George Schaller

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George Beals Schaller
Known forMountain gorilla conservation
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsBiologist, conservationist
InstitutionsPanthera,
Wildlife Conservation Society

George Beals Schaller (born 26 May 1933

mammalogist, biologist, conservationist and author. Schaller is recognized by many as the world's preeminent field biologist, studying wildlife throughout Africa, Asia and South America.[2][5][6][7] Born in Berlin, Schaller grew up in Germany, but moved to Missouri as a teen. He is vice president of Panthera Corporation and serves as chairman of their Cat Advisory Council. Schaller is also a senior conservationist at the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society.[1][8]

Early life

Schaller was born in Berlin, Germany. He received his

New York Zoological Society's International Conservation Program from 1979 to 1988.[12]

Mountain gorilla research

In 1959, when Schaller was only 26, he traveled to Central Africa to study and live with the

Virunga Volcanoes.[5][13][14] Little was known about the life of gorillas in the wild until the publication of The Mountain Gorilla: Ecology and Behavior in 1963, that first conveyed to the general public just how profoundly intelligent and gentle gorillas really are, contrary to then-common beliefs. Schaller also, in 1964, recounted this epic two-year study in The Year of the Gorilla, which also provides a broader historical perspective on the efforts to save one of humankind's nearest relatives from the brink of extinction.[13]

The American zoologist Dian Fossey, with assistance from the National Geographic Society and Louis Leakey, followed Schaller's ground-breaking field research on mountain gorillas in the Virungas.[1] Schaller and Fossey were instrumental in dispelling the public perception of gorillas as brutes, by demonstrably establishing the deep compassion and social intelligence evident among gorillas, and how very closely their behavior parallels that of humans.[10]

No one who looks into a gorilla's eyes – intelligent, gentle, vulnerable – can remain unchanged, for the gap between ape and human vanishes; we know that the gorilla still lives within us. Do gorillas also recognize this ancient connection?[15]

Conservation career

In 1963-4, Shaller and his wife were in Kanha National Park, India where they studied tigers. In 1966, Schaller and his wife traveled to Tanzania to live in the Serengeti, and Schaller conducted one of the first studies of social behavior and movement of Africa's big cats.[7][13]

In his 1972 work The Tree Where Man Was Born, author Peter Matthiessen described Schaller as "single-minded, not easy to know". Matthiessen went on to say Schaller was "a stern pragmatist" who "takes a hard-eyed look at almost everything", "lean and intent", and in 1978's The Snow Leopard Matthiessen wrote that by that time, some considered Schaller the world's finest field biologist.[2][6][16]

In the fall of 1973, Schaller went to the remote

National Book Awards.[17] Schaller is referred to throughout the book as "GS".[16][18]

In the late 1970s, Schaller spent time in Brazil studying the jaguar, capybara, "alligator" (caiman), and other animals of the region.[11]

In 1980, as part of a cooperative project between the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and China, Schaller carried out field research on the giant panda in the Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province. He was the first Westerner to do so since before the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, and he co-authored the resulting monograph, The Giant Pandas of Wolong. Schaller sought to refute the notion that the panda population was declining due to natural bamboo die-offs.[10][11] Instead, Schaller found the panda's popularity was leading to its frequent capture, and was the biggest threat to the population. Schaller also found evidence that pandas were originally carnivores, but underwent an evolutionary change to accommodate a diet of bamboo, which is difficult to digest, reducing competition with other animals for food.[11] Since Schaller's research, the panda population has increased in the wild by 45 percent.[13] During his time in China, Schaller would hand out cards to wildlife hunters that read: "All beings tremble at punishment, to all, life is dear. Comparing others to oneself, one should neither kill nor cause to kill."[13] Schaller has spent more time in China than he has spent at his home in Connecticut.[1] In 1993, Schaller wrote The Last Panda, a meditation not only on the fate of the species but on the politics of conservation more broadly.

