May 2023 MBR The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Chasing Giants
Zeb Hogan, author
Stefan Lovgren, author
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166, Reno, NV, 89557-0166
www.unpress.nevada.edu
9781647790578, $29.95, HC, 250pp

https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Giants-Search-Largest-Freshwater/dp/1647790573

Synopsis: On May 1, 2005, a Thai fisherman caught a truly monstrous Mekong giant catfish. At 646 pounds, it captured the world's attention, and with awe and wonder, it was deemed the largest freshwater fish on record. There was no denying its size, but when biologist and research associate professor Hogan saw a photo of the fish, he wondered if it really was the biggest in the world. To his surprise, no one had systematically sought to answer the question: Which of the giant freshwater species really was the largest?

Seeking to answer that question has brought Hogan face to face with massive arapaima and piranha in the Amazon, alligator gar in Texas, pigeon-eating wels catfish in France, stingrays in Cambodia, and the gnarled-toothed sawfish in Australia. Part of his scientific adventure has been captured on Monster Fish, and Hogan now tells the full story of his 25-year quest to understand the mysteries of some of the oldest, largest, most bizarre creatures on Earth.

The fate of these giant fish motivates Hogan to understand the various species he studies. The megafish's numbers are dwindling, and the majority of them face extinction. With the publication of "Chasing Giants: In Search of the World's Largest Freshwater Fish", Hogan teams up with award-winning journalist Stefan Lovgren to tell, for the first time, the remarkable and troubling story of the world's largest freshwater fish. This is a story that stretches across the globe, chronicling a race against the clock to find and protect these ancient leviathans before they disappear forever.

"Chasing Giants: In Search of the World's Largest Freshwater Fish" deftly combines science, adventure, and wonder to provide insights into the key role the massive fish of our lakes and rivers play in our past, present, and future.

Critique: An impressive and seminal study, "Chasing Giants: In Search of the World's Largest Freshwater Fish" is exceptionally informative, extraordinarily well organized and throughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Marine Biology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted by students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Chasing Giants" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).

Editorial Note #1: Zeb Hogan (https://explorer-directory.nationalgeographic.org/zeb-s-hogan) is a research biologist at the University of Nevada, Reno and the United Nations Convention on Migratory Species Scientific Councilor for Fish. Hogan hosts National Geographic's television series Monster Fish and his research focuses on migratory fish ecology, fisheries management, and endangered species issues.

Editorial Note #2: Stefan Lovgren (https://theconversation.com/profiles/stefan-lovgren-1406170) is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker with more than 25 years of worldwide reporting experience. He has been a regular contributor to National Geographic's numerous media platforms since 2003 and writes about a wide variety of environmental issues with a focus on fish and freshwater subjects.

The Elephants of Thula Thula
Francoise Malby-Anthony
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250284259, $29.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Elephants-Thula-Elephant-Whisperer/dp/1250284252

Synopsis: Francoise Malby-Anthony is the owner of a game reserve in South Africa with a remarkable family of elephants whose adventures have touched hearts around the world. The herd's feisty matriarch Frankie knows who's in charge at Thula Thula, and it's not Francoise. But when Frankie becomes ill, and the authorities threaten to remove or cull some of the herd if the reserve doesn't expand, Francoise is in a race against time to save her beloved elephants.

With the publication of "The Elephants of Thula Thula" by Francoise describes joys and challenges of a life dedicated to conservation. The search is on to get a girlfriend for orphaned rhino Thabo -- and then, as his behavior becomes increasingly boisterous, a big brother to teach him manners.

Francoise also realizes a dream with the arrival of Savannah the cheetah (an endangered species not seen in the area since the 1940s) and finds herself rescuing meerkats kept as pets. But will Thula Thula survive the pandemic, an invasion from poachers and the threat from a mining company wanting access to its land?

As Francoise faces her toughest years yet, she realizes once again that with their wisdom, resilience and communal bonds, the elephants have much to teach us.

Critique: A fascinating, informative, and deftly written account that will have a very special attraction for readers with an interest in wildlife biology and naturalist biographies, "The Elephants of Thula Thula" is strongly recommended for both community/academic library Wildlife collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Elephants of Thula Thula" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Francoise Malby-Anthony was born in the south of France, brought up in Paris, and has lived in South Africa since 1987. She founded the Thula Thula game reserve in 1998 with her late husband, the renowned conservationist and author Lawrence Anthony. When Lawrence died in 2012, Francoise took over the running of the reserve and is equally passionate about conservation. She was the driving force behind setting up a wildlife rehabilitation centre at the reserve to care for orphaned animals. Her first book, "An Elephant in My Kitchen", was an international bestseller. (https://us.macmillan.com/author/francoisemalbyanthony)

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