Our monthly book club is for anyone who loves a good story, curious creatures, and the wild places that make the Georgia coast special. Each month, we’ll highlight a fun, thought-provoking book about wildlife, nature, conservation, or the environment that one of our staff have read or is currently reading. Plus we’ll add in a few questions and ideas to help you take the conversation outside!
Since we got on the theme of wildlife crime with the last two months, figured we would continue with this month’s fascinating book!
October — The Falcon Thief
by Joshua Hammer
It follows Jeffrey Lendrum, an international wildlife smuggler who became infamous for stealing eggs and chicks from endangered birds of prey. The story also follows the wildlife-crime investigators trying to stop him. One of his airport arrests involved 14 live eggs strapped to his body. Yes, really.
Questions:
- Why are some people willing to pay enormous amounts of money for rare animals?
- Why can an animal be simultaneously wildlife and a luxury commodity?
- What makes wildlife crime different from other kinds of theft?
- How does demand drive conservation problems?