In 1988, Schaller and his wife traveled to China's Chang Tang (Qiang Tang) region to study the Tibetan antelope, or chiru, and became one of the first westerners permitted to enter the remote region.[19]

In 1994, Schaller and Dr.

warty pig, once thought extinct. In 1996, he located a herd of Tibetan red deer, also thought extinct.[1][13]

In 2003, Schaller returned to Chang Tang, and found the wildlife in the area had rebounded since his first trip to the region.[20][21][22] Most significantly, the wild yak population, which was estimated at only 13 individuals, had grown to over 187.[21] "The Tibet Forestry Department has obviously made a dedicated and successful effort in protecting the wildlife." Schaller wrote in a letter to the World Wildlife Fund's Dawa Cering.[21] While in Tibet, Schaller worked on researching the rare Tibetan antelope, or chiru, whose population declined due to trophy hunting for their exotic wool.[23] Working with Tibetan authorities, and the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, Schaller helped protect the breeding and calving grounds of the chiru in the Kunlun mountains of Xinjiang Province.[23]

In 2007, Schaller worked with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and China to develop a new "Peace Park", that would protect 20,000 miles (32,000 km) of habitat for the largest wild sheep species, the Marco Polo sheep.[1][8][13] In danger due to their impressive spiral horns, which can measure up to 6 feet (1.8 m) in length, the sheep is sought out as a trophy by international hunters.[1] Schaller's research in the Pamir Mountains will play an important role in the park's creation.[1][5][8]

Conservation results

Schaller's work in conservation has resulted in the protection of large stretches of area in the

Changtang Nature Reserve, one of the world's most significant wildlife refuges.[1][6][10][20] At over 200,000 miles (320,000 km),[22] the Chang Tang Nature Reserve is triple the size of America's largest wildlife refuge, and was called "One of the most ambitious attempts to arrest the shrinkage of natural ecosystems", by The New York Times.[9]

Bigfoot research

Schaller is one of a few prominent scientists who argue that

myth. I don't think that's fair."[25][26] In a 2003 Denver Post article Schaller said that he is troubled that no Bigfoot remains have ever been uncovered, and no feces samples have been found to allow DNA testing. Schaller notes: "There have been so many sightings over the years, even if you throw out 95 percent of them, there ought to be some explanation for the rest. I think a hard-eyed look is absolutely essential".[27][28]

Publications

Schaller has written more than fifteen books on African and Asian

rhinoceroses, and flamingos. Over more than five decades, Schaller's field research has helped shape wildlife protection efforts around the world.[1][6][9][13]

Awards and recognition

Schaller's conservation honors include National Geographic's Lifetime Achievement Award,[1] a

World Wildlife Fund's Gold Medal for: "Contributions to the understanding and conservation of endangered species".[2]
Schaller has also been awarded the International Cosmos Prize,[11] the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement,[30] and he was the first recipient of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Beebe Fellowship.[29] Schaller's literary honors include the U.S. National Book Award in Science (for The Serengeti Lion in 1973).[31] In 1988, Schaller received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[32] In September 2008, he received the Indianapolis Prize for his work in animal conservation.[33]

In 2017, a newly discovered species of scorpion was named as Liocheles schalleri in his honor.[34]

Personal life

His wife Kay majored in Anthropology at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, where she fell in love with George Schaller. They married in 1957 and Kay was an indispensable partner in life to her husband George for nearly seven decades where she assisted in fieldwork, edited and typed his manuscripts, and allowed him to pursue his passion for wildlife studies. Kay Schaller passed on March 7, 2023 at the age of 93.[35]

The couple had two sons.

