Amidst the tragedy of wild species extinction lies a hidden world of survival and wonder. Conservationists are locked in a high-stakes battle with the ghost of a drug lord and his herd of hippos. Scientists are fighting to save a flightless bird that romances rocks. Unconventional animals are upending 21st century beauty standards, and financiers are betting on whale poo to make its debut on Wall Street.
This is a story of survival and extinction, of life and death, of curiosity and perversion, of unimaginable joy and harrowing sorrow.
Set against the backdrop of a rapidly unfolding mass extinction event, Nature’s Last Dance takes readers across hunting grounds, through jungles and oceans, inside communities, through courtrooms, and into the heart of battles to survive against all odds.
Award-winning environmentalist Natalie Kyriacou confronts the extinction crisis with courage and curiosity, charting a new course for nature and showing us why it is so worth fighting for.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Introduction: Welcome to the Anthropocene: "The Vanishing Act"
PART 1: A High Stakes Game of Extinction, Seduction, and Survival
Chapter 1: Courtship & Seduction in the Wild: "A twinkle in the eye of a kakapo"
Chapter 2: A Legacy of Extinction: "The Sound of Silence"
Chapter 3: A Spectacle of Survival: "Your Booby, My Booby"
Chapter 4: Unravelling Ecosystems: "The Butterfly Effect"
Chapter 5: The Greatest Show on Earth: "The Hunter and the Hunted"
Chapter 6: The Ones we Lost: "The Loneliest Rhino in the World"
PART 2: The Tangled Fates of Us and Them
Chapter 7: The Miracle Makers: "A Whale's Poo"
Chapter 8: The Anatomy of Extinction: "Unmasking the Architects of Crisis"
Chapter 9: The Rights of Nature: "The River that is a Person"
Chapter 10: Twisted Fates: "Bonds that Bind and Destroy us"
Chapter 11: Invisible Creatures: "The Curse of Ugly"
PART 3: Heroes, Villains and Birdwatchers
Chapter 12: Nature and Capitalism: "Wolves on Wall Street"
Chapter 13: Curiosities and Perversions: "Broken Cures"
Chapter 14: The Delight and Mystery of the Birdwatcher: "Falling in Love"
Chapter 15: Tales of Deceit and Cunning: "The Propaganda Playbook"
Chapter 16: Giants Among Us: "The Greatest Fight of our Lives"
FINALE: Coup De Grace
Chapter 17: Part 1: Into the Abyss: "Swan Song"
Chapter 18: Part 2: Against all Odds: "Rebirth"
Chapter 19: End Game: "A Dazzling or Devastating Finale"
