"Animal Investigators" by Laurel Neme, PhD (Now available in paperback)
From camping in the Kalahari, to investigating walrus carcasses on Alaska's Bering Sea Beaches, to trudging through jungle with Brazilian Federal Police, Laurel A. Neme, PhD and environmental journalist, has been tireless in her efforts to ebb the flow of wildlife crime.
Dr. Neme's book, "Animal Investigators," opens the world's eyes to the fact that animal parts are a billion dollar global trade, and animal trafficking ranks among the top three in international crime. This real tale of the relatively little known murder and slaughter of animal life for the sake of gigantic profit can break your heart and shake you to the core. It is incredible crime that requires incredible scientific methods of solution.
With that in mind, the WFL, the world's first Wildlife Forensics Lab was born as an aid to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The small staff of dedicated scientists and investigators, together with the USFWS, try to combat the overwhelming crime, brutality and greed to save millions of animals, including some of the endangered species. This underground industry feeds and supports the activities of worldwide terrorists, and now, the specter of organized crime has loomed.
"Animal Investigators" is exciting, exotic and educational, but gut wrenching. Dr. Neme cites three cases that come under focus, and we are priveleged to watch the CSI of the animal world at work as bloated walrus torsos wash up on beaches, their tusked heads missing; black bear torsos are found with their gallbladders and front paws gone; Amazon feather art threatens many tropical animals and birds.
Untold numbers of creatures are threatened by the poachers, smugglers and murderers that make up this vast industry of death and brutality, and they just keep coming. It won't take a village to stem this tide; it will take a world. Kudos to Dr. Laurel Neme for all her work and for raising awareness of this horrendous problem.
Dr. Neme holds a Masters Degree in public policy from the University of Michigan, and a PhD in public and international affairs from Princeton University. She also consults on wildlife and natural resource management and serves as a Fellow at the University of Vermont's Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security.
Add to her long list of activity "The Wildlife," a weekly radio show (podcast on iTunes) that explores the mysteries of the animal world through interviews with scientists and wildlife investigators. The link to that is
www.laurelneme.com/wildliferadio. A second book is in progress. Dr. Neme can be contacted for questions or further information at: laurel@laurelneme.com.
Reviewed by Janis Guggenheim, Freelance Writer
Your first saw my book review of "Animal Investigators" on Richard Davidson's book review site http://www.readworthybooks.blogspot.com/. The books are all reviewed by professional writers, and this site, in my opinion, is an excellent way to discover good reading.
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