Over the last three decades, elephant populations in Africa and Asia have suffered startling declines. In the 1970s, there were an estimated 1.6 million African elephants. Today, that number has dropped to under 500,000, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Shockingly, less than 45,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild. And in zoos, the population of elephants remains in the low hundreds.
While there is certainly considerable controversy regarding elephants in captivity, a new book by Dick Blau and Nigel Rothfels looks at the dynamic relationship between zoo elephants and their human caretakers. Without taking sides in the debate, Elephant House is a thought-provoking study of how elephants and humans interact. Blau contributes complex and deeply touching photographs that beautifully capture the interrelations of residents—both animal and human—at the Oregon Zoo’s Asian Elephant Building. Rothfels, who has written extensively on animal welfare and zoos, takes a fresh, multi-dimensional perspective on the bonds of attentiveness that exist between animals and their caregivers. From wonder to sadness, this compilation provides a full picture on the state of elephants in American zoos, one that challenges both animal rights critics and zoo advocates alike.
Blau is a photographer and filmmaker who has examined topics ranging from music and dance to human emotions. Rothfels currently serves as the editor of Animalibus, Penn State Press’s scholarly series about animals and culture. He is also the author of Savages and Beasts: The Birth of the Modern Zoo, and the editor of Representing Animals, an interdisciplinary collection of animal studies. Blau and Rothfels will appear together at Woodland Pattern Book Center for a reading at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10.
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Book Happening:
Michael Sikkema and Jen Tynes
7 p.m., Dec. 16
Woodland Pattern Book Center
720 E. Locust St.
To celebrate the publication of Michael Sikkema’s most recent poetry collection, May Apple Deep, poets Sikkema and Jen Tynes will appear at Woodland Pattern Book Center for a free reading. Sikkema, the author of three collections of poetry, most recently released a chapbook entitled Time Missing. Tynes, who teaches writing in Grand Rapids, Mich., is the author of the full-length books Trick Rider, Heron/Girlfriend and The End of Rude Handles.
