Publications
Animal Traffic: Lively Capital in the Global view of nature and wilderness is problematic With species and subspecies, the prosimians Exotic Pet Trade by Rosemary-Claire Collard not only for its colonial legacies but also for comprise % of living primates. The majority () pp., Duke University Press, its treatment of animals as never belonging are lemurs (), are galagos, are tarsiers, Durham, USA. ISBN ---- where “we” are, and as the passive objects to and are of the Family Lorisidae: the pottos, (pbk), USD .. our own active subjectivity. ARCAS’s [the res- five, and angwantibos, just two, in Africa, and cue centre] practices, then, leave the exception- the slender and slow lorises, , in Asia. This Animal Traffic: Lively Capital in the Global al and distinct human subject both materially extraordinary and highly specialized radiation Exotic Pet Trade is a unique contribution to and discursively undisturbed’ (p. ). of nocturnal insectivores was for many years the existing robust studies about the legal and il- This raises three points that, had they been largely ignored: small, difficult-to-watch, and legal wildlife trade. The uniqueness stems from addressed, would have made the argument seemingly torpid little fur balls lacking ambi- Collard’s theoretical framework as well as her more powerful. Firstly, if releasing animals is tion. With few exceptions—pioneers Simon fieldwork. I will discuss each of these in turn be- problematic because of the colonial origins Bearder and Pierre Charles-Dominique in par- fore talking about how these strengths could and because it is anthropocentric, what then ticular—they failed to excite the fevered pursuits have been used more broadly. In regard to the should happen to these animals? This is not ex- of anthropologists and primatologists through theoretical framework, Collard grounds some panded upon. Secondly, here, and at numerous the sands. But, as Bearder says of her thoughtful analysis in feminist political other points in the book, Collard mentions the in his foreword: ‘Gradually, over the years, economy. This leads her to insightful musings colonial underpinnings of elements of the wild- the number of researchers attracted by the about the socio-ecological reproduction of life trade. But she never questions the language delights of nocturnal primate research became non-human animals. In essence, what are she uses—‘exotic’‘pet’ trade—when the word significant’. As told by Anna Nekaris and Anne the social/cultural and environmental conse- exotic in particular is problematic for its links Burrows, it became clear that the Lorisidae’s quences for individual non-human animals, to colonization. Other vocabulary could also fascinating ways, habits and adaptations de- their communities and ecosystems, when have been scrutinized, such as enclosed, when served a book. these animals are—to use Collard’s term— this is only used for inanimate objects, and Following a comprehensive introduction enclosed. Furthermore, Collard proposes that captured rather than kidnapped, which has by the editors, the chapters are divided into both commodity and animal fetishism are been proposed by green criminologist Ragn- three sections. The first, ‘Evolution, morph- partly responsible for animals being objects hild Sollund (Solund, , The Crimes of Wild- ology and the fossil record’, starts with a of the global exotic pet trade. They are in de- life Trafficking, Routledge, Abingdon, UK). brief history of the discovery, descriptions mand because they are individual, controllable Thirdly, Collard questions here, and in other and distinctions of the four genera recog- and encounterable, the latter referring to the places, the notion that there could or should nized today. The next chapter discusses the tactile relationship humans have with non-hu- be places where non-human animals are sparse (only seven species named), but none- man animals. These ideas raise important points apart from humans. She at once argues for theless informative fossil record, with the and obstacles for addressing the global exotic pet ‘the capacity of animals to lead wild lives, earliest genus, Namaloris, dating from the trade. It is a strength of Collard’s study that she lives characterized by openness, possibility, a Oligocene. The section includes seven essays includes and discusses demand reduction, and degree of choice, and self-determination, in investigating the functional morphology of observes that the USA’s total lack of engagement which beings are understood to have their own various distinctive traits that are evidently sig- with demand reduction is problematic. familial, social, and ecological networks, their nificant in the lorisids’ nocturnal way of life. In terms of Collard’s fieldwork, she under- own lookouts, agendas, and needs’ (p. ), Three concern their sensory systems—sight takes a highly original ethnographic study that while at the same time saying ‘This cannot be (orbit orientation), smell (olfactory system includes observations at live animal auctions achieved by separating out a wilderness, a purely anatomy and sensitivity) and touch (the ecol- at several locations in the USA, excursions on animal space’ (p. ) without acknowledging ogy of face or vibrissal touch)—another looks