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Title details for Poached by Rachel Love Nuwer - Available

Poached

Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking

by Rachel Love Nuwer
ebook
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An intrepid investigation of the criminal world of wildlife trafficking—the poachers, the traders, and the customers—and of those fighting against it
Journalist Rachel Nuwer plunges the reader into the underground of global wildlife trafficking, a topic she has been investigating for nearly a decade. Our insatiable demand for animals — for jewelry, pets, medicine, meat, trophies, and fur — is driving a worldwide poaching epidemic, threatening the continued existence of countless species. Illegal wildlife trade now ranks among the largest contraband industries in the world, yet compared to drug, arms, or human trafficking, the wildlife crisis has received scant attention and support, leaving it up to passionate individuals fighting on the ground to try to ensure that elephants, tigers, rhinos, and more are still around for future generations.
As Reefer Madness (Schlosser) took us into the drug market, or Susan Orlean descended into the swampy obsessions of TheOrchid Thief, Nuwer—an award-winning science journalist with a background in ecology—takes readers on a narrative journey to the front lines of the trade: to killing fields in Africa, traditional medicine black markets in China, and wild meat restaurants in Vietnam. Through exhaustive first-hand reporting that took her to ten countries, Nuwer explores the forces currently driving demand for animals and their parts; the toll that demand is extracting on species across the planet; and the conservationists, rangers, and activists who believe it is not too late to stop the impending extinctions. More than a depressing list of statistics, Poached is the story of the people who believe this is a battle that can be won, that our animals are not beyond salvation.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 25, 2018

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780306825514

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780306825514
      • File size: 18991 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      September 15, 2018

      In her ambitious debut about wildlife trafficking around the world, science journalist Nuwer (National Geographic, Scientific American) leads readers through the tangled, and painfully human, webs of animal poaching industries. From bears farmed for their bile in China to pangolins hunted for their meat and scales throughout Asia and Africa, the animals themselves feature in these stories, but not so much as their human exploiters. Written for the curious, who "[enjoy] a bit of an adventure" and "love animals," the title delivers on both counts. However, although Nuwer has a background in science, she does not always treat the animals in question in a scientific manner--they are an important part of the story, but little to no time is spent on information such as scientific names or native habitats. For readers who appreciate these details, the book, for all of its charm, falls short. At times reminiscent of Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief, with its action and intrigue, this work offers a better understanding of the poaching ecosystem where no two animals are treated or hunted the same. VERDICT In spite of its omissions, Nuwer's intimate look at different poaching industries is educational and overall heartfelt.--Esther Jackson, New York Botanical Garden

      Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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