Elephants (English)

Elephants: A Cultural and Natural History
482 pp. "As splendid as its subject, this huge book is filled with color plates and photographs. Groning begins with a chapter on the "Primeval wanderer" concerning the elephant in the Garden of Eden and follows with an evolutionary tree of the great beast. Sections detail evidence of the animal from the Noah's Ark and Gilgamesh periods, through its arctic phase as the mammoth, and its natural life in the wild. The segment on "Elephant Power" in the Hellenistic period covers Alexander's use of the creatures as part of his war machine. A follow-up section treats Hannibal's march across the Alps and continues through the role of elephants in jungle warfare in comparatively modern times. Unhappy accounts follow as the noble beasts are trapped, hunted for ivory, and diminished in culture, if not size. Happier notes are sounded in the last 100 pages or so with descriptions of new zoo habitations, medical treatments, and reserves where survival of the species is paramount. Striking full-color photos, maps, and tables appear throughout. A beautifully designed volume." --School Library JournalKeywords: ELEPHANTS ANIMALS NATURAL HISTORY CULTURAL DOMESTICATED MAMMALS AFRICA ASIA HANNIBAL IVORY POACHING