the Mexico–Guatemala border and volunteer- the contradiction inherent in this. The ques- at the soft tissue anatomy of the hand that is ing at an animal rescue centre in Guatemala tion whether the non-human animals do not highly derived in the potto but less so in the for a month. The combination produces inter- want to be around humans, and want a space slow loris, and a fifth at the biomechanics of esting observations, particularly for geographic- of their own, is not asked. their locomotion, involving so-called quadru- al contexts that are largely ignored in the global The points I have raised are obviously manous climbing and gripping, to move along, discussions on legal and illegal wildlife trade. challenging obstacles to overcome in an effort sit on, and hunt among thin branches in dense At her time at the auctions, Collard notes the to reduce animal exploitation. Collard clearly vegetation. Two chapters consider the adaptive tensions between the participants’ beliefs they demonstrates in Animal Trafficking that she morphology of the dental toothcomb. One con- could act as they liked regarding animals and has much to contribute to these debates and cerns the fossil evidence from Karanisia clarki, what that meant for those animals: ‘But their in rethinking how human society regards the earliest strepsirrhine to possess one, con- freedom to buy and sell and own animals non-human animals. cluding that it was used as a comb but also to depends on animals’ lack of freedom’ (p. ). scrape up gum. The other discusses the role of She observes that at these auctions human TANYA WYATT Northumbria University, gum-feeding (unusual in primates, but a spe- values are dominant and with that comes the Newcastle, UK cialization for some) in loris evolution, ex- erasure of animals’ histories—as commodities amining the associated dental adaptations and and as complex social beings. signatures. This first section is rounded off by To me, this thoughtfulness and sophisti- Evolution, Ecology and Conservation of an excellent review of the evolution of the social cated consideration could have been applied Lorises and Pottos edited by K. A. I. Nekaris behaviour that characterizes the Lorisiformes, more broadly. For instance, in regard to the res- & Anne M. Burrows () pp., including as such the galagos. cue centre in Guatemala attempting to return Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. The second section focuses on behaviour, animals to nature, Collard rightly states: ‘This ISBN ---- (hbk), GBP .. ecology and captive management. The first
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, Downloadeddistribution, from https://www.cambridge.org/core and reproduction in any medium,. IP address: provided 170.106.33.42 the original work, onis 25 properly Sep 2021 cited. at 10:25:34, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/termsOryx, 2021, 55(2), 319–320 ©. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003060532000143XThe Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International. doi:10.1017/S003060532000143X 320 Publications
chapter deals with the search for appropriate for medicinal purposes. The chapters also because of restricted page space. Chapter is diets for captive lorises and galagos based on cover the considerable efforts underway to one of the most engaging; it discusses current what is known of their feeding habits in the combat this abuse and slaughter. challenges and opportunities for rewilding wild. A second discusses the history of lorises This is a benchmark compendium for our practitioners and demonstrates the complexity in captivity and the importance of zoo records, understanding of these creatures—a small of turning theory into practice. The authors and a third reviews and recommends best but truly fascinating outpost of the primate end with a chapter outlining their predictions practices for their breeding and husbandry. radiation. for the future—a logical and forward-looking The ecology and behaviour section comprises ending, but one that perhaps fails to match eight chapters, covering behavioural research ANTHONY B. RYLANDS Global Wildlife the punch of the introduction. in the wild, including visual function and ecol- Conservation, Washington, DC, USA What comes across strongly is the authors’ ogy, thermoregulation (lorises), home range E-mail [email protected] enthusiasm and belief in their interpretation and activity budgets, a general review of of rewilding, so it is truly an account of re- what is known of potto and angwantibo be- wilding from the first person perspective, as haviour, positional behaviour and substrate opposed to a more complete and objective re- preference, feeding and foraging of released Rewilding: The Radical New Science of view of all rewilding science. As a result, my Philippine slow lorises, ranging patterns of Ecological Recovery by Paul Jepson & Cain overwhelming sense of this book is that it the pygmy slow loris in Cambodia, and Blythe () pp., Icon Books Ltd, acts as a philosophical treatise on rewilding. mother–infant interactions and behaviour of Cambridge, UK. ISBN -- (pbk), It demands that the reader evaluates how captive Sunda lorises. GBP .. they feel about the most radical ideas in re- Lorises being small, often