“The elephants cautiously extend their trunks, touching the body gently, as if obtaining information.Here are a few observations of the behavior of elephants in response to the loss of a comrade: Observers of elephant communities therefore have many opportunities to witness the grief that accompanies every loss of a beloved member of the community. Unfortunately, elephant populations in Africa are being decimated by poachers because of the value of ivory. He follows orcas (AKA killer whales) with researchers in Puget Sound in Washington State.He joins teams of volunteer observers of wolves in Yellowstone National Park.He watches elephants in Africa as they go about their business under the watchful eyes of park rangers trying to protect them from poachers.Safina visited several communities of animal observers and shares their experiences with us: The lack of respect for animal studies among academic scientists has created opportunities for many volunteer and non-scientist observers to break new ground as reporters of animal behavior. One of the most common reactions of the academic scientists to studies of animal behavior has been to dismiss them as anthropomorphic projections of human feelings and motivation. When she wrote papers about her observations, she faced extreme resistance to their publication. One of the first studies of animal behavior was Jane Goodall’s long association with a community of chimpanzees. This attitude is still prevalent in human societies. Animals were perceived by humans as utilitarian objects to be exploited for food and transport or destroyed if perceived as a threat or a competitor. He speculates that the dominance of humans in the environment fostered a condescending attitude toward animals that prevented scientific inquiry of the animal kingdom until very recently. Safina begins by lamenting the sorry state of scientific inquiry into animal behavior. It is a worthy cause and not hard to sell to this animal lover. His hope is that humans who understand the feelings and capabilities of animals, will therefore treat them with the respect they deserve.
#Wolves yellowstone park beyond words full#
His mission is to convince his readers that animals are capable of the full range of emotions experienced by humans and that their communities are often as complex and varied as human communities. Beyond Words, by Carl Safina, was written by an animal lover for other animal lovers.
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