Wildlife scientist and conservationist George Schaller has conducted original research on a dazzling variety of animals, including gorillas, tigers, lions, snow leopards, pandas, antelopes, and more in twenty-five countries around the world over nearly five decades. This man who has lived and worked among wild animals most of his adult life has never been injured on the job. He was among the first scientists to understand the importance of living among the animals he was studying, respecting them as wild creatures, approaching them without assumptions, and drawing conclusions based on what he observed. Schaller has contributed new ideas and understanding about the animal species he has studied and about ways of studying them, and he has extended that work into a lifelong commitment to protecting and preserving world ecology. Pamela Turner’s account of Schaller’s life and career (including a doctorate from UW–Madison) includes numerous photographs of Schaller, his family (who often lived with him in remote locations), and his research subjects and the environments in which they live. Ample sources for further exploration round out this inspiring volume. (Age 10 and older)

For more than fifty years, explorer-naturalist George Schaller has been on a mission: to save the world's great wild beasts and their environments. In this compelling biography, illustrated with Schaller's own striking photographs, Pamela S. Turner examines the amazing life and groundbreaking work of the man International Wildlife calls "the world's foremost field biologist." Schaller's landmark research revolutionalized field biology, demonstrating that it is possible to study dangerous animals in their own habitats: mountain gorillas in Central Africa, predatory tigers in India, mysterious snow leopards in the Himalayas, and many others. His insights about species and environment led him to successfully advocate for the protection of over 190,000 square miles of wilderness around the world – an area the size of Spain.

Packed with grand adventure, intriguing science, dramatic photographs, and Schaller's own breathtaking descriptions of the natural world and the animals who live in it, this full-color biography brilliantly captures the spirit and passion of George Schaller's unusual – and inspiring – life in the wild.