Keriann McGoogan

Kerriann McGoogan falls in love with primates, lemurs to be exact. What's not to love? They are cute, intelligent, and a lot like us. Lemurs live in Madagascar. They are critically endangered. This book is about Keriann's experience as a grad student setting up a project to study lemurs in a section of the Madagascar rainforest and the challenges the team she was part of faced.
I love these books because I am not a good traveler but I was to know about these far-flung parts of the world and the people who live in them. However, once I start to sweat and a bug bites me it is all over. I don't do discomfort well. I never wish I lived in another time. I like being comfortable with AC and indoor plumbing. That said I admire people who can cope with hot humid weather and bugs and write about with humor as Keriann does. I truly admire her pluck hiking in the jungle, wading through rivers, braving so-called primitive roads in jeeps, going to cities where you don't speak the language or understand the customs, eat the food and make your own drinking water, brave hostile natives, make your hiking trails with a machete, absolutely no modern conveniences, separated from those you love for months at a time, all for conservation efforts 70% of the world don't even care about. One thing I did learn, well I learned a lot actually about fieldwork, was the more research available about an animal the less likely the extinction if the animal. Did I say I loved this book? Read it in a day. Thank you to all the Kerrianns out there who do this kind of work. The maps and photos are excellent also. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a review.… (mehr)

3.5 Prior to reading this book, the only information I knew about Madagascar was from watching the Disney movie. This book is chock full of the culture of this country, of the different types of lemurs found there, and how much work it takes to plan an expedition, as well as all the things that can go wrong.

For her PhD thesis, Kerriann, decides to study the lemurs in Kasijy. They have the most diverse species of lemurs of anywhere in the world. She hopes to attain enough data and information if the various species, but almost from the beginning things don't go as planned.

Madagascar is a very poor country, and losing more of their forest areas quickly. The reason why and why this is important is. discussed, as is their language and culture. We also get to know some of Kerrianns backstory and previous projects. Much is covered in this comparatively short book.

I found this a fascinating book, although I can't imagine myself in her place. The mouse lemur, small enough to fit in a teacup, was my favorite. Yes, I looked them up, though some pictures and maps were included in the book.

ARC from Netgalley… (mehr)