Other titles from this series that I own and recommend are:
Animal rights: A historical anthology

Animal rights and moral philosophy

Animals as persons: Essays on the abolition of animal experimentation

Zoographies: The question of the animal from Heidegger to Derrida

While perusing the sale I also noticed a few titles that I don’t have that I’d like to check out.  Sadly, my book budget for the year is already long gone, so this is just coveting on my part:

Recognizing the autonomy of Nature: Theory and practice

Horrorism: Naming contemporary violence

Read any of these books?  If so, would love to hear your thoughts

The Dachshund’s affectionate
He wants to wed with you:
Lie down to sleep,
And he’s in bed with you.
Sit in a chair,
He’s there.
Depart,
You break his heart.

E.B. White

For example, study author David Sumpter noted:

“Just now there is a lot of discussion about traders unable to make their own assessment and panic selling because others are selling. In these instances, this behavior seems somewhat irrational. But in lots of other scenarios, such behavior is perfectly rational. Watching others and copying them if enough individuals seem to be doing the same thing is generally a good behavioral strategy.” (source)

The fish were choosing between model fish who did or did not have traits that signal evolutionary fitness - traits like body size, health, etc. The expectation was that the winner would consistently be the fish with these traits that boost survival and reproduction. Things didn’t always pan out that way, though. The decision making process in these fish groups explains why that was the case.

“As the voting pool grew in size, the proportion of fish making the “correct” choice—that is, following the fitter candidate, as indicated by visual cues such as size, color and spottiness—increased, indicating a beneficial feedback mechanism at work.” (Source: Scientific American)

Just how often do we underestimate the complexity, elegance or subtlety in the social and emotional lives of animals? What might that mean for our understanding of animals? Ourselves? The network that includes all of us? Fascinating stuff!

Check out the article abstract and more details at Current Biology.

I start with thanks to other bloggers who sent kind wishes for healing and content that I could share.

Acknowledging the love and kindness extended to me by the carnivore members of my family, I also wanted to share this excellent resource on pet grief from my alma mater, UC Davis and acknowledge the brilliant work of the veterinarians and staff at Helping Hands veterinary clinic for their expertise and compassion.

–Deb

The double threats that arise from war between people, and the guerilla tactics used by people against elephants and other consequences of human-elephant conflict have had devastating effects. According to the BBC,

“Of the 74 elephants which died in the north and north-west region last year, 44 were killed by gunfire.

The others fell victim to poison, were deliberately electrocuted by farmers who connected wire fences to the mains, or fell down wells.

Just four died of natural causes.”

Elephants are not charging onto the scenes of firefights, the so called “front line.” Rather, they are collateral damage.

The people of Sri Lanka suffer because of the war as well, and this is equally troubling. In general, I think that conditions that are unsafe for animals are unsafe for people. I am heartened that there are efforts to reduce human elephant conflict even in the current security climate in Sri Lanka. The article mentioned the planting of elephant foods in areas adjacent to farms where raiding has been an issue, and formal training for government employees, who are now discouraged from using weapons against elephants.

The series will have an interesting international twist!  I will be attending the International Primatological Society meetings in Edinburgh Scotland from the 3rd through the 8th of August.  This is a big bi-annual convention where primatologists from all over the world get together to talk about their latest theories and findings.  I will be posting primate topics from the meeting and even trying some new formats: Live blogging, audio and video.  To accommodate this ambitious project, I’ll be making some changes to the appearance of the blog, especially the front page.  These are new technologies for me, so I’d love suggestions, tips and hacks (and will appreciate your patience with my learning curve).

T minus 3 days and counting!

Enjoy!

Owls Aren’t Wise and Bats Aren’t Blind
Woven seamlessly into the detailed information are numerous personal anecdotes. The fluid, descriptive writing and humor make Owl Aren’t Wise and Bats Aren’t Blind a real pleasure to read.

Merle’s Door
During a river trip, Kerasote found Merle, a dog who had been surviving alone in the wild for some time. Upon adopting him, the author decided to give the dog free range to come and go as he liked. Merle’s Door describes the depth of their ensuing relationship, evidence of the Merle’s thought process and decision-making, and expounds on canine history and behavior.

As you may have heard, CITES recently decided to allow the sale of ivory to China (and Japan). It is just too much to think that the government-endorsed elephant genocide in South Africa is going to happen at precisely this same time. How marvelously convenient for SA, poachers and criminal elements dealing in wildlife products.

The sources of support for this myopic and deadly decision are disappointing. EthicsandAnimals.com has a summary post on the ivory sale decision that is full of great links that will bring readers up to speed quickly. I’d already given up on WWF, but there is a difference between not doing a good job and actively encouraging their decimation.

Wroblewski’s 562-page novel tells of a mute boy in rural Wisconsin devastated by the death of his father. Together with his wife, the father had bred a mysterious kind of dog, especially intelligent and intuitive. The story closely parallels Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” (complete with ghost and a sinister uncle), and also has echoes of “Macbeth,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Othello.” It explores deeply the ancient kinship between people and dogs. It’s about bitter grief and rage, with a desperate flight into a wilderness, and a fateful return.

Sawtelle was also featured in a recent podcast about animal minds from  To the Best of Our Knowledge. {I have plenty to say about the rest of the material - believe me - but will save it for another post!} The portion of the show dedicated to Sawtelle was interesting. Specifically, the author of the novel, Wroblewski, mentioned how Vicki Hearne’s work (see link below) influenced him. While I have my reservations about relationships built around extensive training because training creates many possibilities for abuse via domination, I recognize that it is not a necessary outcome of the practice.  Breeding kennels, on the other hand, construct and commodify dogs in ways that I think are irreparably flawed.

Because The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is about a boy who does not speak, observing and non-verbal communication can take center stage.  In the interview, the role of observing is emphasized.  Observing is clearly at the heart of ethology: we watch, listen, smell, move along with other animals as they live their lives.  Perhaps the book and the interview give us a reason to think about practicing observation in our daily lives more often or and with animals practicing it more carefully.  Because I hope that both are true, I plan to add this title to my already long list of books to read!

Books mentioned in this post:
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel

Adam’s Task: Calling Animals by Name