Bibliography

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Lifetime Achievement: Biologist George Schaller". National Geographic. 2007. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d Minnesota State University. "George Schaller". Minnesota State University, Mankato. Archived from the original on September 24, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
  3. ^ Biography.com (2007). "George B(eals) Schaller Biography (1933– )". Biography.com, A&E Television Networks. Archived from the original on May 7, 2008. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
  4. ^ "George Schaller at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com.
  5. ^ a b c Bryan Walsh (October 17, 2007). "George Schaller – Heroes of the Environment". Time. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
  6. ^ a b c d K. Pradeep (October 1, 2006). "Man of Nature: A freewheeling chat with environmentalist George Schaller". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
  7. ^ a b Ned Rozell (2006). "Biologist sees value in unchanged landscape". Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska – Fairbanks. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
  8. ^ a b c G. Ananthakrishnan (2006). "A country like India must have a land use plan". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved October 20, 2007.
  9. ^ a b c California Academy of Sciences (2000). "A Conversation with Dr. George Schaller". California Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on September 12, 2005. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
  10. ^ a b c d e Sanctuary Asia (2006). "Dr. George Schaller Interview". Sanctuary Asia. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
  11. ^ a b c d e International Cosmos Prize (1996). "The Prizewinner, 1996: George Beals Schaller". International Cosmos Prize. Archived from the original on October 5, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
  12. ^ "Voices: George Schaller". National Geographic. 2006. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Ryan Bradley (2007). "Biologist George Schaller's 50-Year Battle". National Geographic. Archived from the original on March 7, 2008. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
  14. ^ Cable in the Classroom (2006). "Mountain Gorillas". Animal Planet. Archived from the original on May 7, 2008. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
  15. ^ Schaller, George B. (October 1995). "Gentle Gorillas, Turbulent Times". National Geographic. 188 (4): 66.
  16. ^ .
  17. ^ 1979 Contemporary Thought and 1980 General Nonfiction (paperback). There were more than 30 awards for paperback books, 1980 to 1983 only, and The Snow Leopard was the only double winner.
    "National Book Award Winners: 1950–2009" Archived July 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. National Book Foundation: Awards. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  18. .
  19. .
  20. ^ a b Wildlife Conservation Society (2007). "WCS Biologist George Schaller Reports Surprising Increase of Wildlife in Tibet". Wildlife Conservation Society. Archived from the original on August 11, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
  21. ^ a b c Chinese Embassy (2003). "American Biologist Praises Tibetan Wildlife Conservation". Chinese Embassy. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
  22. ^
    National Public Radio
    . Retrieved October 19, 2007.
  23. ^ a b George B. Schaller; Kang Aili; Cai Xinbin; Liu Yanlin. "Current Reports: Observations from a Recent Field Report". Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation. Archived from the original on November 26, 2007. Retrieved October 20, 2007.
  24. ^ Christopher Joyce (1990). "On the Trail of the Snow Leopard". New Scientist. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
  25. ^ Bailey, Eric (April 19, 2003). "Bigfoot's Big Feat: New Life; A prankster's deeds revealed posthumously appeared to doom the legend". Los Angeles Times. pp. section A.1. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
  26. ^ Eric Bailey (2003). "Bigfoot's Big Feat: New Life". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 5, 2007 – via Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization.
  27. ^ Theo Stein (January 5, 2003). "Bigfoot Believers: Legitimate scientific study of legend gains backing of top primate experts". The Denver Post. p. 1. Retrieved October 5, 2007 – via Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization.
  28. ^ Theo Stein (2003). "Bigfoot Believers: Legitimate scientific study of legend gains backing of top primate experts". The Denver Post. Retrieved October 5, 2007 – via NewsBank.
  29. ^ a b Doreen Fitzgerald (2006). "Noted wildlife expert returns to Alaska".
    University of Alaska
    . Retrieved October 20, 2007.
  30. ^ Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (1997). "Tyler Prize Laureates". University of Southern California College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved October 20, 2007.
  31. ^ "National Book Awards – 1973". National Book Foundation. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  32. American Academy of Achievement
    .
  33. ^ Indianapolis Zoological Society (2008). "Distinguished Field Biologist George B. Schaller Named Winner of the 2008 Indianapolis Prize". Indianapolis Zoological Society. Archived from the original on September 10, 2008. Retrieved September 29, 2008.
  34. PMID 29686218
    .
  35. ^ "Kay Schaller Obituary (2023) - Lebanon, NH - Litchfield County Times". Legacy.com.

External links