Description
Book SynopsisDocumenting one of the rare success stories in the history of wildlife conservation, The Return of the Unicorns distills two decades of intensive fieldwork and research on one of the world's most endangered animals: Rhinoceros unicornis, commonly known as the greater one-horned rhinoceros.
Trade ReviewDinerstein provides a glimmer of hope... with his success story of the conservation of the Indian or greater one-horned rhinoceros... [He] discusses the implications of this success story for conservation efforts elsewhere, and clearly rejects attempts to capture rare animals and maintain their populations by captive breeding. -- Donald R. Prothero Quarterly Review of Biology This book offers much to anyone interested in practical, how-to conservation, far-away landscapes, large and exotic-sounding mammals, biodiversity, planning, and tropical ecology... A beautifully candid account... this is the book that conservation pragmatists and cynics should read to discover why optimism about the conservation of large mammals in human-dominated landscapes is not misplaced. -- Joel Berger Conservation Biology an excellent overview of many aspects of the biology and conservation of greater one-horned rhinos in Nepal. -- Samuel Zschokke Basic and Applied Ecology A landmark contribution on the ecology and conservation of large mammals. -- Mark S. Boyce Ecology A serious book full of essential information, and one that has but few rivals... Dinerstein's book is a welcome contribution. Pachyderm
Table of ContentsForeword, by George B. Schaller Preface Introduction Part I: Vanishing Mammals, Vanishing Landscapes 1. Vanishing Mammals: The Rise and Fall of the Rhinoceroses 2. Culture, Conservation, and the Demand for Rhinoceros Horn 3. Vanishing Landscapes: The Flood Plain Ecosystem of Chitwan Part II: Biology of an Endangered Megaherbivore 4. Size and Sexual Dimorphism in Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros 5. The Biology of an Extinction-Prone Species: Facing Demographic, Genetic, and Environmental Threats 6. Life on the Flood Plain: Spacing and Ranging Behavior, Feeding Ecology, and Activity Patterns 7. Male Dominance, Reproductive Success, and the "Incisor Size Hypothesis" 8. Endangered Phenomena: Rhinoceros as Landscape Architects Part III: The Recovery of Endangered Large Mammal Populations and their Habitats in Asia 9. Does Privately Owned Ecotourism Support Conservation of Charismatic Megafauna? 10. Making Room for Megafauna: Promoting Local Guardianship of Endangered Species and Landscape-scale Conservation 11. The Recovery of Rhinoceros and Other Asian Megafauna Conclusion Appendix A: Methods Appendix B: Measurements and other Physical Features of greater one-horned rhinoceros captured in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal Appendix C: Demographic and Genetic Data Appendix D: Seasonal Home Range and Daily Movements Appendix E: A Profile of Rhinoceros Behavior Appendix F: Reproductive Histories of Adult Female Rhinoceros References Index
