Here is the first biography of Niko Tinbergen, the brilliant but reticent naturalist (once described as "pathologically modest") who turned a passion for observing nature into a revolutionary new branch of science that illuminated the study of animal behavior.
Tracing the closely intertwined threads of Niko's personal and professional life, Hans Kruuk reveals the man behind the scientist. He shows how Niko's Calvinist upbringing in a highly intellectual Dutch family--his father was a much-published scholar, his elder brother a Nobel Laureate in Economics--the two-years he spent in a...

Wild Otters answers the need for an up-to-date, scientifically-oriented introduction to the Lutra lutra species. Based in part on the author's extensive field observations, the book provides a superb basis for active conservation management of a species faced with an increasingly hostile environment. Topics include social organization and behavior, food and foraging strategies, ecological information on their main prey fish, problems of energetics and thermo-insulation, population structure, mortality and reproduction, and the impact of humans. Packed with illustrations and photographs, Wild...

Otters are highly charismatic and popular animals of very considerable concern to conservationists worldwide. Written by the pre-eminent authority in the field, this book builds on the reputation of the author's landmark monograph of the European otter, Wild Otters (OUP, 1995). Furthermore, its broader scope to include all species of otter in North America as well as Europe and elsewhere leads to a deeper synthesis that greatly expands the book's overall relevance and potential readership.
Aimed at naturalists, scientists and conservationists, its personal style and generously...

Otters are highly charismatic and popular animals of very considerable concern to conservationists worldwide. Written by the pre-eminent authority in the field, this book builds on the reputation of the author's landmark monograph of the European otter, Wild Otters (OUP, 1995). Furthermore, its broader scope to include all species of otter in North America as well as Europe and elsewhere leads to a deeper synthesis that greatly expands the book's overall relevance and potential readership.
Aimed at naturalists, scientists and conservationists, its personal style and generously...

Hans Kruuk, a life-long naturalist, tells the fascinating story of carnivores and humans' intricate relationships with them. The book is illustrated with specially commissioned drawings, and deals not only with the wild beauty of carnivores and their conservation, but also with the topics of furs and medicine, man-eaters and sheep-killers. Kruuk explains in simple terms the role of carnivores in nature, how they impact human life, art and literature, and how we instinctively respond to them and why.