"Enlightening, timely, and empathetic, Kalaugher's deep exploration successfully reveals exactly how the health of people, animals, and ecosystems are forever intertwined." ― Booklist (Starred review)
"This is an entertaining read as much as it is enlightening. We have the tools we need to fight back, and there is hope to be found in the pages of this wonderful book." ― Neil Vora, Conservation International
Humans, animals and disease. They're all inter-related, so why do we keep ignoring the elephant in the room?It's well known that Covid-19 may have come from a bat, but diseases are often transmitted in the other direction too. Humans have passed diseases to animals countless times through history, and it's the cross-currents of this relationship between humans, animals and disease that are explored by Liz Kalaugher in The Elephant in the Room. Taking the reader on a globe-trotting journey through time, Kalaugher presents a series of fascinating case histories of human-related wildlife diseases. Among the stories featured here are the early humans who may have carried pathogens responsible for the extinction of Neanderthals, the native birds of Hawaii that have been devasted by human-introduced disease, and the Tasmanian tiger that has been lost to the sands of time. Examining these tales and drawing on first-hand accounts from experts around the world, The Elephant in the Room is both a tragic history and an inspirational call to arms. It doesn't have to be this way. By learning from the past, it's possible to create a better, healthier environment for ourselves, our wildlife and our planet.