This twenty-first century on planet earth is a tough time for large predators. As human populations have expanded in recent centuries, we have been loath to tolerate fearsome, threatening beasts in our neighborhoods. The world’s lions, tigers, bears, and wolves are increasingly confined to our biggest parks and to the most remote corners of the world, and humans are rapidly expanding our influence on those remote locations, often to the peril of the big predators.
This isn’t news for nature enthusiasts, we are all familiar with the scarcity of large predators, and most of us are ashamed of society’s past and continuing efforts to limit or eradicate predators in many areas. Few of us, however, fully understand the extent of ecological damage caused by the absence of large predators. William Stolzenburg’s brilliant new book, Where the Wild Things Were, tells this tale in a clear and insightful manner.
For many years Stolzenburg was the Science Editor for Nature Conservancy magazine. For his consistently excellent articles in that publication he often spent time afield with prominent ecologists. Stolzenburg essentially translated complex ecological stories for the lay audience. He does this again in Where the Wild Things Were—only this time he weaves together the work of dozens of prominent biologists and ecologists, developing his own thesis that examines the role and plight of major predators on a truly global scale.
There are many case studies here, from orcas, sea otters, sharks, and sea stars in the world’s oceans to the terrestrial mountain lions, grizzly bears, and wolves, whose celebrated reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park is thoroughly described. Stolzenburg chronicles nearly half a century of scientific findings and debate over the “Green World Hypothesis,” first presented by Hairston, Smith, and Slobodkin. The impact of the great Pleistecine extinction in North America—when humans arriving from Asia eliminated mammoths, mastadons, saber-toothed tigers, giant sloths, and many other species—is effectively threaded into the tale. He moves through the complex ecological concept of “trophic cascades” and controversial “rewilding” proposals, telling the tales of pioneering scientists in a clear, easily understood manner—no small feat.
Stolzenburg isn’t afraid to step into controversial territory. He examines the impact of humans, past and present, on ecosystems and on the biosphere, discussing our species with a third-person objectivity. He examines the impact of “fear of predation” on ecosystems as it relates to wildlife and to humans. This sort of “deep ecology” often slips into misanthropy or just plain silliness, but under Stolzenburg’s deft hand the concepts seem quite sensible. Like the rest of the book, this part is carefully researched (the bibliography is nearly 40 pages long) and woven into a tale that never strays from its single, powerful, overarching theme.
The greatest attribute of Where the Wild Things Were, in my opinion, is its wide-ranging, global, ecological perspective. I have spent much of my naturalist’s career trying to understand the earth as a dynamic, interrelated system of many marvelous parts. It’s hard to fully comprehend many of the connections, and even harder to describe and explain them. Stolzenburg accomplishes this in a masterful way. It’s been a long time since I’ve read something about ecology as enlightening and thought provoking as Where the Wild Things Were. I’m already talking about its ideas and concepts as I lead nature outings, and I think I’ll be referring to this book— and rereading it— for many years to come. This is a masterpiece, and its subject is extremely important and timely. I hope that Where the Wild Things Were receives the attention (and the accolades) it deserves.
Stolzenburg, William. Where the Wild Things Were – Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators. New York, Bloomsbury USA, 2008. 288 pages hardcover, $24.99. ISBN-13: 978-1-59691-229-1, ISBN-10: 1-59691-229-5.
Note: This review is based on a pre-publication publisher’s proof; release of the book is scheduled for July 2008.
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