Page 87 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #04

REVIEWS BOOKS

It is perhaps not strictly true MEET THE AUTHOR
that wolves pose little threat
to humans: in India, they
areblamed fornumerous Joe
Young casualties.And their Shute
readers ‘shyness’ may not be a fixed
characteristic. I suspect
they were bolder in the past The author pieces together
The Ways of the Wolf and, as we cease persecuting the raven’s place in culture,
history and modern life.
By Smriti Prasadam-Halls them, that they will become
and Jonathan Woodward bold again.
Wrenand Rook £12.99
It’s the pictures that carry Why write about ravens? What other intelligence
This is a beautiful book. the book. I would love to own I’m fascinated by raven did you come across?
Jonathan Woodward’s the originals. In fact, I suggest intelligence and our shared That ravens can recognise
illustrations are moody, you buy two copies: one for the history. With the world and memorise humanfaces.
intense and mysteriously bookshelf, and the other (dear becoming a darker place, And that captive ravens
wolfy. I keep returning to the ohdear) to dismember and it seemed the perfect time understand and attempt
centrepiece–adepiction of paste lovingly across the toexplore the life of this to insert themselves into
shadowy wolves creeping children’s bedroom walls. beautiful, awe-inspiring bird. human social hierarchies,
across a midnight landscape. Stephen Mills Wildlife writer teasing those they deem
The writing is How are ravens currently below them and ingratiating
succinct and lucid, faring in the UK? themselves with those above.
communicating to Since 1995, there has been
children what they a 45 per cent increase in the THE
number ofravens in Britain
need to know about and a 121 per cent increase `
wolf biology, RAVEN
geographical range, in England.There are now GREETED ME
place in the well in excess of 12,000
ecosystem and breeding pairs across the IN A BROAD
current threats. I country, with birds present YORKSHIRE
do have a few tiny in every county.
quibbles, however. ACCENT.”
Are ravens still at
odds with humans?
Ravensarecontroversial What was your most
among farmers who claim memorable encounter?
that the birds menace Spending a winter night
livestock, particularly in Newborough Forest on
lambs. I visited sheep Anglesey and watching
farmers in northern hundreds of ravens come
Scotland who are calling to in to roost. The sightand
beallowed to cull ravens. sounds of the forest filling
Nature’s Fabric Our Human Story It is an ongoing debate, with birds was like being in
By DavidLee By Louise Humphrey & Chris Stringer with some birdwatchers a different world.
Chicago University Press £26.50 Natural History Museum £14.99
insisting that ravens don’t
Theidea behind this book is Few family trees are scrutinised actually attacklivestockbut Did you see any particularly
charming and ingenious – to in such meticulous detail as the rather only eat them if they fascinating behaviour?
connect us to nature through its human one. It seems to sprout are dead or injured. I saw a raven foraging on an
foliage. Most of us have probably new twigs with each new fossil Anglesey beach.Itgot hold
marvelled at the myriad forms of find, with the result that it can What did you learn that of a mussel, flew upwards
leaves that plants use to create or look more like an impenetrable most surprised you? anddropped it onto rocks
catch food, and, on occasion, thicket. Who better to untangle Ravens can mimic human to break it up, repeating
defend themselves. This the branches of the story than voices. I visited Igraine the process several times
readable, authoritative tome tells experts from the Natural History Skelton, who keeps ravens tocracktheshell. This
us everything we should know Museum? Thisauthoritative and at Knaresborough Castle. behaviour was first recorded
about these natural powerhouses accessible account of human One of her birds greeted me by 19th-century naturalist
– their role in culture; their evolution starts seven million in a broad Yorkshire accent, Thomas Nuttall, and I was
biology and anatomy; their years ago, when our own lineage asking: “are you alright?” delighted to see it for myself.
relationships with their split from that of the other great
environment; and how they apes. It will surely not be long
inspire us. There is something before it is out of date, but that’s O ASHADOWABOVE: THE FALL AND RISE OF THE RAVEN
for everyone here. one more reason to read it now. looks at the past, present and future of the bird in
Christina Harrison Science writer Stuart Blackman Science writer Britain (Bloomsbury, £16.99): www.bloomsbury.com
April 2018 BBC Wildlife 87