"But a Web site cannot convey what it is like to watch a rhinoceros move through the grasslands of Chitwan, hear a tiger roar in the night, or listen to elephants rumble to one another in a subsonic language barely perceptible to our ears. The presence of large, potentially dangerous mammals connects us to something deep and primal and teaches us humility in a way that is unique and precious. Wild places where species leave footprints larger than our own must be part of the legacy we bequeath to future generations"
When biologist Eric Dinerstein came to Chitwan National Park in Nepal to study its endangered Indian rhinoceroses, one question that he was not expecting to be faced with was, "Why?" As in, why study the rhinos? Surely all you need to do is map off a big enough section of habitat, post enough guards to deter poachers, and leave the species alone, one park warden told him. Who cares what plants they eat at which time of the year, or how long they spend in wallows in the day versus the night?
Dr. Dinerstein, respectfully, disagreed. It was his belief that the best way - maybe the only way - to truly save a species is to understand as much of its natural history as possible and translate that into policy and management that promotes conservation. His years' worth of research on the subject are compiled in The Return of the Unicorns: The Natural History and Conservation of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros. This relatively slim volume contains a very detailed overview of what the Indian rhino is, how it has evolved to fit into its current environment, and how it helps shape that environment, just as any other force of nature would. It also recounts the struggles and successes of edging this species, once teetering on the brink of extinction, back in strength, even reintroducing it to parts of its range where it had once been extirpated.
For a technical book, Return of the Unicorns is still written clearly, concisely, and in a manner that the layperson can follow and enjoy. It does an excellent job of exploring the important role of saving mega-herbivore keystone species (and explaining why other species rely upon them), as well as providing an excellent overview of how fieldwork in conducted, sometimes in association with zoological parks. The author's fieldwork was sponsored by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, he uses knowledge of zoo-housed rhinos to fill in holes in the knowledge of wild rhinos, and some of his research was carried out using animals at Kathmandu Zoo in Nepal.
I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Dinerstein - now the Director at WildTech and the Biodiversity and Wildlife Solutions Program at RESOLVE - speak about his book (and sign my copy) years ago. It certainly made an impression on me. Today, Chitwan remains the number one wildlife habitat that I would like to explore, in large part due to his presentation.
Part of what I love about his book is having a volume that takes one species of animal and explores it, thoroughly. I've seen this done with a few other species, almost all large mammals but a few others as well. Although it seems less likely in our post-book world, I wish more volumes like this would be compiled on a variety of species that assemble as much of the available knowledge and condense it into one book. If I could have made one recommendation to the author, it would have perhaps been to include a little more information on the unnatural - the cultural history of the species. For those who do not have a science background, understanding how Indian rhinos and humans have a shared history going back thousands of years would make a fascinating addition. In one passage, Dinerstein casually mentions that the armies of ancient India used train rhinos in battle... I'm sorry, you don't want to unpack that statement a little more?
If there is one aspect where the Conservation Centers for Species Survival have truly shown potential, it is in strengthening ties between the zoo community and conservation projects happening out in the field. The support for the Indian rhino project is a prime example of the kind of work that all zoos should be looking to support. Many large mammals - including rhinos - are often dismissed as extinction-prone, with the understanding being that they have little hope for survival into the next century. The conservation work highlighted in The Return of the Unicorns suggests differently. If you give an endangered species a chance, Dr. Dinerstein argues, sometimes you'll be amazed at how successfully it can recover.
The Return of the Unicorns: The Natural History and Conservation of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros at Amazon.com
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