By Marilyn Dalrymple

Hope for Animals and Their World:  How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink (Grand Central Publishing/ 2009) by Jane Goodall with Thane Maynard and Gail Hudson

I am always eager to read anything written by Jane Goodall and this book is no disappointment.  I find it easy to read.  It leaves me with the feeling Dr. Goodall is sitting in my living room talking to me. 

Hope for Animals and Their World (Grand Central Publishing/ 2009) is educational, enlightening and interesting.  You cannot read this book and go away saying you didn’t learn anything new (for the average person, at least).  For instance – I didn’t know there were several species of Asian vultures (Oriental white-backed vultures, Long-billed vultures and Slender-billed vultures).   I had never heard of Lazarus Syndrome.  Now I know it means a species was believed to be extinct, but has recently been found.  

I learned, sadly, that trash not only blemishes the landscape, but unsuspecting endangered species eat the trash and in some cases carry it home to feed to their young, causing I would suspect long suffering deaths for the animals concerned.  I never thought about animals dying from eating the remains of animals hunters have killed with lead bullets.  The wild animals eat the remains and suffer from lead poisoning. 

I also learned some positive things; there is an amazing breed of men and women who have dedicated their lives to saving specific animals of the world.  Jane Goodall is one of those people.

I learned about hard releases of animals back into the wild – just turning the animal loose from a cage into the wild; and soft release – releasing the animals in steps so it can learn to survive by itself.

Some damage is done to animal populations because man makes mistakes when trying to rescue the animals or treat them for unrecognized ailments.  Unfortunately making these mistakes is sometimes the only way we learn, but it is sad this has to happen.  Saddest of all is that man’s encroachment onto and into the habitats of animals is the main cause of the disappearance of animals.

The good news is progress is being made.  Through trial and error in most cases, animals are being brought back from the brink of extinction.  The Black-Footed Ferret, for instance, was though lost for ever, but is now saved and restored in certain locations. 

This book is well researched and written.  The information is fascinating and it is offered in an easy to read style.  Unfamiliar terms are defined immediately so the reader doesn’t have to stop to look a word up, and there is a “What You Can Do” appendix in the back of the book.  Further back in the book, species are listed with things you can do to “take action,” and also included is a list answering where a particular animal can be found, such as zoos.

This book is definitely a worthwhile read and a valuable resource.  A must for anyone interested in animals and wanting to know how to help the various species survive; a 5 star read.

Jane Goodall, a London native, began studying chimpanzees in the wild in Gombe, Tanganyika (now Tarzania) in 1960. After receiving her doctorate in ethology at Cambridge University, Dr. Goodall founded the Gombe Stream Research Center for the study of chimpanzees and baboons. In 1975 she established the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education, and Conservation to promote animal research throughout the world.  You'll find her online at www.janegoodall.org

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