THE LAST GIANTS

An award-winning photographer and explorer presents an introduction to elephants and their biology, psychology, evolutionary past, and environmental place.

In this good-natured, enthusiastic portrait of elephants, Wood delves into the creature’s history and present-day circumstances as well as their evolutionary success and societal tribulations. The author offers information on their physical specifications and needs; ecological effects on the savanna and forest habitats (“the sheer size of elephants and the amount that they need to eat has a profound impact on the landscapes they live in”); and cognitive abilities, including working memory, categorization skills, and what appears to be a capacity for empathy. Wood also does a good job describing elephant society, matrilineal family groups, sociality, and the passing of life lessons and guidance from one generation to the next. This synthesis of scientific material serves as a solid foundation on which the author recounts his experiences with elephants. This is where the book makes its original contributions—Wood’s particular encounters and observations—and allows him to make the case for their protection. Elephants are under serious pressure on a number of fronts, including the encroachment of humans, who use the land to grow both commercial crops, such as sugar cane and palm oil, and subsistence crops; ivory poachers, who target the elders with the longest tusks, destroying the family structure; and trophy hunters, who also seek out the biggest and oldest animals. Wood brings multiple perspectives to bear when grappling with the human-elephant connection. While noting that humans have been a thorn in the elephants’ side for centuries, he appreciates that humans have a place in the ecology, as well. The ability to find common ground depends on advancing education, fighting corruption, developing more effective poaching-mitigation methods, and making a determined effort to slow habitat loss and herd fragmentation.

A smart, inviting portrait of elephants from a keen-eyed observer.