Minteer's book fills a niche in animal-related non-fiction that is fairly sparsely populated. I have not seen many books that deal with the idea of de-extinction, i.e. bringing extinct life back through cloning and gene manipulation. I found the premise of the book extremely intriguing because I have often wished that life forms made extinct in the recent past, especially by human intervention, could be brought back somehow Jurassic-Park style, but without the giant predators!
Written for the general public in a style very comprehensible to non-scientists, "The Fall of the Wild" gives detailed histories of the extinction of animals such as the Passenger Pigeon, the Great Auk, the Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine), and the Heath Hen. He also describes near-extinctions, such as the American Bison, and how drastic conservation efforts saved the species.
Minteer advocates a type of conservation ethic that tries as much as possible to limit human disruption of already endangered and threatened species. For example, he received a lot of criticism from the scientific community for advocating non-lethal means of species documentation, for example using photography, audio recordings, and DNA swabs, rather than collecting "voucher specimens." Collecting voucher specimens involves killing one or more animals in the field to collect the remains for scientific study in the lab. Minter argues that this is irresponsible and dangerous to a species when the population of the species might be very small, rare, and/or isolated.
The book covers the case of zoos and aquariums in the world of conservation. The idea that zoos and aquariums have an important role to play in saving species from extinction is debatable, and Minter shows us both sides. The California Condor would most likely never have been saved if not for the intervention of the combined efforts of zoos and conservationists. On the other hand, zoos and aquariums are artificial environments for the animals and involve motives a bit more commercial than simply rescuing species from the brink of extinction. Do they have a role to play? The answer is yes and no. They have been instrumental in the captive breeding and reintroduction of endangered species, but sanctuaries and reserves can accomplish the same things without the exhibition aspect.
Another conservation effort discussed in the book is "assisted colonization," i.e translocating animals to other, safer habitats outside of their normal range to protect them from threats, such as climate change and poaching. Although a good short-term solution to greatly endangered species, this method is also controversial, as it does not solve the basic problems with the original habitat.
Finally, the idea of de-extinction, or "resurrection biology" is possibly even more controversial than non-lethal species documentation and assisted colonization. Minteer discusses the pros and cons of bringing species back from the extinction abyss in the fifth chapter "Promethean Dreams." What has happened to the species' habitat in its absence? How will other lifeforms deal with the sudden reintroduction of a creature gone for decades or centuries? How will new individuals of the species behave and adapt after being created "in a vacuum" as opposed to coming into being the natural way as the result of an unbroken line of evolution? Are we doing this to show our own technological prowess or to assuage our guilt, or is it truly for the good of the animals and nature? With an exploding extinction rate and rapidly advancing climate change, is it fair to bring them back when we are not handling the environment that well as it is? Should we be dealing with the present instead of trying to bring back the past?
These are the big questions to ponder and "The Fall of the Wild" serves as a helpful guide through the complex and controversial world of conservation ethics.
*I would like to thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
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