Becoming A Tiger: How Baby Animals Learn to Live in the Wild

Science News, July 10, 2004 by Susan Mccarthy

Every animal is born with the instinct to survive but not necessarily the skills to do so. Just as our parents guide us as we learn to find food and communicate, so do tiger, bird, and bonobo moms and dads. McCarthy, coauthor of When Elephants Weep, considers the myriad tactics employed by parents across the animal kingdom to help their young survive and flourish.

With a careful blend of anecdotal evidence and scientific study, Mccarthy details observations made by zookeepers, animal rehabilitators, and a host of zoologists and biologists who have witnessed--or in some cases assisted--wild offspring making their way in the world. She explains in vivid detail how adult animals employ a number of familiar tricks for guiding their young, including play, practice, example, and trial and error. The book is divided into sections devoted to various skills, giving readers a firsthand glimpse at parenting practices that help apes learn to communicate, reindeer calves find their migration routes, baby buffalo find their mothers among a herd of hundreds, and eaglets that can fly at birth learn to land safely. Harpc, 2004, 418 p., hardcover, $24.95.