The Pygmy Hippo Story West Africa's Enigma of the Forest

About this book

Though the pygmy hippopotamus has been designated as a flagship species of West African forests (meaning that by raising conservation efforts for a single species, an entire ecological region could benefit), very little research has been published on the animal. They are solitary, nocturnal, and skittish, and until recent developments in "camera trap" technology, they were considered the least-photographed large mammal species in the world. The information currently available on this endangered species is scattered, limited, redundant, and often inaccurate, and no major volume exists as a resource for those interested in the conservation effort for the species, until now.

Philip Robinson and his coauthors provide a treatment of the natural history, biology, and ecology of the pygmy hippo, along with a discussion of the rare animal's taxonomic niche and a summary of its research initiatives up to this point. The authors show the ways in which the pygmy hippo has come into contact with people in West African countries, both in terms of ecological impact and cultural: the creature has been the subject of local folktales, and is treated as almost mythic by some regions. Information on issues related to captivity, breeding, and zoos will be provided. The Pygmy Hippo Story is heavily illustrated with original photographs and anatomic drawings. The project should be of use to conservation biologists and zoologists, and will be the definitive single-volume account of an animal that the scientific community has designated to be ecologically significant to West Africa.

Contents

Dedication
Foreword - David. P. Mallon, Manchester Metropolitan University
Preface - Phillip. T. Robinson
Authors' Introduction - The Authors

I. DISCOVERY, HISTORY AND CAPTURE
1. What is a Pygmy Hippopotamus - Gabriella L. Flacke
2. Hippos in Popular Culture and Folklore - Gabriella L. Flacke
3. Looking for Enigmas in the Forest - Phillip T. Robinson
4. The Use and Abuse of Hippos in Nature - Phillip T. Robinson
5. Heslop's Pygmy Hippopotamus - Phillip T. Robinson
6. Hans Schomburgk - Hunter, Trapper, Bush Bicyclist - Phillip T. Robinson
7. Frans Van den Brink- Master Hippo Catcher - Phillip T. Robinson

II. WORKING IN PYGMY HIPPO COUNTRY
Phillip T. Robinson
8. Arriving in West Africa
9. Just Getting There is Most of the Journey
10. Wrestling the Town Chief in Pygmy Hippo Country
11. Journeys Without Destinations
12. Going Bush in Sierra Leone
13. Traveling Hammocks and Piggyback Rides
14. A Six to Six Walk
15. Small Planes
16. Navigating Pygmy Hippo Country
Co-authors and Contributors
17. Pygmy Hippo Research on Tiwai Island - April L. Conway
18. Living the Dream - Gabriella L. Flacke
19. Pygmy Hippo Research in the Ivory Coast - Knut M. Hentschel
20. The Hippo Hotel of Ivory Coast - Waldemar Bülow

III. BIOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY
21. The Flora and Fauna of Pygmy Hippo Country - Gabriella L. Flacke
22. The Feeding Behavior of Pygmy Hippos in the Wild - Knut M. Hentschel
23. The Pygmy Hippo Hunters - Phillip T. Robinson
24. Common Ground for Hippos in West Africa - Phillip T. Robinson
25. Sly, Shy or Focused? The Origins of Elusiveness - Phillip T. Robinson
26. Husbandry, Health and Pathology of Pygmy Hippos - Gabriella L. Flacke

IV. CONSERVATION DURING WARTIME
27. Staying Alive During the War - Phillip T. Robinson
28 The Disruptions and Setbacks of Civil War - Phillip T. Robinson and Henk Dop
29. The Shortcut from Master Sergeant to President - Phillip T. Robinson

V. CONSERVATION AND THE FUTURE
30. A Very Sad Story of Greed - Knut M. Hentschel
31. Conservation Genetics and Fragmented Populations - Gabriela L. Flacke and Phillip T. Robinson
32. Distribution and Population Estimates - Gabriella L. Flacke
33. Conservation Planning and Priorities - Gabriella L. Flacke

Afterword - The Authors
Image Credits
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Philip T. Robinson, MS, DVM, DACZM, is board certified in zoological medicine and currently serves as the Director of the Department of Laboratory Animal Resources at the University of Toledo. He was formerly the chief veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo.

Gabriella Flacke, DVM, MS has lived and worked in Southern Africa where she served as clinical veterinarian for both the KwaZulu-Natal African Wild Dog Conservation and Reintroduction Programme in South Africa and the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Otjiwarongo, Namibia. She is now pursuing her PhD at the University of Western Australia, where she focuses on pygmy hippo health, reproduction, and conservation.

Knut Hentschel, MS, PhD is now retired after a long career of research and conservation efforts, notably in Africa. After completing his PhD at the University of Braunschweig, Germany in 1990, Hentschel dedicating twenty years to positions in Uganda, Central African Republic, and the Ivory Coast.