The Whistling Hunters

The whistling dog, or dhole, of India is a little-known, distant cousin of our domestic dog. Highly intelligent, wary of man, and elusive as a jungle predator, this rare and beautiful creature is one of the most difficult animals to study. Its very nature defies the patience and skill of the most dedicated naturalist. Yet knowledge about its habits and a more widespread understanding and appreciation of this species are essential for its protection and continued survival. For, like so much of the world's wildlife today, the dhole is a species threatened with extinction. The first in-depth field study of the whistling dog, The Whistling Hunters examines the dhole in the animal's environment. The book is based on the author's field studies and the observations of other naturalists. It presents all the facts currently known about the species, as it makes a passionate plea for conservation and the reevaluation of our land-use patterns. The book is also an attempt to understand the essence of wilderness since it, too, like the whistling dog, is an endangered species.

Gripping encounters with wildlife is the heart and soul of the book. Such thrilling situations include a dozen wild boars congregating just a few feet away from the author, a leopard crouching at hand-shaking distance under his machaan, a leopard killing a bullock very near the author’s bed, a loner gaur about to stamp on him while he was sleeping out, a visit to a tiger’s den, following a tiger on foot, a ferocious charge by a sloth bear, the ruthless whistling hunters on a kill, and so on. The frustration of not sighting the Melghat tiger for one and half years after joining as the field director, Melghat Tiger Project, followed by the joy of sighting the elusive Melghat tiger, are described in the stories. During his journey through Melghat, the author met a variety of his unsung heroes, for whom sufficient space is given. There are funny situations judiciously sprinkled across too—a man on the upper branch, a tiger on the middle branch, and wild dogs surrounding the tree; a nightjar landing on the body of a VIP, tipsy animals and bears. It’s a comprehensive treat.

The days are gone when seemingly limitless numbers of canvasbacks, mallards, and Canada geese filled the skies above the Texas coast. Gone too are the days when, in a single morning, hunters often harvested ducks, shorebirds, and other waterfowl by the hundreds. The hundred-year period from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries brought momentous changes in attitudes and game laws: changes initially prompted by sportsmen who witnessed the disappearance of both the birds and their spectacular habitat. These changes forever affected the state’s storied hunting culture. Yet, as R. K. Sawyer discovered, the rich lore and reminiscences of the era’s hunters and guides who plied the marshy haunts from Beaumont to Brownsville, though fading, remain a colorful and essential part of the Texas outdoor heritage. Gleaned from interviews with sportsmen and guides of decades past as well as meticulous research in news archives, Sawyer’s vivid documentation of Texas’ deep-rooted waterfowl hunting tradition is accompanied by a superb collection of historical and modern photographs. He showcases the hunting clubs, the decoys, the duck and goose calls, the equipment, and the unique hunting practices of the period. By preserving this account of a way of life and a coastal environment that have both mostly vanished, A Hundred Years of Texas Waterfowl Hunting also pays tribute to the efforts of all those who fought to ensure that Texas’ waterfowl legacy would endure. This book will aid their efforts, along with those of coastal residents, birders, wildlife biologists, conservationists, and all who are interested in the state’s natural history and in championing the preservation of waterfowl and wetland resources for the benefit of future generations.

While most of dogs we’re familiar with live among humans, wild dogs live very different lives, revolving around the pack. Like an army, dog packs depend heavily on rank to function. Easy-to follow text is accompanied by clear photos showing coyotes, dingoes, and other wild dogs in their natural habitats and illustrating for readers what living in the wild is like for dogs. Dog owners may even come away with a better understanding of their own pet’s “pack mentality.”

This national bestseller exploring the complex emotional lives of animals was hailed as "a masterpiece" by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and as "marvelous" by Jane Goodall. The popularity of When Elephants Weep has swept the nation, as author Jeffrey Masson appeared on Dateline NBC, Good Morning America, and was profiled in People for his ground-breaking and fascinating study. Not since Darwin's The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals has a book so thoroughly and effectively explored the full range of emotions that exist throughout the animal kingdom. From dancing squirrels to bashful gorillas to spiteful killer whales, Masson and coauthor Susan McCarthy bring forth fascinating anecdotes and illuminating insights that offer powerful proof of the existence of animal emotion. Chapters on love, joy, anger, fear, shame, compassion, and loneliness are framed by a provocative re-evaluation of how we treat animals, from hunting and eating them to scientific experimentation. Forming a complete and compelling picture of the inner lives of animals, When Elephants Weep assures that we will never look at animals in the same way again.