' Sally Page'Beautifully written by a born storyteller' Lorraine Kelly'Uplifting, heartwarming and wonderful, an utterly charming story - I loved it!' Faith Hogan'This gorgeous book has everything!' Clare Pooley'Perfect fireside read' Trisha Ashley'A glorious, life-affirming story. I read it in a day' Clare Mackintosh'A story that readers will be sure to fall in love with. Otterly charming!' Freya Sampson'Funny, bittersweet and wholly original' Daily Express
Life as We Made It: How 50,000 Years of Human Innovation Refined—and Redefined—Nature
by Beth ShapiroFrom the first dog to the first beefalo, from farming to CRISPR, the human history of remaking nature When the 2020 Nobel Prize was awarded to the inventors of CRISPR, the revolutionary gene-editing tool, it underlined our amazing and apparently novel powers to alter nature. But as biologist Beth Shapiro argues in Life as We Made It, this phenomenon isn&’t new. Humans have been reshaping the world around us for ages, from early dogs to modern bacteria modified to pump out insulin. Indeed, she claims, reshaping nature—resetting the course of evolution, ours and others&’—is the essence of what our species does. In exploring our evolutionary and cultural history, Shapiro finds a course for the future. If we have always been changing nature to help us survive and thrive, then we need to avoid naive arguments about how we might destroy it with our meddling, and instead ask how we can meddle better. Brilliant and insightful, Life as We Made It is an essential book for the decades to come.
Life as We Made It: How 50,000 years of human innovation refined – and redefined – nature
by Beth ShapiroFrom the very first dog to glowing fish and designer pigs – the human history of remaking nature. Virus-free mosquitoes, resurrected dinosaurs, designer humans – such is the power of the science of tomorrow. But this idea that we have only recently begun to manipulate the natural world is false. We&’ve been meddling with nature since the last ice age. It&’s just that we&’re getting better at it – a lot better. Drawing on decades of research, Beth Shapiro reveals the surprisingly long history of human intervention in evolution through hunting, domesticating, polluting, hybridizing, conserving and genetically modifying life on Earth. Looking ahead to the future, she casts aside the scaremongering myths on the dangers of interference, and outlines the true risks and incredible opportunities that new biotechnologies will offer us in the years ahead. Not only do they present us with the chance to improve our own lives, but they increase the likelihood that we will continue to live in a rich and biologically diverse world.
Life at the Zoo: Behind the Scenes with the Animal Doctors
by Phillip RobinsonPlease Do Not Annoy, torment, pester, plague, molest, worry, badger, harry, persecute, irk, bullyrag, vex, disquiet, grate, beset, bother, tease, nettle, tantalize or ruffle the Animals.—sign at zooSince the early days of traveling menageries and staged attractions that included animal acts, balloon ascents, and pyrotechnic displays, zoos have come a long way. The Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes in Paris, founded in 1793, didn't offer its great apes lessons in parenting or perform dental surgery on leopards. Certainly the introduction of veterinary care in the nineteenth century—and its gradual integration into the twentieth—has had much to do with this. Today, we expect more of zoos as animal welfare concerns have escalated along with steady advances in science, medicine, and technology. Life at the Zoo is an eminent zoo veterinarian's personal account of the challenges presented by the evolution of zoos and the expectations of their visitors. Based on fifteen years of work at the world-famous San Diego Zoo, this charming book reveals the hazards and rewards of running a modern zoo. Zoos exist outside of the "natural" order in which the worlds of humans and myriad exotic animals would rarely, if ever, collide. But this unlikely encounter is precisely why today's zoos remain the sites of much humor, confusion, and, occasionally, danger. This book abounds with insights on wildlife (foulmouthed parrots, gum-chewing chimps, stinky flamingoes), human behavior (the fierce competition for zookeeper jobs, the well-worn shtick of tour guides), and the casualties—both animal and human—of ignorance and carelessness. Phillip Robinson shows how animal exhibits are developed and how illnesses are detected and describes the perils of working around dangerous creatures. From escaping the affections of a leopard that thought he was a lap cat to training a gorilla to hold her newborn baby gently (instead of scrubbing the floor with it) and from operating on an anesthetized elephant ("I had the insecure sensation of working under a large dump truck with a wobbly support jack") to figuring out why a zoo's polar bears were turning green in color, Life at the Zoo tells irresistible stories about zoo animals and zoo people.