This book explores the fascinating and complex lives of the honey badger, the African jackals (black-backed and side-striped), African golden wolves, and Eurasian golden jackals. In recent years, interest in these creatures has grown exponentially, through wildlife documentaries and media clips showing the aggressive, fearless, and tenacious behaviour of the honey badger, with jackals often presented in a supporting role. Written by renowned journalist and educator Keith Somerville, this accessible volume includes historical narratives, folklore, and contemporary accounts of human–wildlife relationships and conflicts. It traces the evolution of the species; their foraging and diet; the development of their relationships with humans; and their commensal, kleptocratic, and symbiotic relationships with other carnivores, raptors and birds. It also charts the recent expansion in European jackal numbers and ranges, now including as far west as the Netherlands and as far north as Finland. Blending historical observations by non-scientists, colonial officials, administrators, and early conservationists with contemporary scientific accounts, it presents a new multidisciplinary approach that will interest researchers, scientists, and students in wildlife conservation, human–wildlife relations, zoology, biology, and environmental science.

A Library Journal Best Book Nega Mezlekia's memoir Notes from the Hyena's Belly was described in the New York Times Book Review as "the most riveting book about Ethiopia since Ryszard Kapuscinski's literary allegory The Emperor and the most distinguished African literary memoir since Soyinka's Aké appeared 20 years ago." Mezlekia now offers a first novel steeped in African folklore and teeming with the class, ethnic and religious struggles of pre-colonial Africa. In The God Who Begat a Jackal, the 17th-century feudal system, vassal uprisings, religious mythology, and the Crusades are intertwined with the love between Aster, the daughter of a feudal lord, and Gudu, the court jester and family slave. Aster and Gudu's relationship is the ultimate taboo, but supernatural elements presage a destiny more powerful than the rule of man. With Mezlekia's enchanting storytelling and ironic humor, readers glimpse African deities that have long since weathered away and the social cleavages that have endured through time.

"A ... journey through the worlds of the hyena, the jackal, and the wild dog"--Jacket.

In this fascinating account of scientific study among forbidding wilderness, a husband-and-wife team describe their trek to the Kalahari to study the little-known brown hyena. The details of the scientific inquiry are provided while the daily challenges of living with children 420 kilometers from the nearest town are described. Despite the hardships, the couple becomes so enchanted by these intelligent animals that they stay for 12 years, documenting many hyena clans and observing behavior only a handful of people have ever seen.

Shortlisted for the 2018 TWS Wildlife Publication Awards in the edited book categoryDecomposition and recycling of vertebrate remains have been understudied, hampered largely due to these processes being aesthetically challenging (e.g., smell and sight). Technological innovations have provided the means to explore new and historically understo

An authoritative, accessible, and gorgeously illustrated exploration into the lives of these remarkable animals Lions are the only social cat. They hunt together, raise cubs together, and defend territories together against neighbors and strangers. Lions also rest atop their ecological pyramid, with profound impacts on competitors and prey alike, but their future is far from assured. Craig Packer interweaves his discoveries from more than forty years of research—including a substantial body of new findings—to provide an unforgettable portrait of the African lion. He shares insights into the intricacies of lion life from birth until death and describes efforts to conserve lions in an increasingly crowded continent. With a wealth of breathtaking photographs by Daniel Rosengren, The Lion sheds light on a host of intriguing scientific questions, such as why males have manes, why lions are social, how sociality limits and stabilizes lion populations, how close inbreeding affects lion health, why lions become man-eaters, how lions and people can best be protected from each other, and how to ensure the lion’s survival into the next century. Engagingly written by the world’s foremost expert on African lions Integrates a wealth of findings from two of the most comprehensive field studies on any animal Features hundreds of stunning photographs that capture a broad range of lion behaviors, ecological interactions, and conservation challenges Blends vivid field anecdotes and graphics to give the reader a sense of adventuring into the lion’s world

"A work of tremendous scope. . . . Amateur naturalists and tourists to the parks of Africa and finally professionals will find this a stimulating, well-documented summary."--John F. Eisenberg, Florida Museum of Natural History "We have seen in the field how very helpful and informative The Behavior Guide is. Our knowledgeable safari guides turned often to their prized and already well-thumbed copies, and we continue to refer to ours now that we are back home."--Douglas F. Williamson, Jr., National Council, World Wildlife Fund, U.S. "A fascinating, perceptive, and enjoyable travel companion heightens the pleasure of being afield. The Behavior Guide to African Mammals is that ideal companion. Lucid, accurate, and marvelously illustrated, the book is a basic reference for anyone interested in natural history."--George B. Schaller, author of The Serengheti Lion and The Deer and the Tiger "A remarkable review of what is known about the larger African mammals."--A.R.E. Sinclair, The Ecology Group, University of British Columbia

A riveting look at how dog and humans became best friends, and the first history of dog domestication to include insights from indigenous peoples In this fascinating book, Raymond Pierotti and Brandy Fogg change the narrative about how wolves became dogs and in turn, humanity’s best friend. Rather than describe how people mastered and tamed an aggressive, dangerous species, the authors describe coevolution and mutualism. Wolves, particularly ones shunned by their packs, most likely initiated the relationship with Paleolithic humans, forming bonds built on mutually recognized skills and emotional capacity. This interdisciplinary study draws on sources from evolutionary biology as well as tribal and indigenous histories to produce an intelligent, insightful, and often unexpected story of cooperative hunting, wolves protecting camps, and wolf-human companionship. This fascinating assessment is a must-read for anyone interested in human evolution, ecology, animal behavior, anthropology, and the history of canine domestication.