A Naturalist and Other Beasts: Tales from a Life in the FieldSince 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 books such as The Year of the Gorilla, 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 nineteen short pieces, here brought together in book form for the first time, offering a unique overview of his remarkable career. Chapters describe stalking tigers in India and jaguars in Brazil's Pantanal swamps, studying mountain gorillas in Rwanda and predator- prey relations in the Serengeti, tracking new 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 career. His own photographs appear throughout: of animals and their behavior, of fieldwork, of the author and his family "on location" in temporary homes from a hut in the African highlands to a tent in the snowy mountains of China. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 31
Page 88
... observe them . Several different bands of gorillas were identified during the study ; I observed members of group IV more than any others . 3000 EAL BRAND PORATED MILK F THE UNITED KINGDOM I write. Kay prepares our simple dinner ...
... observe them . Several different bands of gorillas were identified during the study ; I observed members of group IV more than any others . 3000 EAL BRAND PORATED MILK F THE UNITED KINGDOM I write. Kay prepares our simple dinner ...
Page 133
... observation suggests that mothers cannot recognize their young when they are small . Once two mothers , each with two ... observed for over a year bowled over a gazelle fawn several times with a swat of her paw . But she was so inept at ...
... observation suggests that mothers cannot recognize their young when they are small . Once two mothers , each with two ... observed for over a year bowled over a gazelle fawn several times with a swat of her paw . But she was so inept at ...
Page 247
... observe this spectacle until my wife , Kay , and I visited the Aru area in 1988 and again in 1990 and 1992 . There are fewer chiru now , and the groups we observed belong to the largest of the four known migratory populations in the ...
... observe this spectacle until my wife , Kay , and I visited the Aru area in 1988 and again in 1990 and 1992 . There are fewer chiru now , and the groups we observed belong to the largest of the four known migratory populations in the ...
Other editions - View all
A Naturalist and Other Beasts: Tales from a Life in the Field George B. Schaller Limited preview - 2010 |
A Naturalist and Other Beasts: Tales from a Life in the Field George B. Schaller No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
Acurizal adult male animals Annamites antelope Arctic bamboo barking deer behavior bharal biologist blue sheep bulls burrows calving capybaras caribou Chang Tang cheetah China chiru creature cubs dogs ecosystem female forage forest gazelles giant panda golden monkey grass habitat head herds horns hundred feet hunting jaguars kill Lak Xao lioness lions live livestock markhor meat migration Mongolia months mother mountain gorillas moved National Park natural nearby neck night observed once Pantanal percent pikas plains population pounds predators prey pride protect rainforest ranch refuge remain reserves roam saola Schaller season Serengeti sheep and goats Shey Siegfried slopes snow leopard species square miles stalking steppes survive takin tent Tibet Tibetan Plateau tigers tigress tracks trail tree valley village Virunga walked watched wild yaks wildebeest wilderness Wildlife Conservation Society Wolong yaks young youngster zebras Zhen-Zhen