The Elephant and the Scrub Forest

Jami van Haaften is a professional librarian and author of An Index to
Selected Canadian Provincial Government Publications for Librarians,
Teachers and Booksellers.

Author and photographer Taylor studies the life of an African elephant
in relation to its ecosystem. With the assistance of the African Safari
Club, he is able to record every aspect of the elephant’s life.

He introduces the reader to “Mama Tembo” and her family. The reader
learns about her family relationships, eating habits, and
characteristics. Color photographs range from grassland and rainforest
landscapes to close-up detail of the elephant’s toes, skin, nose, and
tusks.

There is an underlying message that the elephant’s habitat is
shrinking. Poaching, instances of overpopulation, loss of wilderness
areas to farm land, and the demand for ivory all threaten the
elephant’s future.

In addition to this work, the series Animals and Their Ecosystems
includes three other titles: The Alligator and the Everglades, The Bison
and the Great Plain, and The Lion and the Savannah. A glossary and index
make the text even easier to read and understand.