solitary, night- wilding science, and how much this perspec- owls, a number of the chapters in the second Rewilding is a hot topic in conservation biol- tive of rewilding represents the whole. section are revelatory in the creative methods ogy, policy and practice, and is seen to be at Throughout the book, the authors con- used to study them in the wild: identifying the cutting edge of modern conservation tech- sciously place herbivores at the centre of the them and following them to record their activ- niques. For many it offers a bold, new vision rewilding narrative, rather than their preda- ities and diets, and their foraging, ranging and for the future and as a result is an expand- tors. They also avoid the controversy and social behaviour. Five chapters in the third ing area of interest within scientific, public critique inherent within the wider rewilding section, ‘Research, trade and conservation’, and political discourse. This publication, pro- debate. Other underlying ideas take us back cover research methods: censusing, data moted as ‘the first popular book on the down the well-trodden path of intrinsic ver- collection, the sophisticated equipment and ground-breaking science’ intends to provide sus utilitarian perspectives of nature, which techniques used, and the precautions and an account of the science behind rewilding. conservationists have been arguing about care required in trapping and collaring them. The book opens with an enthusiastic, since at least the late s. But there is also Notable is a box that explains the need for the ambitious and upbeat tone that continues to an unsettling ‘us vs them’ attitude permeating use of red light when observing them—white permeate throughout the narrative, proving the book, which I found divisive. There are light disturbs them and probably damages an uplifting read. This introduction is fol- several misguided swipes at conservation their sensitive eyes. lowed by chapters exploring theories related biology and practice that come across as All of the nine slow loris species, Nycticebus, to grassland savannahs and the role of large unreasonable. are categorized as threatened on the IUCN herbivores within these systems. Here the In summary, this is a bold, yet technical Red List, two as Critically Endangered. The authors present some compelling arguments book that reflects the optimistic and energetic red slender loris Loris tardigradus of Sri and evocative dreamscapes of alternate real- mood of the rewilding movement. I found it Lanka is also Endangered, and the grey slen- ities. These early chapters are successful in forward-looking and informative, but narrow der loris Loris lydekkerianus of Sri Lanka highlighting the central importance of grass- in its scope in terms of the systems, geograph- and India is, for the moment at least, con- land ecosystems to a wider audience. ies and attitudes that it presents. Nonetheless, sidered Least Concern. Too little is known Chapter briefly discusses many of the the authors deliver on their own account of of the pottos Perodicticus and angwantibos well-known case studies that those familiar rewilding, from a tranche of the movement Arctocebus, but the Benin potto Perodicticus with rewilding science might expect to see, in Europe. juju is categorized as Endangered. Declines followed by a series of chapters exploring Although readers would benefit from in their numbers result from the destruction a selection of interesting perspectives and some technical grounding in conservation or of their habitats and from hunting for well-researched theories from complementary ecological theory to get the most out of this human consumption and the wildlife trade. sciences. Here the authors illustrate a fuller book, for those seriously interested in rewild- Following a review of the distribution and picture of rewilding as a concept, but largely ing it is a must read. It adds depth to the conservation status of the pygmy loris and rooted in western perspectives and grassland rewilding conversation, and I am sure any Bengal slow loris in China, the remaining systems. reader would find something new within its five chapters cover the appalling international The narrative of this book is embedded pages. Although it does not feel complete as and domestic commercial trade in lorisids within wilderness interpretations of rewilding, a standalone book on the topic, it is certainly for bushmeat and medicinal purposes, and and stays within that realm. There is not much an interesting interpretation of a novel and as pets and photo props in social media, the content on alternative rewilding approaches, changing subject matter. latter particularly affecting the lorises. In other global perspectives, or an exploration of South-east Asia, horrific numbers of slow people’s place within the natural environment. VICTORIA PRICE Vision Wild Ltd, Cambridge, lorises are cruelly traded in wildlife markets However, much of this may have simply been UK. E-mail [email protected]
Oryx, 2021, 55(2), 319–320 © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International. doi:10.1017/S0030605320001441 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.33.42, on 25 Sep 2021 at 10:25:34, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003060532000143X